Coldwater collecting trip with pics

[uncwnells]

your stealing native homes for native species, its not right.

 

[loach43]

Dobsonfly larva has massive jaws, three pairs of legs, and thread-like gills along the sides: http://marlablair.com/hellgramite.jpg

Hmmm, could we both be wrong? Wish I'd taken some more pics. I know craneflies get big (and scare the crap out of people with their giant mosquito looks) but I don't think the larvae get as huge as the thing we pulled out of the water, but ya could be right.

Craneflies get big (I've found them over 3" long) and always have those distinctive welts around the body. Like all true fly larvae they are legless.

Hey, if you get the chance, you should come to this meet in Tennessee: http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=184570. The fish diversity down here, especially on the Duck River, is amazing. I think I may be the only experienced seiner going so far, so it'll be good to have someone else down who knows what to do!

I'm not an experienced seiner per say but I learned quickly that using a single net with a handle is almost useless in any large body of water lol.

 

[loach43]

your stealing native homes for native species, its not right.

By this standard, if you own an aquarium with anything in it, then you are part of the problem.

 

[Noto]

I'm not an experienced seiner per say but I learned quickly that using a single net with a handle is almost useless in any large body of water lol.

I'm confident in my ID. Bug ID is a hobby of mine, and crane flies are one of my favorite groups. Crane fly larvae get enormous, out of all proportion to the adult size. The only other fly larvae that big are horseflies and midas flies, which have much heftier adults.

It's amazing how many more fish you can catch with a seine, not just in numbers but different species too. Even better- night seining! You'll get some species that you almost never see in the daytime, especially madtoms.

 

[loach43]

I'm confident in my ID. Bug ID is a hobby of mine, and crane flies are one of my favorite groups. Crane fly larvae get enormous, out of all proportion to the adult size. The only other fly larvae that big are horseflies and midas flies, which have much heftier adults.

It's amazing how many more fish you can catch with a seine, not just in numbers but different species too. Even better- night seining! You'll get some species that you almost never see in the daytime, especially madtoms.

Well then it's settled. Cranefly it tis!! Were you a 4-H entomology dork like I was when you were a kid??

Hmmm, night seining sounds like a blast.

 

[Noto]

All I did in 4-H was incubate some chicken eggs. But I did take an aquatic macroinvertebrate class in college!

 

[loach43]

All I did in 4-H was incubate some chicken eggs.

This is signature worthy.

 

[andyjs]

Were you a 4-H entomology dork like I was when you were a kid??

Haha, I had a 4-H bug collection among my dozens of other projects.

Looks like an awesome day. I've been seining all over the place around here, though I must say collecting with electricity is more fun

 

[let_fish]

when are you going again would love to join you...

 

[loach43]

when are you going again would love to join you...

Hi, not sure when the next outing will be. If another collecting trip comes up I'll post in the MFK events section