 Wildlife
Refuge
3/18/07
Mark Burchick
 |
Dan and I checked out
the 12,750-acre US FWS
Patuxent Research Refuge
for fishing today. The
North Tract is located
near Routes 198, 32 and
the B&W Parkway
(Laurel/Beltsville) and
is 8,100 acres, formerly
belonging to Fort Meade.
A partially paved 8-mile
loop road connects the
fishing locations, which
include Lake Allen
(13-acres), Rieve's Pond
(0.75-acre), New Marsh
(5-acre marsh complex),
Cattail Pond (1-acre),
Bailey Bridge Marsh
(7-acres) and the Little
Patuxent River,
downstream of Bailey
Bridge. |  |
This habitat island
is designed to
maximize waterfowl
breeding, with up to
four breeding pair
utilizing each spur
of the cross for
nesting. We saw
dozens of ring-neck
ducks on the ponds
today. |  |
The wetland shrub,
smooth alder, which
grows along the
littoral fringe of
wetlands/waters, has
fertile catkins that
are beginning to
open and flower. |  |
We saw a garter
snake sunning
himself on the bank.
Blocking access to
uplands, I touched
him with my rod tip
and he did not
hesitate going right
into the water. As
soon as he went a
few feet into
vulnerable open
water he turned and
hid in the soft rush
until I left. |  |
All of the ponds
looked fertile and
healthy, but neither
of us caught any
fish on this cold,
blustery day. |  |
I found a 'herp' egg
mass in a grass
marsh but don't know
what species
it is. |  |
Dan and I worked a
good few lure types
but to no avail. I
think the cold front
caused lock-jaw, as
the fish are quite
sensitive to water
and air temperature
fluctuations. |  |
Casting into the
sunny, fetch side of
a pond I noticed a
painted turtle that
was trying to burrow
into the bank. He
too was cold. When
we first started
fishing around noon,
some of the calm
water areas still
had veneer ice,
where our lures
would just bounce
and slide. |  |
Spatterdock and
watershield are
beginning to emerge
and unroll their
leaves. |  |
Although we caught
no fish, it was
encouraging to see
signs that they
actually occur in
the Refuge lakes and
ponds. Species
include bluegill,
redbreast, green's,
pumpkinseeds and
warmouth sunfish,
channel catfish,
brown bullheads,
chain pickerel,
black and white
crappie, largemouth
bass (catch and
release only), eel,
shiner and white,
northern, hog, creek
chubsuckers and lake
chubsucker. |  |
On our way out I
showed Dan the
Little Patuxent
River fish ladder,
off of Route 198
near Tipton Airport
and Route 32.
Migratory,
anadromous fish such
as shad, herring,
alewife, perch and
stripped bass will
utilize fish ladders
when they confront
dams that are
in-stream
impediments to
migration. |  |
This building
contains an
underground viewing
area with a window
that allows people
to see the fish
underwater as they
use the ladder to
get upstream (just
below the blue and
orange rope in the
foreground of the
photo). We were
hoping to find perch
all stacked up at
the dam,
concentrated in the
tail-water. NOT.
Bring on the spring
and warmer
temperatures! |
Mark Burchick |
|
