McTier Creek, SC
#1
Posted 15 May 2017 - 06:01 PM
Followed a packed sand road to a swampy little spot I had been told about.
Swampy pond and its outlet.
All kinds of native flora treats here, my favorite being an aquatic Utricularia that absolutely was thriving in the shallows. Notice the bladders, these are actually suction traps that capture tiny prey. These are carnivorous plants!
Don't recall a single skeeter bite from this locale. Hmmm...
Swinging the dipnet a few times turned up these Dollar Sunfish, what I am tentatively calling a juvie Lake Chubsucker and a Swamp Darter.
One of my least favorite parts of being in swampy areas is the spidies. This stop had its fair share. They turned up in collection buckets...
...and check out this wee beastie. I didn't notice it at the time, not until I'd gone through the pics a couple times did I notice it. Funny, seeing's how it's on my hand! Look closely, it's not outside on the glass!
"No thanks, a third of a gopher would merely arouse my appetite..."
#2
Posted 15 May 2017 - 06:20 PM
About this time the owner of the property showed up and inquired as to my activities. Oooops. I had marveled at how truly clean and natural this area was. None of the trash along the road or dead dogs and televisions at water crossings. I figured it was on account of it was just so far away from anything. Nope, private land. The owner was polite enough, and permitted me to continue fish chasin'. He did however suggest that I "not make a habit of it". So maybe one of these stops was McTier Creek. DeLorme says so. I had verified the name of the road with the owner, but not the names of the waters. The only fish I managed here was what I am pretty sure is a juvie Chain Pickerel. The duck bill looks a little shorter in this angle than it was, and the gold line is thin and wavy, which is what has me thinking chain not redfin.
"No thanks, a third of a gopher would merely arouse my appetite..."
#3
Posted 15 May 2017 - 06:39 PM
As can be seen, It is a brown water stream with a decent current.
A pretty little spot, and home to some very large Yellowfin Shiners. I apologize for the pics, the coffee water was messing with the camera and it was a while before I figured out how to turn the tank to get the lighting best. If you've handled or kept Yellowfins you know that some individuals will "color up" for just about anything. Food, stress, water changes, et cetera will induce some to go into spawning colors. These guys were no different, they weren't in spawning colors when I caught them, but a couple began changing in the photo tank. You can't really tell cuz o' the water and lighting though.
The most exciting part of the stop for me was this next fish. I'm thinking it's an Ironcolored Shiner, Notropis chalybaeus. This would be a new lifer for me. Luckily I got the camera figured out. These are the same fish; is it what I think it is? What say ye who know better 'n me?
"No thanks, a third of a gopher would merely arouse my appetite..."
#7
Posted 15 May 2017 - 08:29 PM
Yup I think that IS an Ironcolor shiner! Not sure i've ever caught one myself, but i've sure tried hard to squeeze some duskys into the ironcolor mold.
The mouth shape, sharp-edged lateral stripe, and less silvery-blue iridescence make me think NOT dusky on that one.
What's the grassy plant in the brown creek? Sparganium?.
Gerald Pottern
-----------------------
Hangin' on the Neuse
"Taxonomy is the diaper used to organize the mess of evolution into discrete packages" - M.Sandel
#8
Posted 16 May 2017 - 05:39 AM
"No thanks, a third of a gopher would merely arouse my appetite..."
#9
Posted 16 May 2017 - 08:18 AM
Great trip Matt. I assume you were able to avoid the rattlers and cottonmouths. I noticed your yellowfins from McTier has yellow fins. That's odd since every time I have ever been there, they had reddish fins. I am not sure about the ironcolor. Two things that I found help to distinguish ironcolors from duskies is that the lateral band extends through the eye on an ironcolor but does not extend into the caudal. I can't be certain of either of these on you photo. Here is a comparison I put together a long time ago.
Dustin Smith
At the convergence of the Broad, Saluda and Congaree
Lexington, SC
#11
Posted 16 May 2017 - 11:18 AM
I didn't want to come right out and say it. Matt is sensitive. But I agree that I also think it is a dusky. I thought it looked too large for an ironcolor too at first but it looks like the scale is distorted and that the fish is only as long as three fingers wide which would be about right for an adult ironcolor. The pigment into the caudal is tough to get around though.
Dustin Smith
At the convergence of the Broad, Saluda and Congaree
Lexington, SC
#12
Posted 16 May 2017 - 11:21 AM
Also, I am nearly certain that is a redfin pickerel. Chains at that size would not have the continuous gold line on the side regardless of how wavy and a longer, thinner snout. They are also greenish by that size rather than the brownish red of the redfins.
Dustin Smith
At the convergence of the Broad, Saluda and Congaree
Lexington, SC
#13
Posted 16 May 2017 - 11:22 AM
I didn't want to come right out and say it. Matt is sensitive. But I agree that I also think it is a dusky. I thought it looked too large for an ironcolor too at first but it looks like the scale is distorted and that the fish is only as long as three fingers wide which would be about right for an adult ironcolor. The pigment into the caudal is tough to get around though.
Josh Blaylock - Central KY
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I hope to have God on my side, but I must have Kentucky.
- Abraham Lincoln, 1861
#16
Posted 16 May 2017 - 03:04 PM
Matt
i agree with Dustin on the redfin. Look at p. 241 in the "bible"
You must be talking about the Peterman's Field guide....not that crappy SC book.
Josh Blaylock - Central KY
NANFA on Facebook
KYCREEKS - KRWW - KWA
I hope to have God on my side, but I must have Kentucky.
- Abraham Lincoln, 1861
#19
Posted 16 May 2017 - 03:12 PM
"No thanks, a third of a gopher would merely arouse my appetite..."
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