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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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Report at a Glance

General RegionPennsylvania
Specific LocationCentral PA
Dates FishedApril 7, 2019
Time of Daymorning
Fish CaughtBrowns and a Bow
Conditions & HatchesGrannoms, Olives

Details and Discussion

Martinlf
Martinlf's profile picture
Moderator
Palmyra PA

Posts: 3047
Martinlf on Apr 8, 2019April 8th, 2019, 3:40 pm EDT
After dealing with picky olive eaters for about a month we finally have grannoms. It's great to have bigger bugs and fish eager to go after them. Caught some fish that I could not interest in olives a week or so ago. From here on, the hatches just get better. Tight lines all!
"He spread them a yard and a half. 'And every one that got away is this big.'"

--Fred Chappell
Partsman
Partsman's profile picture
bancroft michigan

Posts: 321
Partsman on Apr 9, 2019April 9th, 2019, 12:37 am EDT
I went up to Grayling Sunday for a nymph fishing class at Gates lodge, there some bugs starting to come on the river as we worked on technique. I stopped at the Rifle rive on the way home and there was also some bug activity going on. Water temp was 42 degrees, but it finally has turned to spring around here! Im looking forward to better things.
Mike.
Summer_doug
Detroit, MI

Posts: 46
Summer_doug on Apr 9, 2019April 9th, 2019, 12:15 pm EDT
I don’t mean to thread jack, but how was the Rifle looking Mike? I’m thinking about heading up on the Thursday before Good Friday and fishing Friday morning.

After finally getting out on some water, I’m itching to get out again. I was extremely rusty to the point of embarrassment for the first 3 hours or so!

Bring on Spring!
From Michigan

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