A story for a cold day.

[goosefish]

This story, I told to the guys at work today. They had heard it before, and enjoyed it: It is the great theme of love and hate. An old fishing story of mine. I thought I'd spend this cold evening telling it to you...............................

I was working on a freezer trawler out of Point Judith, RI. We were out squid fishing, about 100 miles south-east of Block Island. About five or six days into the trip a white egret landed on the boat, looking like hell, tired and near death. During the spring and fall migrations, it is common to find dying birds on deck. I think that they get blown down from the higher altitudes, and once near the sea surface they get into trouble, seeking whatever refuge they can find. Songbirds, hawks, owls, wading birds............................................

Anyway the captain took this egret up into the wheelhouse, where he began to nurse it back to health. After two days the bird was drinking water; and then after four days he had the bird eating from his hand!
The bird was looking much better. And the captain began to really enjoy the birds company. They had bonded.

The bird had been on board for about six days, and finally--for the rest of us--the trip had come to an end. We hauled the net back for the last time, hooked the doors, and began steaming for home.
We started getting closer to Block Island and the bird seemed like it could sense the land, started jumping around the wheelhouse, looking excited and eager. The captain then opened up the wheelhouse door and the egret hopped around the boat, landing on the crane, the stack, the bow.

Block Island was now in plain view and the egret got braver and braver. Finally it made a small flight out to the end of an outrigger......................................... ................................

Then the egret made a go for it. The captain watched it fly. Awkward flaps at first, but then the egret found its form.

All of a sudden a flock of seagulls came flying over to it. The seagulls drove it into the ocean where they killed it, dead.

The captain howled; he raged--he spun the boat around, full throttle toward the gang of gulls. He ran down into the galley and got a loaf of bread. Then he went into his stateroom and grabbed his shotgun.
Once he got out on deck he threw the bread in the water.

"Come in get it you fu---------king gulls!" The gulls flew over and began eating the bread. He open fired, blasted them, swearing like a madman. Dead gulls bobbing on the surface of the sea. Shotgun smoke.
The rest of us watched from the rail, a safe distance away. I don't think the captain was the same man after that. His hatred for gulls was forever sealed.

[Slingah]

he hates gulls more than Clammer hates bloofish

[striprman]

Nature can be cruel, man can be cruler than nature.

[Nebe]

Sad story. Poor guy...Egrets are one of my favorites alongside oyster catchers and Ibis.

[BigFish]

Good story...sad though!

[BigFish]

Hey...after the Captain killed all them seagulls....did he ever egret it?

[Slingah]

good one fReAk

[BigFish]

I just funnin' with you dude!

[Slingah]

[BigFish]

This means War!

[fishweewee]

I'll never think of trapshooting or sporting clays the same way any more. We'll call 'em "gulls" instead of "pigeons."

[goosefish]

There's a battle going on in here.

Funny pun BigFish.

[BigFish]

All in fun, huh Slingah!

[Mike Lang]

I feel the same way about piping plovers

[Slingah]

[Moose Nuckle]

This post is for the birds...........

[Nebe]

Did someone say Plovers??? !!!

[fishweewee]

Originally posted by Eben
Did someone say Plovers??? !!!

PULL!

[RIROCKHOUND]

Plovers make great bait.... and great plugs.......

[Mr. Sandman]

There was a similar story like that concerning a baby seal in Calif. Wounded and ill, they nursed it back to health. It became a real "human interest" story with the public, TV, news ECT. Finally it was healthy again. The day they were to let it free hundreds showed up to witness the event of its release back to the wild. There was a band playing the theme song to born free, a environmental whacko-person was reading off all what was done for the little seal, lots of congratulatory thanks to all the volunteers ect. and finally when they let the little guy free everyone cheered as it swam to freedom...frolicking on the surface as it back to its home. It almost appeared as if the little seal was waving goodbye and saying thank you.
Then, suddenly a huge killer whale came up bursting thru the surface into the sky with the little seal in its toothy jaws. The sound of the little seal squealing horrified the onlookers...blood was everywhere as the great giant bit thru the tender young sealskin. As the giant slipped below the surface to digest his lunch, a silent hush fell among the crowd.

[BigFish]

I guess that Killer Whale "Sealed" his fate!

[ThrowingTimber]

When my girls dad was younger they would take a bunch of pop corn fishing with them. If they were in a spot that wasnt producing anything at all, they would throw out the popcorn so all the gulls would come over. Then they would turn around and leave. Then they would count all the boats that would race over to their popcorn induced blitz.

[BigFish]

That was a very "Corny" story TT!

[fishweewee]

Originally posted by BigFish
I guess that Killer Whale "Sealed" his fate!

ba-dump-bump *crash*

[179]

Watch out the PETA nutcases are monitoring this story