Pelicans and Pin Fish

Another morning.  The sun barely up and we are off.  The days may start the same, Waffle House, bait shop, Ft. Pickens, but that is all that is routine.  We get here early enough that no one else has arrived.  Jay stakes out his spot on the Northwest corner of the pier and sets up his poles.  It isn't long before the others start to arrive.  The fishing pier is a community all its' own.  The people are a variety of young and old.  They come from all over and on the pier there is only one social class, the fisherman.  We meet people from Kentucky, Mississippi, Minnesota, Alabama and Tennessee. I sit quietly in my corner and listen to the old men swap stories of fish and ask each other what kind of bait they are using.  All day long there is a happy buzz of conversation and laughter.  I watch the newcomers as they admire the handsome Pelicans that hang around and seem to have no fear of the people.  I have been here a few days and I know these pelicans a little bit better.  I just grin to myself as they hold up their cameras and tell their companions to go stand next to that pelican so they can take a picture. I hope they will have their camera ready to snap that picture when their poor subject hears the loud CLACK! of that pelican's beak as he snaps at the person inching closer to him.  It is hard not to laugh out loud as the startled person jumps and runs away from that adorable little monster.  In my time here at the pier, I have become the resident pelican police.  These pelicans will snatch a man's fish while it is still on the line as he is reeling it in.  I saw a guy chase one down the pier that had his fish in it's beak and he had to literally pull his fish out of the pelican's gullet.  Another guy pulled a big mullet out of his cooler and set it on the table to cut it for bait and before he knew what was happening, that pelican jumped on the table and swallowed his fish and then walked up and down the pier for the next hour with that fish sitting sideways in his throat.  When Jay is cutting bait, casting his line, or reeling in a fish, it is my job to stand between him and the pelicans, waving a white terry cloth towel at the birds like a matador, shouting, "shoo you, go on, git outta here!"  while the pelicans back away, clacking their long pointed beaks at me.  Pretty soon all I have to do is get out of my chair with my white terry cloth towel in my hand and those pelicans would turn around and slink away, giving me dirty looks as they turn their heads around and look back.  Later in the afternoon a nice little family come on the pier.  There is a dad, mom and four very well behaved children.  The kids watch wide eyed, mouths open as Jay hauls in one blue striped pin fish after another.  One little girl inches closer to him on the rail and casts her line close to his, hoping the little fish will take her bait as well.  Jay finally hands her his pole when he  has a fish on and lets her reel it in.  She is so excited to pull in that little fish.  I, of course, am doing pelican patrol to make sure she doesn't have to fight the birds for it.  The other children watch with delight.  Jay generously hands his pole to another child each time he has a fish on until each one has had a turn to reel in a little fish.  The joy on their faces is priceless!  Another boy who has been fishing by us for about an hour starts to inch his way closer.  He watches what Jay does and tries to copy it.  He is so anxious to catch something.  He finally asks Jay what he is using for bait.  Jay tells him it is shrimp and the boy looks dejected as he informs Jay that he doesn't have any shrimp.  Jay then opens his tackle box and offers the boy his secret combination of hooks and weights and shows him how to rig his line with them.  Then he hands him some shrimp to bait it with.  The boy excitedly casts his line where Jay shows him to and before long he has a fish on.  He is bouncing up and down shouting, "I got one, I got one!"  while his dad tells him to reel it in.  Jay just sits in his corner and chuckles.  The boy's parents tell him it's time to go have dinner and he reluctantly leaves, vowing that he is coming back after dinner.  The sun starts to set and the people start to thin out.  One old man offers Jay his remaining bait as he packs up to go.  Each person says goodbye to the others still remaining as if they are old friends.  Soon everyone is gone.  The sun has set and the sky is dark.  Stars pop out in the sky and the yellow lights along the pier come on.  Lights from the buildings across the sound glisten on the black water.  The only sounds now are the quiet lapping of the waves against the shore and the occasional screech of the crane who has come to wait patiently for abandoned bait.  Another day is coming to an end.  Tonight we will sleep well, filled with fresh salty air and baked by the sun, then tomorrow we will go to the pier again and see what new adventures await us there.