First Catch
05 January 2015 | 23 00'S:115 30'W,
Max
They say having patience is the art of fishing, sounds like it would be a good symbiosis with sailing. And yes, but that is probably about it with similarities. Fishing at offshore at high sea in a sailingvessel has (still is) been a great challenge. Especially on Issuma, having five sails set, doig 5-6 knots on a close reach, and than you got a catch. And most likely, big sea means big fish! Yellow/blue tuna, wahooh-wahoo, swordfish, blue marlin, selfish, sharks. But we have been enjoying the challenge, and oh...we have been patient. Before we left Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, we got the fishingreel repaired and cleaned up. So we have been running both the rod, with a lur, and and a classic handreel with both lur and a flying fish as a bate.
We had our first catch already on the 2nd day leaving Mexico. We were all excited, me holding the fishingrod, Richard and Maggie droping sails and slowing us down, than standing ready with gaff gloves, hammer and cameras. The fish was pulling a lot of line, and soon we where to run out. But we managed to slow down Issuma and get it closer. It jumped, a blue marlin, probably 1,5 m!...but we lost it just about 20-30 m from the boat. First try and we were al loaded with some adrenalin, and stoked about the experience. It got me thinking about my time living in Mexico a couple of years ago. I spent 5 months living in this tniy fishingvillage south of Zihuatanejo with a local family, having fishing as their primary livelyhood. I learnt a lot from them, and I tried to remember what we did different. I realized being a bit more patient....aha, realy Max?...and giving the fish some more time, making it more tired. Just like in the movie " The Old Man and the Sea". Ok, so next time I thought to myself! Which did luckiy occur,two more chances with a blue marlin, but again we lost them. Though, we were getting there, the fish ripping of the line or spitting out the lur just 10-20 m from Issuma. And the day came when we had it just next to us, this time we had caught a shark. We where just about to give it a go with the gaff, when it made single whip with the backtale..and ripped the line. It looked like a small blue shark, about 1,5 m long. But it is realy hard to tell. We where now starting to get a bit inpatient and missing the taste of some fresh fish. As always with fishing, when you at least expect it to happened, that is when you have a cacth. The line went of in a rapid speed! But by now, we have had some practice. I quickly grabbed the rod, Richard clipped me in. Than He and Maggi dropped some sail, and hove to, so we could slow down and focus on the fish. After about 25 min we had it just next to the boat, a beautiful shiny blue tuna. And after a couple tries Richard hooked him up with the gaff. We where all so excited, finally! After highfives and pictures...of course a squall was getting closer. Richard and Maggie started setting sail and make sure getting Issuma back on course. I secured myself and the fish in the stern and started preparing our dinner. which indeed was a challenge in itself. We had force 4-5 winds, and some bigger waves. Normally it takes me a 30 min doing this job, but it now took me almost 2 hours. You do not wanna lose any of the file, and making sure you do not cut yourself. Help is far away on the middle of the pacific! Bacause we do not have a fridge on board, we have to think thgrogh what to do with the meat. We found that dividing it into 3 different dishes and steps works very well. The same night we eat a fresh ceviche, which covered up will last for 24 hours. Cut up steak-pieces, which we preserved in saltwater over the night. And for breakfast we have fried fish with some lime. With the bigger amount of the meat we cook up a stew with some veggies. If presrved in the right way. Kept in a preasurecooker and put to boil again after supper. This last for days.
We are at the very moment still enjoying the wahoo-wahoo stew. Yes, we caught a 2nd fish, 4 days ago Richard got a beautiful wahoo-wahoo about 120 cm, on the handreel. And we made the same precidour as with the tuna. Except that this time it was a lot more pleasent cleaning the fish and cockpit. And it was even tastier! The wahoo-wahoo is for sure one of the most delcious fishes I have eaten. --Cut me of a chunk would you? richard said to me..... ---Ok, real piratestyle! I said....
....and we enjoyed, even raw!