Greetings from a fishing virgin

Hi all!

Something  big has happened to me (a snapper that is)! I have been on a fishing trip and caught fish! Incredible. It was my first fishing trip (ok, I have been on a fishing boat before, but never actually been fishing).

I was asked a while ago by my in-laws to go fishing with them and some of their friends, but I was sceptical. Me fishing? I love to eat fish, but to actually fish? Hmmm...needed some time to think about it.

Then my better half couldn't come fishing due to work and I was asked again. Still sceptical. You don't have to fish. Just come for the trip they said. So I thought: Why not. I could take some photos and enjoy the view.

I was picked up by the apartment. I had packed a backpack of warm clothes and wet weather gear, sunglasses, camera (yes...I did remember it!), crackers and chocolate (I even forgot I had it in my backpack!). Got on the boat, approx. 40-45 foot one, so looked safe enough. Didn't want to get too close to the water...

After a while we were all onboard, probably about 10 people. All the guys had been fishing before. Some even had their own fishing rods.

The boat started, full speed, spray of sea and off we went.

...and then the boat stopped at our first fishing spot. Everyone got ready with the bait, rods and bits and pieces. The boat was rocking a lot. I mean a lot! What have I done? Why did I go? Am I going to be sick? So I concentrated on one point to stop feeling the nausea coming and it worked (thanks Rangitoto! - see picture).

...and then it actually felt quite nice. Fresh air and the waves had a break in between so you could easily enjoy the view.

After a while, I got to try the fishing myself. The bait was on the hook and off it went. The captain told me a few tricks how to hold the rod, but I thought it was hard - even worse when the snapper was hooked onto it! (see pictures and read more about snappers here: http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/coastal-fish/3/3)

Yepp...a fish! Me! The Shopping Queen. The waves were still rough so I used my best skiing technique. Low knees, legs apart, keep steady. My gosh! Those muscles I have left have only been used to carry shopping bags lately and now I was going to hold onto a rod with a 3-4 kgs snapper (probably close to 6 kgs in "fishing language") on the hook! With a lot of help we got it on board - and later I had another one on the hook! - and then a kahawai! (Read more about Kahawai here: http://www.wildblue.co.nz/fish/pelagics/kahawai/). I mean, here I am fishing for the first time and I caught all this fish in very short time.

Mother-in-law and I were sharing the same rod, so we took turns to fish. She looked like the Queen of Fishing. All sorted. All in control. As always.

We kept fishing until 8.30 p.m. (I think) and by then we were all tired, hungry and stinking of fish. Ahhh...the perfume of  "La mer et le poisson". Oh la la...

What a great day! Everyone caught heaps of fish and were happy with the amount they could take home.

The fishing virgin and father-in-law                                       Mother-in-law in action

PS. Note to everyone: You can still catch fish if there are bananas on board. The fish can't smell it. We proved it!

The holy snapper