Surprise Catch

Who could of known that the intense beauty of June's balmy, hot rocking days, would dissolve, sugar like, so quickly into the mire that is July! days enjoyed for their dripping summer promise and steel still waters, have been rudely cast adrift by the turbulent stream of coat soaking rain.

But things happen; events, occasions, challenges, surprises. Take the nine strapping, wholesome, elm clad and leather thole pinned Pilot gigs, arriving from the outreaches of the Westcountry and prepared to task the boundless seas and wild waters across to Lundy Island. The local club from the Torridge took the line honours, with our own bravely exhausted crew coming in an undisgraced sixth. The passion with which these people row floats evidently all about them as they carry their cherished craft along, each at one with their boat.

I had a friendly family fishing trip this week, supposedly for mackerel. But these fish can be a morsel elusive and no matter how many lines you hang over the side or how far you drift, if the water is slightly murky or the fish distracted, there is little hope of catching them. Lucky for me I have a net set for the catching of bait, intended for lobster pots. Legal and tagged, the net swings about on the tide, a mere 35 metres of hope.

The family were surprised when the first mackerel fell aboard, gleeful cheers echoing across the waters meeting each new fish, lapping up the joy as more and more barbecue ready fish were brought aboard, and there amongst the Scomber scombrus, a fish unused to these North Devonian shores, more often found in warmer climes or supermarket shelves, we had netted a Sarda sarda, a Bonito Tuna, a visiting variety of foreign favoured fish. The following day brought another of his kin to bless our catch with his fin.

News soon spread and the Bonitos had their pictures taken with many local celebrities from all the dark , damp corners of the roaring drunk lion. For a further few minutes the Tuna were the talk of the town, until the Red Lion manager bought them, cooked them and eat them. Depriving the Natural History Museum in London of a specimen.

What remains most surprising is that until now, no one else has ever mentioned they had caught one of these fish. Now all of a sudden, the flood waters have spread and it seems everyone knows someone who knows someone who knows.............. Now that is a surprise!