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The lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) is a freshwater char living mainly in lakes in northern North America. Other names for it include mackinaw, namaycush, lake char (or charr), touladi, togue, and gray trout. In Lake Superior, it can also be variously known as siscowet, paperbelly and lean. The lake trout is prized both as a (more…)

The milkfish (Chanos chanos) is the sole living species in the family Chanidae.  However, there are at least five extinct genera from the Cretaceous. The repeating scientific name (tautonym) is from Greek khanos (χάνος ‘mouth’). The milkfish can grow to 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in), but are most often no more than 1 m (more…)

The coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch; Karuk: achvuun) is a species of anadromous fish in the salmon family and one of the five Pacific salmon species. Coho salmon are also known as silver salmon or “silvers”. The scientific species name is based on the Russian common name kizhuch (кижуч). During their ocean phase, coho salmon have (more…)

The Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) is the largest and most valuable species of Pacific salmon in North America, as well as the largest in the genus Oncorhynchus.  Its common name is derived from the Chinookan peoples. Other vernacular names for the species include king salmon, Quinnat salmon, Tsumen, spring salmon, chrome hog, Blackmouth, and Tyee (more…)

Arowanas are freshwater bony fish of the subfamily Osteoglossinae, also known as bony tongues (the latter name is now often reserved for Arapaiminae). In this family of fish, the head is bony and the elongated body is covered by large, heavy scales, with a mosaic pattern of canals. The dorsal and anal fins have soft (more…)

The payara, also known in the fly fishing community as vampire fish, Hydrolycus scomberoides, is a species of dogtooth tetra. This predatory fish is found in the Amazon Basin in tropical South America. It was the first of four species to be described in the genus Hydrolycus. The most noticeable feature of H. scomberoides is (more…)

Hoplias aimara, also known as anjumara, traíra, trahira, manjuma, anjoemara and wolf fish, is a species of freshwater fish found in the rivers of South America. This is the largest of the Hoplias species with fish caught at a length of 120 cm (47 in), the largest rod and reel record stands at 101 cm (more…)

Lenoks, otherwise known as Asiatic trout or Manchurian trout, are salmonid fish of the genus Brachymystax, native to rivers and lakes in Mongolia, Kazakhstan, wider Siberia (including Russian Far East), Northern China and Korea. Lenoks can be sharp-snouted (B. lenok) or blunt-snouted (B. tumensis).  Traditionally both these were included in B. lenok, but today they (more…)

A barracuda, or ‘cuda for short, is a large, predatory, ray-finned fish known for its fearsome appearance and ferocious behavior. The barracuda is a saltwater fish of the genus Sphyraena, the only genus in the family Sphyraenidae, which was named by Constantine Samuel Rafinesque in 1815. It is found in tropical and subtropical oceans worldwide (more…)

Amur trout (Brachymystax savinovi) are an impressive trout species that are unique to the Amur system in Mongolia.  Amur trout are beautiful with coppery flanks, big black spots and heavy shoulders. They hit the fly with commitment and fight hard.  Amur trout have been caught pushing 30 inches. While speaking with Michael Caranci, guest services at (more…)