Ditto what Lewis said. You certainly weren't making a fool of yourself. There are a few hybrids in Tappan that have been brought there by fishermen and every once in a while one shows up. It's not likely but it's possible. Are the lines on its' sides continuous or broken? -------- as compared to --_--__-_? The broken lines usually mean hybrid but, as with other hybrids, including Saugeye, remember that the hybrids carry the color genes from both parents and "can" look identical to either one, although the majority will look like they are supposed to look, a blend. As for the dark color, I wouldn't attach much significance to it; some fish are born with either an overabundance or shortage of Melanin which can cause striking color differences between individual fish or even show as dark areas in an otherwise normally colored specimen. Smallmouth often show this trait and I've caught a nearly solid black Saugeye from Tappan.