What kind of Fish is this?!

[Don Hershfeld]

Howdy Piscophile,

No worries. Its what we learn after we thought we knew it all that really matters. But no one calls me mister!

I've caught more than a few fallfish as well as chubs, but the former came from only a couple of streams (L. Patuxent in MD, and maybe Patterson Ck in WV, or not far from it) and mostly during the summer I think - its been about 40 years! If memory serves I might have seen one with the rosy tint you mentioned, taken in the spring. At that point I had only seen native brook trout and perhaps a very dead stocker rainbow, and that fallfish was the most rainbow-like still living fish (ignoring the larger scales) I'd ever caught. I found it enchanting, as well as delicious, albeit bony. If I knew a good place to pursue them, one where there'd be a fair shot at a relatively large one, I'd make a special trip and fish for them gladly, just to renew acquaintances with that feeling of wonder.

[Piscophile]

Don: I could reccomend to you 3 streams in Frederick and Montgomery Co's.
The Monocacy of course, and Catoctin cr, in Frederick co, and big and little seneca along with the lower reaches of Bennet cr in Montgomery.
Additionally the upper patuxents branches (above the reservoirs) have produced a couple for me
I should note, and you may find differently, but it appears (to me anyway) that the only time I have caught larger specimens was during spring or fall.
Even during an Electro fishing trip in july, (A few decades back) a stream where I had caught a 14 incher before produced none over 7 inches.
Of course I fished the streams mostly in the spring, while pursuing a catch and keep trout dinner.
Those before mentioned streams "HAD" been fairly consistent producers of larger Fallfish for me.
During the summer the Sunfishes, tiny minnows ,and small channel cats seem to out compete the Fallfish.

I could not agree more strongly with the feeling of wonder, my screen name translated means "Fishlover" . I love to observe, (plus catch and eat) fish of all persuasions my best days come when I can catch a number of different species and get a good close look at them.

I believe I have Hijacked this thread long enough, and will depart now, I thank you for your observations and comments and will look forward to reading more of your posts.

Piscophile

[Red]

We had a few places we could catch them in the spring on the potomac, we cut them up and used them for catfish.

[newyakker]

Ive caught many falfish on the North Branch of the Shenandoah on rapalas.

[Don Hershfeld]

Don: I could reccomend to you 3 streams in Frederick and Montgomery Co's.
The Monocacy of course, and Catoctin cr, in Frederick co, and big and little seneca along with the lower reaches of Bennet cr in Montgomery.
Additionally the upper patuxents branches (above the reservoirs) have produced a couple for me
I should note, and you may find differently, but it appears (to me anyway) that the only time I have caught larger specimens was during spring or fall.
Even during an Electro fishing trip in july, (A few decades back) a stream where I had caught a 14 incher before produced none over 7 inches.
Of course I fished the streams mostly in the spring, while pursuing a catch and keep trout dinner.
Those before mentioned streams "HAD" been fairly consistent producers of larger Fallfish for me.
During the summer the Sunfishes, tiny minnows ,and small channel cats seem to out compete the Fallfish.

I could not agree more strongly with the feeling of wonder, my screen name translated means "Fishlover" . I love to observe, (plus catch and eat) fish of all persuasions my best days come when I can catch a number of different species and get a good close look at them.

I believe I have Hijacked this thread long enough, and will depart now, I thank you for your observations and comments and will look forward to reading more of your posts.

Piscophile

In that regard we are birds of a feather. Drop me a line at "fishing4u2@juno.com" as I have a 'made from scratch' stream you would no doubt enjoy taking in. Prime times are the first half of April and during October especially, although there are things to see anytime in-between. I can put you up at no cost, to offset the road trip btw. Nice place / nice setting / some feel nice company, although opinions are quite polarized on that last one!

Don

[CarterAilsworth]

sucker

[rudedog2844]

horny head!

[Remobeater]

A bunch of locals were catching them in the New River. I believe they are related to carp... which here I would not recommend eating.

[Piscophile]

Fallfish, Chubs, Carp and a thousand others all come under the family Cyprinidae (the true minnows).
In which case you can say they are related, but that relation is very distant, as the branches of the family are seperated by 1000s of miles, a couple oceans, and a few eons.
About the same relationship I have with anyone in Asia.

piscophile.

[naked goby]

That is a male blue head chub. Fallfish do not look like that, although you catch them in the same places. It could also be a bull chub or a river chub, but by looking at the location of the "horns" in relation to the eyes and nose and also the nose shape, it is definitely a blue head chub.