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Summer Snorkels


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#1 FirstChAoS

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Posted 23 September 2016 - 01:57 AM

I snorkeled three times this summer, twice in June and once over labor day weekend. I noticed that many of my pictures seem a bit cloudy or glared. I am not sure if this is because my Moisture Muncher capsules expired or that I need to wash the lenses.

 

The summer was dry and the water was low. My first snorkel was the weekend after I got back from the NANFA after event. I went to Roaring Brook to seek Cusk (burbot). I did not find any. Instead as I crawled along the stream bottom I noticed every pool had a Brook Trout. That's right, I finally braved a trout stream. After the cold waters of Great Island Common and the streams in Pittsburgh it actually felt warm. 

 

The first pool had the most curious of the trout, it kept swimming up to me. That was until I made a mistake. I cupped my hand and the trout swam into it, so I tried to grab it. I missed and he would not approach closer than a foot afterwards.

 

trout+3.jpg

 

trout+4.jpg

 

In one pool I saw this Crayfish moving among the rocks.

 

cray+1.jpg

 

The most impressive trout photo was in the last pool. It did not get the closest of them but this trout who was hiding under a rock got me the best pics.

 

trout+6.jpg

 

Visible on the edge of this photo are odd gravelly encrustments on the rock. I didn't notice them when snorkeling but before I cropped the photos down to focus on the trout I saw they were everywhere. I am not sure if they are a caddis case of some kind.

 

trout+7.jpg

 

trout+8.jpg

 

trout+9.jpg

 

The oddest thing is the difference between netting and snorkeling. Netting I saw no trout just the occasional longnose or blacknose dace, snorkeling I saw one fleeting minnow too fast to ID but mostly trout.


Edited by FirstChAoS, 23 September 2016 - 01:59 AM.


#2 mattknepley

mattknepley
  • NANFA Member
  • Smack-dab between the Savannah and the Saluda.

Posted 23 September 2016 - 04:46 AM

Love them Brookies! I don't know what's causing the water-spotting effect, but it actually looks kinda cool in that first pic. Don't know about those encrustments. My first thought was they looked kinda lichen-ish, but I don't reckon there are any aquatic lichens. Are they as flat as they look in the photos, or more three dimensional? Curious...
Matt Knepley
"No thanks, a third of a gopher would merely arouse my appetite..."

#3 trygon

trygon
  • NANFA Member
  • Knoxville, Tennessee

Posted 23 September 2016 - 08:01 AM

It looks to me like you're using a point and shoot with the flash turned on and the light is reflecting back to the camera from suspended particles in the water.  It's called backscatter and it should go away if you turn off the flash.  If you do turn off the flash remember to increase the ISO, go on a sunny day and if possible stay out of the shade.


Bryce Gibson
There are sharks in every ocean...except Billy Ocean.

#4 FirstChAoS

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Posted 24 September 2016 - 02:51 AM

true, the flash is automatic and I never changed it. It reflecting on the housing makes sense. What is the ISO?

 

The suspended particles were my fault, I tried to attract fish with them.

 

Sorry for not updating the other trips today, I was busy and am tired now. Maybe tomarrow. 



#5 trygon

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  • Knoxville, Tennessee

Posted 24 September 2016 - 04:53 PM

ISO sets the camera's sensitivity to light. The smaller the number the less sensitive the sensor will be; use small numbers in bright light and larger numbers in dim light.
Bryce Gibson
There are sharks in every ocean...except Billy Ocean.

#6 FirstChAoS

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Posted 24 September 2016 - 10:23 PM

My second June Snorkeling trip was at Otter Brook accessed at the Granite Gorge ski area off Route nine. This cobbly stream has long held my curiousity.

 

The most common species in this stream was blacknose dace. Each pool had a few. The big adults fled to cover as soon as I saw them, but some of the juveniles stuck around.

 

blacknose.jpg

 

Under the bridge was a very large deep pool. At the top of that pool where water tumbled over a stone was a Fallfish looking rather out of place in this mostly rocky and riffly little stream. This picture is poor quality but the best I got of him.

 

fasllfish.jpg

Their was one other minnow species I saw fleetingly at the head of the pool. I got an image but cannot make out enough details to ID it.

 

minnows.jpg



#7 FirstChAoS

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Posted 25 September 2016 - 07:22 PM

My third snorkel happened over Labor Day Weekend. I went to the Connecticut River below Vernon dam. Their was plenty of weed beds and the fish loved them.  I stayed close to the shore (I really DO want to do more active swimming in rivers but have a problem of being bouyant and a relatively weak swimmer, I am afraid of being swept away, which would be aproblem when I want to go back to where I started).but saw plenty of fish.

 

The species I saw most often was Smallmouth Bass, their was always at least one or two hanging around as I swam. 

 

bass+2.jpg

 

Their were a few minnows but they swam fast and never stood still for me. They look sort of fallfish like but I am not certain. (this location is where I found my only spottail and the river also has silvery minnow which I never seen, adding two relatively unknown to me species to the confusion), I wish they stood still enough for me to get clearer pictures.

 

minnow.jpg

 

minnows+2.jpg

 

Their were a pair of Pumpkinseeds who lurked on the shoreward side of the weedbed. For a fish I think of as a pond species I am seeing them more often in rivers lately.

 

pumpkinseed+1.jpg

 

pumpkinseed+2.jpg

 

pumpkinseed+3_001.jpg

 

And finally I saw this little Rock Bass. I am surprised I saw only one as the last time I netted here they were everywhere.

 

rockbass+2.jpg

 

And I will leave you with one last treat, I filmed this yesterday from shore on the Connecticut River setbacks.

 

https://youtu.be/AiPmRItipXI



#8 Spk

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  • Toledo

Posted 28 September 2016 - 02:54 PM

Great post.  Looks like a great area to explore snorkeling.  How was the water temperature?



#9 FirstChAoS

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Posted 29 September 2016 - 12:07 AM

Great post.  Looks like a great area to explore snorkeling.  How was the water temperature?

 

Not bad on labor day, haven't been since it got colder though






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