Dear all we are gathered here today at the aft end of the boat for the inaugural launch of the lure - may I introduce you to Dave the Diver and the kids..more of them later!
Ok best to start at the beginning and set the scene. My sailing experience extends to a few jolly jaunts in the Solent and an earlier but nonetheless unforgettable incident involving a windsurfer and a Greek Ferry, the ferry won and I swam back towing the remains of my windsurfer - (my helming skills had not previously been discussed at my interview with Tim, Kittiwake’s owner!). My fishing experience is also limited to a faint memory of fly fishing with my Grandfather in some Scottish stream at the age of nine an experience far removed from the seas of the North Atlantic.
Hopefully, you will therefore understand my mixture of trepidation, anticipation and the chance of a true adventure when Lorel offered me the opportunity of joining her, Tim and Rebekah aboard SY Kittiwake..a Westerly 49..to set forth across the North Atlantic on a journey of some 3,000 nautical miles towards the Caribbean island of St Lucia, fishing included!! So far, 1,400 miles into the adventure and I’m enjoying every minute of the experience.
Anyone that knows anything about fishing from a yacht making some 6/7 knots over ground (clearly not me) would know there is a lot to consider. Every time we strolled past the tackle shop on the quay in Las Palmas we were actively considering this although it took us some time to commit to entering the shop at all - undeniably at the back of our minds we knew once committed to the theory we would have to spank the plastic for the practical purchases. Unfortunately, I stumbled at the first hurdle and my attempt to buy an inferior rod and reel for the job met with much cheek sucking and eyebrow raising, even in Spanish it still meant the same thing, I would have to up the anti and buy the proper kit for the job. Lorel had gone quiet (a rare moment) as she had already spied just the thing. A sleek white and black 60lb rod and sparkly heavy duty reel - clearly her expectations of a monster catch were evident. I glanced at her, questioningly, out of the corner of my eye but she only had eyes for the stripey seducer. Lorel and I often spend much time deliberating over numerous things but on this occasion we instantly decided that to justify the costs this would be our Christmas present to each other - how democratic, how romantic.whatever, just buy it and lets go fishing!!!!
A day out of Las Palmas and the race was on - the fishing race that is. Tim had come pre- prepared with King Rap, Lorel was busy tying lines and lures, measuring tracers and weighing up the options. Once again we took the considered approach for our first attempt and went for the cheap as chips lures on the basis that the rig may not as yet be fool proof and we could afford to lose a lure or two at this stage, hence Dave, a rappeler and the three kids, 3 lurid coloured squids followed by a mega hook (Lorel once again descended into silence..I could quite like this fishing lark!!) Tim had meanwhile launched King Rap.within minutes the ratchet screeched on Tim’s line, once.pause, twice..pause, then it ran and ran whizzing out of the reel at a rate ‘Tim, Tim, the line’s running..Tiiiiimmmm!’ Tim and Rebekah lunged to the back of the boat. ‘Get the lump hammer darling’, ‘where’s the boat hook and the knife?’ We landed a 5lb Tuna, a green and silver beauty, landed by Rebekah, skilfully filleted by Tim, washed and marinated by Lorel. The flash to bang time of sea to supper table was about 2hrs.delicious!!
Since then Lorel and I have caught two of our own fish with just as much excitement and nervous banter, ‘don’t let it go, don’t let it go’ met by ‘as if I would’!! We successfully reeled in a 4lb Dolphin fish which put up a brave fight and slapped Lorel across the thigh for her troubles. The Chef du Jour prepared goujons with lemon and tarragon and a freshly baked French Baton with butter for lunch, another delicious achievement.
Buoyed along by our successes I was washing up in the Galley on my Birthday ‘(a tough job but as they say)’.having launched our lucky lure, Dave the Diver when a cry came up from the Deck. The reel was spinning crazily, Dave had dived and he looked deep. Flashbacks of the Jaws moment as the lure seemed to sink and swirl in the sea. I took the rod and felt it yield and bow, this was a big catch and my heart raced, even Lorel was stunned. Thoughts ran through my head - Thank goodness for the heavyweight rod, thank goodness glad we tied her onto the boat, WOW this is exhausting! 20 minutes later Tim had hoved too, this meant it would make the job of reeling her in much easier. Hoving too Goose-winged involves turning the boat into the wind and subsequently the head sail backs and the boat stops, as does the drag. The monster fish came into view unbelievably surrounded by a shoal of smaller fish swimming around it.but, oh, what was this?? My glinting monster fish appeared to be a winch handle attached to a bottle of Robinsons Barley which seemed to have a message in it! ‘Happy Birthday Stu…you won’t be getting any more of us, love Neptune’! Oh how we laughed whilst trying to puzzle how we could invent a lure that attracted so many fish without launching our winch handles again!!!
Lots of love Stu and Lorel