What a Day!

[Alfred]

Just a sliver of the disk that was the sun was peeking up over the horizon, causing the wind to change from a land breeze, to a sea breeze. Or the wind was coming from the sea to land. I placed my herring into a live well on my panga, an outrigged fishing boat, and sailed off shore tacking into the wind. Once I was past the breakers, I began trolling. I baited about four hooks with cut up herring, added a variety weight, and let them drift out in my wake.

Coral was about fifty feet deep where I was at, and clear, crystal clear. I could see shadows in the water following my bait. I locked the tiller in place, and eased to the line I thought most likely for the fish to bite on, and waited.

The prospective fish scattered, as a dark blue shadow parted from the coral, and engulfed the bait. The semi-taut line suddenly went banjo tight, and my entire boat lurched violently! My eyes went wide as my lips curled into an excited grin! I gripped my line in both hands, and started pulling hand over hand.

The fish didn't like that, and made a run, line passed through my hands fast enough for the friction to singe the rope, with visible smoke, and the smell of cooking meat coming from my palms. That...tingled a little bit.

I let some more slack go, then when he slowed down began pulling line once again.

The fish was coming closer to the boat, I could almost start seeing details when it darted under the boat. The line smacked against the hull of the boat, and threatened to drag me under. I braced against the side rail, and heaved against the pull using the friction against the hull as leverage.

Foot, by foot I pulled the fish nearer, and I could tell it was beginning to tire. It's last run was a weak one straight down from the boat, and finally, finally it was against the side of it. A grouper, a giant grouper went into my live well, and I started fishing once again.