To Catch a Fish

We were cruising up the Red Sea and heading north along the coast of Eritrea when we heard our friends Duncan and Lilly, who were 20 miles ahead of us, call on the VHF. ”Good morning everyone, we have caught 40 linear feet of fish this morning. We’re heading into Harmil island and everyone is invited to a fish fry.” We were with five other boats cruising in company due to the small threat of pirates in the area and one by one we arrived in the big bay at Harmil, a deserted mound of sand far off the African coast, to join our friends around the driftwood fire they had built on the beach. It took all afternoon, but we did it; the 15 of us consumed 40 linear feet of fish fresh off the spits. For many cruisers, trolling lures as we sail is an almost certain way of keeping fresh fish on the menu. And, we each have our favorites, although Mahi Mahi and Wahoo often top the list. Cruising is all about being self-sufficient so foraging from the sea is a natural and compatible skill. When the reel whines after the lure has been taken, I always think of the old adage that if you give someone a fish you feed them for a day, but if you teach them to fish they will be fed for life.