Category: Creatures
John L says:
October 3, 2015 at 6:06 pm Edit
Yup! Seen that today too! Big carp and Lil bass chasing each other, as if they were spawning again!
Sabrina Burgess-Drill says:
October 3, 2015 at 5:57 pm Edit
It was like that several years ago. Maybe 2005 or 6?
Grove Pashley, of L.A. River Kayak Safari, spotted this odd-looking river denizen near Victory Boulevard and wondered what in the heck it was.
“Plecostomus,” replied biologist Sabrina Drill by email, “we’ve spotted them in that area before.”
Aquarium lovers might know this heavily armored bottom feeder as a “janitor fish,” one that comes from the Amazon to clean the algae off your tank. In this case, looks like when he got too big (the species grows to 2 feet), plunk, the river became his new home.
Remember besides sending in pics here for an ID, you can also use the INaturalist app.
See you on the river, Jim Burns
Who knows if it’s true, that the city planted tilapia in the river in the 1970s to combat mosquitoes. Whatever, great story. All I know is that I’ve been waiting for what seems like forever for a LARFF commenter to send in pics of the critters — basically the same ones that grace Trader Joe’s frozen foods section.
Well, today, after Will and I watched three red-tail hawks, who in turned watched us from the high sycamores. And after they awed us with their fishing ability, in which they literally descend and pluck their prey from the moving water, without missing a wing beat, Will hooked up. Result: tilapia.
See you on the river, Jim Burns
Here’s a typical beauty shot, seen in fly-fishing mags in shops across America. But, this isn’t catch and release. It’s a true lifesaver as L.A. environmental Compliance Inspector Howard Wong rescues this sweet carp and three others from their waterless perch atop the bank, where they were washed up during our recent powerful storms.
Without Howard, we would be four fish short in the river. Thank you!
Hope to see you on the river, Howard. — Jim Burns
Bishop Area Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau
Dear Chamber Members and Friends –
You may have heard by now that the US Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to designate critical habitat for the yellow-legged frog, the Yosemite toad and the northern population segment of the mountain yellow-legged frog in California.
Inyo County areas proposed for the critical habitat designation would include Rock Creek Lake, Mt. Tom, the Bishop Creek Drainage (including South Lake), Coyote Flat, Big Pine Creek Drainage and Onion Valley.
Outdoor recreation such as fishing, camping, hiking and trail riding could certainly be affected by any such designation. Many businesses and the overall economy of the Eastern Sierra might be impacted.
We understand that the issues of species protection and critical habitat are complex, and the Bishop Area Chamber has not officially taken any position on the matter. We would however like to encourage all members, friends and concerned people to weigh-in on the matter. We truly believe that the only way to create the best public policy is to participate in the discussion!
Please follow the links below to learn more about the two proposed designations (one for critical habitat and the other as an endangered/threatened species).
Please take time to do this ASAP, as the deadline for public comment is Monday.
Click Here To Visit Inyo County Planning Department Webpage. You’ll see maps and related documents.
Click Here To Give Your Comment on the Proposed Critical Habitat Designation
Click Here To Give Your Comment on the Proposed Endangered/Threatened Species Designation
Bishop Area Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau | 690 North Main Street | Bishop | CA | 93514
I got to spend several hours on the river this morning, and all I have to show for it is this photograph of a toad. The one carp I spotted saw me first, and even though he eventually came back for another look, he decided the odds of swallowing my bread fly were next to zero. But the good news is this little guy, who was around five-to-six inches long. I saw him lazing in some slow water, surrounded by hundreds of tiny mosquito fish. This is the first toad I’ve seen down there, so my question is, Western Spadefoot Toad, Western Toad, or something completely different?
See you on the river, Jim Burns
Springtime has definitely hit the San Gabriel Mountains. Monday (the best time to fly fish to avoid the weekend rush) walking down to and around my favorite canyon, there were critters aplenty. A 4-foot-long Striped Racer slithered just in front of my booted feet, giving me a good scare; what I think was an Eastern Fox squirrel jumped onto a thick tree trunk to inspect me (He found me lacking …); and I spotted a pair of what I believe were Yellow Warblers, mistaking their coloring and size for distant Monarch butterflies appearing and disappearing in the forest canopy.
A fellow hiker cautioned me in the tree shadows: “Look,” she said, “can you believe it?” And there on the ground were a half-dozen or more of this butterfly. But, the question is, what’s it’s name? My handy Pocket Naturalist Guide (which you can get at the Audubon Center at Debs Park) lists the distinctive orange Monarch, the Painted Lady, The Cloudless Sulphur and three others, but none has those amazing horns. If you know what it is, please post the answer.
Meanwhile, for fishing our streams, stick with dries only, and tie on some stealthy 7x tippet to your light leader. Any lighter-weight rod will do, but if you’ve got a 2, 3, or 4 in your arsenal, take it. Also 9 foot is a bit much for our water, with its tight canyons and brush. Eight foot, six inches or shorter is a better choice.
Rainbows and browns were going nuts on just about everything I threw in. Keep the sizes small, 16 or better, but I’ll tell you it’s
amazing to see a small fish latch on to a fly half its size when you toss a 10 or bigger! Ants are everywhere, so casting a parachute ant should bring good results. Unfortunately, the annoying small black flies have made a comeback, and I spotted a hatch of something tiny and gray-mosquito-colored coming off the water as well, so dark colors are a good bet. Also, pale or light green are perennial favorite colors. And you won’t catch just minnows. There are plenty of bigger fish in our mountains. Please ALWAYS release the fish you catch in areas that won’t be stocked. These are naturals and once they’re gone, so will be our opportunity to enjoy this beautiful resource.
See you on the water, Jim Burns
