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An Anglers story.
This is a true account of what happened on board ‘Chieftain’ a couple of years ago.
We were steaming off on a 46-hour trip. It was a lovely evening and I was on deck having an evening cigarette and a mug of coffee while chatting away to one of our regular customers.
We were talking about fishing in general and the prospects of fishing the following day.
The angler, Ken, was telling me how he had been fishing for thirty years and had never caught a 20-pound cod. He said that he had caught plenty in the high teens but had never managed to get that elusive 20lb cod. He said that his father had first brought him fishing when he was 15 and that he had fished almost all the time in his presence. He remarked that his father had caught quite a few twenty pound fish and often teased him about never catching one. Sadly, his father had recently passed away.
Ken said to me that he thought that he had missed his chance, considering that if he was going to get one he would have done so years ago when there were plenty of them about.
He said that he was not bitter at all about not catching a cod that big because he had loved every fishing moment that he had experienced over the last 30 years, hoping to catch one. And of course, he had the pleasure of catching all the other fish that he had caught.
The next day, Ken was fishing by the gate. This is more or less where I spend most of my days as it is just across from where I do my filleting, etc. The day’s fishing was steady and Ken (who I must say is a very good and experienced angler) was having a productive day. I saw that he was into a decent fish (if it was only one) and I carried on filleting while listening to see if he wanted a hand. He calmly called, ‘I think this one may need the gaff, John.’ I got the gaff and went over to help. I saw that it was a decent fish and straight away the previous night’s conversation came back to me.
The fish was professionally gaffed (if I say so myself) and landed on the deck. I looked at Ken and he looked at me. “I think we should get the scales for that one, Ken”, I said. I got our scales and hung up the cod. “It’s no more and it’s no less than 20lb, Ken.” “You’re joking! Are you sure?” he asked. “Look for yourself!” I said. He was ecstatic but still not quite able to believe he had finally caught a 20-pound cod. He asked another angler if he could use his scales to make sure ours were accurate. They also showed 20lb. He then went on and tried a third set of scales. These showed it to be just over 20lb. In the meantime we had done another drift or two over the wreck and plenty of fish were being produced, but Ken wasn’t fishing. He seemed to be oblivious to what was going on around him.
Ken was beside himself. The joy and elation that was coming off that man! If you could have bottled it you would have made a fortune.
Ken gave me his camera and I took several photos of him with his fish. Michele, who was taking a stroll on deck, asked him how much it weighed. He said “Twenty pounds” and she replied, “Well done!”, as if he caught them every day. Of course, she was not to know the significance of this fish.
Eventually, John (the skipper) shouted for the lads to “Wind them up”, as he thought that we had got the best of that wreck and it was time to move on to another.
I carried on filleting everybody’s fish from that wreck while Ken talked to me. He seemed very reluctant to let his fish go under the knife, so I thought I would leave it ’til last so that he could savour the moment accompanied with his fish.
While we were steaming to the next wreck, and I continued filleting, he talked about the years he had fished with his father. He started to get a bit emotional; saying how much he wished his dad could have been there to witness his catch. I eventually got his fish off him and cleaned and filleted it and put it in the chiller.
Next wreck - and on Ken’s first drop, he caught a 24lb cod. He never said a word. I got the scales and told him the weight and still he did not reply. He carried on fishing that day and caught more fish but nothing in comparison with his two in the twenty pounds.
That evening, when we had finished fishing, had our shower and evening meal; I went aft for my after-dinner cigarette and coffee. Ken was sat there on his own, looking out at the setting sun, with a glass of wine in his hand. “Are you OK, Ken?” I asked. “What do you think?” he replied. “Tell me one thing, Ken” I said, “When you caught that 24lb cod why did you not say anything, or react like when you caught the first one?” “John,” he said, “I never believed that it could happen to me! But it did! I didn’t say anything because I was completely speechless!” “Well, that must be another bloody first in 30 years, then!” I teased.
“Well, I don’t know about that,” he said, “but if I never again catch another big fish, it will never dampen the memories of a few hours’ magic in a memorable lifetime’s worth of fishing.”
I know that people have their different views on angling, but that experience did it for me. Ken has been back with us many times. He has never caught another 20lb-plus cod… but is always the first to congratulate somebody else when they do.
This is a true account of what happened on board ‘Chieftain’ a couple of years ago.
We were steaming off on a 46-hour trip. It was a lovely evening and I was on deck having an evening cigarette and a mug of coffee while chatting away to one of our regular customers.
We were talking about fishing in general and the prospects of fishing the following day.
The angler, Ken, was telling me how he had been fishing for thirty years and had never caught a 20-pound cod. He said that he had caught plenty in the high teens but had never managed to get that elusive 20lb cod. He said that his father had first brought him fishing when he was 15 and that he had fished almost all the time in his presence. He remarked that his father had caught quite a few twenty pound fish and often teased him about never catching one. Sadly, his father had recently passed away.
Ken said to me that he thought that he had missed his chance, considering that if he was going to get one he would have done so years ago when there were plenty of them about.
He said that he was not bitter at all about not catching a cod that big because he had loved every fishing moment that he had experienced over the last 30 years, hoping to catch one. And of course, he had the pleasure of catching all the other fish that he had caught.
The next day, Ken was fishing by the gate. This is more or less where I spend most of my days as it is just across from where I do my filleting, etc. The day’s fishing was steady and Ken (who I must say is a very good and experienced angler) was having a productive day. I saw that he was into a decent fish (if it was only one) and I carried on filleting while listening to see if he wanted a hand. He calmly called, ‘I think this one may need the gaff, John.’ I got the gaff and went over to help. I saw that it was a decent fish and straight away the previous night’s conversation came back to me.
The fish was professionally gaffed (if I say so myself) and landed on the deck. I looked at Ken and he looked at me. “I think we should get the scales for that one, Ken”, I said. I got our scales and hung up the cod. “It’s no more and it’s no less than 20lb, Ken.” “You’re joking! Are you sure?” he asked. “Look for yourself!” I said. He was ecstatic but still not quite able to believe he had finally caught a 20-pound cod. He asked another angler if he could use his scales to make sure ours were accurate. They also showed 20lb. He then went on and tried a third set of scales. These showed it to be just over 20lb. In the meantime we had done another drift or two over the wreck and plenty of fish were being produced, but Ken wasn’t fishing. He seemed to be oblivious to what was going on around him.
Ken was beside himself. The joy and elation that was coming off that man! If you could have bottled it you would have made a fortune.
Ken gave me his camera and I took several photos of him with his fish. Michele, who was taking a stroll on deck, asked him how much it weighed. He said “Twenty pounds” and she replied, “Well done!”, as if he caught them every day. Of course, she was not to know the significance of this fish.
Eventually, John (the skipper) shouted for the lads to “Wind them up”, as he thought that we had got the best of that wreck and it was time to move on to another.
I carried on filleting everybody’s fish from that wreck while Ken talked to me. He seemed very reluctant to let his fish go under the knife, so I thought I would leave it ’til last so that he could savour the moment accompanied with his fish.
While we were steaming to the next wreck, and I continued filleting, he talked about the years he had fished with his father. He started to get a bit emotional; saying how much he wished his dad could have been there to witness his catch. I eventually got his fish off him and cleaned and filleted it and put it in the chiller.
Next wreck - and on Ken’s first drop, he caught a 24lb cod. He never said a word. I got the scales and told him the weight and still he did not reply. He carried on fishing that day and caught more fish but nothing in comparison with his two in the twenty pounds.
That evening, when we had finished fishing, had our shower and evening meal; I went aft for my after-dinner cigarette and coffee. Ken was sat there on his own, looking out at the setting sun, with a glass of wine in his hand. “Are you OK, Ken?” I asked. “What do you think?” he replied. “Tell me one thing, Ken” I said, “When you caught that 24lb cod why did you not say anything, or react like when you caught the first one?” “John,” he said, “I never believed that it could happen to me! But it did! I didn’t say anything because I was completely speechless!” “Well, that must be another bloody first in 30 years, then!” I teased.
“Well, I don’t know about that,” he said, “but if I never again catch another big fish, it will never dampen the memories of a few hours’ magic in a memorable lifetime’s worth of fishing.”
I know that people have their different views on angling, but that experience did it for me. Ken has been back with us many times. He has never caught another 20lb-plus cod… but is always the first to congratulate somebody else when they do.
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