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fishing on the sea

the journal of Michael Werneburg

twenty-seven years and one million words

Today I woke early with a strong migraine and scotched my plans do see the mangrove swamp and to do some shopping for Mari. Instead, I eventually felt well enough for a walk and did a 2.5 km one-way trek up the western flank of the harbor in Amami City. I saw some birds, the cranes of the working dock, and a variety of other scenes. I generally felt better by noon or so, so I set off for a rescheduled fishing trip featuring a boat charter.

The wind was still high out on the water, and during my walk I'd seen all the white-caps and wondered if we'd really set out. But we in fact did and I was soon experience more rock and roll than I've witnessed previously in my fishing excursions. On a few occasions, a wave would top the transom and I soon found the back of my pants soaked despite the rain pants. There was simply too much of the stuff, and it was hitting my lower back. Needless to say, it was hard to jig when the swells are +/- about 150cm to two meters. We eventually packed it in and headed to about 30-50 meters in a somewhat sheltered place. I caught a nice 'hata' (small grouper) and two fish that I'm unfamiliar with (I suspect 'goatfish'). The other fellow fishing also caught a 'hata' at the same time as me, and landed something else that was too small to keep.

I was well pleased with the whole thing. It was a bit rough but I didn't get motion sick and my spirits stayed up. It was my first time sea-fishing in Japan in about fifteen months, so I was determined to have a good time and the clear skies and our guide's piloting skills kept us in good shape. I'm glad that I can manage such adverse conditions now. I'm getting acclimatized to it all, even when it's 130+ meters of water and exposed to the open ocean.

I returned to the city and after hosing down everything in my possession to prevent salt damage, I went out to a local restaurant for 'keihin', a local delicacy that tastes like Asian-styled chicken soup.

It was a fine final day on Amami.