with a new way of fishing as the powercat is going too fast to just
troll a lure behind.Our line keeps on snapping,even though it has a
breaking strain of 1500kg,and we keep on loosing lures and now down to
the last one.Our plan was to tie a 30ltr drum to the line which will act
as a float.No bungy,just a few strands of ski roap,three to be
exact,just enough to keep the lure attached to the boat.Theoretically
when the fish strikes the strands of skirope should snap and the drum
should fall of the boat and follow the fish.Which means that we have to
turn around,retrieve the drum and at the end of the line we should then
have the fish.
I was on watch between 2-6pm yesterday when exactly this happened.I was
just about to swop engines when the drum was unceremoniously whacked off
the boat.I immediatly dethrottled and started turning the boiat around
and at the same time starting the other motor to warm up.I shouted at
the crew who was sitting inside-"Fish,fish,everybody out!!!".In a flash
all three were out and we followed the drum.From the flybridge upstairs
I could see the drum was being pulled and also saw a big splash about
40mtrs from the drum.
Getting closer my concern was not to get the line in the props.I could
not see clearly where the line was going.Steven and Bernhard pointed the
line's direction while Liezel was relaying the messages to me.Within ten
minutes we were right at the drum and the line was straight
down.Bernhard jumped in and swam back to the boat while I kept the
motors in neutral.In a few minutes we saw the shape of the fish in the
water,a nice big sailfish.Now the danger was the bill and as Steven was
pulling it on the the back of the boat it gave a little jump
forward.Just before this I shouted at Steven to watch for the bill and
with catlike agility Steven got out of harms way.
The round circle hook was set in the bill and the sailfish was now on
board,Steven holding the tail and Bernhard removing the hook.We decided
to set the fish free and therefore had to cut the line that was tangled
around the bill and remove the hook.A minute or two later the hook was
out and the sailfish was back in the water.He was starting to loose
colour and had to first resuscitate the fish.Bernhard had a piece of
cloth around the bill dragging the fish through the water,Steven was
holding Bernhard on the boat and Liezel was once again relaying steering
directions to me.Just idling we were doing 5kts and after about ten
minutes the colour of the fish returned and started moving his tail a
bit.Five minutes later we deemed the fish fit enough to let go.
What a relief it was to see the sailfish gently moving his tale from
side to side and start swimming away.So great teamwork,beautiful fish
and very satisfying to see our plan come together.We are now about two
hours away from Fortaleza,land in sight and starting to get ready for
landfall.First priority is to arrange for 1000ltrs of diesel to be
delivered,fill our water tanks and take it from there.We will have
internet access and hope to skype a bit later on today are now about
four hours behind South Africa.We are hoping to leave for the Caribbean
tomorrow sometime,it all depends on when we can get the diesel.
We will stay in touch.
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