| |
| |
|
Outdoors Information |
|
|
|
Its an Alien World in Every River
When you look at a river, what do you see? A few flies on top? A fish or two? Look closer. Lay down on your chest at the side of the river and stare down into it. Look at a rock or a stick. Not very interesting? Keep looking. Soon, you begin to notice things that don't seem to belong. Sticks don't come with little tubes of sand attached. What's that black bump? Oh, it's moving. It's... grazing? Every stream holds a tiny alien world, packed with creatures unlike anything we see on land. Clinging mayfly and stonefly nymphs graze like tiny cattle on the algae and microscopic animals that cover every twig and rock. Sinister damselfly nymphs hunt them with a creepy, deliberate stalking posture reminiscent of both a prowling cheetah and killer robots from the future in some cheap sci-fi flick. Caddisfly larvae build intricate houses of tiny stones and debris, which the tiny carpenters drag around with them like a shell. Colonies of them gather on various twigs and rocks, little housing subdivisions in a tiny underwater town. Swimming mayfly nymphs, some of them shaped much like the slimy villain in the Alien movies, dart from place to place with the deftness of little minnows and take up station to catch food drifting by in the current. And below the ground, burrowing mayfly nymphs dig lairs with their powerful tusks from which they emerge only at night to prowl for food. All hope to avoid the gaping jaws of a big, ugly, prowling dragonfly nymph. Until now, it was hard to observe this underwater world without getting very cold and very wet. But a new website, Troutnut.com, has brought detailed photographs and videos of this intriguing world and its residents to the comfort of your computer desk. The website was sparked by the sport of fly fishing, in which trout anglers craft realistic imitations of tiny stream creatures from an intimidating mess of fur and feathers, and present their imitations delicately, even artistically. For them, better pictures of the real thing mean better imitations and more trout. But Troutnut.com's quest for more and bigger trout has led to a glimpse at this alien world that anyone can enjoy. So next time you're walking past a stream, stop to take a closer look. Or head over right now to http://www.troutnut.com. Either way, you'll be amazed. About The Author Jason Neuswanger is a Cornell University undergraduate student working toward a degree in math and, hopefully, a graduate degree in quantitative fisheries science. He is an avid fly fisherman and web designer whose latest creation is Troutnut.com.
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Retired LoWs Do Yuma Yuma, Arizona. In the winter, it's the best town in America with a year round population of some 50,000 and a winter population of 150,000. Is There Such A Thing As A Romantic Camping Getaway In Minnesota? Today, Norm Goldman, Editor of Sketchandtravel.com and Bookpleasures. Yellowstone Camping In The Fall Soon, the busy summer tourist season will be over in Yellowstone National Park. If you are interested in enjoying one of the world's most unique geological wonders without the traffic, and crowds, it is time to start planning a trip. Malaria Prevention - Five Ways to Avoid Catching It on Safari Malaria is endemic to most of the areas in Africa where safari trips are still possible which means you will need to take malaria prevention precautions to protect yourself against catching the disease when you travel there.There are five things you can do to avoid catching malaria on a safari holiday. A Review of Inflatable Boat Manufacturers There are many manufacturers of inflatable boats on the market today. Included below is an overview of each of the key manufacturers. The Kuan Yin Shrine, Bangkok - the Goddess of Mercy on the Chao Phraya The Kuan Yin Shrine in Bangkok is in an old Chinese building within a community on the Chao Phraya River where time seems to have stood still for the last 200 years.The site originally had two shrines built in the reign of King Taksin (1767 - 1782) by his Chinese supporters. Ten African Safari Tips That You Must Know Before You Go 1. Take the early morning drives on safari even though that often means getting up while it's still dark. Going it Alone: The Waterfall at Mendenhall Glacier, Alaska I stood at the observation point on the balcony at the Visitor Center overlooking the great Mendenhall Glacier at Juneau, Alaska. Before me was a beautiful scene. Navigating on the Mountain, in Water, or in Woods there is an eTrex Unit For You Truly a small wonder, the eTrex takes the best features of a 12 parallel channel GPS receiver and put them into a six ounce package that is only four inches high and two inches wide. The result is a unit that will literally fit in the palm of your hand. Visiting Croatia Croatia has quickly become Europe's hottest destination, and for good reason. The rocky coastline continues for 1778 kilometres and includes pine-fringed coves, wide sandy beaches and cozy inlets. Hiking in the Forest Knowing When to Slow Down One morning in mid summer, I headed out for some time to myself on the trails of Fontenelle Forest in Bellevue, Nebraska. As usual, I stopped in at the Visitor Center to pay the entrance fee, then got back in my car and drove a couple miles down a long and winding road to the quieter back entrance. Review: Russell Shortos The Island At The Center Of The World Up to now the preponderant view held by many historians is that Dutch contribution to American history and particularly to that of New York has been one of irrelevancy. As we no doubt realize, the winners write history, and unfortunately, whatever the losers may have contributed, it seems to be lost or forgotten in the shuffle. Whitewater Rafting Trip For the dedicated water sport enthusiast there can be no greater challenge than embarking on a whitewater rafting trip. The abundance of whitewater rafting trip courses available worldwide offer enjoyment and challenges for both the novice and the more experienced adventurer. Santa Cruz Church - the Portuguese Legacy in Bangkok Santa Cruz Church, the church of the holy cross, was first built the reign of King Taksin, a legacy of Thai-Portuguese relations that date back to the 16th century.Nestled among old houses on the river banks and newer buildings inland, the reddish dome of the old Catholic church is a prominent landmark on the Chao Phraya. Discover The Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden In Arcadia California In The city of Arcadia California, right next door to Pasadena http://pasadena.usacitydirectories. Student Travel - Backpacking In Europe For the fortunate few, life isn't complete without a backpacking trip through Europe. This right of passage is believed to further the maturation process of college students, according to sociologists. Driving in Greece - How Bad is it? Generally speaking, Greek drivers are not the best in Europe, but they are not the worst - those people know who they are!I have been in driving in Greece for a while now and have witnessed many examples of bad habits on the road, which have shocked my rapidly departing British sensibilities. It is not uncommon for drivers to hoot their horns at traffic lights, even when they are still on red and to fly through red lights. The Different Styles of Tents Available The dictionary defines a tent as 'a portable shelter usually of canvas or other cloth stretched over poles or supports and fastened to the ground with pegs and ropes'. That definition covers a wide variety of structures in many sizes, shapes and styles. Kenya Safari Top Five National Parks The Kenya safari circuit is one of the best in Africa containing national parks and game reserves that consistently provide great wildlife sightings and experiences coupled with high quality accommodation.But within the country itself there are certain areas that are better than others to safari in. No Artificial Ingredients Indeed Back from our family's vacation to Costa Rica, I am left feeling extremely grateful for not only the well-received rest and relaxation with family; I enjoyed exhilarating experiences previously unimaginable.Costa Rica's ad in this Sunday's New York Times includes the tagline "No Artificial Ingredients.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
