Collecting Trip: Barron Fork Creek

The Oklahoma Aquarium club invited our Arkansas Club on a collecting trip to Barron Fork Creek, just east of Tahlequah, Oklahoma. I've been collecting once before but it was just for observation. It was enough to bite me with the bug of keeping native fish.

I had yet to find a dip net at hardware or bait shops. I learned I need to order online or check a full scale pond store. No worries, the Oklahoma club members had gear and were very friendly.

I did bring a cooler to transport. As you can imagine, creek water is pretty cold and it's best to slowly change the water temperature of any fish. I also purchased and Oklahoma fishing license, 5 day for $24.

I was after the photo below. The Orange Throat Darter, or Etheostoma spectabile. Their coloration and behavior rival saltwater fish yet they are the most readily available creek fish for our region.
So how does one go about collecting? One method is with a seine, or large net managed by more than one person. The net is stretched across a narrow inlet and drug along the bottom. After a distance it is lifted to reveal the catch, if any. The group caught several Redline Shiners this way. A "fisherman" would call them minnows.

Here are the dip nets in action. One technique is called "kick netting" in which a fish is spotted heading for cover, the net is placed downstream of the rock in question, and when you kick the rock away the fish usually swims downstream into the net. The club caught and released several Ringed Crayfish. (Pretty but not suitable for most aquariums.) Madtoms, a type of small Catfish, were the prizes of this method. I need to remember my polarized sun glasses next time for spotting.

Of course, you see all sorts of stuff while collecting. This salamander, or as one of the group called it, "Water Dog", made it's way back to someone's tank.


We discovered two species of frog's eggs. Speaking of eggs, I learned that the Russian mafia used to be involved in local Spoonbill poaching and smuggling because their eggs are the next best thing to Beluga caviar which is in decline of availability. Who would have thought...

Equipment. Everything from minnow buckets to empty cat litter containers.

Did I mention I brought my equipment on my scooter? That story is on my scooter blog.

Back home, I acclimated the six Darters and two Madtoms to my Bella Vista water. The creek water tested a ph of 7.2 while my tap runs 7.6.

I'd setup the middle 15 gallon tank of my newly rebuilt rack to be my Darter tank. I placed the hang-on-tank power filter on the side instead of the back to give a stream current effect to the tank. Following Gerald's advice, I used some river rocks I brought home to give the Darters something to duck out of the current or perch (no pun intended, or is it?) on.

click for larger picture

Above we have a male (left) and female (right) Orange Throat Darter in their new home. A club member speculated that with the proximity to spring and the warmer tank water we may see these fish breed. He was right. The next day I saw my first fish spawn and I even caught some of it on video. (to be posted after editing).

Basically, the female would "carve" a trench in the gravel the length of her body and then lay her body prone in it. The colored up male would land on top of her and shimmy in place very fast for about three seconds and the female would leave. They repeated this for several minutes. Another male would try to approach the female but would be run off by the alpha.

After the behavior seemed to taper off, I used my flashlight to look for eggs but did not find anything. Corey thinks they may be like Danios and drop tiny eggs into the gravel.


On the left is one of two Slender Madtoms, or Notorus exilis, I got to bring home. They were the most active when put in the tank but a week later they have returned to typical Cat behavior and during the day nestle themselves in the rock work I provided them. Catfish are probably my favorite family of fish and these guys are neat. I would like to get some Gambusina, or Shiners to populate the top water region of the tank.

I've been feeding frozen Bloodworms. They were ignored the first couple of days, with the female Darters the first to start taking them. A week in, I started adding a bit of flake which all seemed to accept.

The Darters have a playful, friendly personality. This surprises me since they aren't tank raised like many fish you can get at a store. I would think they would be skittish and hide constantly. Thankfully they are not. They spend the day playing, perching on rocks and displaying for the females.