This evening I had the enlightening experience of interrupting an intense
game of pickup basketball when I entered the netherworlds of the Toledo
Urban experience to take a sample of Swan Creek. My dipnet generated some
interest... The fact that I was going to actually get in "there!?" _really_
sparked some interest. It made me seriously contemplate my comfort zone,
and think about doing inner city outreach once I've oiled my natives
presentation "a la icole" into a sleek machine. These folks would have
probably lost it when I picked up a dipnet with 8 full colored
pumpkinseeds... The darters were just bonus round :)
I was on my way back from a delivery this morning, and drove by Highland
Park. I knew the first dam on Swan Creek (a "major" trib of the Maumee
River) was somewhere in this area, and hoped to locate it. I also noticed a
lot of undercut root wads, and felt the potential was worth poking around.
I soon discovered the dam was right there in the park... I didn't have to
park anywhere scary, and the potential to show people some fish was
outstanding.
I didn't run across anything of any significance (no suckers or madtoms)...
But having picked up 11 species with a dipnet is usually a sign of decent
potential. Nine species were captured immediately adjacent to the dam.
It's a 3' lowhead, and its scour is directly below. Large chunks of
concrete and rocks kind of block it in, and this is where the smaller fishes
seemed to be frolicking. The yellow perch fingerlings were probably the
most interesting species I'd caught, just because of the location. I've
never encountered them on the Maumee proper, but there were plenty to be
found here!
It would be really interesting to see what was in there using a seine and
another person. It would be even _more interesting_ to catch low water in
the Spring and see what gets stopped there! There have been many accounts
of lake run walleye (I witnessed a die off in person) and occassional stray
steelhead and one account of a king salmon. Large lake-run suckers would be
great and it'd be something to pick up a pike or muskie... A sturgeon would
make me pass out. Might end up making a nice case to get that DAM thing
outta there too, as it would liberate a _considerable_ section of stream!
:)
So... I'm going to keep this short and without filling in the appropriate
names, cause I've been working like a dog and need to get some shut eye...
I'd like to write up our adventure on Lake Erie two weeks ago, but that will
have to wait for another day. I will say that we did 30 species in East
Harbor State Park and that night beach seining with a 50' x 10' seine was an
experience to have. What a great way to turn 30 :)
Swan Creek, Highland Park, Toledo, OH 7/29/03
Gizzard Shad
Sand/Mimic Shiner
Channel Catfish (dead)
Orangespot Sunfish
Bluegill Sunfish
Pumpkinseed Sunfish
Green Sunfish
Rockbass
Greenside Darter
Logperch Darter
Yellow Perch
Round Goby
"The nation behaves well if it treats resources as assets
which it must turn over to the next generation increased,
and not impaired, in value."
- President Theodore Roosevelt
http://www.farmertodd.com
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