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Fish Out-O-Water... As Best I Recall -- Another Drawing
I'll try to be as brief as possible, but this post comes with a bit of foundation or a short story: I remember a particular winter day on the water while crappie fishing when it seemed like the bait fish were everywhere at one of my favorite lakes and the sky was full of dive-bombing and loudly squawking seagulls too. Having picked the area where I planned to fish a few days before and thinking little of all the activity that I found when I arrived; I would soon learn that no matter where I tried to set up to fish the area I just couldn't seem to get away or at least stay away from all of the action going on. I tried moving around several times to positions just outside of the main activity, but each time, soon after setting up, it was no time until it was all around me again. It was becoming clearer to me by the minute that between being completely distracted by the "go-zillion" bait fish and the very real possibility of getting hosed down with seagull droppings if not pushed to madness by their endless squawking and low flyovers... the day was shaping up to be quite unproductive for fishing and/or for finding any bit of the peace and quiet that I was expecting.
Amazed by what I was seeing around me, I grabbed the digital camera in hope that I might get at least a couple of descent pics of the baitfish as they broke the surface in what I can only describe as well synchronized evasive bursts that occurred from time to time in every direction. I knew the bait fish were not only being terrorized from the air by the seagulls, but they were also being even more viciously terrorized by some unseen hoard of much larger predator fish from down under. It was very clear that all of the creatures I was seeing were in full panic mode and in the midst of a ravenous feeding frenzy unlike any I had ever seen.
I remember thinking that the whole scene was very much like something you might expect to see on the National Geographic Channel or perhaps in a far more sinister Alfred Hitchcock movie.
Well, I soon realized that there was no way that I was anywhere near quick enough with the camera to capture any of the things that I was seeing before each fleeting opportunity was gone as quickly as it would appear and just a whole lot quicker than I could get the camera up and turned in the general direction much less squeeze the button slow enough to satisfy the auto-focus feature. This went on for what seemed like 30 or 40 minutes at a time or longer when I was about to give up on the whole idea of getting any pictures at all, when suddenly, I again heard the chatter of bait fish to my right and was just able to snap my head around in time to see something pretty awesome happen. A good sized Largemouth Bass (I'm guessing 8 or 9 pounds) suddenly busted the surface no more than ten feet from my boat breaching about a foot over the surface of the water slinging a couple of live shad from his bucket-like mouth, but not missing a single fin beat when he again touched the water as he quickly dove again and disappearing from my sight. YOU GUESSED IT... STILL NO PICTURE... UNTIL NOW!!!
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Since that day, I have often regretted that I couldn't get any pictures of nature in action that I was so fortunate to witness that day. What can you say? It is what it is I reckon... no pictures and only a few keepers that day... but, still such an awesome blessing, nonetheless, to have witnessed such a spectacle in the natural so up close and personal while enjoying and witnessing God's awesome creation.
You just gotta' love stuff like this... I know I do. Of course, since I have had the sighting of that bass burned in my brain until it has finally inspired me most recently to attempt to recreate it by way of this drawing and in as much of the same detail as I can recall. Since putting it on paper, I can now freely share it with you and others that may have an interest. I am calling this drawing in graphite and sepia colored pencil "Fish Out-O-Water". Admittedly, it's still nothing at all like seeing this up close and in person!! I hope you see it as interesting and as much of a treat as I have since that day. Please take a moment to let me know what you think.
Good Luck to You All & May God Bless You & Yours, :biggrin
Wayne aka Special K
