http://www.fieldandstream.com/taxonomy/term/56512 The taxonomy view with a depth of 0. en http://www.fieldandstream.com/photos/fieldandstream/kentucky/2008/02/untitled-image-2937 <p><!--paging_filter--></p> Ralph Cutter http://www.fieldandstream.com/photos/fieldandstream/kentucky/2008/02/untitled-image-2937#comments Wed, 13 Feb 2008 09:44:54 -0500 fieldandstream-editor 1000238077 at http://www.fieldandstream.com http://www.fieldandstream.com/photos/fieldandstream/kentucky/2008/02/span-classreadheadeightspan-hr-target_blank-classxlink-hrefht <p><!--paging_filter-->Eight <a target="_blank" class="xlink" href="http://www.fieldandstream.com/fieldstream/fishing/photogallery/article/0,13355,1532539,00.html">Photo Gallery: Fly Fishing 3,000 Feet Under The Earth</a> (13-September-2006) The jungles of Borneo, one of the most remote places on the planet. Herpetologist and fly fisherman Ralph Cutter risks his life deep underground to catch blind catfish on a fly rod for science. Here are the photos from his trip.</p> Ralph Cutter http://www.fieldandstream.com/photos/fieldandstream/kentucky/2008/02/span-classreadheadeightspan-hr-target_blank-classxlink-hrefht#comments Wed, 13 Feb 2008 09:39:48 -0500 fieldandstream-editor 1000234768 at http://www.fieldandstream.com http://www.fieldandstream.com/photos/fieldandstream/kentucky/2008/02/span-classphotocreditcutter-cave-dwelling-catfish-likely-new- <p><!--paging_filter-->Cutter with a cave-dwelling catfish, likely a new species to science. "We caught a dozen or so of these powerful, long whiskered fish. Aside from the fact that they don't have functional eyes, these catfish were remarkably unremarkable. Though the fish can't see, they are acutely aware of any disturbance in the water and the slightest movement of the fly triggered an immediate and aggressive response. Many times two or more fish hit the fly simultaneously, and at other times fish completely beached themselves as they launched at the hopper pattern. "We saw smaller fish of a different species lurking in the deeper water, so I tied on a tiny bird's nest nymph and fished it beneath a split shot. Jigging the fly in front of the small fish was reminiscent of fishing for blue gills as a kid. The small white fish darted forward to inhale then just as quickly exhaled the nymph. Over time, however, we caught two types of the deeper dwelling fish; a barb and a chub. Both fish had pale skin and opalescent pink eyes; both were likely new species. We preserved samples of all three fishes in formaldehyde and sent them on to a museum in Kuching for proper identification.</p> Ralph Cutter http://www.fieldandstream.com/photos/fieldandstream/kentucky/2008/02/span-classphotocreditcutter-cave-dwelling-catfish-likely-new-#comments Wed, 13 Feb 2008 09:39:45 -0500 fieldandstream-editor 1000234245 at http://www.fieldandstream.com http://www.fieldandstream.com/photos/fieldandstream/kentucky/2008/02/span-classphotocreditanother-view-jungle-taken-cave-opening--0 <p><!--paging_filter-->Another view of the jungle, taken from a cave opening high on the Gunung Buda massif. "I'm happy to report that the work from our expedition resulted in the creation of a large national park to protect and preserve the Gunung Buda mountains of Sarawak, Borneo.-¿</p> Ralph Cutter http://www.fieldandstream.com/photos/fieldandstream/kentucky/2008/02/span-classphotocreditanother-view-jungle-taken-cave-opening--0#comments Wed, 13 Feb 2008 09:39:45 -0500 fieldandstream-editor 1000234244 at http://www.fieldandstream.com http://www.fieldandstream.com/photos/fieldandstream/kentucky/2008/02/untitled-image-2506 <p><!--paging_filter--></p> Ralph Cutter http://www.fieldandstream.com/photos/fieldandstream/kentucky/2008/02/untitled-image-2506#comments Wed, 13 Feb 2008 09:39:45 -0500 fieldandstream-editor 1000234243 at http://www.fieldandstream.com http://www.fieldandstream.com/photos/fieldandstream/kentucky/2008/02/untitled-image-2507 <p><!--paging_filter--></p> Ralph Cutter http://www.fieldandstream.com/photos/fieldandstream/kentucky/2008/02/untitled-image-2507#comments Wed, 13 Feb 2008 09:39:45 -0500 fieldandstream-editor 1000234254 at http://www.fieldandstream.com http://www.fieldandstream.com/photos/fieldandstream/kentucky/2008/02/span-classphotocreditanother-view-jungle-taken-cave-opening-h <p><!--paging_filter-->Another view of the jungle, taken from a cave opening high on the Gunung Buda massif. "I'm happy to report that the work from our expedition resulted in the creation of a large national park to protect and preserve the Gunung Buda mountains of Sarawak, Borneo.-¿</p> Ralph Cutter http://www.fieldandstream.com/photos/fieldandstream/kentucky/2008/02/span-classphotocreditanother-view-jungle-taken-cave-opening-h#comments Wed, 13 Feb 2008 09:39:45 -0500 fieldandstream-editor 1000234253 at http://www.fieldandstream.com http://www.fieldandstream.com/photos/fieldandstream/kentucky/2008/02/span-classphotocredita-view-borneos-gunung-buda-limestone-mas <p><!--paging_filter-->A view of Borneo's Gunung Buda limestone massif, in Gunung Buda National Park. Fly Fishing 3,000 Feet Under The Earth By: Ralph Cutter, as told to Chris Santella "I was part of an expedition that went to Borneo to explore Gunung Buda, a massive block of jungle-cloaked limestone that rises more than three thousand feet into a ceiling of clouds that drench the area in 300 inches of rain each year. Known by geologists as a karst formation, Buda has been assaulted by hundreds of thousands of years worth of rain that has carved deep fissures into its limestone flanks. From a caver's perspective Gunung Buda may hold the crown jewels of Borneo; and on the global level, Borneo's caves are on a scale unto themselves. As an example: two ranges south of Gunung Buda at Gunung Mulu there is the Sarawak Chamber, a staggering cavern three times larger than the Superdome where a 747 could fly laps between its stalactites. "This expedition was going to be the third try at cracking Buda's secrets. The first was a brief scouting foray by John Lane and George Prest. With a minimum of time and equipment they found tantalizing leads hidden behind the massive piles of rockfall at Buda's northern base. Lane and Prest returned two years later with a team of hard-core cavers and discovered an astounding three dozen world class caves almost immediately. Unfortunately the close quarters, miserable tropical conditions, and driven personalities of the team combined to cause the expedition to implode in less than a month. Despite the social fallout, valuable data was logged and the discoveries set the stage for our expedition. For this expedition, John scoured the world for cavers with specialties outside of the strictly subterranean realm. I joined the team as its paramedic, herpetologist and fish biologist.</p> Ralph Cutter http://www.fieldandstream.com/photos/fieldandstream/kentucky/2008/02/span-classphotocredita-view-borneos-gunung-buda-limestone-mas#comments Wed, 13 Feb 2008 09:39:45 -0500 fieldandstream-editor 1000234252 at http://www.fieldandstream.com http://www.fieldandstream.com/photos/fieldandstream/kentucky/2008/02/span-classphotocreditcutter-prepares-descend-recently-discove <p><!--paging_filter-->Cutter prepares to descend into the recently discovered cave. "One day early in our expedition, one of the team, Chris Andrews (our cave cartographer) stumbled into camp caked with mud and guano. He described a cave that twisted and corkscrewed downward until it ran out of limestone and collided with the sandstone roots of Gunung Buda. Water flowing down the passage formed a lake, and in the lake something was moving. Though Chris felt it was a snake or maybe a big fish, the natives said it was probably a crocodile. Being the fish, snake, and crocodile guy, it was my job to catch it. We quickly bundled up a snake hook and a flyrod and clanging with climbing gear we left camp for Chris' cave."</p> Ralph Cutter http://www.fieldandstream.com/photos/fieldandstream/kentucky/2008/02/span-classphotocreditcutter-prepares-descend-recently-discove#comments Wed, 13 Feb 2008 09:39:45 -0500 fieldandstream-editor 1000234251 at http://www.fieldandstream.com http://www.fieldandstream.com/photos/fieldandstream/kentucky/2008/02/span-classphotocreditipoi-local-guide-takes-view-atop-formati <p><!--paging_filter-->Ipoi, a local guide, takes in the view from atop a formation the cavers called "the showerhead." "Chris, Scott Bauman (a gastropod expert from Guam) and I navigated the twisting passage into the bowels of the mountain. Guided by flickering cap lamps we rapped from drop to drop, downclimbed on slimy limestone knobs, and belly crawled through greasy chutes, all the while descending deeper and deeper into the earth. Flickering in our lamps, dazzling white forests of stalactites were revealed; some as tiny as sewing needles and others as large as trees hang from the ceilings. Each had its own life-giving drop of water suspended from its tip. As the drips drop, a corresponding stalagmite grows from the floor. Where the mites meet, columns are created and the forest metaphor is complete. Helectites, bizarre twisted calcite formations, looked like the bones of something dead reaching out to us from the cave walls.</p> Ralph Cutter http://www.fieldandstream.com/photos/fieldandstream/kentucky/2008/02/span-classphotocreditipoi-local-guide-takes-view-atop-formati#comments Wed, 13 Feb 2008 09:39:45 -0500 fieldandstream-editor 1000234250 at http://www.fieldandstream.com