Thames Fishing in London

[Beats]

I went out today to a spot on the Thames in downtown London a few minutes walk from my house. The spot is well known and contains a nice hole there where I have pulled out sm bass, rock bass, white bass and a channel cat so far. Today I was there and saw quite a few rock bass in the rocks but not interested in eating. I had one hit on my spinner that I thought was a pike but turned out to be a gar. This year is the first I have ever seen gar (see previous post) and I am now seeing them everywhere in the Thames. I must have seen 30 or so in the last few weeks. All around 2 feet long with one being close to 4'. I was just dragging my Mepps Comet along the bottom when I hooked into a fish. I reeled it in and thought it was a white bass but the mouth was wrong. I got it out of the water and it freaked out and was trying to flip all over the place. I recognized the fish as what I have seen in pictures as a Mooneye. I know that the fish Goldeye is very similar but this one doesn't appear to have gold in its eye. It was quite flat especially the belly at the back 1/2 of the fish. Never seen one before or heard of them being caught in the Thames. I would guess they originate in Lake St. Clair but I really don't know. After catching the fish I was talking to a guy that I see fishing down there often and he said he had caught one a while back and that someone had tried to tell him that it was a white (silver) bass but he knew that it wasn't. I'm fairly sure its a mooneye, but if I'm wrong it would be nice if someone could properly identify it for me. Later on I moved a dozen yards or so upstream and could see a pair of these fish chasing each other in a mating like way but I couldn't get them to bite again.

 

All pics are of the same fish. I took a few just to make sure I would be able to identify it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mattyk]

mooneye.

 

http://www.thejump.net/id/mooneye.htm

Edited May 25, 2008 by Mattk

[bow slayer]

that is a type of shad. the Thames is full of them in the spring. They are so thick below Fanshawe dam you can't help but snag them.

Edited May 25, 2008 by bowslayer

[CLofchik]

Yup, +1 mooneye.

They get up to acoupla pounds and put up a decent scrap, very tasty smoked too.

Dunno about the Thames but there's plenty in the Grand below Caledonia, alot of guys like fly fishing for them this time of year.

[nofish4me]

http://www.thamesriver.on.ca/Native_species/Fish_poster.htm

[Beats]

http://www.thamesriver.on.ca/Native_species/Fish_poster.htm

 

 

I actually have that poster. Got it last weekend but it's still rolled up, haven't looked at it yet.

[Greencoachdog]

I've heard they make great cut bait for Catfish!

[Rich]

Oh god, I'd love to get my hands on that cut bait..

 

Mooneye by the way

Edited May 25, 2008 by Rich

[Musky or Specks]

They are a ton of fun on a 4 weight.

[FinS]

i dont know about a moon eye but its prettty neat that you caught something diferent i think its inbred lol

[shane]

I actually have that poster. Got it last weekend but it's still rolled up, haven't looked at it yet.

 

 

So ............Did you unroll that poster yet?

 

I'm guessing juvenile atlantic salmon.

[Beats]

So ............Did you unroll that poster yet?

 

I'm guessing juvenile atlantic salmon.

 

 

I did take a brief look and the Mooneye is listed as being found between Chatham and St. Clair.