... a couple big ones.

I was fishing my home water in Northern Idaho yesterday, having a pretty decent day of it on great water in beautiful weather.

On the last stretch I was going to fish, something caught my attention 75 yards or so upstream. A large brown blob was moving downstream in the current, but not quietly. As it got closer, I could see some white on the blob and make out a shape - widespread wings on the surface and the head barely above it.

About that time, the wings really started flapping and the blob started to take flight, heading off quartering upstream away from my position. Its talons finally cleared the water, but not so the very large fish it had hooked up. After dragging its prey 30-40 yards upstream on the surface, the osprey finally gave up and did its own version of catch and release. After that, he had no trouble gaining altitude and going off to sulk wherever it is osprey do that kind of thing.

So back to fishing. About ten minutes later, a large splash a way upstream caught my attention. Out of the spraying water, a large blob emerged and began its downstream drift. Passed not more than 30 feet or so in front of me as it struggled to lift its body off the surface. It continued struggling, brown wings flapping on the waves, white head bobbing and body torquing, drifting another 50-75 yards before it gave up, came free of its load, and lifted off to go back to that place where osprey sulk.

John

P.S. Reminds me of that old saying about being careful about what you wish for.