Fish or Click?

By nature I am very competitive, so when I fish I am determined to get the first, the most and the biggest fish in the boat. Even though we haven’t competed in a tournament in years, I still feel the need to “win” (and I’m pretty sure Pete thinks the same way but won’t admit it).

When Pete fishes, I’m impressed by his focus. It’s as if nothing and no one is around him.

Our friend Duncan Maccubbin is also a very skilled fisherman, but he still always came back to the dock talking about all the wildlife he saw while out fishing. He would mention all the different birds, and he always knew their proper names.

When I shared a boat with Duncan he would point way off in the distance and say, “That’s a Magnificent Frigate.” If you heard an odd bird call you could ask Duncan what type of bird that was and he would say, “That’s a Black-bellied Whistling Duck”.                                                    

We would giggle but he got me thinking: Maybe there is more to enjoy (besides Pete’s company) on the water.

On our African safari in 2016 we were given an animal and bird checklist and because I’m competitive, it was critical for me to fill my book, to see each and every species. That led me to become really interested in shooting birds (with my camera). Birds are beautiful when stationary but if you can catch them in flight, many of them are just magnificent.

I’ve learned to appreciate the many birds that we encounter, from Africa to Alaska to Mexico to Brazil and throughout the Lower 48.

Although I’m still determined to “win” when I fish, I now make sure to observe everything around me. If you pay attention to some of these birds, they may even help you find your fish.

It is so hard to chose what to focus on -- Do I fish or do I “click”?

Please enjoy some of my favorites.