A Better Angler Than I

[flyangler]

I have no idea where these "grip and grin" shots were taken, but they are breathtaking.

 

http://www.miguellasa.com/photos/sspopup.mg?AlbumID=1001578

[grannyknot]

Wow! It's one thing to see it from fifty yards away as you fish, but those are spectacular!

[darthwader]

Those are really cool... #3 in particular, and the one with two fish. Great post!!

[LynnF]

Those are just friggin' crazy! The wingspan on those birds...wow. Beautiful stuff!

[regdunlop]

Damn Poachers! Awesome shots!

[birchy]

Absolutely beautiful ... ... (sorry.. I have a mirror beside my computer).

 

Amazing pictures!!

[Hawgstoppah]

I bet he counts his fish....

[SteveM]

HOLY FRICK!!!!!!!!!!

Un-frickin'-real!!!!!!

Awesome shots !

[LynnF]

Mike and I were trying to figure out what kind of bird that was. Anyone?

[Teck71]

I would say osprey they are amzing pics too, must of spent hours wiating for those shots over many days.

[trailhead]

Yes those are ospreys. A few years ago some friends and I hiked into Rockbound Lake. When we got to the lake we split up with half fishing each side to the far end. I saw an osprey doing the same thing, diving into the water and coming up with a fish just about every time. It's interestong to see that they always hold the fish headfirst in the direction they fly. So I walked up to where I had seen the osprey picking off fish and there were two of the group sitting on some rocks. I was all pumped to cast and they grumbled, there's no fish in this lake. Then they walked off and I cast out and landed a nice brookie, I did share with them later and we all did very well. So if you are out fishing and you see osprey picking off fish, move and crowd them off their water, they don't catch and release.

[flyangler]

My favorite osprey shots in this series are the "stooping" shots. That's when they make their bodies into the shape of a lightning bolt and streak out of the sky. Gives me chills.

 

I got to participate in an osprey reintroduction program through our local DNR and the University of Minnesota's Raptor Center. Ospreys had been nearly extirpated by humans in this area. It was a fascinating summer observing them through a spotting scope as they learned how to fly and how to fish. It might be instinctual behavior, but the learning curve is brutal. I had to rescue one that got waterlogged on a flight attempt and stranded in some reeds. Even the youngsters have fearsome beaks and talons. I will never forget the sight of this bird, nearly dry, laying on her back on the exam table reaching for me with those talons. I WAS afraid.

 

What also put me on edge was the vet telling me, as he sprayed her with de-louser that "they all have lice." After spending an hour in close contact with her this was "nice" to know.

 

Ospreys are a favorite of mine even so.

[WesG]

WOW!!!! why the hell cant I catch 2 fish at once? Those shots are amazing

[hydropsyche]

I would say osprey they are amzing pics too, must of spent hours wiating for those shots over many days.

 

I hate to be a skeptic but I think those fish were planted subsurface some how. Too many absolutely perfectly focused shots of the same ankle bracelet bird (can you Falconize an Osprey?). It must have been a long lens, which makes perfect focus even harder. I think they had the distance down and pre-focused and snapped continuous shots as the bird was diving or just carrying the fish away.

 

The only shot that questions this theory is the one with the fish jumping out of the water right behind it (and the ducks in the background). Thats a sweet shot that could not have been set up. Awesome pics no matter how they were acquired.

[Harps]

I hate to be a skeptic but I think those fish were planted subsurface some how. Too many absolutely perfectly focused shots of the same ankle bracelet bird (can you Falconize an Osprey?). It must have been a long lens, which makes perfect focus even harder. I think they had the distance down and pre-focused and snapped continuous shots as the bird was diving or just carrying the fish away.

 

If you know where the stocked trout are, and you know where the osprey are feeding, I think you could set it up. With no wasting film, you take as many pictures as it takes to get the shot.

http://miguel-lasa.smugmug.com/

 

You can't set up shots like alot of his... can you?

[hydropsyche]

You can't set up shots like alot of his... can you?

 

Wow. I guess I take that back. He has a lot of shots there that shows he's a master at fast focus and steady hands.

 

Those are just jaw dropping. Thanks for the link.

[flyangler]

Birds in our osprey reintroduction program were banded for id purposes. They are migratory and one goal was to track their routes and to be able to identify which ones returned to our study area after finding mates.

[BlueNorther]

They never cease to amaze me to watch them fish.We see ospreys in action everytime when fishing Alford or Philys lakes.Last year my wife and I had one dive between our boats on Alford,we were maybe 30 feet apart.All's I heard was the rip from its dive and the splat as it hit the water,startled the wits out of me.It was unsuccessful on that attempt but between that one and its mate we watched them do 5 successful dives that morning.