Jump to content
Fly Tying
Sign in to follow this  
Satchmo

Need this alien identified

Recommended Posts

Fishing today on the Neshannock Creek in western Pennsylvania and while I tying on a new fly this guy came floating by already half way out of his nymphal husk. What struck me as odd was the size of it. Ive seen the huge Stone Fly husks on the rock walls of the Gunnison River in Colorado but never in Western Pennsylvania. My guess is this guy crawled to the shore edge to emerge but lost his footing and got caught in the current. I placed my finger next to him and a bottle of Xink to size him up with.

 

post-16511-1240617699_thumb.jpg

post-16511-1240617872_thumb.jpg

post-16511-1240617896_thumb.jpg

post-16511-1240617927_thumb.jpg

post-16511-1240617952_thumb.jpg

post-16511-1240617975_thumb.jpg

post-16511-1240617988_thumb.jpg

post-16511-1240618002_thumb.jpg

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Judging from the size compared to the bottle, I would say Salmon fly..

 

Tie up some big Salmon fly patterns and HOLD ON..

 

Try the "Thing From Uranus"

 

no kidding look it up..

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

That's a Pteronarcys (Salmonfly). Everyone's heard about the big salmonfly hatches out west, but some species can be found all over North America. When I took an Aquatic Entomolgy course a couple years back in Kentucky, we often collected Pteronarcys nymphs 2" or larger in coldwater streams and they were pretty common. When they hatch the can crawl over 10 feet from the stream to hatch and the adults stay in the trees and come out to play after dark. As far as I know, there aren't any major Pteronarcys hatches in the East, the hatches are more spread out and sporadic than in the West.

 

-Cody

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

You have no idea how hard it was to bring myself to google "Thing from Uranus" I was braced for all kinds of horribleness! But, indeed thats the imitation.

 

Heres a good link for comparing a Salmon Fly to a Golden Stone. Ive spent alot of time on this creek and this was the first encounter with a nymph in these water of this size...I'll admit...I was scared.

Salmon Vs. Stone

 

Thanks guys for the help. I had fun photographing and watching it try and wiggle out of its skin, and it sure beat getting skunked on the water today.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
You have no idea how hard it was to bring myself to google "Thing from Uranus" I was braced for all kinds of horribleness! But, indeed thats the imitation.

 

I belive this is a Salmon fly and heres a link that has good images of both.

Salmon Vs. Stone

 

Great work and thank you guys. I just had no idea flies/nymphs this size were in the Neshannock Creek....I'll admit it....I was scared!

 

I have used "the Thing from uranus" from April to November and it is a great Fly.... have caught Bull Trout, Rainbows, and Cuttbows, and Cutt throut trout..

 

Damn fine Fly..

 

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Ahh......Salmon Fly All the Way

 

The nymph gives it away. I concede ... I am wrong. :cursing:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I vote Pteronarcys, it is too large for a golden. Slightly too small for a Californica. Nice photos, thanks. And as Cody stated, colder, clean, and faster moving water and you can have stones anywhere in the US.

 

Cheers, Futzer.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Given that you live in Western Pa., and given that the geography/geology/water quality there are similar to the west slope of the Alleghenies in West Virginia, I'd say you've come across a fine example of Allonarcys biloba, a stonefly very similar to the salmon fly, Pteronarcys californica. Disclaimer: I haven't stayed current on the nomenclature, so it might have changed.

 

John

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Given that you live in Western Pa., and given that the geography/geology/water quality there are similar to the west slope of the Alleghenies in West Virginia, I'd say you've come across a fine example of Allonarcys biloba, a stonefly very similar to the salmon fly, Pteronarcys californica. Disclaimer: I haven't stayed current on the nomenclature, so it might have changed.

 

John

John-

 

Allonarcys biloba has been reclassified as Pteronarcys biloba (Knobbed Salmonfly), and is one of (5) Pteronarcys species present in Pennsylvania. Can't confirm your identification to species, but at ~62 mm. (my estimate of body length, based on the adjacent floatant dispenser in the photo), it is certainly some species of Pteronarcys, as no other genera of N. American Stoneflies attains a body length in excess of ~36 mm.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Hey Satchmo, I tried awhile back to access your post on the Stonefly you observed back on Apr. 28? on the Neshannock river,,password problem kept me from the stuff you posted,photos etc. so this am I went to realistic fly tying,saw a pm by Paul vd Driesche,"yet another stonefly". This pm reminded me to get back to your post which I just did. Now here is my story.I snatched a large[ I think] stonefly hatching on the surface Sunday am on the Pequest river near Belvedere,NJ. It was 1-1/2 " very stocky body, a dull med plum cast with a pair of mandibles[ it was biting on my palm as I was observing it's debut]. I showed it to several others who said they had never seen that bug. This bug was causing quite a commotion on the water and I had trepidations about handling it. Aside from this I have seen a few like the one you described and dark ones [smaller] so this one was a new experience. Alas I would have photo'd, but I dunked my P&S last week in the Delaware.btw your photos were great,did you take any with wings developed? Anyway I wish I could get this bug identified. Thanks, Tom.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
... Now here is my story.I snatched a large[ I think] stonefly hatching on the surface Sunday am on the Pequest river near Belvedere,NJ. It was 1-1/2 " very stocky body, a dull med plum cast with a pair of mandibles[ it was biting on my palm as I was observing it's debut]. I showed it to several others who said they had never seen that bug. This bug was causing quite a commotion on the water and I had trepidations about handling it. Aside from this I have seen a few like the one you described and dark ones [smaller] so this one was a new experience. Alas I would have photo'd, but I dunked my P&S last week in the Delaware.btw your photos were great,did you take any with wings developed? Anyway I wish I could get this bug identified. Thanks, Tom.

Tom-

 

The aquatic insect you are describing, both anatomically and behaviorally, is more likely to be a fishfly (or dobsonfly) larva than it is to be a stonefly nymph. See Aquatic Insect Recognition.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

That is most definitely a stonefly nymph, and not a golden. The goldens are lighter in color and about 1/2 the length. I was showin some newbies a few golden nymphs this weekend up on the Stanislaus. The darker bigger nymph is a regular stone if there is such a thing.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
Sign in to follow this  

×
×
  • Create New...