As kids, my sibs and I spent many summer
weeks on a small nearby lake. One day,
alone in the rowboat and lying across the
prow, looking down into the shallow water,
I saw a sight I have never forgotten: an inky
mask that was moving! Startled, I peered
closer. The mask was made up of tiny black
bullheads and the outer perimeter guarded
by a great black bullhead, the parent! I
watched that incredible sight, as it
maintained its shape while gradually moving
off into deeper water. I sometimes wonder
how many of that close-packed nursery grew
to be adult bullheads. They would have
crowded the lake!
This article appears in 2026 Fall Guide.
