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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.
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Wbranch has attached these 7 pictures. The message is below.
Various PMD spinners
More Montana spinners
You think I like CDC caddis?
Various Hares Ear, Lightning Bugs, caddis pupa, and midge nymphs
More small nymphs
PMD emergers, Split back PMD nymphs, hunchback nymphs
Wbranch
Wbranch's profile picture
York & Starlight PA

Posts: 2635
Wbranch on Mar 10, 2019March 10th, 2019, 11:46 am EDT
A few weeks ago I made a comment about flies and fly boxes and organization to Jon, I mentioned that I would post up a few pictures of my C&F foam micro slit fly boxes. I have five C&F boxes with the middle swing page. Each box has 528 slits. I also have five C&F boxes without the swing leaf. Those boxes could hold up to 264 flies. These flies are just a very small portion of my entire fly collection, probably no more than 10%. I use the C&F boxes for fly sizes #16 - #20. Mostly nymphs and dry flies without hackle.

I'm beginning to think I enjoy tying more than the actual fishing. I can tie through every season and can listen to classical music, or rock & roll, while I tie. I never get frustrated or angry when I miss the "Big One". Hopefully as the weather warms up to the mid to upper 50's the "catching" bug will come over me and I'll get out on the rivers. Until than I'll just keep tying. I tied three dozen Euro nymphs since Friday.
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
Jmd123
Jmd123's profile picture
Oscoda, MI

Posts: 2474
Jmd123 on Mar 11, 2019March 11th, 2019, 3:03 am EDT
Fabulous, Matt! I need to do the same, took a bunch of photos of my open boxes but haven't gotten them on here yet. It is very satisfying to open a bunch of fly boxes and admire your own work, especially when you've been doing it for a looooong time. And they even catch fish too!

Thanks for sharing!

Jonathon
No matter how big the one you just caught is, there's always a bigger one out there somewhere...
Partsman
Partsman's profile picture
bancroft michigan

Posts: 321
Partsman on Mar 11, 2019March 11th, 2019, 2:13 pm EDT
Love it, now we need some weather to get out and use the flies we have been tying!

Mike.
Wbranch
Wbranch's profile picture
York & Starlight PA

Posts: 2635
Wbranch on Mar 11, 2019March 11th, 2019, 4:20 pm EDT
Hi Mike,

I'm pretty sure I'm headed you to the Lake Erie streams for steelhead Wednesday through Friday. Looks like nice weather all three days, 50 - 60 degrees. If I go, and have success, I'll post some pictures.
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.

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