Convergence '18: Nearing the End

The blueback herring run is nearing its end in my tidal river. Other places are still going strong, and this probably won't be the last installment of this series this season, but my confidence that my spot will produce any more stripers of size is waning. There is a small chance. But don't hold your breath.

The main difference between this year and last year was the amount of small stripers. And the last few nights were no different. Very few big fish around, quite a few small ones. I caught them while targeting other migratory fish and while targeting big stripers. It's not a bad thing to see more small fish, but they aren't what I'm there to catch.

The other non-anadromous species were out in force, which was great because for a lot of this spring with its yo-yo temperature swings and obnoxious water levels, the species diversity has been a little off. Since the last time I wrote, that has changed. Pickerel, white catfish, pike, largemouth, smallmouth, yellow perch, white perch, brown trout... they all came out in larger numbers than the weeks before.

Non-fish wildlife was out in force as well.

The real show stoppers though, were the herring. If it were not for a really poor tide and flow, two nights last week would almost certainly have been the best big striper nights of the run. Herring were in thick and spawning for hours. These little fish are what it is all about for me. They are so important and so ignored. Salmon get all the press. They're a favorite food of many and one of the most romantic game fish in the world. I get it. I love salmon. I am obsessed with salmon.

But to me, there is little more stunning, remarkable, truly romantic as the convergence of life that the herring are responsible for. It's the purest of pure. Life and death exemplified to the height of their beauty and ugliness. I couldn't convey everything I've experienced while following these little silver fish if I tried. Long may they run the rivers and creeks of the eastern seaboard.