AN ETERNAL SMILE

 WE ARE NOT IN CONTROL

April 2018

There is enough poison in one pufferfish to kill 30 adult humans, and there is no known antidote.  Puffer fish contain toxin (called tetrodotoxin) that can be 1200 times stronger than cyanide and they are still poisonous after they are dead for a short time. This guy and many of his recently deceased friends taunted me daily with their jeering.  Laughing at my absolute frustration of useless, unprofitable casts.

Before I left for Baja, I checked in with a friend of mine who lives down there.  He said the conditions were the worst he had ever seen for this time of year and the fishing was (excuse me) the shits.  I have to admit, I was a little worried (and a little bummed) since that is why I go there.  I tried to cheer him up by telling him I would bring the sun and calm the sea.  It didn't work, and although I brought the sun, the sea has a mind of its own and refused to give in to my charms and continuous requests for mercy.

It really was the worst conditions for fishing that I had ever seen.  The sea did not rest between waves and the only chance for me to see fish was out where it was impossible for me to cast.  I sat posted on the highest sand peak , cerveza in hand, and shook my head over and over again in disbelief.  

My husband is new to fly fishing, so he was happy to practice his casting while I sat waiting for a break in the waves, any break, just one small break...  After watching him cast for a while, I decided to get my fly wet in hopes that a fish would somehow miraculously see my fly in the murky white water created by the thundering sea. 

My husband's voice broke the silence of my constant prayers to Jesus to calm the waters again.  FISH ON!  I looked to see my husbands rod bent and a huge smile on his face.  I ran to our sunshade to grab the camera and document what could be the ONLY fish we would catch on this trip.  

When he got the fish safe on to the beach, we were pleased to see he had caught a 4ft cornetfish.  He was beautiful, and the largest one we have caught so far on the East Cape. 

I was so happy that we caught something, anything... We did not get skunked, and that cheered me up a little.  The next two days proved to be a test of my "cup half full" attitude.  After all, I was in sunny Baja, how could I possibly be a pouty, pissy mess?  

After a long day of sight fishing (with no luck) and blind casting (with no luck), I made the long hike back to the cottage through molten lava sand and waves that surprised me around every corner.  Back at the cottage, with my lips pressed forward in an unattractive expression, I sat scanning the water back and forth like an old typewriter.  You see, I am addicted to watching the water.  I have learned the way it behaves with and without fish in it.  I can tell (or so I would like to think), by the slightest change in the water, if there is a fish beneath it.  As much as I would love to go to the Baja and relax, I now realize that I can't.  

When I go to the cottage, it is 10 days of intense water watching and water listening.  Even when I am in the outdoor shower, I am watching the water.  So on this day (the third day) after returning from an unsuccessful fishing post-up, I sat under the palapa of my cottage sipping a cerveza.  The water started to calm for a few moments, and I finally heard the gentle lapping of teeny tiny waves.  Suddenly, the gentle lapping turned into popcorn and signaled a mass feeding frenzy of Jack Crevalle!  I threw down my beer, and grabbed my rod (which is line-out and ready at a moments notice) yelling for my husband to grab the camera.  I was very confident that one of these bad boys were about to be mine.  I cast into the middle of the feast and BAM!  I hooked a very aggressive Jack.  He gave me a good show and even pulled my line out a couple of times.  He fought me, and I fought him and the waves, but finally I brought him in for a kiss.  

After a couple of glamour shots, I gently released him back into the sea and watched as he sprinted off into the depths.  I did hook a couple more Jacks during our visit but alas they got away, much to the delight of the mocking pufferfish wearing an eternal smile.