Lake Travis is not known for it’s abundant fish life. People fish it, and there are places where we feed the cat-fish and carp. But all in all, it isn’t a place most people think “I’m going to go diving and see me some fish!”

This weekend I came across something I’ve never seen before. These are what I’ve always called “sunfish” but I’m not sure that is even close to right. Regardless, this pair has a small cloud of fry (that is small dependent baby fish) below them.

Normally these fish are skittish. I can’t approach closer than an arm’s length away. That is far to distant for a good photo in the murky water of lake Travis. This time, because they had the fry to protect, the fish stayed put, hovering over their children. I was able to get close enough to them to get a good shot or two.

My Gear

Since I bought my Ikelite housing earlier this year, I’ve looked for opportunities to use it. I took quite a few photos in Belize just after buying it but otherwise, my opportunities are limited. Central Texas is not exactly a diving destination.

For Lake Travis I shoot my Nikon 14-24 f/2.8 lens in a 8″ dome port. My only real complain is that the corners are super soft in the dome port. The dome ports are generic so I’m sure this just one of those compromises inherent to the system.

I’m still shooting without a flash or light which limits what I can do. Hopefully I can find a good deal on a lighting system at some point this year.