Three Rivers Region

[DFire870]

Wow, 300 pages of photos?! Photobucket would have a fit. I prefer Photobucket as I don't particularly like the ImageShack interface, but that's still impressive. I'd hate to see how much bandwidth would be used up by everyone seeing the pictures.

The atlas entries look great! I need to set aside some time to go over every detail you put in them.

I can't wait to see what you'll throw at us next (and I'm sure this goes for everyone).

-- John

EDIT: Oh wow, I got the 2100th post! I didn't even realize how close we were.

[tkirch]

Congratulations on the 2100th post.  Its nice to see a new person get a 00. 

On to the map, another GEM!!!! 

You have to do a tutorial if you ever get the time.

[dedgren]

John!  You are the man!

Well, now I'm behind a few of these.  Time to put the old maps aside for a bit...

...watch this space...


David

n.b.:  I won't mention any names, as you all know who you are, but I have to say our 3RR Regulars^* are the best, most courteous, just plain fantastic group of folks out there- I'm a lucky guy.


^*  A 3RR Regular, of course, is anybody who has ever posted at least once here, or over at 3RR-ST.

[Jmouse]

Gorgeous maps as always, but hey, save a little bandwidth at ImageShack for the rest of us!

Until next time...
Joan

[sc4luv2]

Great job on making the 2,100th post.
I'm the "man" too 

EDIT:  sc4luv2, my friend-  This comment is over the top, even for 3RR.  Please, the quote, especially as you've chosen to edit it, simply takes up space without adding anything to your point.  We don't need statements like, "IF I DONT GET 2,100, I'M---- never mind..."- they don't add to the discussion.  I would have really appreciated seeing a comment from you that just congratulated John by saying "Great job on making the 2,100th post."  That would be in the spirit we have going here.

I don't want you to feel picked on- it's great to have you here, and I welcome your energy and positive contributions.  I've read, though, every post ever left by all of our other friends here, and I'd hope that you'd take a minute and see why, in my mind, what you've said here hasn't really made my day.  Thanks in advance for doing that. -DE

FOLLOW-UP EDIT:  My friend, thanks so much for your changes to this post.  They are so very much appreciated, and I'll be sure that there are plenty of "Double-0" opportunities to go around in the future. -DE

[freedo50]

SC4Luv, please post something relevant to the MD/Project and not solely about the number of posts it has in future.

Thanks,
Fred

[thundercrack83]

WOW! Moving right along!

I'm still reeling from 2000 and now we're onto 2100. Congratulations to you David, and to you, DFire870! Things are certainly busy here!

[dragonshardz]

Aw man, missed it again. Oh well.

Congrats, John. Here's to you and 3RR!!  

EDIT: thundercrack we must be channelling each other. You posted just as I hit the post button!

[Pat]

Dfire congrats on hitting the 2100 post here.... To answer your question Kalanc69 its based about more of respect... Personally i don't take offense to your post at all but what sc4luv2 did was a tad bit in bad taste... crossing out what Dfire posted and leaving an ultimatum is by far not a cool thing at all either....

A simple  "Great job on making the 2,100th post. I'm the man too" would have done just fine in good taste, i know I've made a few mistakes and i then corrected myself as fast as i realized it.... here you would find the rules if you look in the first part of the rules i belive its the 3rd and 4th bullet that says you should be a helpful member... Kalanc I hope that helps and clears up a little bit ... - pat

[mightygoose]

great work on the atlas david, reverse alphabetical order.... i assume, cant wait to see my spot

[dragonshardz]

kalanc, even thpugh i'm not a mod I would suggest we stop this side-conversation and get back on topic. I know you're off your soap-box, but please, we don't want David in here as the big bad Admin.

Edit: I just realized that this comment defeats the purpose of its posting. Anyway, onward to 2200 and the next honor! And hopefully, some collaboration as well!

[dedgren]

Way back on October 8th, our friend and 3RR Regular^* Kevin (BigSlark) rang the "Double-0" gong with comment number 1,900 [linkie].  He probably has no idea, but it was exactly 1,000 comments before that he did the same thing, notching comment 900 [linkie].

The first time around, we introduced everyone to Big Slark Lake, a scenic body of water on the upper Des Plaines river in southeastern Three Rivers Region [linkie].  The lake takes its name, of course, not from our friend Kevin (wink, wink), but from a certain large Northern Pike reputed to frequent its inky blue depths...

Here's a bit more info in recognition of Kevin's accomplishment.

* * *

[tabular type=5][row] [data]

Esocidae - Northern Pike

Northern Pike belong to the Esocidae family, which also include pickerels and muskellunge.  These fish are found in fresh waters of the Northern Hemisphere. They are moderate to large-sized fishes. There are only five species and four of these occur in Three Rivers Region.  The family is characterised by a flattened, elongate, duck-billed snout. Teeth are present on the tongue, teeth on the basibranchial bones behind the tongue are small, jaws have large teeth, branchiostegal rays number 10-20, the swimbladder is connected to the gut by a duct, intermuscular bones are forked or y-shaped, there are no fin spines, pelvic fins are abdominal, cycloid scales are present, gill rakers are present as sharp denticles in patches, there are no pyloric caeca, the lateral line is complete, and the forked caudal fin has mostly 17 branched rays.


Esox lucius, Linnaeus, 1758

Pike are related to the Mudminnow Family by such characteristics as no adipose fin, dorsal and anal fins far back on the body near the tail, the upper jaw is bordered by a toothless maxilla, and pyloric caeca and the mesocoracoid bone in the pectoral girdle are absent. "Pike" are named for their pointed snout and "pickerel" is a Middle English word for a small pike.  The fish are predators on other fishes aided by the posterior dorsal and anal fins which facilitate rapid darts forward. They are important sport fishes, much sought after by anglers for their fighting ability, but are not very good eating because of the intermuscular bones.

Northern, as they are almost universally referred to in the angling community, are distinguished by having 9-11 pores on the lower jaws (usually 5 on each jaw; the Muskellunge has higher counts), the cheeks are fully scaled, and the overall colour is dark with light spots, the reverse of that in Muskellunge.  Dorsal fin principal rays number 15-19, principal anal rays 12-16, pectoral rays 13-17 and pelvic rays 10-11.  There are 105-148 lateral line scales.

The back and upper flank of Northern Pike are dark green, olive-green or brownish, fading to a whitish belly. The flank has 7-9 rows of greenish, yellow to whitish blotches along it. Scales have a golden tip. The head sides have wavy, golden or yellow blotches and lines and the eyes are bright yellow to golden. The dorsal, anal and caudal fins are green, yellow, orange or pale red, blotched and barred irregularly with black. The pectoral and pelvic fins are dusky to orange. Young have 8-15, wavy, white or yellow bars which become the bean-shaped blotches in adults as they gradually break up. There is a gold to green stripe along the middle of the back in some fish but others are completely dark green. There is a stripe below the eye in young less than 4 cm long. Adults have a vertical bar below the eye. A variety, known as Silver Pike, has an overall silvery colour without flank spots.


Esox lucius, 3RR Department of Conservation

Northern Pike are known to reach 60 inches/150.0 cm total length and perhaps 75 pounds/34.0 kg. The world, all-tackle angling record weighed 55 pounds/25 kg and was caught in Germany in 1986. The Ontario record as of the year 2002 weighed almost 42 pounds/19.1 kg and was from Delany Lake near Kenora.  A Northern weighing almost 46 pounds/21 kg was caught in Basswood Lake in Minnesota in 1929.  The Three Rivers Region record Northern Pike was a 52 inch/127 cm monster weighing 59 pounds/27 kg trapped and released in Broken Arrow Lake by the 3RR Department of Conservation in 2005.


Esox lucius, 3RR Department of Conservation

One of the more fascinating aspects of Northern Pike lore is the stories which have accumulated over the centuries. The Emperor's Pike, almost 19 feet/579.5 cm long and 114 pounds/250 kg, was purportedly caught in a lake near Württemburg in 1497 and found to have a copper ring around its gill region relating in Greek its release by the Emperor Frederick II on 5 October 1230. The skeleton of this monster was kept in Mannheim Cathedral but was shown to have extra vertebrae taken from several pike. The story is untenable even without the physical disproof. The Emporer's Pike would have had trouble growing with a copper ring around its gill region and a pike of that tremendous length should have weighed closer to  3,300 pounds/1.5 metric tons. A common theme in giant Northern Pike stories involve people being pulled into ponds, hands being severed, infants in the pike's stomach, and so on. A legendary 3RR Northern Pike is "Big Slark."  Big Slark is reputed to be about six feet/180 cm long and to weigh in excess of 90 pounds/40 kg.  The fish lives in the upper stretches of the Des Plaines River


Des Plaines River, Rushford Chamber of Commerce, 2006

and the eponymous Big Slark Lake.  Big Slark has been reported to be present in these waters since the late 1940s, making it an extremely long-lived pike (one study indicates that the outside age limit in the wild for Northern Pike is about 35 years¹).  It is also reported, in line with the best pike legends, to feed on the occasional unwary angler, making night fishing in the area a chancy proposition.  Big Slark is the archetypal "one that got away."


Penny postal card, circa 1950

Northern Pike are found in waters throughout Three Rivers Region.  They are also found from Labrador and Québec (but not the Maritimes and Gaspé) west to Alberta, northern and northeastern British Columbia, Yukon, mainland N.W.T. and Alaska. In the U.S.A., they range south to Missouri to east of the Appalachian Mountains.  A European variant is found across northern Eurasia.

All Pike are solitary and are found in lakes and rivers where the water is still or flowing slowly. Vegetation is moderate to heavy and cover such as fallen trees and boulders is available. Shallow marshy backwaters or the floodplains of rivers are required for spawning. Relatively good water clarity is required for detecting prey (visibility > 3.5-7 feet/1-2 m). They prefer warm water with 70-77° F/20-25 C° optimal for growth and 43-54° F /6-12°C for spawning, but they usually retire to deeper, cooler water at the height of summer. They are tolerant of high temperatures up to 73° F/32° C and low oxygen but prefer > 4 mgL-1. pH 5.0-9.0 is tolerated. Pike are active in winter as anglers can testify. Summer distribution is usually within 1,000 feet/300 m of shore and less than 13 feet/4 m deep. On windy days, Northern Pike retreat offshore in surface waters. Large Northern often occur in deeper water along rocky shores, down to 40 feet/12 m. Fry of other species have been observed to swim around pike and not be attacked. In the fall pike spend the day in deeper water but enter shallows at night, even to the extent that their fins are exposed. This may be to enjoy the warmer water there, to remove parasites by rubbing on gravel, or for the purpose of watching for and capturing small land animals that come to the water's edge at night.


Esox lucius, 3RR Department of Conservation

As noted, life span is up to 35 years but is generally less than half this in fast-growing 3RR populations compared to pike found further north in colder Canadian waters. Some aquarium fish have lived 75 years. Maturity, like growth, varies with latitude and habitat.  Males in 3RR mature at 1-6 years and females at 2-6 years. Females grow larger, faster and live longer than males. Growth is best in waters averaging 66-70° F/19-21° C and is very efficient in that range.

Northern Pike are sold are sold fresh in 3RR stores and make excellent eating, having white, flaky flesh, though perhaps not as good as Walleye or Salmon Family members. A muddy taste in summer is attributed to the skin mucus and can be avoided by removing the skin before cooking. Pike are good sport fish taken by trolling spoons, plugs, fishes and worms near or off weed beds. They may also be taken with minnows suspended below a float. Wire leaders are used because of the Northern's sharp teeth. They are also an important element of the winter ice fishery taken with live or salted fish as bait or by jigging. Size limits are imposed on anglers in the region but research shows this must be done with care. A large limit might seem to protect young fish so more survive to reproduce, but often more large females are taken and egg production decreases. A careful balance must be struck. In 1999 it was the third most frequent species at 11.5% (after "basses" at 37.4% of events and Walleye at 16.0%) sought at competitive fishing events in Three Rivers Region.  Pike don't bite well in August because prey is abundant and they are well fed, and they tend to retreat to cooler waters at this time.

¹  Observations On the Age and Growth of the Northern Pike, Esox lucius l., Clark, C. and Steinbach, F., Ohio Journal of Science, 1959[/data] [/row][/tabular]

So, Kevin, you now know where not to go fishing when you finally make it up here.

On to honor comments 2,000 and 2,100, and the new 3RR Fact Checkers.

Later.


David

^*  A 3RR Regular, of course, is anyone who has ever posted here or over at 3RR-ST at least once.


n.b.:  This post is a parody of and draws very heavily from the website "Fishes of Canada's National Capital Region" by Brian Coad [linkie].  Mr. Coad has done a wonderful job researching this very interesting subject, and if you want to know something about Northern Pike please look there and not here.  This parody is intended to be fair use of Mr. Coad's work, is not intended to infringe on any copyright, and is presented as such on this not-for-profit website.

[mightygoose]

northern pike, that should go in the gazetteer...

[Kitsune]

Northern Pike, I have a 13 inch one mounted that I caught when I was 7. These days, I tend to keep it away in storage as I feel bad for that poor bugger now that I'm 22. 


EDIT:

I have a 13 inch one mounted that I caught when I was 7.

Hmmm... that's the first I've heard of Mountain Pike.

...sorry, it's still early... -DE

[sebes]

David, I had to some pages of reading again... Your maps are great as always. But I also noted all the side-threads that you opened in the 3RR section. You cannot imagine how much I appreciate that: 3RR became so large and now I can find back your great stuff more easily. Thanks!

[Ryan B.]

The legalese shows up once again . . .    Congratulations to everyone on their respective milestones. 

Also, the township maps are looking spectacular.  It's making the sign-making process a heckuva lot easier.

[dedgren]

What more can I say?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SC4D!

Jeroni, we wouldn't be here if not for you.  Thank you, my friend.  Thank you.

Everybody, we wouldn't be as great as we are if not for you.  What a fantastic group of folks you are.  Thanks so much as well.


David

[JoeST]

your kicking off the celebrations then??? LOL

I love this story its so ingenious Well done david


EDIT:

your kicking off the celebrations then???

Oh, no- not for me to do at all.  I'm just noting that has been exactly one year since November 4, 2006, which was the day the first topics were posted at SC4D.

I'm sure the party will start soon enough! -DE

[Kitsune]

DE - yeah, my wording wasnt clear on that one - I wrote one thing, then changed it, and didnt properly re-write it, if one of my professor's saw that he would hang me (the BA I'm getting is in English.....  )

[threestooges]

That is a great history of Northern Pike. I was told once that lawyers usually end up learning a little bit of everything due to the nature of their job... but if nothing else they certainly learn how to research. Great adaptation. Also, since you have been adding to the Atlas, I should have a draft of the McKee's Rocks township to send your way shortly, but I'll probably wait to see if I have touched on everything on the map. Lastly, I can only concur in your birthday wishes to the site. Here's to many more years to come.