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Lateral view of a Male Baetis (Baetidae) (Blue-Winged Olive) Mayfly Dun from Mystery Creek #43 in New York
Blue-winged Olives
Baetis

Tiny Baetis mayflies are perhaps the most commonly encountered and imitated by anglers on all American trout streams due to their great abundance, widespread distribution, and trout-friendly emergence habits.

Case view of a Pycnopsyche guttifera (Limnephilidae) (Great Autumn Brown Sedge) Caddisfly Larva from the Yakima River in Washington
It's only barely visible in one of my pictures, but I confirmed under the microscope that this one has a prosternal horn and the antennae are mid-way between the eyes and front of the head capsule.

I'm calling this one Pycnopsyche, but it's a bit perplexing. It seems to key definitively to at least Couplet 8 of the Key to Genera of Limnephilidae Larvae. That narrows it down to three genera, and the case seems wrong for the other two. The case looks right for Pycnopsyche, and it fits one of the key characteristics: "Abdominal sternum II without chloride epithelium and abdominal segment IX with only single seta on each side of dorsal sclerite." However, the characteristic "metanotal sa1 sclerites not fused, although often contiguous" does not seem to fit well. Those sclerites sure look fused to me, although I can make out a thin groove in the touching halves in the anterior half under the microscope. Perhaps this is a regional variation.

The only species of Pycnopsyche documented in Washington state is Pycnopsyche guttifera, and the colors and markings around the head of this specimen seem to match very well a specimen of that species from Massachusetts on Bugguide. So I am placing it in that species for now.

Whatever species this is, I photographed another specimen of seemingly the same species from the same spot a couple months later.
27" brown trout, my largest ever. It was the sub-dominant fish in its pool. After this, I hooked the bigger one, but I couldn't land it.
Troutnut is a project started in 2003 by salmonid ecologist Jason "Troutnut" Neuswanger to help anglers and fly tyers unabashedly embrace the entomological side of the sport. Learn more about Troutnut or support the project for an enhanced experience here.

Arnold
Arnold's profile picture
Sandia Park, New Mexico

Posts: 4
Arnold on Oct 10, 2017October 10th, 2017, 11:04 am EDT
The website (below) has a very comprehensive, technical review of the most common fly line to leader connections. It was authored by a New Zealand fly fishing guide, now guiding in Southeast Asia.

https://www.ng-river-guides.com/fishing-holidays-in-thailand/line-to-leader-connections/

I recommend taking a look at it.

Happy Fishing,

Arnold
Iasgair
Iasgair's profile picture
Colorado

Posts: 148
Iasgair on Oct 24, 2017October 24th, 2017, 12:41 pm EDT
I have always liked the welded loop attachment. I have never had an issue with that type of connection, but the leader link near the bottom of the page has my interest. I have never heard of those before, and reading about them sure has my attention.

Thanks for sharing.
Martinlf
Martinlf's profile picture
Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3047
Martinlf on Oct 25, 2017October 25th, 2017, 4:25 pm EDT
Here's basically how I do all mine. You have to replace these each year, but I've never had one fail, and the link is super smooth.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjSxn0O9qAk
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell

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