Bowfin in Outdoor Life magazine

20 Monday Mar 2017

Posted by Henry Veggian in Fishing for Bowfin

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amia calva, Bowfin, dogfish, Fishing, grinnel, living fossils, native species, primitive fishes, rough fish

The latest issue of Outdoor Life magazine (April 2017) contains a short feature about Bowfin fishing. The article is largely based on an interview with yours truly. For some reason, the editors chose to place it on a page entitled “Ugly Fish.” Look at the Bowfin I am holding in the photo – it’s a beauty. Nonetheless, it’s always good to grab some positive press for this under-rated and misunderstood native species, and I am particularly honored to be included in a magazine that I have read since I was a child. Thank you, Outdoor Life!

Bowfin in Field & Stream

15 Wednesday Mar 2017

Posted by Henry Veggian in Fishing for Bowfin

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amia calva, Bowfin, Field & Stream, Fishing, Joe Cerrone, living fossils

Here is a link to an excellent recent article written by Joe Cermele, Fishing Editor at Field & Stream magazine. The quote below gets my vote as the early favorite for Bowfin (a.k.a. dogfish) quote of the year. Why? Because if native species like the Bowfin weren’t in our lakes the fishing for other species would not be as good as it is.

“The funny thing is that in a fishing culture so worried about invasive species and preserving native fish, the bowfin is often falsely touted as a bad guy. The truth is that they were around millions of years before every gamefish we love. They have remained largely unchanged since the time of the dinosaurs, and I only had to catch one to decide I’d take the fight of a dogfish over that of a bass any day. I’m not alone.”

Nice work, Joe!

Here is the link to the full article:

http://www.fieldandstream.com/under-dogfish-why-bowfins-should-be-on-your-hit-list

Henry & the Pittsburgh Bowfin

09 Friday Dec 2016

Posted by Henry Veggian in Bowfin in Journalism, Writings

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amia calva, Bob Frye, Bowfin, Bowfin Country, Fishing, living fossils, Pittsburgh, primitive fishes, Tribune Review, yinz

Here is a rare Fossil Friday post: on Sept. 21, 2008, the Pittsburgh Tribune Review printed an article about a Bowfin that was caught in the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh, PA. The newspaper still ran a print edition then. Hence, the digital copy below is the fossil, a crude impression left by the extinct print copy. The print edition also ran the attached photograph; I include it here for historical reasons. That photo is everywhere now, and I want people to know where it first appeared in print.

The article’s history: it began when Bob Frye, the outdoors writer for the “Trib,” contacted Chuck “BAGman” Meyer at the old Bowfin Anglers group site. Chuck sent Bob my way, and Bob and I had a nice long chat. We spent a good part of the time talking about Myron Cope and the Steelers.

Bob somehow managed to turn my ramble into a great article – Bob is a professional journalist, after all. Looking back on it now, I was happy to draw some attention to my favorite fish and invite some folks into Bowfin Country.

A side note: the tackle shop mentioned in the article apparently had so many requests for the mount that they took it down, or so I was told by a friend who went there.

Here is the article, for your paleontological reading pleasure:

http://triblive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/outdoors/s_589149.html

Bowfin Country Fishing Journal: Landing a Bowfin from a Kayak

04 Monday Jul 2016

Posted by Henry Veggian in Bowfin, Kayak Fishing for Bowfin, Kayak Fishing Posts

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amia calva, Bowfin, jordan lake, Kayak Fishing Posts, Kayaks, Landing a big fish, living fossils, rough fish

Battling an angry, powerful fish from a kayak can be a nerve-rattling experience. Anglers must first contend with the thrill of the fight and the steps required to land the fish. Those steps include adjusting the drag setting on the reel, preventing the fish from running into and being wrapped on underwater structure, and any number of other movements (such as holding the rod in one hand while using a landing net with the other). In some cases, a large fish can haul a kayak into dangerous water.

Small, less bruising fishes such as Bluegill, Crappie or White Bass may not prove a great test of strength or kayak management but the motions required to land the fish remain the same. My topic here is how larger sport fishes – Alligator Gar, Muskellunge, Steelhead, giant Largemouth Bass or Bowfin – amplify the mechanics of landing a big, angry fish by requiring added strength as well as attention to detail. And all these movements are amplified, sometimes to deafening volume, by a tangible risk of physical harm to the angler and the fish.

What will happen when I pull this large fish into the kayak, and its powerful jaws, teeth or tail are in my lap?

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