Catfishin'

[John H]

In internet catfishing you create bogus identity that is too good to be true, cast it about and lure your victim in. The victim thinks the relationship will end one way, but it ends up ending another way. Actual catfishing is pretty similar. A bogus bait, the victim thinks the relationship will end with a tasty meal but ends up with me holding him up by the tail and taking a picture. He battled hard but I had him. He needs to stay off the internet.

Clear Lake this past week. The bass had not read the memo saying it was topwater time and that they needed to get on the job. Topwater is the cornerstone of bass fishing with a fly rod so when it is not working the whole thing sort of crumbles. I caught some fish but without the threat of the big blow up it is not quite the same. One topwater bass maybe 4.5 pounds, a Clouser fish, some indicator fish and of course the wily whiskered one. I also saw some quality birds and walked to the top of Mount Konocti. There is wreckage up there from a small plane crash in 1970. A retired couple from Ukiah returning from Santa Rosa ran into the top of the mountain on January 26, 1970.



Western Grebe with a chick riding along. Not an easy picture to get. It might end up on the wall.


Blue heron standing out on a dark background.


Black crowned night heron helping me out with a nice perch.


Swamp scene


Konocti view


Rustic house, sailboat and dock. Lots of shade, wind protection and no other houses nearby. If that was available, I would be staying there. That would be good living. Topwater early and late with beer drinking and a long nap in between.


plane wreckage from 1970


Bass


Bass


Bass


Catfishin'

[k.hanley]

Dang John you're getting hard to please. Of course the Grebe goes on the wall! It represents all the time you spent afield searching for and recognizing photo opportunities. Well done for sure.

Cheers, Ken

[DLJeff]

Yeah, that grebe photo is really special. Mothers with babies are especially wary and grebes in particular are difficult birds to get close to, much harder than most ducks. I like the one with the night heron and turtles too though, always cool when you can capture more than one subject in the same shot.

[John H]

I do get a lot of photos now that would have gone on the wall two years ago so I think I am getting better shots. To get the grebe shot I think you pretty much need a boat. They stay out in the open water and do not hang out near shore. I have found the boat pretty good for getting birds. I lay down on the front of the boat and approach the bird using the trolling motor. The only problem is the camera is about 18” above the water and 6” is about what you want. I have not figured out how to get the camera right on the water. I could hold it over the side of the boat and look at the flip screen on the back to see what I am shooting. That works but is hard to do and I might drop the camera in the water.

When that heron landed next to the turtles I knew that could work. They were in the shade and the sunny area in front of them was very bright so I exposed for the bright area and pulled the shadows way up in editing. I cropped out most of the bright area which is why the turtles are so close to the bottom of the photo. I think it looks good with the large area of mysterious dark shade behind them. Could be a croc or some weird critter hiding back there getting ready to ambush them. The heron also appears to be saying something to the turtles and one appears to be listening. Maybe he is saying get off my log. It is interesting to see animals not pay attention to each other like they see herons all the time and there is no need to move or even look up. They really are comfortable around each other but when they see me they get nervous. It makes me feel bad to be so unliked by the animals but that is what you get when you are the apex predator.

[Novinsky]

I do get a lot of photos now that would have gone on the wall two years ago so I think I am getting better shots. To get the grebe shot I think you pretty much need a boat. They stay out in the open water and do not hang out near shore. I have found the boat pretty good for getting birds. I lay down on the front of the boat and approach the bird using the trolling motor. The only problem is the camera is about 18” above the water and 6” is about what you want. I have not figured out how to get the camera right on the water. I could hold it over the side of the boat and look at the flip screen on the back to see what I am shooting. That works but is hard to do and I might drop the camera in the water.

When that heron landed next to the turtles I knew that could work. They were in the shade and the sunny area in front of them was very bright so I exposed for the bright area and pulled the shadows way up in editing. I cropped out most of the bright area which is why the turtles are so close to the bottom of the photo. I think it looks good with the large area of mysterious dark shade behind them. Could be a croc or some weird critter hiding back there getting ready to ambush them. The heron also appears to be saying something to the turtles and one appears to be listening. Maybe he is saying get off my log. It is interesting to see animals not pay attention to each other like they see herons all the time and there is no need to move or even look up. They really are comfortable around each other but when they see me they get nervous. It makes me feel bad to be so unliked by the animals but that is what you get when you are the apex predator.

You have an excellent “Eye”. Not many do. great work.

[BobVP]

This is beautiful work! Patience, eye, gear, light...all of it works.
Thank you.

[guido]

Lovely work as usual John!