capt log #5 2010

Ain’t Right

Our arrival at Asanvari had been anticipated by me since we left Australia. In 2008 Kip and I hooked a Blue Marlin while trolling in the dink, within ½ mile of anchorage. After 45 minute or so we lost him and caught a 50# Wahoo instead. Then Tom caught a 50# Wahoo. In 2009 fishing with Tom, we hooked a Blue Marlin with ¼ mile of anchorage while fishing in the dink. Not a bad fishing spot. So to say I was looking forward to Asanvari and my annual manly bout with a Marlin is an understatement.

For three days my schedule was to troll in the mornings and evenings. Sometimes with Jim from Asylum and sometime by myself, I relentlessly pursued this manly challenge of dink Blue Marlin fishing. The middays was spent taking the Women out to take pretty pictures of little reef fish while I sulked and sweated in the dink until I could again go out in pursuit of my Blue Marlin.

The last evening at Asanvari I had endured rain and wind so Martha could take her pictures of little fish and I guess she felt sorry for me, (or she is far more devious than I think) because she said sweetly “I’ll go out fishing with you so you won’t have to go by yourself”. I mean this was out of the blue, I didn’t see it coming, I thought she was being nice.

So for myself I get my good rod with the super secret lure rigged professionally in Fort Lauderdale, For Martha I picked up a small worn out rod that was handy, with a lure from last year that had most of the skirt chewed off. I put Martha’s lure out right behind the boat so as not to get it tangled up with my “real fishing rod w/ special lure”.

I wave and speak to the Man in the dugout canoe that is quitely fishing as we pass. I am driving facing forward, Martha is setting facing back and holding her little rod with the old lure that’s right behind the boat, when she says in a sweet little voice “Oh”, “I have a bite”, I look at her and line is rapidly peeling off the reel, I quickly look behind the boat and my view is blocked by this tail-walking Blue Marlin.

Some days it doesn’t pay to be nice, the lucky part is that after about 30 minutes or so the damn thing got off so it won’t make the magazines and there were no pics.

The man fishing quietly in the dugout canoe can tell his grand-children about the day he almost caught a Blue Marlin by having his canoe at the right (or wrong) place as a Blue Marlin landed.

Some days……………….

jim