Fuller's Osprey

[jrief]

Took a Monday trip to Fuller. Late start, fairly warm, decided on type 3 sinking Line after striking out on int. Put on a small black bunny tail with short leader and bam nice trought on. I'm bringing it in and the osprey crashes in the water five feet from me and starts taking off with the fish which is still connected to my line. He's about four feet in the air and I'm pulling back and he finally let's go of the fish. First time I've seen that. Very next fish he tries the same thing same scenario. Have any of you seen this?

[jbird]

Yes! Ospreys make excellent kites! Frigate birds do too ;-)

[Cmcculloch]

Several members of CFFU have reported the osprey at Fuller taking fish off their lines in the last couple of weeks. He's learned its easier to steal from fly fishers than to fish the old fashioned way. One of the guys was ready with his video camera and caught the osprey in action. Pretty exciting to watch!

I'll let you know if I hear about it getting posted. If so, I'll include the link.

[kokaneejr]

jrief,
I was fishing at Davis a couple weeks ago and the same thing almost hapened. The Osprey was about 10 feet above my fish the whole way in. Once I netted it I made sure I paddled around with the fish till it was good and strong and released it under a bunch of logs. Didn't want to make it to easy.
Last year at Fuller fishing with Scott we witnessed an Osprey catch a fish only to have it taken from its talons by an eagle. Pretty cool stuff.

[ted1]

A few years ago at Silver Lake, I saw an osprey catch a fish, and after he got about 100 ft in the air, an eagle dropped down next to him. The osprey dropped the fish (this had probably happened once or twice before), and the eagle swooped down, catching the fish about 20 ft before it hit the water, it was pretty neat.

[OceanSunfish]

I saw the same thing happen to a flyfisherman fishing out of a tube at Fuller this season. The Osprey snatched the fish about a rod and half length from the apron of the tube. Scared the heck out of everyone in the area! Bird of Prey with stealthy approach is startling, even moreso if you are the prey.....

[CapitalFishr]

Same thing happened to me Monday at Fuller. I took my kayak and was dive-bombed 3 times, with the osprey getting one of the fish (plus fly and tippet). Those birds were hovering above me most of the afternoon or watching from the trees. I've never seen this behavior before but cool to see one within a few feet. Bite was decent with 3 nice browns and a bunch of rainbow planters on tap.