Species: Speckled Dace (Rhinichthys osculus) Location: Link River, Klamath Falls, OR Date: December 15, 2015 As of right now, this is one species. Likely, the Klamath Speckled Dace, Rhinichthys osculus klamathensis, will soon be classified as a separate species. It, like a number of Oregon endemics, hasn’t seen a lot of attention in the past 100 years, so it’s…
Species: Shortnose Sucker (Chasmistes brevirostris) Location: Undisclosed Location Date: January 12, 2018 A few people told me I shouldn’t write about this one, and I both understand and respect their reasoning; however, I think I should write about this precisely because nobody else wants to talk about it. We have a species at risk of extinction…
Species: Tidepool Sculpin (Oligocottus maculosus) Location: Newport, Oregon Date: December 22, 2017 After discovering microfishing in the Willamette a few days earlier, I took my time staying with my brother, Gabe, during Christmas Break to expand my microfishing horizon. After finding about as much success fishing from the pier as I’ve found dating in my late 20s, I…
Species: Torrent Sculpin (Cottus rhotheus) Location: Corvallis, Oregon Date: December 18, 2017 This is post 3-of-4 that will just link to an article after providing some basic identification tips. Torrent Sculpin is the easiest sculpin species to identify in the Willamette River Basin. At least, in my opinion. Not only do they behave differently (they’re very skittish and…
Species: Prickly Sculpin (Cottus asper) Location: Corvallis, Oregon Date: December 18, 2017 Here’s another post that will just link to a story I’ve already written. Ideally, I’ll catch another Prickly Sculpin soon, so I can put it side-by-side with my Reticulate Sculpin to help with identification. Sadly, my only photo of a Prickly Sculpin (above), is terrible. I…
Species: Reticulate Sculpin (Cottus perplexus) Location: Corvallis, Oregon Date: December 18, 2017 I try to provide content on my blog independent of what I publish in newspapers and magazines, but if I’ve already told a story well, there’s no point retelling it. This is post 1-of-4 that will just link to an article after providing some basic identification…
Species: Lake Trout (Salvelinus namaycush) Location: Oregon Date: November 24, 2017 It’s not often that the planets align and everything goes so swimmingly well that you catch a fish against all odds, but that’s exactly what happened. After my friend, Dean Limb of Yaktactics, crushed it fishing for lakers from his kayak for several months, I decided…
Species: Shiner Perch (Cymatogaster aggregata) Location: Newport Public Docks, Newport, OR Date: June 10, 2017 Surfperch, seaperch, or perch. Whatever you call them, these marine delights are one of my favorite groups of fish to chase in and around the piers, jetties, and surf breaks of the Oregon Coast. Though some species are relatively common and well-known,…
Species: American Shad (Alosa sapidissima) Location: Willamette River, Oregon City, OR Date: June 11, 2017 Oregon is weird. We have a culture built around gamefish, but not all of our gamefish are native. Rainbow Trout are the most popular species in the state, but most fish caught annually by Oregon anglers aren’t native fish; they’re mostly hatchery…
Species: Monkeyface Prickleback (Cebidichthys violaceus) Location: Newport Public Docks, Newport, OR Date: November 21, 2016 Time can be so fluid when fishing. Seconds, minutes, and hours can all meld together when you feel weight or a tick on the end of your line, melting into a soup of suspended timeflow that is so personal and subjective…
