A Rock Bass or two

Fly Fishing for Smallmouth and this nice Rock Bass ate the Brown Marauder.

Saturday fishing on the North Fork of the Shenandoah (before the rain) was great. Many smallmouth bass cooperated with our poppers, nymphs and streamers. This is a Rock Bass (aka: Goggle-Eye, Red-Eye) that was caught very close to a few spawning beds of its kind. Guess he thought my Brown Marauder looked like a threat to its nest.
Many fish (Redbreast, Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass, Rock Bass and a variety of minnows) are either spawning now or making preparations to do so in the near future. If you are wading the rivers, please use caution not to step on/ in/ close to these redds.