Intrusive Thoughts : Can a leopard change its spots?

[Ham]

71) Tiger Trout I made a trip today hoping for a Tiger Trout. I had to fish through Rainbows, Browns, Smallies, Bluegill, Longears, Green Sunfish, and Striped Shiners, but I was able to get it done. 
My Tiger was fish #31 of the day. I ended up with 61 to hand. I’m a Good kind of tired.

[Ham]

#71 

[FishnDave]

That's so awesome! @Ham

And always calling your shots!

[snagged in outlet 3]

10 hours ago, Ham said:

71) Tiger Trout

Way to go, @Ham!!   I'm not much on a life list like you guys are but I really need this one...

[Ham]

72) Western Blacktail Shiner

I made a trip down to Batesvillie hoping for chances at a lot of fish. The CFS was about 22,000 which made things very difficult. I really could not fish most of my desired areas.

I saw a bunch of very Happy Shiners, but when I went to rig up I realized that I didn’t have all my gear. I had forgotten a bag at the house. I didn’t have any tippet that would go through the eye of a size 20 or smaller. I eventually found a fly with a little bit of beat up tippet still on it. I tied a fly on that they hated, but I had enough for one more fly and I was able to get a nice one to bite. 
I keep studying them and I caught two more. I’m pretty dialed in now. 

[Johnsfolly]

21 hours ago, Ham said:

72) Western Blacktail Shiner

I made a trip down to Batesvillie hoping for chances at a lot of fish. The CFS was about 22,000 which made things very difficult. I really could not fish most of my desired areas.

I saw a bunch of very Happy Shiners, but when I went to rig up I realized that I didn’t have all my gear. I had forgotten a bag at the house. I didn’t have any tippet that would go through the eye of a size 20 or smaller. I eventually found a fly with a little bit of beat up tippet still on it. I tied a fly on that they hated, but I had enough for one more fly and I was able to get a nice one to bite. 
I keep studying them and I caught two more. I’m pretty dialed in now. 

I hope to catch his cousin this fall😉

[Ham]

73) Mooneye

This fish was a unicorn for me, but I stumbled onto a great place to fish for them. At lower flows, I can usually spot them feeding. If I spot em, I got em. I think they eat a lot of emerging bugs, but I bet they are opportunistic and eat small fish as well.

well, I picked out a small nymph and fished a likely area and I got a solid take pretty quickly. I was able to hustle the fish into the boat. I lose a lot of the ones O hook. I was Happy to land this one. The eye of a Mooneye is relatively larger than that of a Goldeye. The dorsal fin base starts ahead of or equal to the start of the anal fin base. 

[Johnsfolly]

4 hours ago, Ham said:

73) Mooneye

This fish was a unicorn for me, but I stumbled onto a great place to fish for them. At lower flows, I can usually spot them feeding. If I spot em, I got em. I think they eat a lot of emerging bugs, but I bet they are opportunistic and eat small fish as well.

well, I picked out a small nymph and fished a likely area and I got a solid take pretty quickly. I was able to hustle the fish into the boat. I lose a lot of the ones O hook. I was Happy to land this one. The eye of a Mooneye is relatively larger than that of a Goldeye. The dorsal fin base starts ahead of or equal to the start of the anal fin base. 

Such a cool fish. Thanks again for helping me catch those fish😉😁

[FishnDave]

On 8/2/2025 at 8:23 PM, Johnsfolly said:

Such a cool fish. Thanks again for helping me catch those fish😉😁

@Ham Yes, and me too!  I did later catch one in the Meramec River near StL, after Ham broke the secret code to catching them in AR.

[Ham]

I ve also caught them in the Spring River near Hardy, AR. I know another spot in south Central AR. A buddy caught a BIG one in the Current River and I saw them feeding before I ever caught one and tried for them without success. I owe the ones in the Current River sone payback and I might as well catch some in the 11 Pt as well. Oh yeah I have a spot on the Little Red River to try for them.