Ship's Log September 9-September 21 2020

For The Birds

We live about 8 miles up Smith River on a ranch near Reedsport Oregon. The wild fires were beginning to rage and eviction orders were being given throughout the state. There was a hot east wind blowing early in the morning before daybreak, and when I stepped outside with my coffee cup in hand I could taste the smoke, and my eyes were burning. The nearest fires were far enough away not to cause immediate concern, however the feeling was eerie and gave me a sense of unease. I got into the little truck and motored off to get to the James Lee in Charleston and debark upon this trip. My coffee has ashes in it! I drank it anyways and listened to NPR and a big long line of fear mongering bullshit. This media lately!! Covid 19 and now big WILDFIRES!!

Seanna, Apollo, Jeff and I headed out, and shortly after crossing the bar, while still in cell service a brightly colored little land bird flew into the wheel house, took a look around and then flew back out the side door window. I knew we would be seeing lots of that this trip with the smokey skies and the fires, little dudes like this get blown up in the plumes of hot smoke and many end up exhausted at sea unable to land. They rest a bit on commercial boats then fly off to their ultimate end in a watery grave. Over the years I have had many on my different boats, and ALWAYS wish I had a little cage to put them in, feed them bread and water, then return them to land with me. So... I took a gallon plastic clear jug full of Safeway chip treats and put the treats into a gallon bag and made a cool little cage.

That’s when “Fitz” came back into the house. This bright little bird with a racoon face mask landed right in front of me on a window sill. I got him, and stuck him in the cage. He was VERY active, bapping on the side of the jug with his beak and doing circles around the wooden dowel I put thru the jug for a perch. I tossed in a beetle like bug that landed on the boat. Fitz ate every leg... There was a few of those bugs, so I caught them all and put them into a water bottle with holes and planned to ration them out to Fitz over the course of the trip. We got to where we were headed about midnight and shut the vessel down in a very calm sea surrounded by a fleet of boats impossible to see due to the heavy smoke. Couldn’t even see their lights as we passed thru looking for that sweet 2 mile from everyone spot for the night.

Day 2 the visibility was seriously nil. Notta! Less than 1/8th of a mile. More bugs for Fitz around the deck, Seanna and Apollo were kinda squinty eyed and Jeff and I tasted ash with our coffee. We set gear and began our day of trolling and me watching close on the wheel with the radar. During our breakfast Jeff started to point really fast (mouth full of pancake) at the window, so I looked up and another little brown land tweety bird had flown into the house. It was TIRED so an easy capture to join Fitz in the cage. Fitz ate bugs and this little brown bird wanted bread. Organic Great Seed bread had all it needed in it for this little bird we named Molly. They ate well and drank lots of water while Jeff and I pulled in a full ton of big strong fish that day.

The second fishing day gave us a third little bird. She landed outside the window on the sill, mashed up against the side and put her head under her wing and fluffed up and went to sleep. I walked out and grabbed her. I had another jug converted to a second cage. This little bird was a twin to Molly. I put the new one named Kendricken into the second cage with Molly, and let Fitz have his own. I gave Fitz a mini little baby fish puked up by a tuna. We were out of bugs already. He likes fish!! Ate it entirely. The smoke and ash was very intense, it was September 11. We landed a ton and a half of tuna this day.

On the 12th we awoke to a boat covered in big green Dragonflys. OOOOooo... Bet Fitz will have a heyday with these. The little bugs were gone, his appetite is voracious! Maybe I am just getting too much of a kick by feeding him. I stuff a full size live Dragonfly in there against Jeff's better judgement... Fitz couldn’t kill it so I reached in with my leatherman and squished that things head. Fitz flew out so I put the dragonfly near the sink and Fitz devoured it entirely minus the wings. Back in his cage, we were fishing and I looked over and Fitz was dead. BUMMER! I was so sad about that. He was the coolest little dude and I really wanted to save him and return him to port. Still a bit sad about that! Do those dragonflys have poison gland or something?

Molly and Kendricken got their own cage. I would let them out to fly around daily while cleaning the cage and freshening up the water dishes. Other little birds would appear at times but I could not capture them. Back at home Kristi and the boys were getting the trailer ready and the big truck loaded for evacuation if needed. They would go to the parking lot in Winchester Bay and set up cattle panels to hold Kristi’s 18 prize Angora goats. She would have to set the Alpacas free to the fields due to trailer size limitations. I knew she was pretty shook up and distraught. I would come to Winchester Bay and the family could stay in the boat if it all came to that.

Luckily the south winds picked up and fixed the problem for us, however many lost their homes and some lives to these summer fires here in Oregon. Big weather was coming, so on the 21st we crossed back into Charleston with Molly and Kendricken in fine shape. We released them at the dock, and they flew off in two different directions. I find myself wondering what their little lives are like now... The eleven fishing days gave up near 12 tons of albacore. We are putting a lot of this into Fishpatrick’s labeled cans for sale anytime...

This concludes 2020 albacore season. Looks like we finished up with 43 and ½ tons. I am choosing a Mule Deer hunt with my son Zac over any additional fishing trips this year. We will call it a wrap!