spearfishing

In between the time of contemplating Spriggans and pictsies for the current book, we draw closer to James going back. Pads is already in South Africa, back at Uni. This morning we proved you can mome a lot with a crowbar and a hi-lift jack - even a small container. Miricle-of-miricles we found John-the juggler's shop open when we went to get petrol, so I was finally able to buy youth size wetsuit for a friend. Now I have wetsuit... all I need is strong kite, and I can fly it to Tassie.

Then, after lunch, as his time with us grows few, James and I went off for a dive. The first spot had decent size breaking waves (most unusual here) and a strong current and will not be visited in a big hurry again, unless the easterly blows. Then we went back to Trousers point bay and had a glorious dive along the edge, with the water shivered with enorous shoals of fry, and even yours truly succeeding in shooting zebrafish and Magpie perch and leatherjacket. At one stage I was surrounded by Garfish - which were lots of fun to see, but impossible to shoot. I also shot the largest crab I have seen on the island - not vast by crab standards but I have been needing crabs for cooking, and I thought I might lose it if I swam down and tried to catch it by hand. I also had a fit of concience having had several fish come off the spear. I have no problem killing fish, but I dislike injuring them and not doing a clean job. I think I may have to get a single-prong spear with a bigger barb.

And thus, having caught our fish, we came gallumphing home. B had gone to the CWA dinner and it was just J and I having a seafood dinner. I've gutted several of the fish through the back - leaving the belly intact, for barbeque. It's obviously weird to the locals, by the looks I got.