Carlos & Siran Posted November 12, 2009 Report Share Posted November 12, 2009 You guys have piqued my curiosity about natives so I decided to take a stroll tonight before it got too dark. I chose the closest stream to the house and quickly discovered my gummies have holes in them, but, undeterred I lifted a rock and scooped with my net. Success!, a couple little bullies and after a few moments realized I'd also gotten a small dead crayfish. Egged on by my instant success I moved up the stream and scooped again...nothing.....nothing again, half an hour later I'd still found nothing else except for copious amounts of insect larvae (which I've since found out means we have a healthy creek) and was beginning to think I wasn't any good at this fishing malarkey after all, By then it was getting dark and I thought "one more and then home" I found a likely rock, quickly lifted and scooped and BINGO, a fish, and quite a big one too!, about 10cm or so. I gently put it in my bucket and brought it home for photos, which unfortunately came out horribly smeared and yuck. After I took it back I looked up a NZ native site to look for it and I think it must have been a giant Bully and according to said site it may have been a female as it had a very blunt square jaw. Any who, that was what I got up to tonight, I think perhaps I discovered a new hobby.....TTFN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted November 12, 2009 Report Share Posted November 12, 2009 AWESOME!!! I actually say in my book (not yet printed) that fish hunting is a great way to find holes in your gumboots I am going to be in Whangarei the last week of November (freshwater sciences conference). Would you like to take me fish hunting and I can give you some identifying pointers? I *might* be able to tell what it is if you upload/email some blurry photos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smidey Posted November 12, 2009 Report Share Posted November 12, 2009 chuck the larvae in your tank, its fun watching the fish chase them around & eat it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlos & Siran Posted November 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2009 yeah sure, that'd be great....though I'll be a little embarrassed for you to see our not so pretty creeks, the ones around the cow shed in particular :oops: I'll upload the pics in the morning during breakfast. Night all Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romeo Posted November 12, 2009 Report Share Posted November 12, 2009 Here's the one I netted, was 18cm long at a guess. *Click for a much larger image Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted November 12, 2009 Report Share Posted November 12, 2009 awesome Romeo! Definitely a giant or common. That tapering head is so distinctive! The flecked sides could indicate a giant, but the main indicator is in the number of spines in the first dorsal: giants have six spines, commons usually have seven. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlos & Siran Posted November 13, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2009 Hi, sorry I'm late, my weekend off so I've been flat out organizing everything for relief milker. Here's the pics, they really are terrible, especially the side on one, waste of time really, hopefully you can get an idea from the top view. It was quite a solid little fish, green with motley brown and gold through, and uuuugly, but really cool...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella Posted November 13, 2009 Report Share Posted November 13, 2009 Thanks for the photos! Definitely a bully..... Definitely not bluegill, upland or redfin. It could be a common, giant (if you are near an estuary) or a male Cran's. Did you happen to notice any colour in the dorsal or anal fins? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlos & Siran Posted November 13, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2009 I didn't sorry, I intend to go out again this weekend sometime, I'll be sure to take better pics.... :roll: We're at least fifteen or twenty kms from the sea here, it may be possible for it to have swam up I guess, fair hike though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smidey Posted November 13, 2009 Report Share Posted November 13, 2009 its amazing how far animals can go. a seal was found in my friends waterfall at the base of the tangihua ranges in maungakaramea. it was on the MGK side almost at the end of tangihua rd, MAF estimated it had been through 50km of creeks & drains to get there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carlos & Siran Posted November 14, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2009 No giant bullies today, but two Koura and 3 common bullies, quite easily found. I need to get a small tank to take photos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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