Going Fishing in Bolivia...

[lauraleellbp]

So, my trip to Peru fell apart, but instead there's a group of us going to Bolivia next month! One of the Admins over on TFH helped pull the trip together, and it will be 5 of us total.

We'll be gone from Aug 18-28 and be staying on a farm near one of the national forests. The plan is fishing- lots and lots of steamy, leechy, mosquito-y jungle fishing, and I can't wait!

I've got all but my last immunization out of the way, my Visa should be back in a week or two, and I've been pulling together a nice collection of nets, seines and minnow traps... and I'll definitely be packing my cast net for the trip.

Also well stocked up on mosquito repellant, of course, and got my rx for Malaria prophylaxis and an antibiotic to take along "just in case."

I'm getting really excited! And yes, I'll definitely be taking the camera. The word from TFH is that the area where we're going we're likely to come across all sorts of undescribed species, so that has me really excited, too.

[waterfaller1]

How exciting! Please be safe, have fun, and lots and lots of PICS!!

Psst..line your pockets with baggies girl..

[SearunSimpson]

I'd go flyfishing out there on the rivers. Pack a 9wt set up with a large arbour reel with probs 200yds of backing and a shock tippet and have at 'er.

[hydrophyte]

that sounds fantastic.

do you have the required documentation for bringing stuff back with you?

be sure to shoot lots of pictures. i can offer a few tips for getting field shots of live fish in the hand if you haven't done much of that before. i also have some experience with the USFWS import license.

[lauraleellbp]

I'm not planning on bringing anything live back, but several of the others I'm going with are, and apparently they also have some experience with this sort of thing.

Hydro, I'm not the greatest photographer for sure, so I'd appreciate any tips you have to offer!

[lauraleellbp]

This is where I'm going: http://www.elpradopreserve.org/photo_gallery.htm Bob Reynolds is the one coordinating the logistics of our trip.

[CL]

ummmm
wow. Have fun!

[hydrophyte]

well i have a few tips for photographer, but i should provide a disclaimer by admitting that i am a horrible photographer, and that i am not a fish biologist. however, i do like to go out and catch stuff and i think that i have figured out a few things.

this is a shot of a central mudminnow (Umbra limi) that demonstrates one of a couple of different methods for getting shots in the field. this fish is out of the water, resting right on the dip-net mesh. i used my Olympus somethingorother DSLR with macro lens for this shot.



shooting fish out of the water is somewhat easier than the other common method (holding in a transparent, water-filled enclosure) and it often shows the fish's coloration better. however, other potentially important diagnostic details, such as fin rays, are often obscured with this technique.

i have found that a dark-colored net mesh works best for this: with a dark background you can shoot with a slower shutter, and the fishes colors are consequently brighter. it is handy to have a little extra water on hand or to sit directly next to the water's edge. by carefully pouring a small amount of water over the fish you can wash away the detritus that often sticks to the net and the fish, and you can often spread the fins open too.

be sure to shoot as many pictures of each fish as you can with different apertures and shutter speeds, but don't keep the fish out of the water for too long . a good DSLR with easy controls and fast re-shoot time is useful in this regard. i usually only get one good shot for every 20-30 that i shoot. you might also vary other parameters as you shoot, such as distance form subject, white balance, ASA and the amounts of shade vs. direct light falling on the subject.

[hydrophyte]

and here is a shot using the other method, a transparent photography enclosure.



this device has a very simple construction. i joined two small 5X7" panes of glass with pieces of thick foam weather stripping on the bottom and the sides, then reinforced the whole thing with mylar strapping tape.

this method shows fin detail, important taxonomic characters, very well. however, colors, especially iridescence, is often less brilliant. be sure to have a clean, absorbent cotton cloth on hand to wipe dry the near pane of glass. it can be useful to have a helper for shooting with one of these. with very cold water, water droplets condense almost instantly on the glass, so you have to dry it off and then shoot right away. be sure to collect some water to put in the enclosure before the rest of your party starts working, because it might be difficult to find clear water after they are already in. if the waters where you will be sampling are turbid, it might be handy to bring along some clean tap water.

[BottomFeeder]

Should be a great trip, enjoy it and take a lot of pics!

[lauraleellbp]

Those are some great tips, thanks Hydrophyte!

I may have to come up with a small square glass container to take with me... hmmm...

[hydrophyte]

you bet. those photography enclosures are easy to put together. i have just about 7/8" between the two panes of glass for that one. i should try tp get a picture of the whole thing and put it up.

[lauraleellbp]

What size is the whole enclosure?

I don't have a good way to cut glass... I wonder if I could find some remnants from a shop to work with, though? hmmm The foam weather stripping is a good idea; might help with shipping stress, too. I'd have to figure out how to get the contraption to Bolivia safely w/out breaking it. I can just see my carry-on full of glass shards- yikes!

[hydrophyte]

your local hardware store should be able to cut little pieces of window glazing for you. as i recall mine is something like 5X7", with a little less than an inch between the two panes of glass. you ought to be able to pack it OK if you wrap it in a shirt or something soft then put in a hard-side container.

do you have a dip-net yet? i highly recommend this one if you might be shopping for a net:

http://www.jonahsaquarium.com/JonahSite/netdipnet.htm

i got the 16.5" with black mesh and telescoping handle. with shipping it was something like $70, but most definitely worth it.

[lauraleellbp]

Looks like a really nice net, I just bought some cheap ones off of Ebay... I didn't want to spend a lot b/c I plan on leaving them there. I did also get some minnow traps and 2 seines, plus I'll be taking my cast net (my cast net I WON'T leave behind...). Several others in the group are bringing the fishing tackle.

You know, I bet the contractor that works for us has scraps of glass I could have, he's repairing windows at our properties all the time... I'll ask him tomorrow.