Deep Sea Fishing

I've also never been a huge fan of fishing. Unlike my day at the beach, my day fishing didn't really change that. We got up and were on the road by 4am. We arrived at the check-in building at 4:45, left dock at 5:30, left the bait barge by 6, and were on our way. It was cold. I was cold. But the sun was coming up, and by the time we started fishing at about 7, I wasn't too cold anymore. The first place we stopped, my older brother, Brian, and I dropped our bait fish into the water and they were almost immediately snatched up. I found myself wrestling a yellow-tail tuna, and he struggled with a barracuda. We reeled them in and each thought to ourselves (at this rate, we'll each catch like 10 fish!).

I didn't catch anything else worth keeping, but Brian caught one other fish, I think. Aimee, Brian's fiancée (congratulations!), caught a bass near the end. My little brother, Jake, was the big winner, catching a tuna, two barracuda, and a bass.

Overall, I was a bit bored moving from location to location, hooking bait fish after bait fish, throwing back 8-inch mackerels, and in general just standing around. Perhaps it would have been better if there was a nice sink that I could wash my hands in, so I could cleanly eat my lunch and snack food. Or if I used a lure instead of having to sacrifice tens of tiny sardines and anchovies. It was slimy, wet, hot, and boring. But I'm glad I went.

One lesson learned was to fish early in the week, rather than at the very end. Having caught so many fish (and I have the feeling the average day probably results in a better haul), Friday was spent eating fish. Fish for lunch, fish for dinner, and Brian even ate fish for breakfast on Saturday morning. Now, I've never been a huge fan of eating fish, but this was downright tasty. Perhaps it was the freshness, perhaps it was the bread crumbs and frying, perhaps it was just my taste buds changing since childhood, but I like fish! Not enough to go out and buy it on my own, but enough so that I won't be upset when I have to eat it.

Not a bad trip, all in all.

Music and Parties

I went to a great party tonight. It was a graduation party for an old friend from high school (and a bit in college). The thing that made it a hit, though, was the live music. People brought guitars, a banjo, bass guitar, upright bass, harmonicas, shakers, and voices. People would start playing a song and whoever knew the lyrics would sing aloud.

I only wish I were musical in some way. I don't play any instruments and I have no rhythm for even shakers. I can sing (poorly and never in public), but I know no lyrics. It makes me want to keep a guitar in the house, though, so other people can play when they come over. It'd be kind of like how I keep alcohol strictly for the enjoyment of others.

It also got me thinking about how seldom this happens anymore. I can't personally attest to the good ol' days, but the old movies often show impromptu musical fun at neighborhood gatherings. Really, neighborhood gatherings have also stopped, for the most part - maybe an occasional block party if you happen to live on a social block. I'm going to ask my brother if he has a spare guitar he'd like to leave at my place. Perhaps we can revive this tradition.