I really do.  I love all the incredible creatures that occupy our streams but these guys are just cool.  Properly known as a River Chub, this little fish plays a vital role in many of the same streams where we find trout.  The “Hornyhead”, as it is affectionately known, builds a spawning nest by collecting and piling up pebbles.  It lays its eggs in these pebble mounds where they gestate, protected from hungry predators.  A number of other native fish take advantage of the Hornyhead’s hard work and use the same pebble mounds for the same purpose.  If anything ever happened to the Hornyheads, it would decimate a number of species and mean the end of an entire tier of the aquatic food chain.  They will take a fly, so if you are ever lucky enough to catch one, make sure to release it unharmed to continue its vital role in our beautiful Appalachian streams.