Fishing in Mocambique

For a while now I've been thinking - what the hell happened to that fishing story from Mocambique with Øyvind? I am so sure I wrote about it somewhere, but can't find it anywhere in all the articles. I've felt that I never got to rub it properly in for Øyvind... He being such a fishing enthusiast... whilst I'm pretty much waiting for wireless fishing to become a reality. To tell a long story short, I got fish and he didn't... I just need this excuse of an article to brag about my catch also of course.

It was pretty much thanks to the cyclones that the diving was kak, and we decided to give fishing a try instead. So, we went fishing with Wayne from Simply Scuba and Michael, a german tourist that seemed to be part of the furnishing of the place.

We were sitting there in the boat watching a shark leap out of the water... and some dolphins and flying fish riding the waves when suddenly something starts to scream. It was such an annoying loud sound that disturbed the peace and tranquility completely in the boat... the sun and the waves had made me nice and sleepy. Then this f**king screaching sound from my reel that had to ruin it all! Then as I'm slowly coming out of my sullenness... I realize that this sound is actually what we've all been waiting for!

Something down there is making an effort to run away with my bait... Not just away! To me it seems that this thing wants to eat in peace at the bottom of the sea, coz it's pulling down, down and down. After a hell of a lot of pulling it suddenly stopped... either it hit bottom... or it's tired. My turn now, so I started to pull back up again... "Hurry", Wayne tells me, "... or else the sharks will beat you to it"! Apparently it's a common problem that you only get half the fish out of the water... or just the head. So I'm working my rod like never before now... I don't want those sharp and nasty teeth to come anywhere close to my fish! No no, don't get any funny ideas... we're talking strictly about fishing here. That was unintentional!

Then the line is pulling out again... still down and down before it suddenly stops dead again. "Ahhh... there you go", a very disappointed and resigned look from Wayne and Michael. This was for sure the shark finishing my fish... killed it and ruined my trophy... I visualize only the skeleton left on the hook... but that is surely not the shark way! They bite it clean cut off and gobble the bones and everything... leaving whatever is left of the fish dead or at least unable to pull more line and fight back at all... I continue to pull in my direction... and something is still there?! Something with it's own will intact that doesn't agree to come up. Maybe the shark is still struggeling to bite off the spine of my fish or something. I decide to fight on until all my line and whatever else is out of the water. It's like football (soccer)! The match is not over before the referee blows the final whistle. I know this, coz I used to play football... and quite good at it too!! Wayne and Michael is like those old guys that always used to stand on the side of the field with their negative and sarcastic remarks when things weren't looking too good. "I told you!", or: "what did I say"! I'm not a quitter though!! Never was on the football field... and not now when it comes to fishing either. I'll show them! So I keep pulling and pulling something out of the abyss.

It's heavy, and I'm getting tired. As it comes closer now I can see that it's pulling sideways as well. This gives me new courage and motivation... My fish is still there! Maybe it's not about going down to the bottom for lunch any more... rather to escape the sharks... crossing and zigzagging in the water. Hold on fishie... I'll come to your aid and save you from those savages around you! What a bloody dilemma for my fish down there though! Between a rock and a hard place I'm sure... or between a pinnacle and a hard place in oceanic terms. No time for elaborate explanations though... communication is a problem in any event. Even with a thick wire, we're far from 3G or even GPRS here! I have to cut right through... make a decision and stick to it... Explanations later, when the heat of the battle is over. So I pull and I pull... until it's in the surface and Wayne can hook it with his handy tool and get it into the boat.
It's beautiful! Not a hair or a fish-shell is crumpled by shark teeth... so the sharks are safe of my wrath for this time. After about 15 minutes of eternity we managed to land it in the boat. Now it's writhing and jumping and trying to bite with it's nasty teeth as soon as I try to get near and unhook it. What kind of gratitude is that now after saving you from the sharks?! Bloody sardine!! It's a Cuda/Cuta though... or a Kingfish in english I think. Related to the Barracuda and part of the Mackerell family they tell me. Nice, shimmery and sleek it looks... but no manners whatsoever. So we give it a few well directed knocks to the head - and it's over! We're stating an example... that this is not acceptable behavior to all it's friends that are gonna follow.


We keep fishing! Me happy and high in spirit... and the other guys desperate now to catch up and silence this bloody first timer Norwegian. Øyvind also... the fishing expert of the two of us looking very tensed. I jack up a beer to celebrate... share with the other guys how good it feels and give them a few helpful tips... "The water is cold and unfriendly with sharks", they tell me??! What the hell has that got to do with the price of eggs? The fishing must have gone to their heads... surely! We keep fishing for a while... but nothing more. It's tensed aboard the boat. I get this mutany on Bounty kinda feeling... and I'm only too happy to feel the sand under my feet again.

The fish is photographed and weighed 9kgs... and then we (me and Øyvind) invite the whole divecamp to dine on the fish. That seems to ease up the atmosphere and make the not so lucky fishermen happy again. Wayne show off some of his magic when he fries the fish in some fritter concoction. I drink my beer as I observe and controle my fish being prepared. Potatoes and dip are thrown in to make it a full meal... and then we feast!