The Canadian Incursion: Ken and Michael Visit

Fished: 8/4/2014

Written 11/4/2015

I've spoken with Ken (Muskiebait Adventures) and Michael about fishing at great lengths over the years, but somehow meeting in the flesh has never came to fruition, despite a few attempts to plan for such. I got word from Ken that an expedition would be taking place in New Jersey and that he and Michael would like to stop in Pennsylvania for a chance at Cutlips Minnows. They crashed at my apartment before heading off the Jersey...if you want to read about their grand successes there it is available here :Muskiebait Adventures: Pa/NJ

On their way back North we coordinated a guerrilla assault on the local Cutlips Minnow population, which I had grew extensively familiar with. I told Ken, the population density was about 3 to 1 Cutlips Minnow to River Chub, and it literally came out to that exact number as they easily plucked numerous Cutlips from an overcrowded pool. I'm not sure why so many of them congregate in a cluster, maybe they were doing road construction? (After all these fish are from Pennsylvania). Happily Ken and Michael photographed their specimens, however Ken alerted me to an irregularity at least in my opinion. "Is that a darter"? Ken uttered. "No, can't be" I assured him. It was......

I'm not sure how it happened, maybe I just wasn't acquainted with darters I guess up until that point I didn't know what to look for? I fished here a billion times and never saw the army of darters before my feet. They stood back as I wrestled my lifer Tessellated Darter from the shallow pool. Did I mention Skylar was along for the ride for her first ever fishing trip. It seems only suitable that her first be with fishing legends and a lifer trip....

Below is Ken's lifer Cutlips Minnow, linked from his blog.

My lifer Tessellated Darter