Gar spotted: Rare sighting of gar at Montrose Harbor determined to be a longnose, not a spotted

A longnose gar was spotted at Montrose Harbor. | Credit: Robert Hughes

When Robert Hughes sent his gar photos, I was rooting for it to be a spotted gar.

‘‘On July 13, I saw and photographed a gar species inside Montrose Harbor in Chicago,’’ emailed Hughes, a North Side birder (theorniphile.info). ‘‘I think I’ve narrowed down the identification to longnose or spotted gar. Can you help with the identification?’’

I looked at the surprisingly good into-water photos, then messaged Solomon David. I met him when he was a researcher at the Shedd Aquarium. He’s now an assistant professor in biological sciences at Nicholls State University and is renowned for his gar puns/activism on social media and for #GarLab.

‘‘Nice shots! Definitely a longnose gar!’’ David responded. ‘‘Snout length and slimmer body are key characteristics here. Spotting doesn’t help much in clear water, as both species have spots in clear water. Cool to see them there as I never got to see one in the harbor during my time there!’’

Here’s why I rooted for a spotted gar:

In the fall of 2014, Chicago had its first modern report of a spotted gar. Illinois Department of Natural Resources staff captured that 31-inch gar while electrofishing on the North Shore Channel during a regular survey for Asian carp.

‘‘We would expect a longnose gar,’’ fisheries biologist Frank Jakubicek said then. ‘‘It was a lucky catch, and we were able to get it in the boat.’’

Biologist Andy Plauck, who had experience with spotted gar in Missouri, netted it.

Biologist Frank Jakubicek holds the first known modern spotted gar in Chicago in September, 2014, during a survey on the North Shore Channel.

The nearest known place with spotted gar is Mazonia Fish and Wildlife Area near Braidwood.

Longnose gar are common in area waters but more rare in southern Lake Michigan. The Kankakee River produced several Illinois records for longnose gar, though the current record (22 pounds, 1 ounce) was caught by Nathan Merideth of Kentucky in 2006 from the Ohio River in Massac County.

Hughes’ longnose gar didn’t look that big, but his sighting and photos are now part of lakefront and 2020 lore.

‘The Playpen’

Since the Chicago harbors reopened, entitled slipholders and guests have not endeared themselves to anglers, picnickers, swimmers and sunbathers, for whom the Chicago lakefront remains officially closed.

Take Saturday at ‘‘The Playpen,’’ the noted gathering spot for boaters near Olive Park.

‘‘According to my anecdotal evidence, this is the most boats I have seen in the Pen since the hard lockdown ended,’’ Larry Hamel messaged from his walk along the lakefront. ‘‘If you look across the cars on the inner and outer Lake Shore Drives, you will see what looks to be more than 100 boats in ‘The Playpen.’ ’’

As noted May 22 in the Sun-Times, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in reopening some areas that ‘‘The Playpen’’ would remain closed for the duration of the summer. But I don’t think she has that authority in open water.

‘‘I wondered whether this might have been an organized effort by the boaters to send an FU to Lightfoot,’’ Hamel mused.

Not sure if it was formally organized, but yes.

“The Playpen” was notably packed on Saturday.

ICAST

In another sign of what kayak fishing means, the high-tech Old Town Sportsman AutoPilot earned Best of Show honors out of 30 Best of Category selections at the very different 2020 ICAST Online (icastfishing.org).

Wild things

Readers send firefly speculations and finds of Chicago chanterelle, beginning-to-ripen blackberries and unripe pawpaws. (More to come.) Sweet corn (OK, not wild, but a treat) is on farmstands.

Stray cast

Thank God baseball is back, but mind your mounds and bumps. Lucas Giolito dominates from the mound, not a bump. Saying otherwise is as awkward as casting with a spinning reel up.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JULY 03: Lucas Giolito #27 of the Chicago White Sox throws in the bullpen during the first season workout at Guaranteed Rate Field on July 03, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois.