THE BACK PORCH Waterfowl in Bloom

PARTING SHOT

STRANGE SWIMMERS Brook sticklebacks may be Montana’s oddest aquatic animal. The 1 1⁄2--inch-long fish, shown here navigating an irrigation ditch northeast of Billings, have several well-defined back spines and scaleless sides covered with a row of bony plates. They are related to, of all things, ocean-dwelling sea horses. See page 16 to learn how two anglers are trying to catch—with hook and line—these and other little known species across Montana. Photo by Nathan Cooper.

MONTANA OUTDOORS $2.50 05