2023 Flyfishing Fish Pics

[Ham]

@FishnDave Awesome Fish Buddy!

[FishnDave]

While visiting our son at college, I managed to get away to fish for a couple hours.  37 degrees air temp.  stained water.  Caught 17-20(ish) stocker Rainbow Trout, a Black Crappie, and a Bluegill.  Lost a few fish that felt bigger.

 

[FishnDave]

I told @Ham of my weekend fishing plan.  He offered up an interesting alternative for a new species that didn't require me driving for 5 hours!  Caught 2023 Flyrod species #84 on Saturday.  And Lifetime flyrod species #113.  Mottled Sculpin!  Caught 8 of 'em. Hamilton verified the catches.  There were only 2 species of sculpin in this creek, and these were not the Banded Sculpins.  Honestly, I still can't tell the Mottleds from the Ozarks from the Knobfins.  They look and behave very similarly.  Its all about WHERE they are.  Thanks for all the intel, Hamilton!

 

 

 

[FishnDave]

I did also managed to catch another Mooneye, this time in Missouri!  I saw a fish sipping off the surface like a trout, I spooked it when I cast over it.  Then there were fish dimpling the surface all around.  I went subsurface due to the fly I already had one...suspended a microjig under an indicator.  I tossed near a spot where a fish or two were hitting the surface.  Didn't take long.  Indicator down.  Mooneye caught!  Somehow, that spooked everything in the area.  I stuck around for probably another hour and never saw any more surface activity, and didn't get any more strikes suburface either.

They are a fun, interesting fish!  They are not great fighters...maybe the bigger ones are.  They can reach 20 inches, but in Missouri their max length is reportedly about 13".   I caught one many years ago in northern Illinois, Rock River, on spinning gear. It was enormous!  The 35mm film pic did not turn out, sadly.

[FishnDave]

Fished in the drizzle on Saturday.  Went looking for baby musky.  Did not succeed in catching any.  Instead, I caught a bass.

Went to another lake, caught a Rainbow Trout and a Redear Sunfish.

Tried a third lake.  Caught a largemouth bass, bluegills, a White Crappie, and a jumbo Golden Shiner.

 

[Johnsfolly]

Congrats on the tarpon Dave! Still a bucket list fish for me.

Good catch on that mooneye and those sculpin. Closest spots for mottled sculpin to us here is about a 4 to 5 hr drive one way.  Makes for a long day trying to get Livie her first😉.

[Johnsfolly]

On 12/11/2023 at 9:43 AM, FishnDave said:

I told @Ham of my weekend fishing plan.  He offered up an interesting alternative for a new species that didn't require me driving for 5 hours!  Caught 2023 Flyrod species #84 on Saturday.  And Lifetime flyrod species #113.  Mottled Sculpin!  Caught 8 of 'em. Hamilton verified the catches.  There were only 2 species of sculpin in this creek, and these were not the Banded Sculpins.  Honestly, I still can't tell the Mottleds from the Ozarks from the Knobfins.  They look and behave very similarly.  Its all about WHERE they are.  Thanks for all the intel, Hamilton!

 

 

 

I know that there is work going on with the sculpin in MO. I've seen where the genetics aren't matching real well with those standard phenotypic characters, e.g., dorsal fin and pectoral fin ray counts, banding patterns, etc., that were used in the past to id the Ozarks and mottled as well as the knobfin sculpin in Missouri. The banded sculpin id hasn't been a problem.

[Ham]

More armchair lifers to come? The Orange Throated Darter complex keeps getting split out, but I’m not sure all the LES splits are going to become recognized.  

[FishnDave]

 

[FishnDave]