Ron's Fern Falls B&B June 19-21 2009

I stayed a couple nights up at my friend's Bed & Breakfast overlooking a waterfall and canyon in Altamont, Tennessee. A couple years ago i had a spectacular snorkel in some boulder pools a couple miles below the falls as the water was clear as glass. The fish appeared to swim in the air, visionary. A drought was on and the stream's flow had been reduced to individual pools with the connecting flow running under the fine gravel, thus the water was constantly being filtered. This weekend however there was surface flow with no isolated pools and the water had a slight degree of suspended particals.

A steep hike down the gorge and we stripped to our shorts and masks. Here are the best pics from the weekend.

Creek Chubs, the most common species encountered. There were also StoneRollers, none tuberculed, plenty of Blacknose Dace, Sunfish of various size, notably Bluegills and Bass. Ron thought he observed a Trout swimming up through a "pour" and with his description of the motion of the fish i tend to agree with him. I was hoping to see a Hogsucker that high up and suspect with enough time i would have encountered one. I figure the Bass and Bluegills are washouts from the plateau's farm ponds.



There were plenty of snails. On the rocks covered with a thin layer of silt, weavy patterns had been marked by the snails endless progress.



This is one of the "pours", where the water flows down from one pool into another. Very pretty to watch as the water contours and twists downward through the architectually arranged boulders. The fish were generally congregated below these pours hoping to snatch anything being sweep through.



This is an overview of one of the boulder pools. Inviting, yes? The forested dark area at the top center right, shows the descent, a steep decline and difficult travese in sandles. I saw either a small otter or weasel swimming in the pool just below. Though i tried to be stealthy im no match for one of those wary critters.



The next day we headed back to Chattanooga and Ron let me do a quick snorkel at the base of Mont Eagle. A couple caves feed long, round rocked runs and vegetated flowing pools. I have had several nice snorkels here over the years and have encounted beyond the regional regulars; Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, Big Redhorse and speared a 3' Longnose Gar which Kay and i grilled, fried and shared at the Seinerama II a couple years ago.

The primary Darter was the Tennessee Snubnose ( or perhaps they are Blacks if you have the good experienced eye ) who were well colored in the cold water. Lots of prancing about those green nosed males.



I spent most of my time working with various settings on the camera and trying to ease the lens ever closer to the perching fish. With a little more time and patience i think i will be able to achieve some very nice fish portraits in natural habitat. Ron was back in the hot car reading about the "Sausage Arts", ( an earlier find along with a single dollar Mushrooms of North American from the Tracy City Flea Market . This weekend was HOT but as always the water is cool and beckoning. Though i was focused more on the camera than species diversity i did note Greenside and displaying Rainbow Darters, Northern Studfish in the warm pools, Croppie in the deep cold pools, Rockbass in the shadows plus all the usual suspects from round here.



A refreshing weekend.

Edited by Casper Cox, 22 June 2009 - 11:39 AM.

You're having too much fun with that camera El Snorkelmeister

Have you ever snorkeled below any of the big falls in the park? Is that Fall Creek Falls SP? You're actually in Fall Creek there behind Ron's right? That might be a fun educational activity to look at the species richness above and below the big falls, compare, and give reasons why they could be different.

I'm going to have to get my advisor to buy us an Optio here before we start field season when these pulses go out. With my housing and all that, it's a pain in the butt. Those are too simple and they're getting as good as the point n click Nikons for macro.

Good stuff, keep it coming!

Todd

I really like your underwater pictures. You might not be able to get the detail that you would using a photo tank, but these are much more interesting (to me).

That "pour" photo is amazing I felt cool and refreshed just looking at it, love the way the photo catches the twisting of the flow.

Casper,

Those photos are great! It sounds like you had a really good time! Wish I could have been there, but no one wants to see me shirt-less (I'm a big guy, too). Thanks again for the great photos!

Brian