FEBRUARY WINDS KEEP MOST EAST CAPE BOATS ON THE BEACH THIS WEEK

Feb. 5, 2005, Russ Fritz, La Ribera, East Cape fishing report, Mexico:

The wind has kept us beach bound most of this week. It let up some on Thursday, so Steve Warlick of La Ribera, and I fished yesterday. The sea and air conditions were perfect, air temperature 78, and the sea temperature had warmed up to 76 on the surface, so we expected lots of fish...? The day produced only 1 small dorado, 4 large barrilete, and one other most unusual catch and release:

On our return to the beach, about a mile out, a pair of ospreys began diving on our trolled lures. I assumed that their eyesight would detect the artificialness of the hoochies, but to my total surprise, they began diving and hitting the water.

Within moments, other ospreys joined the first pair, and one managed to grab a hoochie.

I stopped the boat to let the other lures sink out of reach, and held the rod, not knowing what to do, while the osprey with the lure circled the boat. I thought of cutting the line, but I did not want to release a bird with a hook, hoochie, weight, 12 inches of titanium leader, and some line hanging. It would most certainly tangle in something, killing the bird eventually.

Several scenarios ran through my mind, most of which ended with the bird, or me, or both of us harmed in some way. It's one thing to reel in a pelican, or seagull, and quite another to reel in an osprey.

I rejected each solution, as I struggled to think of what to do. Fortunately, the bird released the hoochie, and flew off without harm, before I had to make a decision.

We reeled in the rest of the lures, but other ospreys kept diving. Luckily we avoided hooking another, and ran for the beach, marveling on the unusual event. The number of ospreys indicates the healthy conditions of our environment here, and we estimated that at least 10 were involved in this incident.

I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has had a similar encounter, as I have fished here for over 40 years, and this is my first osprey on the line. Hopefully, my last too.