Scudsicle

It looks like the amphipod population in this particular stream is doing okay. WSU has confirmed that these guys are ABSENT in some of the major systems down here - apparently washed away by the flood of August 2007. They don't cling as well as some of the other stream denizens, and they often inhabit vegetation... which was in large part scoured and washed away in the hard-hit basins. Anyway - I was happy to find these contents of a trout's stomach early this AM.

The past week or so has also offered up these items:
(1) Idiot choice to try to fish a popular and easily-accessed stream on opening weekend... never again. So many people... so many cars... I was a wreck, just stumbling along streamside - never really even wetting a line but just wanting to see a fish. Literally - never laid eyes on one pisces... the water was empty. The fish had more than caught on to the lead and blah being thrown overhead. Where were they then? Maybe under banks. Not sure.

(2) Scouted some carp water and found a pod of suckers. Snagged one - now soaking in milk downstairs.

(3) A coworker and I put together some programming for a new line of data logger that our agency is just putting to use. We got out and worked with a local government unit to set up a few stations... they are logging as I type. Time series data is of extreme value... and it's so damn cool. This station is on a popular Driftless Area stream.