Daytime air temperatures were plenty warm and sunny but the stream stayed cool.
This floodplain pool (with yearling fish in it) was in the 70s at mid day but the river was 59-61.
This was the river temperature right nearby this floodplain pool. I have become more conscious of this metric when fishing for native, wild fish, and adjust my behavior accordingly, to still fish, but try to minimize unnecessary impacts from my fishing.
Were these ants culturing aphids, harvesting sap from (and pooping on) this plant?
I think so...
We did not starve.
It turns out these are fireflies ("lightning bugs" in my youth) that can't light up--Western firefly beetles. Is that like being a flightless bird? Thanks to @Taxon for the ID help. I found more info here: http://arizonabeetlesbugsbirdsandmore.blogspot.com/2011/06/firefly-without-flash-pyropyga.html
I was continually impressed by the lush vegetation on the banks.
Freshwater western pearlshell mussels—Margaritifera falcata. These critters can live 80-100 years in some locations. Maybe the fish below is hosting microscopic pearlshell mussel glochidia on its gills. https://fieldguide.mt.gov/speciesDetail.aspx?elcode=IMBIV27020
I could fish water like this all day. And so we did!
We brought 5 rods. In addition to these, we had a 2 weight, another 4 weight, and a 6 weight. They never even came out of their cases.
I am happy and thankful for this time with my Dad, and for good fishin’, too!
This floodplain pool (with yearling fish in it) was in the 70s at mid day but the river was 59-61.
This was the river temperature right nearby this floodplain pool. I have become more conscious of this metric when fishing for native, wild fish, and adjust my behavior accordingly, to still fish, but try to minimize unnecessary impacts from my fishing.
Were these ants culturing aphids, harvesting sap from (and pooping on) this plant?
I think so...
We did not starve.
It turns out these are fireflies ("lightning bugs" in my youth) that can't light up--Western firefly beetles. Is that like being a flightless bird? Thanks to @Taxon for the ID help. I found more info here: http://arizonabeetlesbugsbirdsandmore.blogspot.com/2011/06/firefly-without-flash-pyropyga.html
I was continually impressed by the lush vegetation on the banks.
Freshwater western pearlshell mussels—Margaritifera falcata. These critters can live 80-100 years in some locations. Maybe the fish below is hosting microscopic pearlshell mussel glochidia on its gills. https://fieldguide.mt.gov/speciesDetail.aspx?elcode=IMBIV27020
I could fish water like this all day. And so we did!
We brought 5 rods. In addition to these, we had a 2 weight, another 4 weight, and a 6 weight. They never even came out of their cases.
I am happy and thankful for this time with my Dad, and for good fishin’, too!
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