As I arrived at the river I paused to take it in and scout for fish.
The bank I was standing on was about 20 feet above, and 20 feet back
from the waters edge. A hell of a view, and the weather yesterday was
beautiful. As always I had approached in "full stealth mode". I stood
like a predator, fully aware, yet like I was not really there.
Out of the corner of my eye I catch movement. And then I know.
It's still my spot; nobody is here. The Great Blue Heron flies on
downstream.
Then he swoops in. The Belted Kingfisher. He holds at about a foot
above the water.
Then it happens.
BAM......, GLURP......., SPLURT..., SPLASH..., BLURP..., BAM........
Like machine gun fire hitting the water as the kingfisher flies over,
fish ( I am pretty sure bass ) start hitting the surface, there had to
be about 8 fish, and they were not small. The churning of the water in
it's self was impressive.
I would like to think that they were hitting on the bird but I find it
more likely that a minnow, scared by the bird was soon terrified by
the fish. Either way it leads my to this...
Does anybody have a good fly pattern for a Belted Kingfisher?
I am thinking: a beer can (a piece of duct tape to close the hole),
dipped in glue, rolled in feathers, a broke off pencil as the beak,
and a bent and sharpened coat hanger for a hook. ;-)