So, 45 minutes later I got to the reliable spot, put all my valuables in the
trunk and left the window open and the car unlocked. From here its the walk
from hell. There are ungodly numbers of horse and dear flies, a tangle of
brush along the river, or if you walk the river the footing is impossible
with all of the boulders and rocks. Anyway I made it through the brush and
finally got my gear up along the bank. It was well worth the trip. The
water was clear and there were scattered groups of Gilt Darters in the fast
current above some rapids. There were also a lot of redhorses present, some
of which had lampreys on them. According to my new Fishes of Wisconsin book
the Chestnut Lamprey is the only one in the river, so that must have been
what they were.
I took a couple of Gilt Darters and then headed back west. On the way back
I stopped at the upper Snake River north of Mora. I decided to snorkel this
and it was one of the weirdest experiences. The water was clear but tea
colored with a visibility of about 4 feet. Everything had a reddish tint,
especially my skin, it was really surreal. There weren't a lot of fish
present but I eventually saw a few Gilt Darters, a logperch, and about a
dozen Horneyhead Chubs.
Altogether a good trip, and no one messed with my vehicle while I was in the
river.
Mark Otnes
Fargo ND
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