Mike Clifford always comes up with something interesting.

Travis, I like what you wrote.

http://illinoissmallmouthalliance.net/f ... topic=6181

I can't remember if it was Big or Little Rock, but a few years ago a pig farms ponds spilled into one of them. Sterilized the creek for a few miles. Not even bugs survived. Estimate was years to recover. Took less than one. That's the thing about rivers. Once the cause and source is removed. Things move back up. Ever notice how mayflies come off the water and fly upstream to drop eggs. They know they are in a good stretch. May as well have the next generation in the same place.

The fish that weren't in the creek didn't know the difference. The bugs returned, the minnows returned, the predators returned. They have no memory. They're hungry and want to have sex.

The Rock is the main river, but the fish in the creeks at the time didn't know anything happened. They came back, it was a little more empty. Start over.

Even after the Exxon Valdez they were surprised at the come back. Apparently there is something in sea water that breaks down oil. Mother earth will do what she has to do to protect herself.

Ever you tube the Rock River kill? It is amazing footage of thousands of dead fish, never seen anything like it. ISA has good conservation reads…

The Rock River kill this year was crazy. I heard they are still getting walleye and cats in those stretches though.... food for thought.


BTW - I realize now why I can relate so well to fish, Thanks Ken.

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Ken G wrote:They have no memory. They're hungry and want to have sex.

That always got a chuckle when I gave talks to fishing clubs.
Really, what else is there.

Fish and bugs move. There may be fewer of them and that could take a few years to rebuild, but as long as the poisons are gone, they come back almost immediately.

Travis, once upon a time I used to coordinate clean ups. In one year along Salt Creek I organized the pick up of 17 tons of garbage. I figured out just about 3 tons of it I did myself. It burned me out. Did quite a few for the ISA once upon a time, plus had friends help on a couple of other things so we could get in good with some people and not get kicked off a creek.

It's called brown nosing and ass kissing, but I never get kicked off this creek.

There's all kinds of ways to go about it. We'll talk about that next time we get out. I'd like to do the fly fish for crap carp. Maybe then. We'll play that by ear.

Sounds like a plan.