Intrusive Thoughts : Can a leopard change its spots?

[Ham]

92) Mottled Sculpin

@FishnDave was absolutely instrumental in me catching this guy. He put in the sweat equity figuring these little turds out. I can catch Knobfin and Ozark Sculpins with relative ease, but these little jerks were hard to catch. I had tied some 16’s and 18’s with bright colors and over sized bead heads. I saw a few that were too small to eat the 16’s so I switched to an 18 and Dave found me one to try for. I got the eat and the catch! I was immediately done and ready to go. 
I doubt that I ever go fish for them again. I’m quitting while I am ahead. 

[Ham]

93) Northern Hog Sucker

I made an ill fated mad tom trip last Thursday night. I have learned that there isn’t any point looking for them until a couple hours after dark. It takes a while before they become active. Normally, I would be asleep when I started this fiasco. I’m already sketched out being out in Meth Central at night by myself. Going to access points and hoping I don’t run into people having sex in their vehicles etc.

I get to the first spot and rig up. Roam around in the creek looking for mad toms. I see lots of fish, big no mad toms. I’d also be Happy to try for a Log perch, but I wasn’t seeing those either. 

Next spot. No Madtoms, but an angry beaver that kept doing the tail slap thing. 

Next spot, no Madtoms. I almost got swept off my feet in heavy current because my crappy wading boots don’t have felt. I went around a corner and more angry beavers. 

Last spot, looking for Madtoms and I spot this guy. At first, I’m not sure if it’s a sucker or a sculpin. Drag and drop. Getting it really close to his nose. He spooks and the way it swims says Northern Hog sucker. He swam in a big lazy circle and settles back down. I did another drag and drop. This time he scoots forward over the fly and the line twitches a little. Yeet. Up and out of the water. Wiggling like the little demon he is. No net, but I snatched him out of the air free hand and stumbled to shore. If I dropped him, I wanted some chance of recapture. Hook came out while he was in my hand. 
I took a bunch of pics. None of  them great. I looked high and low hoping to have a shot at a mad tom. I saw exactly one. A decent sized Slender that stuffed himself under a rock and would not play. 
I’ll do this again, but I’ll have to wait until I forget how much it sucked. 

[Ham]

94) Plains LES

this is an armchair. I caught several from the Arkansas River and various tributaries like Gala Creek etc

No pic. Sorry. 
I caught another one 12/15/25 so here’s a pic

[Ham]

95) Ozark Sculpin

Bennett Springs. Tons of them. I caught 49 of them. I’m not sure how many you could catch in a day. 

[Ham]

96) Banded Sculpin

I was very excited to catch this guy. I had seen multiple Banded Sculpin and gotten  them to follow, but I couldn’t get them to eat the fly. It seemed like they were more out in the open and multiple times a dopey rainbow would swim by and they would get inactive and try to become gravel. I just kept plugging away catching the Ozark Sculpin that would bite. I think some of the Sculpin may have been spawning. Some seemed very territorial and showed no interest in the fly at all. Most showed some interest. 
This monster blended in so well that I didn’t see before he bit. I missed the first bite, but he gave me another chance. Monsterous 

lateral line all the way back to base of caudal fin. 
chin is not blue/green

[FishnDave]

On 12/6/2025 at 7:34 AM, Ham said:

96) Banded Sculpin

I was very excited to catch this guy. I had seen multiple Banded Sculpin and gotten  them to follow, but I couldn’t get them to eat the fly. It seemed like they were more out in the open and multiple times a dopey rainbow would swim by and they would get inactive and try to become gravel. I just kept plugging away catching the Ozark Sculpin that would bite. I think some of the Sculpin may have been spawning. Some seemed very territorial and showed no interest in the fly at all. Most showed some interest. 
This monster blended in so well that I didn’t see before he bit. I missed the first bite, but he gave me another chance. Monsterous 

lateral line all the way back to base of caudal fin. 
chin is not blue/green

I don't know how much bigger they get... that seems like a MONSTER Banded Sculpin!

[Ham]

97) Striped Bass

So, sometimes you catch a really big example of something and sometimes you catch a tiny one.

my striper was tiny. Thats the only one I could manage on fly. 

[Flysmallie]

You do all that microfishing so that's what the fish gods thought you wanted.

That thing is all tail!

[Ham]

I’ll keep trying for a Bigger one 

[Ham]

Barring an unexpected miracle, I am going to FAIL to get to 100 species on fly this year.

I had my chances and I took my swings. I drove a lot trying to get it done.

It’s especially frustrating that I had at least 4 species hooked on fly that I failed to land that would have helped me. I had an Alabama Bass following my fly, but it wouldn’t eat. 
I am way more upset about this than I should be, but that’s how I am wired. It would be Great if I could use this to break the cycle, but I think next year 100 species on fly is basically a  fait accompli given the trips that I have planned.

Thank you for your interest and to my many friends that helped me along the way this year THANKS!