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> > Mystery Creek # 42
About "Mystery Creeks": I love small streams, but some of my favorite little trout streams are too small and too fragile to publicize here. If you recognize one of these, you already understand why I'm keeping it a secret. These are the kinds of places that lose a little bit of their charm if you see someone else's week-old footprint, and I don't want to do that to them.
Landscape & scenery photos from Mystery Creek # 42
This above/below shot has Gonzo fishing on top and a beautiful tea-stained little Pocono stream on the bottom.
Underwater photos from Mystery Creek # 42
Gonzo and I had to wait a few seconds for this snapping turtle to get out of our way before we crossed over a log on his small stream.
These big bucket-like nets on the weeds are home to Hydropsychid caddisflies, as I verified by actually taking one apart to look at its inhabitant.
In this picture: Caddisfly Family Hydropsychidae.
In this picture: Caddisfly Family Hydropsychidae.
On-stream insect photos from Mystery Creek # 42
This dragonfly got stuck in its shuck (
Shuck: The shed exoskeleton left over when an insect molts into its next stage or instar. Most often it describes the last nymphal or pupal skin exited during emergence into a winged adult.) trying to emerge, so it was just crawling around on this rock.
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Here's an underwater view of the pupal shucks of several already-emerged Brachycentrus numerosus caddisflies.
This rock includes several empty Peltoperlid shucks (
Shuck: The shed exoskeleton left over when an insect molts into its next stage or instar. Most often it describes the last nymphal or pupal skin exited during emergence into a winged adult.).
Here's an underwater view of the pupal shucks of several already-emerged Brachycentrus numerosus caddisflies.
This Peltoperlid stonefly (roachfly) was crawling around on this rock looking for a comfortable place to emerge.
This stonefly is doing its best to pretend to be a mayfly.
This Peltoperlid stonefly (roachfly) was crawling around on this rock looking for a comfortable place to emerge.
Closeup insects from Mystery Creek # 42
Female Ephemerella (Hendricksons, Sulphurs, PMDs) Mayfly Spinner
View 8 PicturesI've seen Ephemerella invaria with green egg sacs and Ephemerella subvaria with yellow one. This one seems too large for dorothea. So what is it? I'm not sure.
Many females of this species were gathered in tight clouds to lay their eggs over the riffles in a mid-sized Pocono stream right at dusk. It would have been a fishable spinner fall if I'd stuck around to wait for them.
View 8 PicturesI've seen Ephemerella invaria with green egg sacs and Ephemerella subvaria with yellow one. This one seems too large for dorothea. So what is it? I'm not sure.Many females of this species were gathered in tight clouds to lay their eggs over the riffles in a mid-sized Pocono stream right at dusk. It would have been a fishable spinner fall if I'd stuck around to wait for them.
Collected May 28, 2007 from Mystery Creek #42 in Pennsylvania
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on June 4, 2007
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on June 4, 2007
Male Dolophilodes distinctus (Tiny Black Gold Speckled-Winged Caddis) Caddisfly Adult
View 6 PicturesThis caddis species was dancing high over the stream, spaced a foot or two apart across most of its width, very much like Ephemera mayfly spinners but with more side-to-side motion mixed in. There were more than enough to get the trout interested, but I wasn't able to stick around until they fell on the water (if they did at all).
View 6 PicturesThis caddis species was dancing high over the stream, spaced a foot or two apart across most of its width, very much like Ephemera mayfly spinners but with more side-to-side motion mixed in. There were more than enough to get the trout interested, but I wasn't able to stick around until they fell on the water (if they did at all).Collected May 28, 2007 from Mystery Creek #42 in Pennsylvania
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on June 4, 2007
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on June 4, 2007
Female Maccaffertium pudicum Mayfly Spinner
View 6 PicturesThis one may look a bit strange, because one of her main wings came off in my container.
View 6 PicturesThis one may look a bit strange, because one of her main wings came off in my container.Collected May 28, 2007 from Mystery Creek #42 in Pennsylvania
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on June 4, 2007
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on June 4, 2007
Peltoperlidae (Roachflies) Stonefly Adult
View 5 PicturesThe adult stoneflies of this family look surprisingly normal given the strange shape of the nymphs.
View 5 PicturesThe adult stoneflies of this family look surprisingly normal given the strange shape of the nymphs.Collected May 28, 2007 from Mystery Creek #42 in Pennsylvania
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on June 4, 2007
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on June 4, 2007
Theliopsyche (Little Brown-Green Sedges) Little Brown Sedge Adult
View 5 PicturesThis one has a neat iridescent sheen to its wings.
See the discussion for details on this fly's tentative ID.
View 5 PicturesThis one has a neat iridescent sheen to its wings.See the discussion for details on this fly's tentative ID.
Collected May 28, 2007 from Mystery Creek #42 in Pennsylvania
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on June 4, 2007
Added to Troutnut.com by Troutnut on June 4, 2007
Start a Discussion of Mystery Creek # 42:
Jargon Defined:
Nymphs: The juvenile, underwater stages of mayflies, stoneflies, dragonflies, and damselflies and other aquatic insects whose juvenile stages are covered by hard exoskeletons. The word can also refer to the fishing flies which imitate these creatures, in which case it is used as a blanket term for flies imitating any underwater stage of an invertebrate (except for crayfish and leeches).
Here's an underwater view of the pupal shucks of several already-emerged Brachycentrus numerosus caddisflies.
Spinner: There are two winged stages of adult mayflies. They emerge from the water as duns, molt on land (usually) into their fully mature stage, spinners. As spinners, they mate, lay eggs, and die.
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