8th June
After a relative rowdy night watching Brave Heart and
cheering along to Mel Gibson I retired for an early start. Obviously I had one
to many rum’s and in good measure which I should think so after stopping
at the store and stupidly buying a bottle of coke. It was not until I got home
that I realized I just paid $9 AUD for a 1.25Ltrs bottle.
Waking at 5:30AM once again even though my alarm was set for
6:00AM I did not waste anytime getting the line wet. It was a slow start and
the tail end of a front that came in from Tahiti was blowing Westerly so unfortunately this morning Silky
was pointed out into the depths and not next to the lovely little bomby of
coral I ran into. What this meant is I was not getting the strikes as per usual
but that did not worry me at all after snagging a beautiful Tuna Mackerel. The
fish is a pelagic that unlike it relatives hunts in the relative shallow water
and around reefs not going far out to sea so I was well impressed I hooked him.
The last time I did catch one of these suckers was in the Caribbean and after
making an incision to bleed it, it fell into the water and then as anyone would
I dived in after it to Fiona’s dismay. However I never retrieved it. So
this was my chance to taste the delicious white meat. I fried up a couple of
choice fillets for breakfast and the rest I cut into strips and put out to dry.
Half I soaked in Soya Sauce first and the other half straight on natural. It is
amazing dried, just like jerky. By 11:00AM it was ready to sample and if the
second shot of the tray looks a lot emptier well the stuff is so addictive once
you start to eat it you can not stop. I must say that it may look disgusting
but it is something every one must try once. I can tell you of all the ways I
have been eating fish raw this is up there as one of the best. My preference
being for the meat dipped in the Soya Source first.
The drying rack itself I made out of a plastic tub and some
fishing line, I made it on the passage here hoping I would catch a decent fish
to string out to dry but it never happened. Very happy I got to do it now
though in this beautiful and quite anchorage.
