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A Largespring Gambusia

Vagabond

By Vagabond
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Vagabond Member

Vagabond

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Even Newt may not have come across this one !

 

Catching "new" (to me) species gets ever more difficult, even when travelling abroad. The latest trip to Arizona, New Mexico and Texas was no exception. I’ve fished Texas quite a few times before, and caught most of the common fish of the SW States. We were really in Arizona for Norma’s quest for desert birds, Thrashers and Roadrunners, and in the mountains above the desert, Hummingbirds (we saw seven species of hummer) migrating south for the winter. However, a travel rod came with us, as always.

 

Unfortunately, although I got a PB Largemouth black bass and a near-state-record PB Green Sunfish in Parker Canyon Lake, Arizona, I couldn’t find a "new" species. Interesting fishing though – fished a very shallow part of the lake where a creek came in. Well weeded, and with bushes growing in the water, there were holes in the weed where lurked predators. With nothing on the line except a #6 hook and a couple of nightcrawlers, it was back to the stalking tactics of the upstream worm – creeping slowly upstream and flicking the worms into likely holes. My type of fishing. Good initial runs by the bass, although they have little stamina and soon give up.

 

Conventional fishing with float or spinner in deeper water there at Parker Canyon, at Patagonia Lake. Arizona and at Lake Travis, Texas produced lots of different sunfish and basses, and Rio Grande Cichlids, but as I said, no new species.

 

I had almost given up the chance of adding to my list when we went for a bird-watching stroll near Daughter No 1’s home at Lago Vista. This is on the porous limestone of the Edward’s Plateau, NW of Austin. Apart from Lake Travis and the rivers that enter and leave it, there is little surface water, but there on Lago Vista golf course we discovered a tiny spring-fed creek. Crystal clear water, so naturally I had a look at it. Lots of tiny fish in it. I watched them for a while. Not baby bass or baby sunfish – the finnage was wrong. My species-hunting antennae began to twitch. These tiny fish might be difficult to catch – they would need a #24 hook at largest.

 

Although accoutred for bird-watching, with binoculars, telescope, tripod and all, I had put a couple of packets of small hooks-to-nylon and a small tub of split shot in my trouser pocket (as you do). So out came a #24 hook, on went a #6 shot an inch from the hook, knotted the nylon to a 3-foot twig broken off a nearby bush, and I was nearly in business – except for bait.

 

Started turning over stones – not much chance of worms on limestone rock, but anything remotely meaty would do. Norma found an earwig and offered that. The first time in my life I had used an earwig for bait – or at least part of one - a sixteenth of an inch of its abdomen threaded on the #24.

 

Swung this mini-bolt-rig into place and yes…Gobble! …and the fish swung to hand.

 

Back to base with the fish in our water bottle for identification and subsequent release. A combination of habitat, location and the excellent illustrations in Petersen’s Field Guide to Fishes established it as a Largespring Gambusia – a species confined to quite a small area of Central Texas.

 

Not quite my smallest fish ever (female 10-spined stickleback holds that distinction) but the smallest from the States and certainly my first fish caught on earwig ! …..and No 423 on my world species list.

 

 

 

largespringgambusialago.jpg

 

 

RNLI Governor

 

World species 471 : UK species 105 : English species 95 .

Certhia's world species - 215

Eclectic "husband and wife combined" world species 501

 

"Nothing matters very much, few things matter at all" - Plato

...only things like fresh bait and cold beer...

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watatoad Member

watatoad

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Keep it up, you're doing really well. Congratulations.

From a spark a fire will flare up

English by birth, Cockney by the Grace of God

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Newt Member

Newt

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LOL - well done to you for the fish and for having what I'd guess was the only #24 hook in the entire state of Texas. Other than tiny dry flies, I think you'd be hard pressed to find anything smaller than a #12.

 

I'm pretty sure I've never seen anything quite like that fine fellow.

 

As to black bass and their fighting abilities, you nailed that one. The largemouth, especially, can be explosive when hooked but is a sprinter rather than a distance runner and gives up pretty quickly. Catfish, carp, and gar give a decent fight but the sunfish family are mainly good for a burst of speed and strength during the ambush.

" My choices in life were either to be a piano player in a whore house or a politician. And to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference!" - Harry Truman, 33rd US President

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Dales Member

Dales

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Nice report Dave and interesting little fish. It kind of reminds me of those Guppy type livebearer species that feed on mosquito larvae.

Stephen

 

Species Caught 2014

Zander, Pike, Bream, Roach, Tench, Perch, Rudd, Common Carp, Mirror Carp, Eel, Grayling, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout

Species Caught 2013

Pike, Zander, Bream, Roach, Eel, Tench, Rudd, Perch, Common Carp, Koi Carp, Brown Goldfish, Grayling, Brown Trout, Chub, Roosterfish, Dorado, Black Grouper, Barracuda, Mangrove Snapper, Mutton Snapper, Jack Crevalle, Tarpon, Red Snapper

Species Caught 2012
Zander, Pike, Perch, Chub, Ruff, Gudgeon, Dace, Minnow, Wels Catfish, Common Carp, Mirror Carp, Ghost Carp, Roach, Bream, Eel, Rudd, Tench, Arapaima, Mekong Catfish, Sawai Catfish, Marbled Tiger Catfish, Amazon Redtail Catfish, Thai Redtail Catfish, Batrachian Walking Catfish, Siamese Carp, Rohu, Julliens Golden Prize Carp, Giant Gourami, Java Barb, Red Tailed Tin Foil Barb, Nile Tilapia, Black Pacu, Red Bellied Pacu, Alligator Gar
Species Caught 2011
Zander, Tench, Bream, Chub, Barbel, Roach, Rudd, Grayling, Brown Trout, Salmon Parr, Minnow, Pike, Eel, Common Carp, Mirror Carp, Ghost Carp, Koi Carp, Crucian Carp, F1 Carp, Blue Orfe, Ide, Goldfish, Brown Goldfish, Comet Goldfish, Golden Tench, Golden Rudd, Perch, Gudgeon, Ruff, Bleak, Dace, Sergeant Major, French Grunt, Yellow Tail Snapper, Tom Tate Grunt, Clown Wrasse, Slippery Dick Wrasse, Doctor Fish, Graysby, Dusky Squirrel Fish, Longspine Squirrel Fish, Stripped Croaker, Leather Jack, Emerald Parrot Fish, Red Tail Parrot Fish, White Grunt, Bone Fish
Species Caught 2010
Zander, Pike, Perch, Eel, Tench, Bream, Roach, Rudd, Mirror Carp, Common Carp, Crucian Carp, Siamese Carp, Asian Redtail Catfish, Sawai Catfish, Rohu, Amazon Redtail Catfish, Pacu, Long Tom, Moon Wrasse, Sergeant Major, Green Damsel, Tomtate Grunt, Sea Chub, Yellowtail Surgeon, Black Damsel, Blue Dot Grouper, Checkered Sea Perch, Java Rabbitfish, One Spot Snapper, Snubnose Rudderfish
Species Caught 2009
Barramundi, Spotted Sorubim Catfish, Wallago Leeri Catfish, Wallago Attu Catfish, Amazon Redtail Catfish, Mrigul, Siamese Carp, Java Barb, Tarpon, Wahoo, Barracuda, Skipjack Tuna, Bonito, Yellow Eye Rockfish, Red Snapper, Mangrove Snapper, Black Fin Snapper, Dog Snapper, Yellow Tail Snapper, Marble Grouper, Black Fin Tuna, Spanish Mackerel, Mutton Snapper, Redhind Grouper, Saddle Grouper, Schoolmaster, Coral Trout, Bar Jack, Pike, Zander, Perch, Tench, Bream, Roach, Rudd, Common Carp, Golden Tench, Wels Catfish
Species Caught 2008
Dorado, Wahoo, Barracuda, Bonito, Black Fin Tuna, Long Tom, Sergeant Major, Red Snapper, Black Damsel, Queen Trigga Fish, Red Grouper, Redhind Grouper, Rainbow Wrasse, Grey Trigger Fish, Ehrenbergs Snapper, Malabar Grouper, Lunar Fusiler, Two Tone Wrasse, Starry Dragonet, Convict Surgeonfish, Moonbeam Dwarf Angelfish,Bridled Monocle Bream, Redlined Triggerfish, Cero Mackeral, Rainbow Runner
Species Caught 2007
Arapaima, Alligator Gar, Mekong Catfish, Spotted Sorubim Catfish, Pacu, Siamese Carp, Barracuda, Black Fin Tuna, Queen Trigger Fish, Red Snapper, Yellow Tail Snapper, Honeycomb Grouper, Red Grouper, Schoolmaster, Cubera Snapper, Black Grouper, Albacore, Ballyhoo, Coney, Yellowfin Goatfish, Lattice Spinecheek

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Vagabond Member

Vagabond

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reminds me of those Guppy type livebearer species that feed on mosquito larvae.

Yep, absolutely right, they are members of the "Live-bearing tooth-carps" family - Poeciliidae, just like the guppys, mollys, platys and swordtails beloved of aquarists.

 

All the books need altering now to read, "feed on mosquito larvae and earwigs" :):)

 

 

RNLI Governor

 

World species 471 : UK species 105 : English species 95 .

Certhia's world species - 215

Eclectic "husband and wife combined" world species 501

 

"Nothing matters very much, few things matter at all" - Plato

...only things like fresh bait and cold beer...

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Dales Member

Dales

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Yep, absolutely right, they are members of the "Live-bearing tooth-carps" family - Poeciliidae, just like the guppys, mollys, platys and swordtails beloved of aquarists.

 

All the books need altering now to read, "feed on mosquito larvae and earwigs" :):)

 

Cheers, I thought they had that look about them.

Stephen

 

Species Caught 2014

Zander, Pike, Bream, Roach, Tench, Perch, Rudd, Common Carp, Mirror Carp, Eel, Grayling, Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout

Species Caught 2013

Pike, Zander, Bream, Roach, Eel, Tench, Rudd, Perch, Common Carp, Koi Carp, Brown Goldfish, Grayling, Brown Trout, Chub, Roosterfish, Dorado, Black Grouper, Barracuda, Mangrove Snapper, Mutton Snapper, Jack Crevalle, Tarpon, Red Snapper

Species Caught 2012
Zander, Pike, Perch, Chub, Ruff, Gudgeon, Dace, Minnow, Wels Catfish, Common Carp, Mirror Carp, Ghost Carp, Roach, Bream, Eel, Rudd, Tench, Arapaima, Mekong Catfish, Sawai Catfish, Marbled Tiger Catfish, Amazon Redtail Catfish, Thai Redtail Catfish, Batrachian Walking Catfish, Siamese Carp, Rohu, Julliens Golden Prize Carp, Giant Gourami, Java Barb, Red Tailed Tin Foil Barb, Nile Tilapia, Black Pacu, Red Bellied Pacu, Alligator Gar
Species Caught 2011
Zander, Tench, Bream, Chub, Barbel, Roach, Rudd, Grayling, Brown Trout, Salmon Parr, Minnow, Pike, Eel, Common Carp, Mirror Carp, Ghost Carp, Koi Carp, Crucian Carp, F1 Carp, Blue Orfe, Ide, Goldfish, Brown Goldfish, Comet Goldfish, Golden Tench, Golden Rudd, Perch, Gudgeon, Ruff, Bleak, Dace, Sergeant Major, French Grunt, Yellow Tail Snapper, Tom Tate Grunt, Clown Wrasse, Slippery Dick Wrasse, Doctor Fish, Graysby, Dusky Squirrel Fish, Longspine Squirrel Fish, Stripped Croaker, Leather Jack, Emerald Parrot Fish, Red Tail Parrot Fish, White Grunt, Bone Fish
Species Caught 2010
Zander, Pike, Perch, Eel, Tench, Bream, Roach, Rudd, Mirror Carp, Common Carp, Crucian Carp, Siamese Carp, Asian Redtail Catfish, Sawai Catfish, Rohu, Amazon Redtail Catfish, Pacu, Long Tom, Moon Wrasse, Sergeant Major, Green Damsel, Tomtate Grunt, Sea Chub, Yellowtail Surgeon, Black Damsel, Blue Dot Grouper, Checkered Sea Perch, Java Rabbitfish, One Spot Snapper, Snubnose Rudderfish
Species Caught 2009
Barramundi, Spotted Sorubim Catfish, Wallago Leeri Catfish, Wallago Attu Catfish, Amazon Redtail Catfish, Mrigul, Siamese Carp, Java Barb, Tarpon, Wahoo, Barracuda, Skipjack Tuna, Bonito, Yellow Eye Rockfish, Red Snapper, Mangrove Snapper, Black Fin Snapper, Dog Snapper, Yellow Tail Snapper, Marble Grouper, Black Fin Tuna, Spanish Mackerel, Mutton Snapper, Redhind Grouper, Saddle Grouper, Schoolmaster, Coral Trout, Bar Jack, Pike, Zander, Perch, Tench, Bream, Roach, Rudd, Common Carp, Golden Tench, Wels Catfish
Species Caught 2008
Dorado, Wahoo, Barracuda, Bonito, Black Fin Tuna, Long Tom, Sergeant Major, Red Snapper, Black Damsel, Queen Trigga Fish, Red Grouper, Redhind Grouper, Rainbow Wrasse, Grey Trigger Fish, Ehrenbergs Snapper, Malabar Grouper, Lunar Fusiler, Two Tone Wrasse, Starry Dragonet, Convict Surgeonfish, Moonbeam Dwarf Angelfish,Bridled Monocle Bream, Redlined Triggerfish, Cero Mackeral, Rainbow Runner
Species Caught 2007
Arapaima, Alligator Gar, Mekong Catfish, Spotted Sorubim Catfish, Pacu, Siamese Carp, Barracuda, Black Fin Tuna, Queen Trigger Fish, Red Snapper, Yellow Tail Snapper, Honeycomb Grouper, Red Grouper, Schoolmaster, Cubera Snapper, Black Grouper, Albacore, Ballyhoo, Coney, Yellowfin Goatfish, Lattice Spinecheek

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