Yep, good names for these two - tucked in and snuggled up behind the box is a favorite place on a nice day outside.
I have a gig this fall and winter - weekly wading (bushwhacking really!) a mile or so in two different streams counting spawning salmon. First trip was Wednesday, for the boss to give us an orientation and show us our creeks - no fish expected. But this IS a surprise - a female Coho already way up the creek and pretty well the worse for wear. (We saw a second too.) This fish has gone about 10 miles up a river, 10 miles up a big creek, over a small water fall and then 10 miles up a lake to find this dab of a creek with about 10" of water in it. She is about 2 1/2 feet long! Saw no males - hope some get there soon! (We'll be counting until all fish gone - well into January.)
13 comments:
Shouldn't I get credit for that title? SOunds like a great gig, I'd love to do that, just wading around and count fish.......
I cannot believe the fuzz! Amazing ... but wonderful!
Two's company. One fish, two fish...how many fish do you expect to find?
Absolutely - all credit and ensuing royalties, contributions, and loose change go to D.Moll for conjuring and first reporting the wonderful name "Fluff and Stuff" for Goldie and Benji! Since there really won't be any royalties etc. forthcoming I strongly encourage you to vist her site, link to her "store" and BUY STUFF!
Most of the fish we find will be Kokanee, which are "landlocked" Sockeye salmon that live all their lives in a freshwater lake and spawn up in the feeder streams. They get to be around 12" long. This year we expect to find them by the hundreds - possibly thousands - due to good conditions the past year. We also will find Coho (Silver) salmon that have come in from the ocean. Over the past several years the streams have had a lot of habitat improvement work done by local Fisheries Enhancement groups and our counting efforts help document the results.
One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish. And oh! There's a green fairy!
I'm picturing if I counted fish, wading along, slipping on something, falling on my butt in the crick, and scaring away all the fish.
What a great picture. Looks like you could reach down and grab that fish for dinner.
Love the fluff and stuff.
That's why our instructions include putting your wallet and cell phone in a securely tight plastic bag, have a change of clothes in the car and also a thermos of hot fluids and extra water!! And we sign this long disclaimer ....
Goldie seems to get fluffier all the time!
Good luck counting your fish, that's something i don't do along the Water of Leith. The fish have their own people
*Snuzzles to the buns!*
..I have to ask.. How do you tell a female salmon from a male?
A female makes the nest (called a redd) in rocky-bottomed flowing water. These size coho will push rocks the size of baseballs around - with their tails - to make the redd. So the females get more beat up, especially their tails. The males will develop a more hooked mouth. Females also defend their nest while males sort of - you know - cruise around!
Those two just get more and more cute. And Goldie seems fluffier--is that some winter coat she's getting, maybe?
The salmon count sounds interesting. Keep us posted. And try to stay dry.
Uhoh, BL is seeing the green fairy! Oh well, RG can go count fish but he better hide the liquor while he is gone!
RG, this fish counting business sounds very exciting. Only, might you freeze to death running around playing in the water in the middle of winter???
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