Sunday, July 26, 2009

DELICIOUS CATCH

Cue the music for "Dangerous Catch" and sit back to watch "Delicious Catch."

Chris put out a long line on Friday morning. Do you know what a long line is? It's a long line (what did you think it would be?) of rope with a buoy on each end that is attached to an anchor. The long line has multiple lines attached to it with hooks on each one. You bait the hooks and set it out in the ocean, then come back hours later to see what you have. So we went back out to check the line late Friday afternoon. Unlike the TV show mentioned above, we did not have a huge boat, seas of 20-50 or more feet, sleet and snow blowing in our face, waves crashing over the rail, nor the green faces that would accompany the rough ride of the crab fishermen.
The first task is to spot the buoys. There is it, off on the right.

Haul it in with the gaff hooker thing. (See how technical I am?) Then start pulling in the line to check the hooks.

The first thing he pulled up was an ugly looking thing he called a bullhead. Nothing like a Minnesota bullhead, but I guess he meant it isn't attractive or good eating. (And I know some will differ with me, but I don't eat bullhead or catfish. Period. Don't eat them.)

Then comes a starfish. I didn't know a starfish would take bait and get itself hooked on a fishing line, did you?

Well, those things weren't what we were looking for. Chris pulled up many empty hooks until he exclaimed "I see white!"

He got it into the boat with no problems, and there we were, proud fishermen with a delicious catch, a nice halibut!

And was it ever! Delicious, I mean. My mouth waters just thinking about it!
The water looked like liquid silver under the dark gloomy skies. I know this picture doesn't do it justice, but it really looked like liquid silver!

2 comments:

Lisa said...

you are so blessed to have someone there to share than adventure with. It would not be like that for the rest of us just going to Alaska as a tourist!!! What a life.

Memaw's memories said...

That long line with the hooks, around our parts, is called a trot line. My son keeps them in the St. Francis River. He is primarily fishing for FlatHead Catfish, which is the best eating from our river. He also catches Blues, but the Flathead's are the best.

Filet'd and fried up, they are really good. About the only fish I like better is Crappie(pronounced Cropee)but you have to go to the area lakes for them.

I bet that Halibut was really good eating too.