September 15, 2024

 Went micro-flyfishing on a new section of a creek I had fished a few times earlier this year.

As I reached the water and began to get my gear ready to fish, I looked downstream and saw something swimming awkwardly in the water.  It was a Box Turtle (Three-toed).  It reached the bank, but the bank was nearly vertical, so I waded downstream to help the turtle get up on shore.  He was a handsome fella!

Male Three-toed Box Turtle

I then decided to fish my way upstream.  I was fishing a pool about 50' or so upstream of the first turtle, when I saw another (female?) Three-toed Box Turtle on the bank.  She didn't appear in need of assistance, so I took a few pics and walked on around her and kept fishing my way upstream.  She didn't seem too worried about me.

Three-toed Box Turtle

It's a pretty creek....some sand, some rock...some limestone bluffs near the creek in some spots.

I saw a large hornet/wasp/bee nest in a tree along the creek.

Fishing was decent.  I caught good numbers of Striped Shiners, Creek Chubs, Blackstripe and Blackspotted Topminnows, plus Bluegills, Green Sunfish, Longear Sunfish, a Mottled Sculpin, a Southern Redbelly Dace, a Bleeding Shiner, and some other fish I'm still trying to identify... possibly Redfin Shiners, Carmine Shiners, or something similar.

Striped Shiners:

Creek Chubs:

Blackstripe and Blackspotted Topminnows:

Mottled Sculpin:

Bleeding Shiner:

Southern Red-belly Dace:

Longear Sunfish:

Bluegill (so tiny!):

Green Sunfish (also tiny!):

Some of the "mystery fish" that I'm unsure about at the moment:

I caught a few "doubles".... fish on both the lead fly and the micro fly.  It was usually 2 Striped Shiners, but not always.  Its interesting to me when I get 2 different species at once!  In the case below.... a Creek Chub and a Longear Sunfish: