26 July 2008

The Fishing Derby

The fishing derby isn't even fair any more. Last night, right after my watch, Phil and Charlie caught another Dorado. The fish apparently didn't understand that she was just coming up for a short Kodak moment, fought like a bear, slipped her hook and was live on deck until Phil wrestled her down. He grabbed her long enough for a photo and sent her back to the Pacific Ocean.

Then this morning, we hooked fish number six...the sixth straight female dorado (you check for gender differently than with mammals, it's apparently all in the head shape). This one is going to be a meal, we just need to stop hooking them so fast.

Tired of the little guys, we brought out the big guns, the secret weapon: Rainbow Warrior, a multi-colored mostly yellow and orange squid. Bring on the big fish!

Confession time: nature scares me. I pull these things in and then hand them over to people more suited to wrestling with live animals. I grab my camera and get out of the way shortly after a girlish shriek and intense fear. The stories will come out, just remember I brought it up here first.

Valis probably has a dozen fish and all this 6 fish bravado is meaningless but it's six more than I caught in the Atlantic.

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11 comments:

Anonymous said...

The fact that you are sailing halfway across hte Pacific Ocean is enough for me. You all are my new heroes. Fish or not.

Fair winds

A sailors sister.

Anonymous said...

You are my heroes too for sailing across an ocean.

But I have to confess I have never understood the whole fishing thing.... I mean why do some men get so excited about outwitting a creature with a brain the size of a peanut?

Carol Anne said...

The sort of fishing that I've observed and experienced is not so much about catching fish. It's about having an excuse to sit around and do nothing while seeming to do something.

Probably my favorite fishing technique is to sit there with a fishing pole, with a line in the water, but with nothing at the other end of the line that a fish might want to take a bite of. I haven't the foggiest notion what I'd do if a fish actually attached itself to the line.

Anonymous said...

Yeah. I can sort of understand fishing as an excuse for sitting around doing nothing just staring at the water and thinking deep philosophical thoughts about why god created Dinty Moore Beef Stew or why she allows jetskiers in her creation.

Anonymous said...

Are we there yet?

Anonymous said...

The little yellow star for Oceanaire is now right next to the smudges in the bottom left-hand corner of the tracking chart. I think the smudges are Hawaii but what do I know?

I've been staring at the yellow star for 30 minutes but I can't see it moving.

Does this mean you have finished or did you go to the wrong island?

Anonymous said...

The little yellow star for Oceanaire is now right next to the smudges in the bottom left-hand corner of the tracking chart. I think the smudges are Hawaii but what do I know?

I've been staring at the yellow star for 30 minutes but I can't see it moving.

Does this mean you have finished or did you go to the wrong island?

Anonymous said...

I'm so excited I posted my last message twice. Watching Serious-Ocean Going Racing is even more thrilling than watching Tillerwoman knit.

Anonymous said...

Woo hoo. They did it. I haven't been so excited since Tillerwoman dropped half a row of stitches.

Anonymous said...

A crowd has gathered on A dock around Lady Bug. Young women are tying yellow ribbons to your docklines. They're lighting candles and chanting "Edward, Edward, Edward!".

Congrats on surviving one of the world's most difficult fishing tournaments.

Jim said...

CONGRATULATIONS! Looks like you arrived safely in Hawaii. Fantastic!