24 replies to this topic

[Casper]

..to DogPatch, USA, our 2nd leg of the adventure.

 

Day 6, June 7, Sunday.

 

 

 

Saying goodbye to Tahlequah, a welcoming town they be.  Osiyo!

 

 

 

Being a signmaker i also enjoyed this stenciled re-election sign featuring Candidate David's unique last name, Cherokee writing and a Stickball icon.

 

Awakening refreshed at the Day's Inn we loaded and began the 3 hour drive eastward, stopping for a refreshing break of Sunday ice cream and supplies at Braum's.

 

 

 

Even with the cooling ice cream it was a sweltering, hot day!  After settling into The Buffalo River Art & Nature lodge, the planned for restful Sunday evolved into a needed cool down, so we ventured out to the appointing site.

 

 

 

It was crowded and a wee bit dangerous with your face below the surface as canoes streaked overhead.

 

 

 

Plenty of active Arkansas Longears to be seen.

 

 

 

Isaac called me over to see an old friend, the Yoke Darter.  There were 2 standing their ground at a favored spawning site, sporting strong markings.  A good show but too shadowed for quality video to share.

 

 

 

And then a young Saddled Darter, our mascot from the NANFA Arkansas convention way back when.

 

 

 

Some kind of Chub, behind my home back in Chattanooga their cousins are Star Gazing Minnows, or Riffle Minners if your a bit further south in the Conasauga drainage.  Ozark Chub perhaps.

 

 

 

One of those many Arkansas Crawdaddies, maybe an Ozark if Isaac has learned me good.

 

 

 

Monolithic Overpass.

 

 

 

Isaac came across this well worn relic from another time.  With my head below the surface i have never been so fortunate as he.  A very nice find ending our day in the mighty Buffalo.

[Isaac Szabo]

It's nice to think back on this on a cold winter's day. You managed to get a good shot of the yoke darter despite the fast current and low light. I think your chub and crayfish ID's are correct.

[mattknepley]

Nice! Love the arrowhead. That's a pretty spot, neat to see the littler life forms tucked into the rocks.

[UncleWillie]

Nice photos!  All of these nice photos and reports from OK make me sad I missed out on such a great trip.  I couldn't help but notice that you were near Pruitt Landing!  I wonder if my SC low country kin made it out there way back when.

[Casper]

 

Day 7, June 8, Monday.   DogPatch USA and a Big Creek.

 

We began the day with a tour of the ruins of DogPatch, once a prosperous amusement park for Hillbillies.  I have faint memories of life here long ago.

 

 

 

A shadow box of various items from the glory days. Check out the Li'l Abner comics, Trout Fishing ticket, and Ski Marble Falls.

 

 

 

The fertile green lake of DogPatch with fading wooden structures all around.

 

 

 

 

DogPatch's water source, a cave spring... my regret was not getting in to see some of the Knobfin Sculpins said to be lurking amongst the Water Cress.  How often does one get to snorkel in DogPatch's water source?

 

 

 

The spring run, detoured for the Hatchery House on the right and high to the left for the unseen stepped concrete runs.  Years ago for a small fee you could have caught a Trout but without poles stood Cyan, Isaac's Mom Rita and himself.

 

 

 

 

The near toppling of Skunk Works, DogPatch's perfumed soap factory.

 

 

 

 

Precarious crossings abound, with special signed permission required to venture into the forgotten ruins of a great American amusement park, another era near lost forever.

 

Isaac needed to catch up on his infrared camera work so Cyan and i headed to a site map marked for us.  We stopped for an overview and then had a fine lunch and beverage at the Ozark Cafe in Jasper.

 

 

 

 

The inviting, winding, littler Little Buffalo River below.

 

 

 

A regional favorite, perhaps the precursor to Yahoo! Mountain Dew.  The cartoonist Al Capp described it as... "a liquor of such stupefying potency that the hardiest citizens of Dogpatch, after the first burning sip, rose into the air, stiff as frozen codfish".

 

Stiff as a frozen codfish!

 

 

 

 

Cyan and i arrived at a pretty, cobbled stream which offered reasonable visibility.  Big Creek so it is named.  She had enough snorkeling from the day before and choose to relax on the gravel bar reading and drawing.  I worked a two hundred yard stretch and found species i am familiar with back at home.

 

 

 

A Greenside variant, the Ozark Buck Toothed.

 

 

 

Pair of Saddles.

 

 

 

 

Ready to defend or retreat?

 

 

 

 

Joining the saddled pair, perhaps a Rainbow and Smallmouth Bass.

 

 

 

 

Why one often misses these green blurs.

 

 

 

Banded, so far from my own home.  It is interesting how so many of my Chattanooga fish are found here, on the yon side of the mighty Mississippi?

 

 

 

 

Working further downstream i started catching flashes of color.

 

 

 

 

Duskystripes and Ozarks followed by Stonies.

 

 

 

 

Working the mounds were these burrowing Stonerollers.

 

 

 

 

Ozark Minnow, i really admire these common fish as they are elegant, yet robust and quite handsome when spawning.

 

That pretty much wrapped up our daylight, returning to Marble Falls and driving on to Harrison for a Dixie Cafe dark thirty dinner with Isaac's Mom along.

 

[Isaac Szabo]

Wow, you got some good photos at Big Creek. It's cool to finally get to see what you saw there. Those saddled darters posed nicely for you. Great crayfish shot. Yep, that's a rainbow. Nice banded too. Most of these species were still in good color. I'm glad you found spawning stonerollers, duskystripe shiners, and Ozark minnows.

[Isaac Szabo]

I might as well add these:

 

Casper wearing his Dogpatch hat.

 

Casper looking for trout in the old raceways.

 

Dark tunnel entrance.

 

Walking into the light.

[mattknepley]

Really like that "darters in the grass" shot. Neat to see some in the weeds. I think we tend to default to thinking of darters as being just a "rock" fish, even many like plants and/or tree roots in their homes, too. My local faves E. hopkinsi, and E. collis come to mind. You really didn't need to shame that ortodontically-challenged darter that way, though.

Sure was a pretty and interesting day for you!

[Casper]

Matt...

I'm glad someone dentally inclined is paying attention.  The Ozarks offer a lot of unique species, several that have been hillbillified.  It is a mystery to me.

Isaac...

I like all the preserved specimens in the jars of moonshine behind me.  Appropriate.  I'm glad the railroad tunnel did not cave in.  Bats and mysterious gropings in the dark.  I was glad to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

That day was pretty fun with flashy fins... but the next day provided additional nifty critters.

[Casper]

Day 8, June 9, Tuesday.

 

The Mighty Buffalo and Roark Bluffs

 

I wanted to return to a site Isaac had taken me to a couple of years or so ago, hoping Cyan could enjoy the stunning views above and below.  Arriving early we hoped to avoid the rush of the day's human activities but It was still a bit too murky from the previous rains.  

 

 

 

Isaac and the towering Roark Bluffs beyond.

 

 

 

Steel Creek.  Moving further downstream we worked our way up a nice, clear spring fed branch where i caught these 2 Greensides out and about.

 

 

 

A bit further up i came onto these Orangethroats displaying.

 

 

 

 

This bull male was quite proud of himself.  Ozark Darters are the new common name for these little fellas.

 

 

 

I think the bull male moved away but this very photogenic individual stayed behind and offered lots of wonderful photographic oportunities.

 

 

 

I was able to push quite close setting my Pentax WG-2 to supermacro which often seems to be its best setting.

 

 

 

After i was content Isaac moved in with his lens.  Still the darter was calm to our presense and movement, even allowing me to gentle move him to different poses for Isaac.

 

 

 

Finally i got this super duper close up of the friendly Ozark Darter.

 

 

 

Isaac working the zone.  The spring run was emerging from a lush forest beyond, big trees and rich mosses.  There were only a couple spots large enough for us to lay in.  Always take the opportunity when presented, as it is amazing what one can see in a tiny ditch, spring or pool.

 

 

 

After satisfying ourselves at this fine site we ventured to another nearby following up a split stream along a rocky bluff line.  Cyan encountered a Ozark Bass vigorously defending his nest from marauding Longears. I had to plunge deep to get an eye on eye angle.

 

 

 

Sssss.

 

 

 

A bugeyed mudbug view.

 

 

 

Back at the bridge Isaac found another spawning mound and worked it for a few photos of colored Duskystripes.  Standing on the bridge you could see the nervous tuberculed Hornyheads lurking far away.

 

 

 

Isaac chilling and Cyan warming in the sun on the Ponca Bridge spanning this sweet site.

 

 

 

With the day's end coming we decided to follow the river upstream to where Elk could be observed.  I see them in the Smokies often enough but Cyan was hopeful to see these giant deer.  Following the highway to the head of the valley we detoured off to see some old historic structures and came across this spring emitting from a rocky shelfed wall.  Years ago someone had built a small concrete reservoir high into the rock that captured the spring's tiny, trickling flow.  Attached to the bottom of the elevated reservoir was this hose, its other end suspended high from a tree branch.  Lowering the hose would release a torrent of cool refreshing water!  Thus we all drank from the mighty Buffalo's head waters, at least from our heart's perspective.

 

 

 

Pulling back out to the rural highway i saw a Doe standing just beyond the fence line twitching its ears and making a muted call.  I stopped and spoke back to her while she remained in place stamping her foot and calling.  After a few moments i saw a white movement tangled in the overgrown fence line and quickly realized the situation.  We made a simple plan of calm movement.  What a wonderful blessing to receive at the end of a beautiful day.  The mother was pleased indeed, the white fawn gingerly stepping awkwardly to her while making sounds like meh, meh, ma, maa, mom... Mommie!

 

This photo makes for a mystery... Pig  Dog  Deer.  ?   But really... How often do you get to rescue an albino fawn?  Makes one quiver with life's blessings.

 

 

 

Returning along the highway we could make out several Elk in the fields far away.  My camera zoomed to the max yielded an impressionistic image.

 

 

 

The Church of the White Fawn.

 

 

 

We made it back to Jasper hoping for another Ozark Cafe experience but instead were shifted to an expensive and not very good meal a few doors down at the Arkansas House.  Beside the disappointing dinner the oddity within was the owner's embracement of a cosmic channeling cult i had read of years before.  I wonder what other mysteries lie in these Ozarks?

 

 

[Isaac Szabo]

Wow, excellent and interesting photos throughout this post! After the greenside photo, the next 2 photos are of rainbows. You're correct on the next 4 photos after that being Ozarks. All of your darter photos are excellent, but I particularly like that first Ozark shot: great pose, nice camera angle, good color balance, and very sharp. Those 2 rainbow shots are great as well, as is the Ozark close-up. And it's nice to see that fawn again (I have no photos of it). Wow, what a fun day. Lots of good memories!

[Casper]

How can that be?  They were in the same tiny creek, Steel Creek and the same tiny spot.  What do you see that tells your eye they are a different species?

That was certainly a full day of mighty fine experiences.

[BenCantrell]

How can that be?  They were in the same tiny creek, Steel Creek and the same tiny spot.  What do you see that tells your eye they are a different species?

That was certainly a full day of mighty fine experiences.

 

Oh dear, Casper this is embarrassing.

 

rainbow = red in the anal fin, red tint to the caudal fin, orange lips, taller bodied, (and in parts of the Ozarks) red diamonds on scales

 

orangethroat = no red in the anal fin, clear caudal fin, blue lips, slender bodied, random black dots on scales

[Casper]

Well dang i see everything you speak of.  Well since i don't have a fishy degree to defend i am not too embarrassed.  I recall Mark Binkley learning me about Rainbows having red in their anal fins, i forgot about that.  And that Rainbows kinda have rear facing tridents as their caudal spot.  I see that often enough but not so much in this bull male though.  Lots of variation to my eye when i am out and about.

Thanks for the assistance.  My brain ain't young though and more info leaks out than goes in.    That's ok as i mostly simply enjoy the experience, not the finely tuned skills that you have cultured.

I don't have Orangethroats around Chattanooga... but i netted some in central south Tennessee once and knew they were different.  Long overdue to revisit those waters... Indian Creek and the Swans.

 

 

Rainbow = red in the anal fin, YES; red tint to the caudal fin, YES; orange lips, hum... kinda pale; taller bodied, um... OK; (and in parts of the Ozarks) red diamonds on scales.  Are these red diamonds on the sides?

 

 

Orangethroat / Ozark = no red in the anal fin, YES; clear caudal fin, YES; blue lips, YES... i just thought he was as cold as i; slender bodied, SEEMINGLY; random black dots on scales.  Are the random black blotches the black dots you speak of?

[Isaac Szabo]

I'm glad Ben chimed in with such a good explanation. My answer wouldn't have been as helpful. I've seen enough of both species that I can usually tell them apart just by their general look - though the anal fin coloration was my traditional go-to ID character. But it gets more difficult for me if I move outside my local watershed. As you said, there is a lot of geographic variation in both species.

[Casper]

Day 9, June 10, Wednesday.

 

Dr. Roston Visit & Fusion Dinner.

 

 

 

We awoke Wednesday morning and headed north to Dr. William Roston's home just over the border in Missouri.  I consider Dr. Roston to be the Grandfather of freshwater underwater photography.  His images are within the pages of many early state fish books and numerous outdoor, fishing and nature magazines.  He has traveled extensively throughout the United States photographing both fish and later mussel lures.

 

I certainly wanted Isaac to meet him.  Above is a photo of Isaac and Dr. Roston holding Isaac's gifted photoprint of spawning Duskystripe Shiners.  Dr. Roston's photograph of their cousins, Cardinal Shiners, is on the cover of the Fishes of Missouri book.

 

Due to a stroke Dr. Roston has not been able to snorkel for many years.  But on my first visit, and on this visit as well Cyan and Isaac were able to assist him into the water.  Once in the calm Swan Creek it is easy to relax and move and the day was perfect for such.  Amazingly he was only a couple months from turning 80 on this day.

 

 

 

There are several nice streams near his home and we returned to Swan Creek which him and i had enjoyed during a previous visit.  Here be a Rainbow Darter.

 

 

 

A Whitetail Blizzard!  Neither i, Isaac, nor Bill had ever seen so many Whitetail Galactura Shiners in one area.  There were hundreds, maybe even thousands over the shallow gravel shoal, perhaps gathering for some mass spawning event.

 

 

 

Several high males were within the masses and we took turns feeding them various items from famous Nathan's to crushed up crawdaddies.  Isaac didn't want me to feed the shiners those Nathan's, something about them being too kosher.

 

 

 

Other species abounded including Logperch, Duskystripes and some kind of streamline Chub, here be known as the Ozark Chub.

 

 

 

Back in the shallows i was able to telephoto zoom crop a few fancy eyebrowed Studfish but they were nervous and difficult to pin down.  Another Greenside sits wary beyond.

 

 

 

I came across this mystery Darter.  At first we thought it to be a hybrid of some spawning mixup but the authorities want us to catch and pickle it for a proper ID.  There is talk of a range extension but who knows without a dead Darter in a jar.  Perhaps a hybrid between a Logperch and a Longnose seems to be the current consensus sways.  That said.. a Longnose Darter would be a new extension to this location.

 

 

 

Dr. Roston holding a teeny mussel.  He has some amazing videos of mussel lures, often photographing them after dark.  During the day he would fill his swimshort's pockets and deposit them in a convenient site, returning during the night to capture the displaying lures.  Bill has used a lot of cool tricks over his years to get those ideal shots.  I first met Bill at the Illinois Indiana NANFA convention where Larry Page had asked him to attend.  Later Brian Wagner had him give the Banquet lecture at our Arkansas convention.  Dr. Roston showed his videos and talked through them as we sweltered in the brewery.  Remember that terrible heat throughout the auction as well?

 

 

 

For our early dinner i finally got to visit this odd ball establishment i had seen on my previous visit to Forsyth.  What a crazy culinary combination it is.  After the meal the chef stepped outside and photographed us along with Bill's 2 grandchildren under the signs.

 

 

 

A hybridization of Mexican and Chinese cuisine yields this on the menu.  Some kind of sweet and sour eggroll burrito concoction, and please skip the gravy next time.  My curiosity has been satisfied and i will not be reordering it any time soon!  Next time perhaps i will try something tamer such as the Rickashaw Rainbow Trout Springroll.

 

Loading up we said our goodbyes wishing him well.  I hope to return soon and spend some more time with the amazing Doctor.

 

If you want to see some of his work visit...

 

http://www.withinourwaters.com/

 

Last year i made a DVD including 2 days of snorkeling with Dr. Roston.  In total it features 12 days wandering through SE Missouri and NW Arkansas starting with several days spent with Lance Merry and Bob Hrabik as they worked on the upcoming Fishes of Missouri book.  On the way across the state to Dr. Roston's i revisited a site on the St. Francis i had camped at after the Missouri convention.  After a couple days of snorkeling with Dr. Roston i had the pleasure of staying with Isaac and exploring his beautiful area and revisiting several sites from years before including YELLville.  On my last night i stayed at Gordon's Blue Heaven which overlooks the pristine Little Buffalo River.  The following morning in crystal clarity i was able to capture stunning video images of spawning Ozark Minnows, Southern Redbelly Dace and Duskystripe Shiners in vivid macro focused color.  All together it is a 45 minute DVD covering 12 days and uses graphics, photographs and videos set to music from the Ozark Mountain Daredevils to Black Oak Arkansas to Pink Floyd to Woody Guthrie.  I think it turned out pretty nifty.  I will send any member a copy for a $15. donation to NANFA.  Thanks to Michael Wolfe for burning me another batch of the neatly packaged DVDs.

 

 

Casper Cox   1200 Dodds Avenue   Chattanooga, TN   37404

Edited by Casper, 27 February 2016 - 03:52 PM.

[fundulus]

It looks good. Having music from Black Oak Arkansas to Pink Floyd made me laugh, right there it's gotta be good.

[Isaac Szabo]

It was an honor to get to meet Dr. Roston and go snorkeling with him. That's a nice studfish. For those who haven't already seen it, Casper's DVD from his previous trip is a great watch.

 

Edit: Also, longnose darter at that site wouldn't be a range extension. Historically they were found very close by (less than 10 miles I think) in the White River. They just haven't been found in that area since the creation of Bull Shoals Lake around 60 years ago. It has been thought that the lake wiped out their habitat, but our unknown darter gave some hope that perhaps a small population still exists.

[keepnatives]

I can testify Casper's creation is quite enjoyable I watch it every few weeks to get thru the winter almost as good as being there.

[Casper]

Thanks guys.  When i edited in the eclectic selection of music, sometimes appropriately regional, it really complimented each day's adventures.  I know several other members have copies of this DVD.  However no one has taken me up on this particular offer.  I was hoping to raise some additional funds for NANFA's good works.