Small fry their trophy catch

Minnows, larva the prize for stream waders.

The enthusiastic group of stream waders caught fish right and left, without a hook, fishing rod or bait among them.

They weren’t after the biggest fish that swim, but some of the smallest. Every fish caught was released as planned when members of the Northwest Arkansas Aquarium Society gathered for a day of fish collecting and identification.

Streams such as the War Eagle River are their favorite fish catching haunts. It’s a warm weather activity, with fish catchers wading in the pools and shoals. They carry long-handled dip nets suitable for catching little fish, crawdads and aquatic insect larva.

About a dozen waders gathered at the War Eagle on Sept. 10 to see what finned treasures the stream would yield. Denny and Gail Rogers arrived first.

“Last time, we caught some crawdads, and there might have been some sunfish. It’s hard to tell just what we’ll find,” Denny Rogers said.

Soon a gaggle of fish netters arrived to wade a shallow pool under the historic War Eagle bridge. They dipped small-meshed nets into the clear water and swept them along. When nets are lifted, fish catchers peer inside to see the bounty. There are leaves, pebbles and larva. Now and then, a tiny fish flops in the mesh.

Minnow-type fish such as darters and shiners are caught, identified and released. Some keep track of the species they’ve caught, sort of like birding, only with fish.

Michael Gaines, president of the aquarium society, led the group downstream.

“We just like to catch and see what we get. You get tadpoles, weird insect larva. It’s fun to observe nature,” he said. “In the spring, a lot of the fish are in their spawning colors.”

An aquatic salamander was one of the most unique finds Gaines remembered seeing.

The group soon left the pool under the bridge and waded to a shoal downstream. The warm water was fast and about six inches deep.

“Ideally here we’ll find darters. In the pools, it’s mostly shiners,” he said.

Gaines deemed the water quality good because of the high amount of hellgramites that turned up in the waders’ nets. Hellgramites, the larval stage of a dobsonfly, are intolerant of pollution and an indicator of high quality water.

Fish netters brought a large seine to the river. Gaines and his son, Johnathan, 12, got down to business catching fish with the seine, which produced a bounty of aquatic life from the shallow stream.

Gaines sometimes goes on fish-netting safaris after dark.

“I love to do this at night,” he said. “You might get some small catfish and small sunfish. There are a few species of darters that you’re more likely to get at night.”

Fish aficionados compare notes and fish stories at a picnic lunch held after the netting is through.

Aspiring fish netters need a few essentials. One is a fishing license for netters 16 or older. As far as footwear, waders are fine, but water is rarely more than knee deep. An old pair of sneakers works well.

Fish netters at the War Eagle carried nets with handles four to five feet long. The mesh needs to be small to catch the tiny trophies the group seeks. A hat, sunscreen and camera are good to have.

The Aquarium Society members let their fish go, but most have plenty to view in their tanks at home. Denny Rogers has 60 aquariums teeming with fish.

“It’s a hobby gone out of control,” he said.

NWA Democrat-Gazette/FLIP PUTTHOFF Johnathan Gaines, 12, and his dad, Michael Gaines see what they’ve caught Sept. 10 in their seine. Michael Gaines is president of the aquarium society.

NWA Democrat-Gazette/FLIP PUTTHOFF Fish aficionados including Michael Gaines (from left), Johnathan Gaines and Denny Rogers see what species the War Eagle River offers up on Sept. 10 during a netting trip. The group enjoys netting darters and other small fish, identifying them and...