Swamp Rat Tracks: Southern IL collecting 2016

With limited time in the Shawnee region, I had to select my collection sites for the most likely payoff. This led me to Bell Smith Springs in the Shawnee NF, and the Cache River at Longreach Rd./Perks bridge.

Bell Smith Springs

Southern IL is a meeting ground of prairie, mesic forest, sandstone cave/bluff, cypress swamp/wetlands, and major river systems that lends itself to enormous biodiversity. The number of birds alone that I encountered was over 25 species in one spot. Bell Smith is specifically a sandstone bluff system surrounded by mesic woodlands within the Shawnee NF. Several cold spring-fed creeks run through the area, providing ideal habitat for a variety of fish including the Spring Cavefish. The flow in these creeks can be seasonal, and with recent rains the depth was perfect to provide spawning habitat to the Orangethroat Darters I was targeting. Most of my visits to the region were later in the summer when these creeks were pretty much dried up, so it was nice to see them in full glory (although the increased area of habitat also meant greater difficulty in catching these quick bastards.)

Burden Falls

Panoramic view of the upper falls

Prior to this site we stopped at Burden Falls. There were a few darters here as well but I didn't want to waste time on species I hadn't previously ID'd. I did, however, find an abundance of Willow Moss and made sure to grab a handful.

Collecting moss (also known as the Gollum at Henneth Annun pic)

Wild Willow Moss

Back to Bell Smith...

Devil's Backbone, the iconic landmark of Bell Smith Springs

Most visitors to Bell Smith follow the bluff trails or visit Devil's Backbone; I chose a more remote location by comparison, where several streams intersect and I had previously sampled. This involved wading through several cold sections of creek, but it was refreshingly brisk and not numbingly frigid.

At the collection area

As you can see, the water wasn't terribly deep in most areas, but there are some deeper holes along the bluffs where the green sunfish, creek chubs, southern redbelly dace, and tuberculed river chubs were hiding (among other things I didn't get a good look at.) I caught several chubs with a jig and some cajun chicken lunchmeat from my sandwich; the provolone was definitely not as well favored. A different darter preferred this area too, but I was unsuccessful at catching any: what I can best ID as a spottail darter without actually having it in hand. If they were known to the area I'd have said redline darter, but they're only known on the south side of the Ohio River about 40 miles away (though this system does drain into the Ohio.) The darters were seemingly separated by streams, which I found interesting, as they all flowed together in approximately the same spot.

Right where the two streams met, slightly deeper than the Orangethroat stream. The rocks were covered in filamentous algae.

Orangethroat habitat

A short bit of stream was chock full of Orangethroats, and true to their character they came to investigate with every step in their territory. Once they knew I was after them, though, they lived up to the name "darter." I spent a solid 3 hours chasing them with 2 dip nets until I rearranged a few stones to form a walled off area I could corral them into and corner them. I wound up with 4 pairs (the females were far more elusive than the males on top of their harder-to-see coloration.) I surveyed a few other spots but I wasn't successful catching anything else, though the redbelly dace were exquisitely colored and I tried my best to nab some.

The catch!

I did find a pool of salamander efts.

Knowing their need for high dissolved O2, my temporary setup for them was a stock pot with an airstone at full speed. The stock pot was what I found at my father-in-law's that had a secure enough lid to prevent escape. I changed the water daily.

Cache River Swamp

A small patch of private property containing cabins on stilts is where my father-in-law spends most of his time. It also happens to be an excellent spot to catch an assortment of cypress swamp fish, including species not normally seen north of Louisiana. Most of the cabins are deserted and dilapidated, though my father-in-law works to restore those not too far gone and salvage what he can from the others. The Cache frequently floods over 10 feet and into the cabins thanks to rerouting and confinement of the river over decades, significantly degrading the swamplands once spanning the length of the river. In fact, the construction of a drainage canal (Post Creek Cutoff) in 1916 in order to open up potential farmland has led to the river flowing backwards, and instead of draining into the Mississippi north of Cairo it now drains into the Ohio just downstream of Paducah, KY. The swamp is home to the oldest trees east of the Mississippi and listed as a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance. It houses 113 state-endangered or threatened species and 7 federally endangered/threatened species. Several agencies teamed up to protect the swamp, but the battle continues to preserve, restore, and manage the river with low funding and opposition from local landowners. For more information about the Cache, visit Friends of the Cache, Cypress Creek NWR, Cache River State Natural Area, and TNC Grassy Slough Preserve.

Several boat launches exist in the cabin area which allow a stable access point for wading. The majority of substrate in the swamp is a silty clay with rich organic matter, also known as the "boot stealer." Therefore I utilize the lightly graveled areas whenever possible.

Boat launch, south side

My target fish here were central mudminnow, pygmy banded sunfish, and colorful lepomis sp. like longear sunfish. This boat launch was my first site, and with the first scoop I caught an absolutely stunning gravid female pygmy...but as I went to put her in a container she deftly flipped out of the net back into the swamp. I did not catch another.

Another neat find here is an abundance of ghost shrimp. Nearly every netting afforded 2-3 of these, mostly berried females. I kept 11.

2 ghost shrimp

Crayfish are also abundant, but while I caught several I did not keep any as I wasn't confident on my ID skills and several species are banned in WA. I didn't keep any gambusia for this reason, either, though they are also in almost every netting.

I think this is the Cajun Dwarf Crayfish, Cambarellus shufeldtii

Unfortunately pickin's were somewhat slim this time, with catches of only central mudminnow, pirate perch, gambusia affinis, and a slough darter fry. I also caught a tiny fry of either a mudminnow or sunfish which I was lucky to spot among the muck I also scooped. Fish I've historically caught with ease here include mud darters, blackstripe topminnow, sunfish, bowfin, and bullheads; but the water level drops dramatically mid-summer which lends to easier catches and may explain my difficulty this time with adequate flow.

Water pepper was growing submersed in many places and I collected several stems, as well as Ludwigia palustris, water-plantain, and a yet unidentified plant. Hornwort is practically a weed here but I have plenty in my pond at home so I didn't bother getting any.

Water pepper, Persicaria hydropiper

The Homestead Pond

Our last night at the Homestead (father-in-law's house) we decided to have a fish fry. As part of the NRCS wetland easement program a pond was created on the property in the 1990's which was then stocked with hybrid bluegill and smallmouth. Turtles, frogs, snakes, and birds have migrated to the pond and brought channel cats as well, likely as eggs.

Looking down the pasture from the house

I used the same jig as at Bell Smith, but this time with live worms. I fairly quickly caught a smallmouth, then some gargantuan bluegill.

Smallmouth

Hybrid bluegill...what a whopper!

My father-in-law wasn't so lucky. His only catch was a partly-eaten smallmouth he snagged from a turtle.

Said turtle then sought revenge for his stolen meal by sneaking up on my fish on the stringer. I noticed his shell (easily 20") surface right before he grabbed a fish, and we then engaged in epic tug-of-war while I beat him on the snout with my rod; when he still wouldn't release I grabbed a bucket and tried to push his head off, finally pissing him off enough for him to release the fish and strike at the bucket. The poor bluegill he'd grabbed lost a chunk out of his back so I quickly dispatched it, but still feeling bad for the turtle going hungry I tossed him the bluegill's head along with the head of his original fish. We had fish fry that night and the bluegill was the tastiest thing. The smallmouth was your typical "white fish" flavor which while tasty, is somewhat bland.

Airport (STL to SEA)

After 2 more days and 200 miles of driving, it was time to fly out. I'd carried on fish before so I was prepared for the rigmarole of security. In a large square plastic jar were the darters, in one 20 oz soda bottle were the shimp, another with the large mudminnow and pirate perch; in a smaller water bottle were the two fry. I kept them with an ice pack until we arrived at the airport to keep DO levels high.

The line for security was ridiculous, but luckily I was TSA precheck and got to breeze past everyone. I declared the fish prior to x-ray and they were placed in their own bin for individual inspection. They tested the water for explosives and that was that. Just before the flight I replaced the water one last time, adding stress coat as St. Louis water was chlorinated.

I checked the darters halfway through the 4 hour flight and they seemed ok. However, by the time we got home only 3 were alive. I was super bummed. Of course the swampers were fine as they were accustomed to hypoxic conditions. I put the shrimp in my outdoor kiddie-pool-turned-pond, the swampers in a set up empty blackwater aquarium, and the remaining orangethroats in my 10 gallon. I watched everyone carefully and there have been no further losses; in fact, the orangethroats ate within 1/2 an hour of arrival, snubbing live daphnia for frozen bloodworms!