This picture displays a small part of the Pahranagat
National Wildlife Refuge. In particular, the northernmost part of the Upper
Pahranagat Lake. This lake is split in two by a retention wall to try and stop
the spread of carp in these waters. The Pahranagat Creek empties into the upper
lake, that in turn flows through a marsh and makes its way to the Lower
Pahranagat Lake. These wetlands in the middle of the desert is a crucial part
of the Pacific Flyway, a major
north-south migratory route along the western coast of the United States
for many birds.
Several attempts in the last few decades have been made to
rid these waters of some invasive carp, which sadly never seem to work. Carp
have been naturalized in the United States with most of them not posing risks
to the bodies of water or the native fish. In Pahranagat however, these shallow
waters can only provide food for a small amount of fish. And with no natural
predators, these waters cannot sustain these fish. Hence, wildlife authorities
have asked that any carp caught from these waters should not be released.
These are some pretty shallow lakes and the brown stained
waters are more reminiscent of the fisheries back in South Africa. But it is
the shallow depth and the fish in these waters that give these lakes their
chocolate-colored water. Strangely, it was neither the birds nor the carp that
lead me to these waters. There is a native fish species that gets stocked in
these waters. It is the promise of this new species for my life list that
caught my attention.
This is where I managed to catch my first bullhead catfish.
Bullhead catfish is one of the smaller species of catfish, and the size and
depths of these lakes add to the fact that these small fish stay small. It is, however, not just the size of the fish that count, but the whole experience.
Discovering and exploring a new location, and getting a new fish to add to the
life list. These may not be the best fish out there, but it is one of the best
experiences to have.
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