started with kite and main flying in 12 kts of wind. The floating garbage
density is also decreasing. A sign that we're leaving the High pressure
system.
Our spirits have been proportional to our boat speed. With two 70 mile days
in a row (the first day we made 200 miles) the crew has been in poor
spirits. The best medicine is naturally to fish and see what we can hook.
Yesterday we had 7 hits, 2 catch and release and one 25 lb keeper. My first
Big Fish. It was the strangest thing. Mahi Mahi or Dolphin Fish hunt in
packs. Two large bulls started trailing the boat looking for smaller fish
that may be living underneath of us. I spotted one just off the starboard
stern, placed a lure in front of its nose and started popping it out of the
water. The great Mahi Mahi was curious and started striking. I suspended
the lure just above the water and BAM. She sprung out, clamping down on the
hook and dove deep swimming cirlces around our keel hoping to cut the line
free. I gave her line, and let her tire herself. She was just under the
boat, out of reach from our gaff. The natural thing to do of course, was to
dive in with line in hand and fight the fish on it's own turf. I tied a
bowline around my waist and dived into 12,000 feet of water. There she was
hiding beside the keel, wrapped up in her own creation to free herself. I
came beside the fish, she did not move, just starred at me with her circular
blue and yellow eye. At this point I was out of breath and surfaced. Upon
a second dive I saw her swimming circles around the keel in the opposite
direction. I was amazed. She then freed herself and charged me. I dove
deeper, still with line in hand and jerked her back, setting the hook
deeper. The fish was angry and it was time for me to leave the water. I
planted myself on the swim platform and continued to bring in the line, she
was just in reach of the gaff, and BAM. We got her. The gaffer pulled her
aboard, and we prepared to steady the fish for her death. All of a sudden
she throbbed with all her strength, freeing herself from the gaff. She
slipped back into the sea, though still hooked she didn't go far. Again, we
gaffed her and brought her to the swim platform. On her left side we could
see she tore a massive chunk of her head off in the desperate attempt to
free herself from the gaff in her mouth. Blood flowed into the water and
soon sharks were trailing. We quickly grabbed a large bag, placed her
inside and waited for her to give the shake, the final contraction of
muscles before death. She died. I filleted the fish and ate some of the
flesh above the gills. It was sweet in taste and strong in energy. It made
me strong and alert.
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