NANFA-- Collecting around Topeka Kansas

Tom and Lanita Watson (tom_at_forworldschildren.org)
Fri, 11 May 2001 16:23:14 -0700

I was scheduled for a business trip to Wichita this week. I flew in early
and drove up to Topeka, where I met Luke McClurg. He took me first to
Mission Creek where we seined a lot of Red Shiners, Redfin Shiners and a few
female Orangethroat Darters. It had rained the night before and the creek
was a little on the high side. We weren't getting any variety so we moved
on to Mill Creek stopping on the way to toss a minnow trap into a small
clear spring fed creek, in hopes of getting some Southern Redbelly Dace.

At Mill Creek Luke placed a trap and used an umbrella net from the bridge,
while I waded with a dip net. We hit pay dirt right away. Picking up
Slender Madtoms, crayfish, and more female Orangethroats. Finally scored on
some male Orangethroats In a riffle. We also got a couple Southern Redbelly
Dace and one Rosyface Shiner.

Wading in the river under the May sun I went from bald head to red head and
my pale Washingtonian skin turned a light shade of pink. Suffering from
exposure and laden with fish, packed up and went back to that little spring
fed stream where we had left the minnow trap. No luck, the trap was empty,
although Redbelly Dace were all around it. Luke switched to his magnum
minnow trap and tried again. The dace continued to circle without entering.
We finally called it quits and Luke drove me back to my car. He is
quarantining the fish and treating them for parasites. He will mail them to
me, their arrival planned to coincide with my return from to Portland next
week.

Back on the turnpike I encounter about a dozen thunder storms in my two hour
drive to Wichita. You'd be going 80 - 85 MPH when a storm would bring
visibility down to 10 feet.

Despite it's thunder storms and tornados I have always found Kansans to be a
hospitable lot - Thanks Luke!

Speaking of Portland, are there any collecting opportunities there?
Tom
'for the children of the world' is a non-profit organization in the state
of Washington that aids the child victims of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
Visit our web site at:

http://www.forworldschildren.org

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