Fw: Fishing

Raylah
Jeremy Elsom
Mon 7 Dec 2009 16:52
 

We have just eaten a fish we have caught.  The new fishing rod cost £220 , the reel £65, the holder £20.  The special line cost £22 and the lures £36. We had to kill the fish by putting 1/4 bottle of Vodka down its gills ,cost £5.  When we gutted it on deck the blood got onto my new cockpit awning,damage of say £20.  Thus the fish cost me £388 but I shared it with 5 people,so a fifth of a fish cost me £388 or £1940 for the whole fish.  The last time we did the ARC we bought a very specialist and expensive fishing line called a YO-YO which we deployed on the first day but did so without attaching either end to the boat,in other words we chucked the whole lot over the side.
 
Fish are only caught at mealtimes.  You cast your line early in the morning stand by it for an hour or so staring into the wake of the boat.  Boredom then sets in until lunch or supper time comes round by which time you have completely forgotten about fishing. You then clear the cockpit, lay out the meal, and sit down to enjoy the wine and food.  At the exact moment your first forkful is about to enter your gob there is screeching sound as the reel tears out at high speed . You jump up in shock and excitement,the chicken curry flies everywhere and somebody jumps into the 'baby' seat at the back of the pushpit to hold the rod and try and reel it in.with plenty of encouragement from the other diners.This takes allot of hard winding but excitement mounts as the leaping fish bounces across the waves and finally arrives at the rail.
 
The fish ,was caught by David, and pulled in by Simon. It was a beautiful 3 feet Dorado ,with a forked tail,and an amazing yellow coloured metallic skin.   The bucket is produced ,the fishes head is put in,and vodka poured down the Gills. Then gutted and filleted and another meal is in the fridge .