There are lakes in Minnesota with so many fish that a fisherman can earn a living without much effort. Ferd from Leech Lake, however, was in a league all his own. He could put a line into the water and catch two pike with one hook. Fishing was a casual thing for Ferd. He put no effort into it— but then he didn’t need to. Nobody seemed to be able to reproduce Ferd’s success, even doing exactly what Ferd did. There was one thing, though, that might explain his success. The area around Leech Lake is home to many bald eagles, and whenever Ferd fished, there was always a bald eagle overhead. If you catch a bluegill that’s too small to keep, you just unhook it and throw it back. Often, when Ferd unhooked a fish, whether it was too small or not, he raised it over his head. When the eagle swept close enough, Ferd gave the fish a little toss and the eagle grabbed it in his talons.
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