I strongly feel that the impossible (or seemingly impossible) could happen but we can't say it does till it is observed, measured, and hopefully able to be repeated (scientific method) So I would ask Urmetz who has access to flat fields that periodically have puddles with fish in them to find an area that usually floods and put some stakes around it and cover it in clear plastic about 8-12" off the water so there is no possible way for eggs to get to it from above. Then when we have another big rain event and if fish show up in that puddle then we at least know that the fish came by land attached to a raccoon's legs who stopped under the tarp to stay dry, or it came through overflowing water that flowed over land into the puddle.
This or a similar experiment would help us understand this. I would love to know how fish get into these places too. If the Texas folk who have drought with dry puddles, then when the puddles come find them full of gams care to do this experiment that would help us too. It would seem if all the puddles in the texas ares somehow populate with gams then they are coming down with the rain, or with birds who land in the puddles or drop eggs in the puddles (unlikely) or from water washing the fish (or eggs) in from somewhere else.
To extend the experiment, you could even have several puddles in one area and completely block access on all sides to one puddle so no overflow water can get in, and allow ground based access to the other puddles.
Something like that would teach us all alot!
