The Fish of Lake Igna

[zuziee 4004]

 

 

⸙

 

ISSUED 2033

 

Lake Igna is a really big, cold lake all the way up in the northwest of Norland. If you go past the capital and keep walking toward the bright-colored tents of the Gylldene Fairgrounds, and then before the farming village of Karoslund (that used to be called “The Barns”), you’ll find it. It’s chilly there most of the time, even in the summer. It doesn’t freeze all the way, but the ground around it gets muddy and crunchy and slippery because of the frost. That’s where I go fishing!

 

Even though it’s cold and kind of spooky looking, the lake is full of green stringy algae and tall plants like seagrass and reeds that grow deep down. There are lots of different fish living in Lake Igna, and I’ve been trying to find as many of them as I can! I started catching and letting them go again about three years ago. I write everything down in my notebook, and this is what I’ve found so far.

 

 

 

Moonfish

This is the prettiest fish I’ve ever seen! It’s big, kind of like a betta fish, but much fancier. Its scales are shiny white and look like little coins, and they glow when the moon is out. That’s why they call it the Moonfish. They swim near the top of the lake at night, and they shimmer like stars underwater. If you eat them (which I did once), they taste kind of like salmon, but sweeter!

 

Gauntgill

This one is creepy. It’s really thin and pale like a ghost fish, and it smells awful. I mean, really bad. The smell comes from tiny holes in its skin, and I think it uses that to keep other animals from eating it. It lives near the bottom and eats dead stuff. I don’t want to eat it, ever.

 

Mud Crawfish

Okay, so it’s not a fish, but it still counts! The Mud Crawfish looks like a mini lobster, but it’s brown and gray and the size of my hand. It lives in the shallow, muddy parts of the lake and can dig into the mud when it gets too cold. It’s kind of cute in a buggy way, and I use it as bait for bigger fish.

 

Miniature Sea Serpent

Don’t let the name fool you, this thing is small but mean! It looks like a snake and a fish had a baby. It’s teal and has hard shell-like scales and sharp, pointy teeth. It thrashes around in your hands and even tries to bite! It’s really hard to catch because it never stays still.

 

Common Salmon You probably already know this one. They’re normal-sized fish with orangey meat, and they swim upstream to lay eggs just like in books. They’re tasty and strong and really good jumpers. You can see them zooming around when it rains a lot.

 

Yellow Salmon

This one looks like the Common Salmon’s fancy cousin. It’s the same size and shape, but bright yellow! Some people say it brings good luck, and it’s even more oily and yummy than the regular kind.

 

 

 

Coldwater Koi

These fish are so pretty! They come in all kinds of patterns and colors, but most of them are silvery-white with dots and circles. They swim super slowly and look like they belong in a princess’s garden pond. They’re not very good to eat, though, too chewy, kind of like eating an old shoe (don’t ask how I know that).

 

Aevos Blowfish

This one is so weird! It doesn’t even belong in a lake. It’s from this continent’s large oceans, and somehow it got here (I think by magic). It’s round like a balloon, with little stubby spikes, and glows a soft yellow-white. Its skin is thick, and you need a super sharp knife to cut it. When it puffs up, it looks like a grumpy glowing pillow.

 

Goldenvine Carp

These fish are kind of a problem. They came from the Drowned Strand, and now there are too many of them in Lake Igna. If you touch one, it gets your hands all slimy and oily. They stink and push other fish out of their homes. People don’t like them much, but they are kind of pretty with their goldish patterns.

 

 

 

Wishing Serpent

This is the coolest fish I’ve ever seen! It’s like a magical lake snake with long pink fins and glowing white eyes. Its scales change color like a rainbow, but all soft and dreamy, like soap bubbles. I caught one once under the full moon and then let it go because there’s an old story that says if you do that, you get a wish. I’m not telling what I wished for, but I hope it works!

 

 

So, that’s what I’ve found in Lake Igna so far! Some are pretty, some are smelly, some are weird, and some might even be magic. I know there are more out there, especially when the seasons change or when the moon is full. I’m going to keep fishing (and letting them go again, don’t worry!) and keep learning more. Lake Igna is a strange and beautiful place, and I feel lucky to live so close to it.

 

—By Katya Katches, Junior Explorer and Fish Finder Extraordinaire

 

[sapphic_spidy 1089]

Spoiler

I LOVE FISH