Salmonflies
Pteronarcys californica
The giant Salmonflies of the Western mountains are legendary for their proclivity to elicit consistent dry-fly action and ferocious strikes.
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This is a striking caddis larva with an interesting color pattern on the head. Here are some characteristics I was able to see under the microscope, but could not easily expose for a picture:
- The prosternal horn is present.
- The mandible is clearly toothed, not formed into a uniform scraper blade.
- The seems to be only 2 major setae on the ventral edge of the hind femur.
- Chloride epithelia seem to be absent from the dorsal side of any abdominal segments.
Based on these characteristics and the ones more easily visible from the pictures, this seems to be Grammotaulius. The key's description of the case is spot-on: "Case cylindrical, made of longitudinally arranged sedge or similar leaves," as is the description of the markings on the head, "Dorsum of head light brownish yellow with numerous discrete, small, dark spots." The spot pattern on the head is a very good match to figure 19.312 of Merritt R.W., Cummins, K.W., and Berg, M.B. (2019). The species ID is based on Grammotaulius betteni being the only species of this genus known in Washington state.
- The prosternal horn is present.
- The mandible is clearly toothed, not formed into a uniform scraper blade.
- The seems to be only 2 major setae on the ventral edge of the hind femur.
- Chloride epithelia seem to be absent from the dorsal side of any abdominal segments.
Based on these characteristics and the ones more easily visible from the pictures, this seems to be Grammotaulius. The key's description of the case is spot-on: "Case cylindrical, made of longitudinally arranged sedge or similar leaves," as is the description of the markings on the head, "Dorsum of head light brownish yellow with numerous discrete, small, dark spots." The spot pattern on the head is a very good match to figure 19.312 of Merritt R.W., Cummins, K.W., and Berg, M.B. (2019). The species ID is based on Grammotaulius betteni being the only species of this genus known in Washington state.
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Hookie on Dec 29, 2018December 29th, 2018, 12:00 pm EST
Looking at some new nymphing Rods currently using a 3 weight but have been thinking about a 4. I know allot of guys that use both and even some that will use a 4 weight tip on a 3 weight. What do you guys prefer and why?
Love 2 Nymph!!!
Iasgair on Jan 1, 2019January 1st, 2019, 2:19 pm EST
I don't nymph too much. I'm primarily a dry fly guy who is getting more and more into classic wet flies. But I have a 1004 Scott A4 when I do nymph. And when I do any nymphing, I like the Czech style, tight lining.
My Scott A4 is a med/fast action with a tip that's not too stiff or soft. I have caught some dandy fish with it getting up close and personal with the fish. It allows me to concentrate more being focused on what's happening below the surface.
I have heard that 10' rods are actually one weight heavier down in the lower section of the rod than he tip. In other words, the butt section to mid is more like a 5wt, with a 4wt mid - tip section. Using a heavier tip like you mentioned doesn't seem practical to me, but I'm not going to judge anyone who does.
My Scott A4 is a med/fast action with a tip that's not too stiff or soft. I have caught some dandy fish with it getting up close and personal with the fish. It allows me to concentrate more being focused on what's happening below the surface.
I have heard that 10' rods are actually one weight heavier down in the lower section of the rod than he tip. In other words, the butt section to mid is more like a 5wt, with a 4wt mid - tip section. Using a heavier tip like you mentioned doesn't seem practical to me, but I'm not going to judge anyone who does.
Martinlf on Jan 2, 2019January 2nd, 2019, 6:23 am EST
I mostly use either an Echo 10' 3W Shadow or a Cabela's 10' 4W CZN. I like both of them. I use the Echo primarily if I expect smaller fish, but have landed some 16-18" fish with it. It has more backbone than the Grey's Streamflex that I started with, and for me I like the additional control I feel with it. The Cabela's rod is a great rod, and I've talked with several other guys who love it. One guy I talked with uses it for everything, nymphing, dries, and streamers. I believe it's true that the longer rods generally have stiffer butts.
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"
--Fred Chappell
--Fred Chappell
PaulRoberts on Jan 4, 2019January 4th, 2019, 4:14 am EST
Hmmmmm... I guess it depends on how you are rigging. How will you be rigging?
Lessee if I can simplify this...
Will you be short-line "splunking", or casting?
If splunking" long rods with light fly-lines are efficient in deeper water, and usually short casts, where flies are "dragged" through.
If casting, then you'll need the mass in the fly line to carry the weight.
I do more of, or prefer, the latter. So...
-I may use a 3wt in very shallow or slow current situtations, where I'm throwing little, if any, weight.
-A 4 or 5wt is my standard issue for pitching standard weight, for the warmer seasons, and usually
Lessee if I can simplify this...
Will you be short-line "splunking", or casting?
If splunking" long rods with light fly-lines are efficient in deeper water, and usually short casts, where flies are "dragged" through.
If casting, then you'll need the mass in the fly line to carry the weight.
I do more of, or prefer, the latter. So...
-I may use a 3wt in very shallow or slow current situtations, where I'm throwing little, if any, weight.
-A 4 or 5wt is my standard issue for pitching standard weight, for the warmer seasons, and usually
Wbranch on Jan 4, 2019January 4th, 2019, 11:37 pm EST
Being an old school cranky septuagenarian I just don't understand the relatively recent insurgence of ultralight lines and very long fly rods to nymph??? I assume the added 1' - 2' feet of length helps mend and high stick? But why the #3 or #4 lines? I've caught thousands of trout with 7' - 9' fly rods and #4 - #6 lines and never felt the need to alter my tackle.
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
PaulRoberts on Jan 6, 2019January 6th, 2019, 5:07 am EST
Being an old school cranky septuagenarian I just don't understand the relatively recent insurgence of ultralight lines and very long fly rods to nymph??? I assume the added 1' - 2' feet of length helps mend and high stick? But why the #3 or #4 lines? I've caught thousands of trout with 7' - 9' fly rods and #4 - #6 lines and never felt the need to alter my tackle.
Hiya, Matt! Hope all's well.
Besides, that long rod keeping that pesky line off the water, I think the thin lines have to do with efficiency in covering deeper and/or faster water -keeping that pesky current off the line! :) Humphreys dedicated a book chapter to monofilament nymphing, in which he used flat mono so he could handle it in hand like fly-line...sort-of.
I generally didn't have such hang-ups (if that's what that was) and simply went to spinning gear at times. I had a period where I fished tiny jigs on UL spinning tackle, and man, was it effective. I still entertain plans to custom build such a spinning rig, but... I have enough on my plate as it is.
I never bought into the running-line drift fishing for steelhead -like the flat mono nymphing thing. I stuck to conventional fly-lines on the fly-only stretches, and had no issue fishing spinning of levelwind gear in other waters, esp when things got REALLY cold -due to that pesky hard-water on fly-lines! There were more than a few times when I'd have to pop my fly or bait into my mouth to thaw it enough for a few casts.
Wbranch on Jan 6, 2019January 6th, 2019, 11:50 am EST
Paul wrote;
Ya might as well just forego the fly and tie on a #16 light wire dry fly hook and impale a wax worm on it an really go to the Dark Side. A couple of years ago while in my Hyde I watched a guy with a noodle rod and spin reel clean house with wax worms on the upper Delaware. He released every fish and in the half hour I watched him fish he landed six rainbows 14" - 17". He wasn't all that sophisticated either, he would just cast about 30' across the current and let the bait drift and swing down below him. Most of the takes were while the bait was hanging in the current.
Humphreys dedicated a book chapter to monofilament nymphing, in which he used flat mono so he could handle it in hand like fly-line...sort-of.
Ya might as well just forego the fly and tie on a #16 light wire dry fly hook and impale a wax worm on it an really go to the Dark Side. A couple of years ago while in my Hyde I watched a guy with a noodle rod and spin reel clean house with wax worms on the upper Delaware. He released every fish and in the half hour I watched him fish he landed six rainbows 14" - 17". He wasn't all that sophisticated either, he would just cast about 30' across the current and let the bait drift and swing down below him. Most of the takes were while the bait was hanging in the current.
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
Wbranch on Jan 6, 2019January 6th, 2019, 11:58 am EST
Hi Paul,
I had initially scheduled right hip replacement surgery for September 13, 2018 but wound up getting a bad cold and the surgery was cancelled. Then it was rescheduled for December 07 and got cancelled again after learning I had four blood clots in my left leg and had to go on Xarelto (blood thinner) for the rest of my life. I had been putting it off and not wanting to reschedule but considering I am quite sedentary in the winter and much more active in the spring and summer I figured it would behoove me to wrap my head around getting it done so I don't have a major problem while up in the Catskills or worse yet wind up in a hospital in Montana with a failed hip joint.
So all you Troutnutters please keep me in your thoughts and prayers on February 25, the date of my surgery. I had my left hip done six years ago and it takes a good 5-6 weeks to fully recover and get back to normal activities. I'll be missing spring steelhead but should be in fine form for Erie smallmouth in April and the Delaware in May and June.
Hiya, Matt! Hope all's well.
I had initially scheduled right hip replacement surgery for September 13, 2018 but wound up getting a bad cold and the surgery was cancelled. Then it was rescheduled for December 07 and got cancelled again after learning I had four blood clots in my left leg and had to go on Xarelto (blood thinner) for the rest of my life. I had been putting it off and not wanting to reschedule but considering I am quite sedentary in the winter and much more active in the spring and summer I figured it would behoove me to wrap my head around getting it done so I don't have a major problem while up in the Catskills or worse yet wind up in a hospital in Montana with a failed hip joint.
So all you Troutnutters please keep me in your thoughts and prayers on February 25, the date of my surgery. I had my left hip done six years ago and it takes a good 5-6 weeks to fully recover and get back to normal activities. I'll be missing spring steelhead but should be in fine form for Erie smallmouth in April and the Delaware in May and June.
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
Afishinado on Jan 6, 2019January 6th, 2019, 10:52 pm EST
Hi Paul,
Hiya, Matt! Hope all's well.
I had initially scheduled right hip replacement surgery for September 13, 2018 but wound up getting a bad cold and the surgery was cancelled. Then it was rescheduled for December 07 and got cancelled again after learning I had four blood clots in my left leg and had to go on Xarelto (blood thinner) for the rest of my life. I had been putting it off and not wanting to reschedule but considering I am quite sedentary in the winter and much more active in the spring and summer I figured it would behoove me to wrap my head around getting it done so I don't have a major problem while up in the Catskills or worse yet wind up in a hospital in Montana with a failed hip joint.
So all you Troutnutters please keep me in your thoughts and prayers on February 25, the date of my surgery. I had my left hip done six years ago and it takes a good 5-6 weeks to fully recover and get back to normal activities. I'll be missing spring steelhead but should be in fine form for Erie smallmouth in April and the Delaware in May and June.
Hey Matt,
You're not going to miss much fishing the way the PA streams and rivers are running anyway. Good luck with your surgery, I'm sure you'll be out there when the fishing heats up in the spring. Thoughts and prayers.
Tom
Partsman on Jan 6, 2019January 6th, 2019, 11:21 pm EST
Matt, good luck and I know all will go well! This maturing thing can be very challenging, but that is what life is all about. Your getting it done at the right time of year and by late spring you should be good to go, keep us updated and take care of those blood clots, I enjoy your post on this website and you bring so much to this site, im sure we will all be thinking of you in the coming months.
Mike.
Mike.
Wiflyfisher on Jan 8, 2019January 8th, 2019, 11:40 pm EST
Man, I haven't been on here in ages. I just replied to a PM message left for me in October.:-)
Matt, I hope all goes well with your surgery and you are catching fish again soon.
Louis, what rod is that from Cabelas?? I have a ton of Cabela points stored up.
Hookie, IMHO, you have to decide yourself based on how you like to nymph. Everyone has a different opinion and there are several different styles of nymphing. If you are planning on throwing just 20-30 feet upstream and drift a Sawyer PT nymph down to the trout than a long rod maybe helpful. Also, if you are short it may help too. :-)
Good luck!
Matt, I hope all goes well with your surgery and you are catching fish again soon.
Louis, what rod is that from Cabelas?? I have a ton of Cabela points stored up.
Hookie, IMHO, you have to decide yourself based on how you like to nymph. Everyone has a different opinion and there are several different styles of nymphing. If you are planning on throwing just 20-30 feet upstream and drift a Sawyer PT nymph down to the trout than a long rod maybe helpful. Also, if you are short it may help too. :-)
Good luck!
John S.
https://WiFlyFisher.com
https://WiFlyFisher.com
Wbranch on Jan 9, 2019January 9th, 2019, 2:06 am EST
Hi Mike,
I sent you a PM with all the details of how I got the clots and how I am being treated to eliminate them.
Suffice to say I am following the doctor's orders exactly as directed and am anxious to get the surgery and get back to 100% so I can enjoy the 2019 fishing season. I made my reservations for Montana 2019 before I decided to get the hip replacement so it is imperative I work with the physical therapist and build up my strength in the right leg.
I'll be in Montana for 12 days and have booked a drift boat for at least six days. Hopefully Montana will have a more normal snow pack this winter and the river will be no more than 6000 cfs when I arrive on June 26. I think I will be able to use my frameless pontoon boat at that flow as long as my fishing partner gets it off the rental car for me. We rented a drift boat for five days in 2018 because the river was just too high to wade and dangerous for the pontoon boats. Having the drift boat enabled us to fish for rising trout where we had never been able to fish before due to the depth. It is just so much more comfortable in the boat and you can get right on top of fish and minimize drag. Even though there weren't that many rising fish we were able to put over a dozen 20" - 22" rainbows into the boat.
I'll post up some of the pictures on the Trip Report forum.
take care of those blood clots
I sent you a PM with all the details of how I got the clots and how I am being treated to eliminate them.
Suffice to say I am following the doctor's orders exactly as directed and am anxious to get the surgery and get back to 100% so I can enjoy the 2019 fishing season. I made my reservations for Montana 2019 before I decided to get the hip replacement so it is imperative I work with the physical therapist and build up my strength in the right leg.
I'll be in Montana for 12 days and have booked a drift boat for at least six days. Hopefully Montana will have a more normal snow pack this winter and the river will be no more than 6000 cfs when I arrive on June 26. I think I will be able to use my frameless pontoon boat at that flow as long as my fishing partner gets it off the rental car for me. We rented a drift boat for five days in 2018 because the river was just too high to wade and dangerous for the pontoon boats. Having the drift boat enabled us to fish for rising trout where we had never been able to fish before due to the depth. It is just so much more comfortable in the boat and you can get right on top of fish and minimize drag. Even though there weren't that many rising fish we were able to put over a dozen 20" - 22" rainbows into the boat.
I'll post up some of the pictures on the Trip Report forum.
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
Martinlf on Jan 12, 2019January 12th, 2019, 2:49 pm EST
John, it's a Cabela's CZN rod. I think that's what they call them. Yes. Here's a review: http://www.flyfishohio.com/cabelas_czech_nymph_rod.htm
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"
--Fred Chappell
--Fred Chappell
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