I took our young visitors to the jetty early this morning. Aedan started fishing while I was still experiencing the joys of taking youths fishing. All adults really need to have basic ghillie training, and fortunately their mum is a quick study at it too. So as I was cutting up the second bait we get air-raid shriek. "I got one, I got one, I got one!"
It was a pretty cloudy morning up to that point.
Soon Brigit and her mum (and the entire cheerleader team, including me) were dealing with this one.
I broke the necks as I always do in the absence of a priest, and turned away while doing so, to not horrify my audience (they're lovely kids, but well, they're from the city) but Brigit peered round me - Her 'it's bleeding!' sounded more like delight than horror, and it certainly didn't stop her trying for another one. We forget that largest primitive tribe - AKA kids learn a lot from our reactions.
Their mum was looking after my rod while I did the ghillie's next job - untangling, and all her hard work was rewarded by a double hook-up (I fish a paternoster rig for these - but one hook is bad enough with new little fishermen). Much excitement and me nearly falling off the hanging tire I was precariously balancing on with the net, and we had both. The downside with a paternoster rig of course is if you go to net the lowest fish the top one is airborne, and if you net the highest, the other is likely to break off.
But by 9.00 AM the great fisher-people were back (After some brave gutting by the 9 year old. By 9 I'd been gutting fish for 4 years, and it didn't occur to me that if you haven't really caught fish gutting might be quite an experience... dangerous with knives!) Anyway - they've gone off island touring and we're catching up a bit, assauging my concience with some work.
Congratulations! Jody has promised one of my co-workers to take out him, his son, his brother and Tripp. I'd like to get Tripp eating fish at a young age, and fish that is not cooked with crushed corn flakes or needing ketchup in order to get it down! I really regret that my Mom pretty much ruined me for seafood, but I've been trying to encourage Jody to buy some fresh fish and cook it properly for me so that maybe I can gain a taste for it. I'll be interested to hear your opinion of Barramundi when you get it. I think mine was, "It tastes like fish." :-P
ReplyDeleteBeing the romantics that we are here in the states we call that a "Two Hook Paternoster Rig". That's to distinguish it from the "Three Hook Paternoster Rig".
ReplyDeleteThough usually the three hook set up uses doubled wire "arms" to which one attaches the lead and hook. Instead of lumo beads more commonly seen on two hook rigs.
Nothing like pulling up a three hook of croaker.
Quilly - these are basic 3 hookers I tie myself. I'm thinking about getting lumo tube to put on for night and deep water work - but haven't yet found any locally - I'm not sure they help but we'll see.
ReplyDeleteKids fishing is a dad's task and penance ;-). It's good for them though. Important the traditions get passed on
ReplyDelete