The One That Got Away

MALARKEY
Jo & Trevor Bush
Tue 13 Mar 2007 02:36
Hog Island, Grenada 12:00.1N 61:44.5W
 
Everyone who dabbles in a bit of fishing has a 'one that got away story', well this is ours.
 
We left Scotland Bay, Trinidad just after first light bound for Grenada. We knew it was going to be a lively crossing. The forecast was for continuing mod to strong NE Trades with 3m seas and our course was due North about 85M. We were going to be close winded and going into a sloppy sea. The forecasters weren't kidding. The sea area just north of Trinidad was very confused and the waves were short & steep. I said to Jo that it would get better when we got into deeper water but she wasn't convinced. Her summing up of the sail was 'the first half was shit and the second half was crap'. 
 
Jo suffered from a bit of the old 'mal de mare' and spent a fair bit of time saying hello to 'Hughie & Ralph' over the side of the boat. She was feeling pretty grim generally and her only words to me were 'dont make me doing anything else please'. And would you believe it, right at that moment a fish struck at our line and the reel went whizzing off faster than ever before. Oh poo, we have a monster from the deep on the line, just when you dont need it. The timing couldnt be worse. The boat was doing its bucking bronko thing and the crew (Jo) had become even more beligerent than normal. But this fish was mine and was not going to get away, besides I thought it might cheer the day up, you know, a 'fishy for our dishy when our boat gets in' and its always a good feeling catching your own grub.
 
We furled away the genoa to slow the boat down and to help reel this sucker in. The line was incredibly taught and I was seriously struggling to reel it in. I could swear it was pulling us backwards. Then the clutch on our new reel exploded and all the line I struggled to get in spilled out pronto. I managed to stop it going out further and then had to hand the line in with one hand and use the other to wind up the line onto the reel. In the mean time this new motion, wallowing around in a big sea, did nothing to help Jo's sea sickness, but being the trooper she is, she did everything she could to help and help she did!!! 
 
We eventually managed to get the fish to the back of the boat and by-golly-gum drops it was big and still fighting even after about 20 mins or so. It was a huge male Dorado, looking glorious due to its size, power and fantastic colours.There was big flashes of electric blue, bright green and fluorescent yellow all coming from the same fish. This beastie really is the equivalent to the Trindad Carnival King of the seven seas. As soon as Jo saw it she knew this was a photo opportunity not to be missed. She grabbed the camera and snapped away to catch the moment on film.
 
Well, that is all we caught. Jo is much handier with a camera than she is with a gaff hook. I am sure she knocked it off the hook on purpose, as moments earlier she was heard saying and I quote, ''this fish is too big and too beautiful to be caught''. And although she denies it to this day, I think she helped that fish escape and to those who know her, what do you think?
 
  
 
Anyway, we arrived in Grenada in a smidge under 11 hours after we started, feeling a bit knackered, a tad disappointed, very hungry, but none-the-worse-for-wear, except for our fishing reel of course, which is now as useless as an ashtray on a motorbike. We checked into Grenada via Prickly Bay and then moved round to Hog Island for a quiet night and ready for the organised Sunday barbeque bash.
 
The barbeque is held in a ramshackled hut on the island. It is a very picturesque spot and was soon filled with cruisers and locals enjoying the good grub, the locally brewed beer and locally grown weed. It started at 3.00 and carried on til the last person left, sometime around 10.00. It was a good event and the anchorage is perfect, well worth the trip.
 
We are doing an overnighter this Weds to get to St Lucia for the cricket on Fri 16th. England are playing New Zealand in one of the early stage World Cup games. We are travelling with some Kiwi pals so it promises to be an interesting time. Look out for us on the tele. We will be one of the many flag waving English fans probably in or near the 'party area'. We havent got a Scooby about cricket, we have always figured it was a sure way to ruin a good picnic but hey ho this is the Caribbean and they do things differently here and it has got to be worth a look.