were you in the Flint Hills? I drove through that area over 20 years ago
and thought that they were very beautiful. I read somewhere that the hills
are a stronghold for Topeka Shiners.
Mark Otnes
Fargo ND
-----Original Message-----
From: Tom and Lanita Watson <tom_at_forworldschildren.org>
To: Nanfa_at_Aquaria. Net <nanfa at aquaria.net>
Date: Friday, May 11, 2001 6:23 PM
Subject: NANFA-- Collecting around Topeka Kansas
>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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/----------------------------------------------------------------------------- /"Unless stated otherwise, comments made on this list do not necessarily / reflect the beliefs or goals of the North American Native Fishes / Association" / This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes Association / nanfa_at_aquaria.net. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get help, send the word / subscribe, unsubscribe, or help in the body (not subject) of an email to / nanfa-request_at_aquaria.net. For a digest version, send the command to / nanfa-digest-request_at_aquaria.net instead. / For more information about NANFA, visit our web page, http://www.nanfa.org