Reviewing Outdoor Basics: Wildlife Identification and First Aid

Two fishing trips this week indicated reviewing these subjects might be in order. After fishing a small tributary of the Potomac in midweek. I realized many of the fish I've been carelessly identifying as bluegills (Lepomis macrochirus) are actually red breasted sunfish (Lepomis auritus). I caught at least a dozen on the brief outing but no bass. The stream is pictured below.

Friday I fished the Patuxent above Rocky Gorge and was surprised but not shocked to catch a couple of yellow perch on a crystal bugger. I was not shocked because I've caught them in the two reservoirs and in the river where it empties into them, but it was unexpected where I was fishing yesterday. I also caught a fallfish which are common in the trout section of the river that I was just below.

Just before leaving I cut my leg while wading near the bridge crossing where I was parked. The cut was not deep, but I was anxious to treat it to ward off possible infections, and since I was only 20 minutes away I decided to wait until I got home. Although the incident was minor, it did make me consider how it would have gone if it had happened in one of my remote fishing spots. Later I examined my first aid kit for the first time in years and decided that, while I give myself credit for always having it in the car on my fishing trips, I have to improve on checking everything regularly because many items in the kit should be replaced.