Oatmeal

I woke up this morning and a bowl of oatmeal tried to stare me down, so I asked Judy if she wanted to go for a ride in the Dink. She said sure, so I grabbed my rod (just in case) and we headed out for the point at the end of the bay. I dropped a jig (that’s a lure) and started pumping it up and down. Wham! I caught a trigger fish. Judy wasn’t too impressed, so I rowed over to the cliffs a couple of hundred feet away to look into the clear water for pretty reef fish. Judy likes to look at them. We rowed slowly back down the cliffs looking at the birds and pretty little fishies. Judy was now content! Me? I was frothing at the bit to go fishing some more. When the sun came out from behind the clouds, Judy decided it was getting too hot and wanted to go back to Wind Raven. I obliged her, without complaint.


I dropped her off and then it was full throttle around the point and out to the reef where I instantly caught three reef fish of various sizes in three tries. Now I’m not using a heavy ocean rod, but a light salmon steelhead rod with a small 6500 Garcia level wind reel with 10lb test line. Anyway this time it was the fourth time that was the charm. I got a hit that almost took my rod overboard, but I did manage to get the hook set and the fight was on. I fought it for about 30 minutes before I saw color, and that was of very short duration. About this time I noticed that the wind was blowing out of the South and the fish had been pulling the boat into the wind. I glanced towards shore and to my surprise it was quite distant. Damn, that fish was taking me to sea. I wedged the rod under my leg and began rowing the boat towards shore, dragging the fish along with. He fought gamely; pulling so hard my rod was bent double the whole way. Once closer to shore I decided since I had no net or gaff, to try and tail him. When I brought him alongside the Dink he rolled over on his side exhausted. I got a hold of his tail, but to my chagrin and due to my tendinitis, I could not lift him over the side. At that point I had to remedy this awkward situation expediently. I saw the hook on my jig buried deep in the jaw, so made a grab for the lures body, hoping not to grab a hook. To my relief it worked and I hauled a beautiful Rooster fish into the Dink.

When I got back to Wind Raven Judy took a photo before I filleted it. Our neighbor Gordon who has a West Sail 32 came over to watch me butcher it. The books say Rooster fish aren’t that good to eat. I call “bullshit” It was great. Gordon took some fillets back with him, so I will ask him if he liked it tomorrow. Steve and Lu lu arrived in their West Sail 28 just as I was putting the fish in the freezer, so we gave them some also. A little later Richard on “Trinity” came by for some fillets to cook. It will be interesting to see if anyone didn’t like the fish. Guess I’ll have to go fishing in the morning. We’re getting low on fillets. He! He!

MY FIRST ROOSTER FISH