Fish. Fish. Fish. Fish.

  Neiafu, Tonga
Monday, October 13, 2008

After the strain, stress and sun of watchign the whales we took some "vacation downtime" on Friday, spending the day in Trop and then moving to The Bounty for the yacht race. Sadly the race was cancelled due to lack of wind. We didn't let this prevent us from sinking an Ikale or two, but by half eight the lack of race, and therefore post-race celebrations was noticeable and the evening fizzled out.
An early night was fortunitous as on the stroke of midnight the heavens opened and the most torrential rain I have ever seen or heard drummed on the corregated tin roof until 7 am when we had o get up for the fishing trip.
Depite concerns that the weather would wreck the day (if not the boat) we left with Henk (Dutch/Kiwi skipper of Target One); Te'O (the local crew with 4 teeth) and picked up Mark (NZ lawyer/fellow tourist).
Once we left port the skies cleared and we went looking for fish.
A couple of hours of high anticipation passed before one of the lines started running. It was a marlin and it was on my watch (by 30 seconds). Frantic activity to get the other lines in and there I was, in "the chair", harnessed to a rod and line at the other end of which - some 400m away was the biggest fish I had ever seen. In my mind I was Robert Shaw.

Ric and Andy

Robert Shaw and Roy Scheider

20 minutes of strenuous reeling him in and there he was at the side of the boat ~ 2m bill to tail, almost all muscle. Sadly this was were my Hemingwayesque dream ended, as Henk and Te'O gaffed the fish and then beat it over the head with a chair leg (or some such). Not a particularly auspicious end for such a magnificent animal.
Once he was on the boat they declared that he was (had been) just a baby (~50kg) which made me feel even better, nothing makes you feel more alive that bringing a juvenile animal out of its natural habitat to its untimely, bloody end (sarcasm).
The day progressed, I lost a tuna, Mark landed another baby marlin. Andy, Mark and I got a Mahi Mahi each.

Andy and his 1st Mahi Mahi

Then came the most contraversial moment of the day..

The one that got away.
A line started to run, another marlin! We cleared the other lines and Andy was assuming the position in the chair, when Henk and Te'O started shouting that it was my fish and not Andy's. I don't know if it was greed or slavish following of orders but I practically puched him out of the chair and grabbed the rod myself.
By this stage the fish had taken ~900m of line and the guys were estimating it to be ~220kg (big). I worked on it for 30 minutes during which I had to be hosed down, was almost pulled out of the boat, and bistered my hands. It was just 250m from the boat when the line went slack and it had lost its hook.
I retired exhausted and guilty for depriving Andy of his Moby Dick.
We returned to port with lures trawling. Andy and Mark caught another Mahi Mahi each; Te'o filletted one on the boat; Henk held a radio auction for the fish we had caught (paid to catch), a total of 146kg of fish @ $8 per kg.
We weighed the two marlin on the dock (mine 45kg, mark's 49kg) and we were dropped off at a bar.

My fish and me

A couple of Ikales and we failed to negotiate a discounted price to eat the fish we caught.

Sunday, A long lie in, passing up an opportunity to go sailing on Orion (a 38ft trimaran), then a foray to find somewehere open, anywhere. The Aquariam bar capitulated and we slouched there for the afternoon enjoying brunch, some slow beers and not enjoying all the american retirees saying things like "wasn't Tahiti just the worst port you ever saw?", "Oh Pago Pago is twice as bad", "if you think Pago Pago is bad you obviously have never been to ....". If its all so terrible why don't you f***ing stay at home?
Nowhere opened in the evening so back to Aquarium to see if the Kiwi fisherboy we had met on Saturday night managed to score with the Patsy Kensit looky-likey. Judges decision - inconclusive.
Early to bed for early start and flight to Eu'A via Tongatapu.

Arrived at the airport to find the entire cast of "Ric and Andy in Vava'U" waiting for the same plane. I realise its a small island, but we had probably spoken to or at least drank with half of the people on the plane. (Including kiwi fisherboy and patsy kensit - no sexual tension evident). It felt like being on The Truman Show.

Now we are waiting in Nuku'Alofa for a transfer back to the airport and 20 minute flight to Eu'A "The ecotourist island of the Kingdom of Tonga" (anyone spot a contradiction in that?).

Photos to come when I get an internet connection that doesn't operate on Tongan IP