FISH STORY

[FELLOW-SHIP]

Some history first….
Back on December 28, 2002, my friends Blake, Eric and I fished on Blake’s boat Running Barely out of Fort Lauderdale. We caught some fish and I posted a report and these pictures which some may remember:

http://www.myfishingpictures.com/img/047357.jpg

http://www.myfishingpictures.com/img/047356.jpg

What went unsaid in that report was that my friend Eric’s marriage was coming to end and in a silly ceremony we consummated the end by releasing his wedding ring attached to the bill of a sail:

Eric on the release:
http://www.myfishingpictures.com/img/047350.jpg

End of history…..

Fishing Report 1.22.05

Today my crew was Blake, Eric, John and my bother Joe, we fished the Rod & Reel Club Interclub Sailfish Tournament. Calm conditions and no current made for a tough day for us. We got a 12# dolphin, kingfish and some trash fish before noon, struggled with the kites even with helium, and were ready to call it a day before the 3:00 pm lines out. With 3 crew members sleeping on deck, Blake and I slow trolled back from the south to Fowey and I woke the crew up for one last try. At 2:40 we got set up our only helium supported kite flying. We had caught one goggle eye in the morning and it was summoned to the long kite position with two other baits.

Our luck continued until just before 3:00. With one minute left in the tournament, a sail surfaces at the long kite and takes the bait. Eric is on the rod. We call in our hook up. A complete cluster then ensues. The clip does not pull, the kite comes down while we try to clear short and middle, Eric’s line is under the boat and the fish seems off. The tourney is over and we couldn’t even catch one fish. We call in fish off. But wait…Eric continues to reel on the slack line under the boat and it comes tight. We call in false alarm as it's fish on.

The sail surfaces and jumps to the south and the chase down is on. We are all happy to maybe get one sail, even if the rules committee is going to DQ us for stupidity. The fish approaches the boat and Blake leaders the fish to cut it off. I call in the catch. Blake then says: “IT’S THE RING FISH!”

We obviously are stunned beyond belief. I go ahead and yell for Blake to boat the fish so I can get the camera as surely no one will believe this one.

John, Eric, Blake, the fish and Eric’s wedding ring:
http://www.myfishingpictures.com/img/047352.JPG

closer…
http://www.myfishingpictures.com/img/047353.JPG

the ring after over 2 years at sea…
http://www.myfishingpictures.com/img/047354.JPG

Eric back on his 2nd release of this fish:
http://www.myfishingpictures.com/img/047355.JPG


After a quick discussion, Eric decided to take the ring back this time. The fish’s bill had grown around it some but it slid off with some effort. A day to forget becomes a day we will never forget.

I’m not sure there is some hidden message in all this. Is Eric now destined to marry again? Is our fish population so low that our chances of getting the same fish are that high? Or is it just one of those things?

If I didn’t witness both events I would find this hard to believe as well, but this is no fish story.

FellowShip [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]