NANFA-- the arrow quite often misses being marked

Al G Eaton (sege7_2000_at_yahoo.com)
Mon, 3 Sep 2001 17:25:54 -0700 (PDT)

--- Mark Otnes <markotnes_at_email.msn.com> wrote:
> Casper summarized our activities for the first two
> days after the convention
> very well. I just want to add that at the creek in
> Kentucky that had the
> Specklebelly Darters I caught what I believe is a
> young Variegate Darter
> about two miles up stream from where Casper was
> snorkeling. I also want to
> add that I have totally given up on looking for
> Arrow Darters unless I go to
> a sure spot with someone who has found them there
> before. The fish gods
> have decreed that the fish just isn't for me to
> find! I even went to
> Stinking Creek in Tennessee just to see one in a
> "sure" spot, but the heavy
> rains of the night before swelled up the creek and
> made it turbid. I still
> hiked up stream for close to an hour but had no
> luck.
>
> On Wednesday I spent the whole day snorkeling the
> Little River. I started
> at the hwy 411 bridge, but the visibility wasn't
> that good here, probably
> because of the cows that come down to the river just
> upstream. I may have
> saw a young Longhead Darter in some water willows,
> but I later found a
> couple if adult Duskies in the same area, so I'm not
> sure. There were
> Tangerine Darters present but they were hard to see.
> There were also Gilt
> Darters, Redlines, Banded and Speckled Darters. I
> didn't see any of the
> Ashy Darters that are supposedly in this area.
>
> I three more areas upstream of my first stop. In
> one spot the rocks were
> totally coated with moss and I had never seen this
> habitat before in
> Tennessee. I was surprised to see Gilt and
> Tangerine Darters all over the
> place. I had always assumed that they liked areas
> clean of vegetation. I
> also got a quick glimpse of the most beautiful
> Banded Darter I had ever
> seen. It was bright emerald green with bright red
> in its dorsal fin. I
> would have liked to have spent more time in this
> spot but time wouldn't
> allow it.
>
> At another spot on the Little further up steam there
> were a lot of Rainbow
> Trout in the deeper pools. Tangerine Darters were
> abundant here including a
> couple of brilliant males. There were some Blotched
> Chubs in the shallows,
> one of which I almost had in my net. I really
> wanted one for my aquarium,
> but again I was thwarted.
>
> My final stop on the Little was about 100 yards
> downstream from the Smoky
> Mountains National Park boundary. The water was
> definitely much colder here
> and trout were present. I was also surprised to
> find a very large
> Hellbender crawling along the bottom in about five
> feet of water.
>
> While in the Little, I was hoping to get some
> Saffron Shiners. They are
> listed as common in the river and with all of the
> snorkeling I did I no
> doubt did see some, but apparently they don't have
> the bright colors this
> late in the summer.
>
> The next day was my final snorkeling day in
> Tennessee. I was developing and
> ever worsening clogged and infected ear, so I could
> only stand one more day
> in the water. I decided to go north to Ashy Creek
> where Ray Katula had told
> me there were Ashy Darters. My first stop on the
> creek was farther up
> stream than what Ray had recommended and I found
> Bluebreast and possibly
> Bloodfin Darters. I then went about three miles
> down stream and sure enough
> under a couple of large rocks there was a very large
> and impressive Ashy
> Darter. I didn't realize how big this darter got.
> The soft dorsal fin has
> huge and sail-like and its lips were bright red.
> The fish definitely made
> my day. I continued exploring the pool and came
> upon another large rock and
> under it there was another Ashy! This one was half
> the size of the first
> and didn't have the large soft dorsal fin. By this
> time my right ear was
> killing me so I hung up my snorkel for the trip. I
> made a final stop and
> Stinking Creek to see if I could find the Arrow
> Darter, but struck out.
>
> Altogether this was a very enjoyable trip. Every
> time I make one of these
> excursions to the South I learn so many new things.
> I want to thank Mark
> and Pat for showing us around in Ohio and I want to
> thank Casper for showing
> me around the Emory and for putting up with my Arrow
> Darter scouting in
> Kentucky. I hope to make it back to the area next
> year early in the summer.
> I've yet to see all of these fish in their peak
> colors.
>
> Mark Otnes
> Fargo ND
>
>
>
>
>
>
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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