Caught a terrapin on a fly-rod!!

[eljeffo]

I was tossin' around a dryfly and a 3" chub (hold the applause please) grabbed it... so instead of comrimising the integrity of the fly I was running it aroung trying to tire it out and all of a sudden it stopped... Hmmm must be snagged on something so I got to lookin' and there it was, my line was hooked on to a rock; as I started to gently tug to free it a little orange flipper appeared! A north american wood turtle saw an easy meal and took it! ha, I looked around to see if anyone else saw it (they didn't, by myself..) so I released the bugger with its catch on the bank by where I got it and moved downstream...it followed me and so I kept my eye on it fo awhile before I finally left. That was really something! I never had that happen before! Just thought I'd share that with you!

[Greenheart]

Nice one Eljeffo. Pity you did'nt get any pics. We have the occasional terrapin over here, but only pet ones that people let go when they get to big or that escape. What type of Chub do you have over there? Are they the same as the european ones?

[pingu]

hehe nice one
we only get snails here

[baitmaster]

it good to share thing like that fair play to ya as greenheart said shame you got no pic but nice to hear anyway

tightlines
baitmaster

[Omahayank]

I dont think they are the same. There are a few named 'chub'. Look here:
Creek chub: http://www.ngpc.state.ne.us/fishing/....asp?FishID=23
Flat head chub: http://www.ngpc.state.ne.us/fishing/....asp?FishID=22
Golden shiner: http://www.ngpc.state.ne.us/fishing/....asp?FishID=24

Mostly we call any large minnow, a 'chub'. Minnows are any small bait fish, typically shad, dace, alewife, darters, suckers, common; grass;& mirror carp. It seems, generally any tiny fish and babies of any non-game species.

Heres the whole gamut in NE: http://www.ngpc.state.ne.us/fishing/...shid/index.asp

[eljeffo]

here is a pic of the turtle:

Here is a great informational page on our type of "chubs": Pennsylvania minnows and chub ID site:
http://www.fish.state.pa.us/Fish/paf...tms/chap11.htm

also these are the "redfins" we use to fish Native brown trout (type of char), brook trout and the rainbow trout. incase you were wondering what I was referring to in the other threads.
Blacknose Dace (Rhinichthys atratulus) "Red-fin" Best trout bait in my area.

Blacknose Dace (Rhinichthys atratulus) ~ Species overview:
The blacknose dace is a common small minnow, distributed throughout the Mississippi and Great Lakes watersheds, and along the Atlantic Coast to North Carolina. There are two subspecies in Pennsylvania–Rhinichthys atratulus meleagris in western Pennsylvania and Rhinichthys atratulus atratulus in the eastern part of the state. Both look virtually alike. The blacknose dace’s genus name “Rhinichthys” means “snout-fish,” and the species name “atratulus” is derived from a word that means “clothed in black.” Local Pennsylvania nicknames for this species are “redfin” and “redfin dace.”



Identification: The blacknose dace is a small, slender minnow that grows to about three inches long. They have the typical minnow’s short, single dorsal fin and a forked tail. The back is light or dark-brown, or gray. The sides shade lighter, toward a silvery-white belly. Sprinkled along the sides are dark scales that give the fish a spotted appearance. The blacknose dace’s most obvious characteristic is its black side stripe. The stripe runs from the snout through the eye, and along the length of the side to the tail. At breeding time, the males also have a rusty-orange or red stripe immediately below the black side stripe. In spawning season, males also acquire pads on the upper surface of the pectoral fins, and the pectoral and pelvic fins become yellow-white or orange. The blacknose dace’s cousin, the longnose dace, grows up to five inches long and is reddish brown to dark-olive, with scattered dark spots and a light belly. But it does not display the blacknose’s prominent black “racing” stripe on its side.

Habitat: Blacknose dace are creatures of flowing water. They are found in most of the small streams in Pennsylvania, but are typically in the moderate current of headwaters and springfed runs. Although they thrive in stream pools as well as rocky riffles, they won’t be found in the still water of lakes. The blacknose dace shares Pennsylvania with the longnose dace (Rhinichthys cataractae). Both dace are most often found in the same streams, but they use different habitats.

Life history: Blacknose dace spawn in spring, May to June, choosing a shallow, sandy or gravelly riffle. The males assemble over the spawning area and stake out territories, guarding a bit of underwater turf against other blacknose dace males. The males circle and seem to “dance” to attract females. Several females spawn on the male’s nest site or in a nearby similar area. Each female deposits some 750 eggs. The eggs fall in or on the gravel and the parents abandon them to develop on their own. Blacknose dace live only three or four years. They feed on the tiny invertebrate animal life they find on the stream bottom, including blackfly and midge larvae, as well as diatoms and algae.

[eljeffo]

Any replies?...I feel like I'm being ignored...!!

[Omahayank]

Your not being ignored.......with any luck, we're all out fishing?
Be sure to wash your hands really well after handling amphibians and the like. Some can have some pretty nasty bacteria living on'em.
Are there any reports of poisonings from blue-green algae in PA? We've had a couple family pets in NE go down so far.

[eljeffo]

No, not yet anyway and I'm going to school for Ichthyology so I know a little about amphibians- Fish mostly though! LOL :) Thank you for replying I was feeling left out!!

[Omahayank]

Don't get me started........I'll never shut up