Fishing with the Eagles.

[thudpucker]

This is on the subject of letting the bottom fish go or keep them when fishing in the deep cold waters of Alaska.
I responded with a tale of something else you might do with the bottom fish for some entertainment.


Down in southeast AK, if the fish was too small to fool with, we'd stand at the back of the boat and wave the fish up n' down at arm's length.

Soon you'd see an Eagle a few hundred feet above you and off to the side.
Then you set a straight course and threw the fish up as high as you could. The Eagle is watching. About the time the fish splashes down, the Eagle is on his way.
Before the bewildered fish can get his bearings and start down, the Eagle is on his final approach and 'SNATCH' up up n' awaaayyyyy! Its a marvelous sight. Sends chills right down your spine and the Hair on your ears stands straight up.

Then the fight between the Eagle who wants to keep that fish, but cannot gain altitude fast enough, and the Gulls who want to knock the fish loose from the Eagle, but have to work in tag teams to get the fish. What a Drama.

The Eagle cannot gain altitude fast enough, and the numerous gulls crash into the Eagle. You can hear the 'thud' as the hit takes place.
The Eagle continues to struggle up wards.

Eventually the Eagle tires. The Gulls are getting to him. If he's going to lose the fish to the Gulls, its at this first level of struggle.

For a brief respite from the Damn Gulls, the Eagle goes into a shallow high speed dive. The Gulls just cant keep up with the Screaming Eagle in that dive.
The Eagle loses 50' or so and gains a bunch of momentum. At the end of the dive he starts up again, this time he's above the Gulls. You can hear the wind whooshing off those huge wings as they slowly whoosh whoosh whoosh and he gains yardage and altitude with each powerful whoosh.

He gets a couple hundred feet each time he does that shallow dive. Soon the Gulls catch up though and the struggle continues.

That struggle will repeat maybe as much as six times. Finally the Eagle is so far above the scene you cant really tell if he still has the fish.
The Gulls quit and Flap noisily back to the lower altitudes.
The Eagle soars off to deal with his dinner.
Every minute you spend on the water is an entertainment of some sort.

[g31448]

Nice read, must be something to behold. I watched a deer swim across the lake last week while I was fishing. I know its no big deal but really enjoyable seeing it in person. Better than that danged old boob tube. thanks

[JSC]

Great Story .. I have seen the opposite take place with the Eagle and Osprey.

I have watched this a couple of times here at the mouth of the Choctawhatchee ... Osprey will dive get a mullet and slowly fly off and out of no where comes an Eagle who dives into the Osprey several times before the Osprey releases the Mullet .. the Eagles Wings bow back and into a dive he goes and catches the fish way before it hits the water .. some timing as he has to "Flare Out" on the dive at just the right moment.

I watched a young Eagle try this with a couple of Ospreys and they taught that young dude a lesson after about 10 minutes they had him running for cover.

All kinds of thing to see and when I cant get to go out I know I am missing something.

JSC

[sothunfried]

great read i would like to see that in person.
i was fishing lake oconee here in GA whatcing a deer swim across, the deer started to get tired so me and my brother got to the deer and with a rope we help the deer finish the swim with a little help from the trolling motor.
i thought it was kinda cool to help her cross.

[2yrsnluvinit]

I have had the pleasure of seeing eagles hunt in the huntington county area of Indiana i was out late on evening at a lake i normally fish and just happen to see and eagle soar over me on the shoreline and it landed across the lake from me, it was just walking along the shore looking into the water, i had notice some big carp feeding along the shoreline the eagle then took flight made a circle and went into a dive right into the water with it powerful talons and out it came with a big carp it flew right over my head and it was the most beautiful and breath taking thing i had ever saw. i think the eagle is the most impressive sign of freedom i have ever seen, it was a honor to see this beautiful bird hunting and being free to do what ever it wanted.