Late afternoon at the pond

Sunday afternoon was beautiful so we headed to the pond to see if the fish were biting. We both threw a few casts from the bank just to see what would happen. I caught this nice bass right away with a plastic worm!

While walking down the bank I saw a bass guarding its nest next to an old stump. Can you see it at the top of the photo?

I mentioned before that we have a nesting pair of Canada Geese that return to our pond each year. They were keeping a close eye on us as we fished our way around the pond.

Here's another bass I caught. We were keeping them as long as they were about a pound or better. I threw back several small ones, but this one was definitely a keeper!



This little guy, a muskrat, was swimming very close to us. Not very smart!

Yet another fish I caught! We ended up keeping a nice mess of them. I lost count, but I know it was in the double digits.

It was a great evening to be out on the water. The mosquitos weren't too bad.... maybe because of all the dragonflies and swifts diving around.... or maybe because I took the butane-powered bug repellant. The usual wood ducks came in as it started to laten. I love to hear their whistles. We also saw several red-headed woodpeckers. In the distance I heard a pileated woodpecker and an owl. In this last picture I think I was trying to photograph one of the woodpeckers. Instead, all I can find is a cow in the lower left of the pasture. Oh, well.

The rest of the week looks too busy for fishing, so we're off to try it one more time tonight!

Let the fishing begin!

It's that time of year again. The weather is warmer, the world is greener... and the fish are starting to bite!

Our first attempt was on Monday evening and we set out with high hopes. My husband got a few hits on a spinner bait, but in general the fish weren't cooperating. Thursday evening was a little better. Armed with a shiny new spinner bait of my own (my first), I caught a nice bass right off the bat. I reeled in a second one with a plastic worm, then lost a third which broke my line, taking my new spinner bait with it.

The actual fishing might not have been great, but it was nice just being out on the pond. I get a real sense of peace and serenity out on the water, taking in the sights and sounds around me. Gazing out over the pasture, I could see the cows and donkeys grazing and heard the occasional moo or bray. We saw some blue-wing teal and wood ducks along with a pair of Canada Geese that have spent several summers nesting on our pond. Both evenings our yards dogs decided to join us. Mama Dog is an impressive swimmer. The first evening she and Blue swam out to the beaver hut. They climbed all over it trying to sniff out the residents whom we had seen in another part of the pond earlier. The second evening, while Blue and Jed watched from the shore, Mama Dog repeatedly tried to swim out to the boat, scaring every fish in the vicinity I'm sure. What seemed cute at first quickly became annoying. I hope she doesn't make a habit of it!

Changing the subject.... I was browsing other blogs today and discovered a book challenge I wish I had found earlier! I've already read ten books this year that qualify and the challenge only calls for twelve. I would go ahead and join, but I would need to go back and write reviews for all those books. That's a challenge I'm not up to. Maybe next year.

Duck, Duck, Goose

The first time I went on a duck hunt was eight months into my courtship with the man I later married. For me it was an opportunity to be with the guy I was infatuated with. For him I believe it was an attempt to “cure me” of something he didn’t really think I was cut out for (though he denies that to this day). At the time he had a hunting membership at a dead-tree reservoir. I borrowed clothing, gun, shells and chest waders (about four sizes too large) then allowed myself to be plopped down next to a stump in about three feet of water. Lo and behold, I discovered the beautiful sight of ducks flying against a gorgeous sunrise, hearing them answer to a call and watching them cup their wings against the wind while coming in for a landing. I loved it!

During the first year of our marriage we invested in a rice farm in the Arkansas Delta with some friends and family. This provided us with ample opportunities for field hunting ducks, geese and dove. When our first wedding anniversary rolled around, my husband gave me what I still consider to be one of the best gifts I ever received: my own shotgun! I’ve acquired a number of firearms over the years, but that’s still the gun I prefer to use when hunting, whether it be duck, dove or deer.

That following year I hunted as many days of the season as my schedule allowed. Once our kids arrived, however, my time and priorities changed. It was just too hard to get away. The sleep deprivation of raising small children left little desire to voluntarily crawl out of a warm bed long before the crack of dawn. Duck hunting would have to be put on hold until the proverbial “empty nest” arrived.

The youngest chick flew the nest last year, but for one reason or another I still didn’t feel ready to step back into duck hunting. Those who read this blog on a regular basis know that my BOW weekend this past September changed that. Hearing the instructor talk about all the sights and sounds of an exciting hunt got me fired up to experience it again for myself. That was reinforced when my husband called from the farm this week and told me there were more ducks there than he’d seen in a long time.

The 2008-2009 duck season opened in Arkansas this weekend and I was a part of it. I had forgotten just how much fun it is!! My husband was right… I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many ducks in my entire life! Literally thousands and thousands of them!! Mallards, teal, pintails, black ducks, widgeons, gadwalls, and equal numbers of speckle-belly and snow geese. The weather conditions were totally different the two mornings we hunted. On Saturday it was 23 degrees with a cloudless sky. My husband said it was the first time he could remember having to break ice on opening day. Today was twenty degrees warmer and totally overcast. Although we limited out early both days, the ducks were working better today.

The beauty is not just in the ducks and geese. We saw dove and red-winged blackbirds, red-tailed hawks and at least five bald eagles (always a spectacular sight!). Yesterday morning while sitting in the blind waiting for legal shooting time we could hear thousands of geese in a nearby field. Huge flights of teal zipped around us, turning on a dime and masses of mallards talked to us as they checked out our decoy spread. Even then, before the first shot was fired, I knew the weekend had been worth the price of admission.

I hope it was just the first of many more hunts.