Adastra Blog 29.11.08
So what about the fishing/
Capt Bob suggested that fly fishing for brown trout for the last 60 years qualified Nick as the ?expert? ? what a joke. I did research and talk to people with experience of fishing off boats at these latitudes and had gathered some lures they thought might be suitable. Add to that Capt Bob?s treasure chest and I was quietly confident.
I set the rod up and waited, two days to be honest, then bang, off screamed the reel with the brake set quite high. When I picked the rod up with difficulty it suddenly went dead, the wire trace cut in two. Lesson 1 ? there is big out there. L2 wire traces can be chewed through. L3 ? prepare a 115 lb trace with a smallish lure (two small purple squids) and 200 mts length of 100 lb line. I thought the hook I chose would be more than OK for a 20 lb salmon ? wrong, the next taker broke the hook in two! So to a bigger, uglier hook and, you?ve guessed, we landed our first fish ? all of half a kilo. Bob reeled the fish straight in while I struggled with the net that had been fastened to the back of the boat, Adastra style. The first I knew of it was when Bob slapped it against my back while the net still defeated me. It was a great size to eat. Just 3 more to catch.
I am on watch and the reel screams. Gav reluctantly takes control showing all those skills gained from watching too many fishing programmes. Gav had missed the first catch while shaving earlier in the day yet ?Screaming Reels One, Two and Three? gave him all the knowledge, fantastic stuff. Charlie appears and executes a fine netting manoeuvre and low and behold in the net is a beautiful 3 kilo Greater Amberjack. Not over yet, it has to be killed with the minimum mess on Capt Bob?s boat and in the twinkling of an eye he is there holding a grott bot of vodka. I thought it was early to celebrate but it was the fish that was about to have a shot ? straight down the mouth and onto the gills and stone dead within five seconds.
Remember that one, especially for the guests who will not leave!! The final act of cutting 8 wonderful looking steaks seemed tame.
So from a two inch flying fish that I was asked to pose with first thing this morning, to a 3 kilo greater Amberjack, all in four hours ? my confidence was slightly restored.
We are now below 19 degs N and in real Trade Wind country with lots of fish. Gavin has just spotted a flock of flying fish taking off in front of Adastra, about 50 strong.
The weather is warmer, shorts through night watch and very pleasant during the day. The wind is in the mid teens from the ENE, just what we want, long may it last. Life is hell!!