The Fishing Queen
07-14-2012, 12:09 PM
7/11, Wednesday. When I woke up and opened my eyes, I saw sunlight peaking though my bedroom curtains. I looked up at the clock on the wall - it was 8:30 am. It was a late start for catching the fish's morning bites. I quickly got ready, rushed to my car and drove down to the lake.
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/photo13.jpg
There were a lot of fishermen out by the shore. All the favorite fishing spots had been taken. It didn't affect me, since what I mostly do is sight fishing. I walked around and asked if anyone had any luck catching trout. Only a couple of people had caught 1 or 2 fish so far. They all complained about the slow fishing these days. The sun was strong and the temperature was hot. I was dressed in full sun protection - with a hat, an SPF baklava, a pair of SPF gloves, long sleeve shirt, long pants, and of course, the most important thing - a pair of polarized sunglasses. I walked half way around the lake and found myself a spot that was covered by shade. Yes, I can fish like a hardcore fishing girl, but I don't want take too much sun and end up looking like a "sun dried tomato".
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/716746a6.jpg
I started fishing with a 13'6" long Tenkara Amago rod, a size 16 Elk Hair Caddis and caught a couple of crappies. I then changed the fly to a Hare’s Ear Nymph and caught a few bluegills and green sunfish. The panfish weren't biting as well as on other days. I had to switch 6 different flies including a BH Prince Nymph, a BH Pheasant Tail, a BH Midge, and the last was a Japanese traditional Tenkara fly "Sakasa Kebari". I was catching mixed species of panfish on and off.
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/LG%20July%202/IMG_0210-001.jpg
A few trout were jumping up and catching flies in the air and two of them were just a short distance in front of me. I presented a Sakasa Kebari that I tied and pointed it in their direction with my deadly pulse and go kind of retrieve for a few minutes. I felt a strong bite and I successfully caught a rainbow trout on the fly.
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/8cb70953.jpg
After I took a photo and released the trout, I fished for another half hour. I saw a trout swimming under the weed beds. I concentrated my attention and cast the fly to the trout. I heard a splashing sound coming from my right side in the water by the sandy beach area. I turned my head and saw a pretty yellow headed cockatiel flapping its wings in the water about 40'-45 ' from the shore.
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/b2a5a8bb.jpg
At first I thought the bird was taking a bath in the water. I looked again and it seemed like the bird was struggling to fly out of water with its wet wings. It was flapping hard on the surface but it just couldn't get up. I hurried into the water and waded towards it as close as I could. Soon I was about 12'-15' from the shore with the water above my knees. I started talking to the bird with a soft tone, reached my right hand out and told the bird to step up. The bird heard me and tried its best to flap its wings and was moving slowly towards me. I continued speaking to it as I was wading deeper into the water, now up to my thighs.
The little bird was frightened and shivering in the water with its wings spread wide open. It was soaking wet and after a few more flaps it had run out of energy. I used my Amago rod cast the fly over the bird’s body and dragged the line to my left. I was hoping I could snag the bird before it drowned, but the dry fly was too light and it keeping missing the bird by an inch or two. I got the fly on the bird's body twice, but didn't catch it. I started to panic and looked around me to see if anyone was nearby who could give us some help. I don't know how to swim and I am afraid of deep water. But there was no one nearby and the little bird was just too tired to move.
The bird was drowning with its wings just below the surface. I sensed the fear in the bird as I watched it wear itself out. I took a couple of more steps forward and I could see the dark, deep water just 2 feet away under my feet from the sandy bottom. I made a few more casts to the bird and was hoping I could get it before it sank. After a few more casts, the bird started, its body reared up and it slapped its wings a few times on the water. It got a little closer to me and I could stretch out my arm with the long Tenkara pole and reach the bird with the tip. I pressed the tip down on the bird's body and pulled it closer to me. Then I got my pole tip under the bird’s body and lifted it up just above the water surface. I lay the pole on the water surface and swiped the bird with the pole tip slowly across the surface towards my left. I repeated that motion a few times and each time I was able to get it closer to the shore. Finally, I got it close to my left side and I reached out with my net and caught the bird inside. We left the lake around 10 am.
The little thing was so tired. On my way to the car, it never even moved or tried to escape. It stayed so still and quiet in the net as I drove back to my house. After we got home, I asked the children to get a towel. I wrapped it in a fuzzy towel so that it was comfortable and it enjoyed my gentle petting and cuddling. We got the extra bird cage from the garage (I have 6 birds as pets - an umbrella cockatoo, a sun conure, a blue crown conure and 3 parakeets. I have three travel cages for transporting them), set it up with bird food and water and put it in after a nice long rest. The bird went straight to the food dish and was hungrily eating like it had been starved for a while. When it was done, it sat on the perch and napped for a few hours.
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/photo10.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/photo9.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/photo8.jpg
We found out that she is a girl and she is very sweet and gentle. Now she is completely recovered from the stress. She chirps and hops and flies around inside of my house. She loves millet and is always ready for more. She calls when I leave the room and greets me as I walk in. She plays on top of her cage, grooming her feathers, or climbs inside for her food and water. She is getting friendlier with me. She is just starting to trust me and will step up on my finger when I command. She’ll fly to my bed or climb on my arm begging for treats. She is super cute with her orange cheeks, her fuzzy furry face and her rock n' roll style mohawk.
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/photo7.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/photo6.jpg
We are looking in the papers, and for posters, to see if anyone has reported a lost bird. If anyone has, we'll be glad to return her to her owner. If not, then she has already found herself a happy, comfy home.
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/photo4.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/photo13.jpg
There were a lot of fishermen out by the shore. All the favorite fishing spots had been taken. It didn't affect me, since what I mostly do is sight fishing. I walked around and asked if anyone had any luck catching trout. Only a couple of people had caught 1 or 2 fish so far. They all complained about the slow fishing these days. The sun was strong and the temperature was hot. I was dressed in full sun protection - with a hat, an SPF baklava, a pair of SPF gloves, long sleeve shirt, long pants, and of course, the most important thing - a pair of polarized sunglasses. I walked half way around the lake and found myself a spot that was covered by shade. Yes, I can fish like a hardcore fishing girl, but I don't want take too much sun and end up looking like a "sun dried tomato".
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/716746a6.jpg
I started fishing with a 13'6" long Tenkara Amago rod, a size 16 Elk Hair Caddis and caught a couple of crappies. I then changed the fly to a Hare’s Ear Nymph and caught a few bluegills and green sunfish. The panfish weren't biting as well as on other days. I had to switch 6 different flies including a BH Prince Nymph, a BH Pheasant Tail, a BH Midge, and the last was a Japanese traditional Tenkara fly "Sakasa Kebari". I was catching mixed species of panfish on and off.
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/LG%20July%202/IMG_0210-001.jpg
A few trout were jumping up and catching flies in the air and two of them were just a short distance in front of me. I presented a Sakasa Kebari that I tied and pointed it in their direction with my deadly pulse and go kind of retrieve for a few minutes. I felt a strong bite and I successfully caught a rainbow trout on the fly.
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/8cb70953.jpg
After I took a photo and released the trout, I fished for another half hour. I saw a trout swimming under the weed beds. I concentrated my attention and cast the fly to the trout. I heard a splashing sound coming from my right side in the water by the sandy beach area. I turned my head and saw a pretty yellow headed cockatiel flapping its wings in the water about 40'-45 ' from the shore.
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/b2a5a8bb.jpg
At first I thought the bird was taking a bath in the water. I looked again and it seemed like the bird was struggling to fly out of water with its wet wings. It was flapping hard on the surface but it just couldn't get up. I hurried into the water and waded towards it as close as I could. Soon I was about 12'-15' from the shore with the water above my knees. I started talking to the bird with a soft tone, reached my right hand out and told the bird to step up. The bird heard me and tried its best to flap its wings and was moving slowly towards me. I continued speaking to it as I was wading deeper into the water, now up to my thighs.
The little bird was frightened and shivering in the water with its wings spread wide open. It was soaking wet and after a few more flaps it had run out of energy. I used my Amago rod cast the fly over the bird’s body and dragged the line to my left. I was hoping I could snag the bird before it drowned, but the dry fly was too light and it keeping missing the bird by an inch or two. I got the fly on the bird's body twice, but didn't catch it. I started to panic and looked around me to see if anyone was nearby who could give us some help. I don't know how to swim and I am afraid of deep water. But there was no one nearby and the little bird was just too tired to move.
The bird was drowning with its wings just below the surface. I sensed the fear in the bird as I watched it wear itself out. I took a couple of more steps forward and I could see the dark, deep water just 2 feet away under my feet from the sandy bottom. I made a few more casts to the bird and was hoping I could get it before it sank. After a few more casts, the bird started, its body reared up and it slapped its wings a few times on the water. It got a little closer to me and I could stretch out my arm with the long Tenkara pole and reach the bird with the tip. I pressed the tip down on the bird's body and pulled it closer to me. Then I got my pole tip under the bird’s body and lifted it up just above the water surface. I lay the pole on the water surface and swiped the bird with the pole tip slowly across the surface towards my left. I repeated that motion a few times and each time I was able to get it closer to the shore. Finally, I got it close to my left side and I reached out with my net and caught the bird inside. We left the lake around 10 am.
The little thing was so tired. On my way to the car, it never even moved or tried to escape. It stayed so still and quiet in the net as I drove back to my house. After we got home, I asked the children to get a towel. I wrapped it in a fuzzy towel so that it was comfortable and it enjoyed my gentle petting and cuddling. We got the extra bird cage from the garage (I have 6 birds as pets - an umbrella cockatoo, a sun conure, a blue crown conure and 3 parakeets. I have three travel cages for transporting them), set it up with bird food and water and put it in after a nice long rest. The bird went straight to the food dish and was hungrily eating like it had been starved for a while. When it was done, it sat on the perch and napped for a few hours.
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/photo10.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/photo9.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/photo8.jpg
We found out that she is a girl and she is very sweet and gentle. Now she is completely recovered from the stress. She chirps and hops and flies around inside of my house. She loves millet and is always ready for more. She calls when I leave the room and greets me as I walk in. She plays on top of her cage, grooming her feathers, or climbs inside for her food and water. She is getting friendlier with me. She is just starting to trust me and will step up on my finger when I command. She’ll fly to my bed or climb on my arm begging for treats. She is super cute with her orange cheeks, her fuzzy furry face and her rock n' roll style mohawk.
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/photo7.jpg
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/photo6.jpg
We are looking in the papers, and for posters, to see if anyone has reported a lost bird. If anyone has, we'll be glad to return her to her owner. If not, then she has already found herself a happy, comfy home.
http://i1156.photobucket.com/albums/p561/TheFishingQueen/photo4.jpg