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MarcMartyn

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About MarcMartyn

  • Rank
    Beginner

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  • Favorite Species
    Trout
  • Security
    22

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  • Location
    Spokane, WA
  1. MarcMartyn

    spider ID

    I got the following email from Dr. Rod Crawford at the University of Washington. Apparently a much closer view is needed to fully identify the spider. Thanks for all of your input. Unfortunately, the images of the spiders in your posted photos are too tiny for me to even be sure what family they are in, let alone what species. The body shape is similar to a cobweb weaver but on the other hand the ventral coloration (if that second shot is indeed a ventral view - hard to tell when the whole body is a few pixels across!) resembles an orbweaver. The webbing, on the other hand, looks more like it might have been made by spiders of the family Dictynidae... It could be that the spiders in the photos did not in fact make most of that webbing - if it is dictynid webbing, the spiders that made it would be much smaller and would be concealed in little silk tunnels. Are you sure that the nymphs you saw were all damselflies? Mayflies would be more numerous in that habitat. In any case, if the exoskeletons were intact that suggests that they may not have been preyed upon, but simply used (old) webbing as a place to hang on to, then left their nymphal skin there while the live adult flew away... You are wrong about black widow habitat preference, Washington populations at least prefer niches that are dark and dry, like abandoned mammal burrows. The spiders that are most common in places like sprinkler control boxes are the false black widows, Steatoda grossa. For future reference, it is easy for me to identify a spider from a specimen, but fantastically difficult from a photo - even a much better one. Spider ID is based on microscopic features, at species level. ---Rod Crawford, Burke Museum, Seattle, USA
  2. MarcMartyn

    spider ID

    Thanks for the contact Toirtis, I'll do that. I'm really curious as to why they form in such large numbers in that specific area. When I find out more on this I'll post it.
  3. MarcMartyn

    spider ID

    No, the web isn't like the standard web as you described. It is a more erratic, wisp like web much like the black widow web. No real geometric pattern at all. I think that is in the cobweb spider family- Theridiidae. Which one I can't identify. It has the same body shape and the web is like a Black Widow. The difference between the Black Widow and the many that I saw at Lenore, is the Black Widow's habitat is in dark damp places. I've seen a lot of those in cemetery vases that are turned upside down in the holder and also in well houses. The ones at Lenore were exposed to the daylight and subject to the hot afternoon sun and wind. One other interesting thing about this is that the webs and spiders are ONLY on the west side of the island. The prevailing wind comes out of the southwest. It makes me think that they live on the west side of the island because the wind and wave action push the nymph into their webs. In the spring the water level drops quickly as the warm weather hits. This leaves the nymphs stranded "high and dry" for the spiders to devour. Here is a video I did of Lenore. It is in two parts. "Spider Island" can be seen in the part #2 video when I panned back with the camera after showing the ducks in the water.
  4. MarcMartyn

    spider ID

    I'm wondering if there is an arachnologist on the board. In the fall of 2009, I was fishing Lake Lenore in central Washington. Lake Lenore is about 25 miles north of Moses Lake. It has an island on it that is all rock and is a little more than a 1/2 mile long. It was a warm day and the sun was brutal so I kicked my pontoon boat over into the shade of the island. The walls of the island were covered with a gray material that I at first thought was dried algae from when the water was higher. In looking closer, I discovered it was not algae, but millions of spider webs. In the webs were exoskeletons of, I think, Damsel Fly nymphs. The webs literally covered the west side (and only the west side) of the island. I had never seen anything like that before. I can't remember for sure, but I think that the pictures of the spiders are showing the belly of the spider. They appeared to be inside the web. If you look close at the spider, perhaps you can tell if it is the underside of it. My theory is (and tell me if I am wrong) that the Damsel nymphs swim over to the island when they are about to emerge, crawl up the rocks and get caught in the webs. Since this is a perfect environment for the spiders, they have thrived and multiplied to these massive numbers. I have searched the web looking at spiders until I was blue in the face trying to identify what kind it is. I didn't realize that there were so many different kinds of spiders! They have a body somewhat similar to a Black Widow, but not the markings. Any information you can offer would be greatly appreciated. I am interested as to what they are and if they are poisonous or not. After making this discovery, I have named that island "Spider Island"! Lenore is a great lake to fish. There are some very large Lahonton Cutthroat in that lake.
  5. I fished with the Medalist for many years until I went to a Sage rod. I had the Sage reel on it for several years and didn't like it. When I got a 8wt rod, I bought a Okuma Helios and loved it. So much so, I decided to convert my 5wt rod to the same reel. In my research, I discovered that the Cabela's RLS is made by Okuma, same reel as the Helio but a different finish. In my change over I went with the large arbor reel which is great. What I really like about the reels is that they are so smooth. The drag is easily accessible and adjusts easily while fighting a fish. They are truly a pleasure to fish with. BTW, Cabela's has a good sale on them right now. http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-RLS-Fly-Reels/732358.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3DsearchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3DRLS%26x%3D0%26y%3D0%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%2BProducts&Ntt=RLS&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products
  6. I have a Griffin Osprey Spider that I really like. They are made in Kalispell, MT. Before that, I tied with the old Thompson Model A.
  7. I do intend on posting up some patterns that I have developed. It's just a matter of finding them on my computer.
  8. I started tying in 1974 when a friend gave me a starter kit. He told me that he couldn't get the hang of it so I gave it a try. The materials and tools in the kit were horrible and I could see why he was having problems. I looked into some materials at Orvis and Cabela's (through their catalog). When I got better tools and materials from them it became fun to do and I have continued since. My first fly tying book was Jack Dennis Western Trout Fly Tying Manual. I still have it after all these years. Learning to tie today is much easier than it was back then. Youtube and sites like this have so much information, learning is easy. It has been and always will be a rewarding and relaxing hobby.
  9. The picture of Sammy is beautiful! Great job.
  10. Fly fishing has been in my veins since the first Cutthroat Trout I caught off of the dock with a Renegade up at Marshall Lake in N.E. Washington in 1965. I have never lost interest in it and continue to learn new things every time I wet a line. I have fly fished most of the trout lakes in the area and have met so many wonderful people. In fact, all of my close friends I met while fly fishing. They are all great people. I tie my own flies and have gotten some great ideas and patterns from this site. There are some very talented tiers on here. If anyone is planning on visiting the Eastern Washington region and want to fish some of the regional waters, I would be willing to help with any questions you may have. We have some wonderful lakes and rivers in the area. In recent years, I produced some informational lake videos. Below are two of my favorite lakes. I look forward to conversing and sharing ideas of the sport that we are all passionate about. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvUXFH0V_88
  11. Howdy to you too, Lotech! Say, haven't we met before? Amber Lake, St. Joe River, Marshall Lake? Marshall!!! That's right, you're the guy who couldn't get his fins on! We didn't get out on the water together last year for several reasons, medical and financial issues, but things are looking up for both of us now. This spring we'll get together and hit the water.
  12. Here is my modest bench that I have used for many years. I set it up in my basement office and it has served me well. I've seen some great entries so far.
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