NANFA-- River Reef Report..Wednesday

kahley (kahley7_at_ptd.net)
Mon, 09 Jul 2001 08:05:32 -0500

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Wednesday....
Well it was a zoo, lots of boats, jetskis and skiers but I've seen worse.
For a brief hour, however, I got to enjoy the clearing water. Another
glimpse of the big bass I named Blackie, but just a glimpse. He's no
longer interested in my company...ungrateful fish <grin>. Blackie is
the fish that opened my eyes to fish intelligence. Years ago, when he
was about 5-7 in. long, I found him in residence behind a large rock that
someone had dislodged from the reef. With mock apologies...temporary
inconvenience...permanent improvement ...I begged his forgiveness for
removing the rock and evicting him. As I picked up the rock, I exposed
the little crayfish that had moved in below. In a flash, Blackie had that
for lunch. That's when I "saw" him get an idea. Go ahead...call me nuts....
but I saw the light bulb over his head like they show in cartoons when some
one gets an idea. I continued the chore of replacing fallen rocks and he
was johnny on the spot to scarf up any crayfish I exposed. Most were too
large for him but he'd nail them gamely as they beat a retreat to the reef
shelter
but sometimes he managed to get them down after a try or two. No fish on
the reef ate better than he that day. He had made the connection between
me and the likelihood that I would lift a rock and became my constant companion
for the next three seasons. Once I figured out what he was up to, I'd
tease him
by touching a rock and then pulling back and then touching it again. This made
him sooo mad that he bit me! What a hoot! Being bullied by a bass!
Alas he outgrew my company and now is just a flash in the gloom...moving
off when he sees me.
With all the boat activity, the water soon is stirred and the wakes make
observations difficult. The big fish move off and the little ones
retreat. Maybe
I'll have better luck tomorrow when it quiets down.

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