We arrived in Antigua at 7am and as the meeting time was 8.30 there wasn’t time for a breakfast in the waiter service dining room so it was up to the buffet for a bowl of porridge and a full English with the best fried bread around. 10 minutes before the meeting time we left the ship
to find a small boat waiting for us at the quayside. The sun was shining and it was 29 deg C. There were around 20 of us going so there was just enough room for us all. We thought from the write up in the brochure that it was going to be snorkelling off the back for those that wanted to and the rest fishing from the front. Unfortunately that was wrong as it turned out that they would stop at a small island reef about 20 minutes away and everyone would fish followed by another trip to a better reef for everyone to snorkel, still we would have an hours fishing.
The rods were already made up, short 6 foot rods with multiplier reels and large hooks about 2/0s. bait supplied was pieces of squid. Everyone spread out round the boat and unlike a TK grueller and 20 yard swims, I had about 5 ft either side. Still at least I’m fishing for the first time in over 2 months.
The advice was don’t strike straight away but wait for the 3rd or 4th pull and then strike and try to pull them away from the rocks.
I dropped the bait in and let it hit bottom about 10 to 15 feet down and held the line in my left hand feeling for the bites. It didn’t take long for a few tentative plucks to start but despite leaving them and waiting for a decent pull and then trying to hit everything I couldn’t hit anything. A few shouts and cheers from the back of the boat and news was that one guy had caught 3 fish and a woman had one. Small rockling and mackerel type fish apparently.
The rest of us NOTHING. I had a good look around the boat as I felt sure that TK
must have sneaked aboard without us noticing, surely the curse couldn’t operate over 4000 miles from home without him could it?The call went out “10 minutes left “ Time for some serious angling skill to be used. I have noticed when snorkelling that there always seem to be more fish under boats and obstructions and as we had been anchored in the same spot for nearly an hour perhaps that may be the answer. So I moved back and dropped the bait as close in as I could and straight away had a bite but missed it “ARRRGGGGHHHH”
A quick rebait and back in again. “5 minutes left”. Then a bite and its on a short fight and its in the boat. Envious glances from all the blankers around me. Mugger would have been proud of me.
It’s a blue Parrot fish. One of the crew said that’s the biggest fish landed today. That was it fishing over and blank avoided. Up anchor and off the another reef for the snorkelling. What did we see…. Hundreds of fish of all shapes and sizes WHY WERENT WE FISHING HERE.
Never mind a few glasses of rum on the way back to the ship and a 4 course lunch in the dining room, a swim and sunbathe to follow. Afternoon tea and a short rest before a 6 course dinner and a show in the theatre and and comedian in the bar after . A perfect day.
