Greg -
We met our boss at the city dock at 8:30 this morning and headed straight to a spot located just offshore of Zirembo island. The ride was a rough one with a stiff west wind kicking up large waves and we were soaked by the time we arrived. After about an hour with no luck, we decided to pull bait and try another area farther out into Clarence Strait. By the time we left, the sun had begun to poke through the clouds and the remainder of the day was calm, cool, and sunny. The ride west to a ridge running just south of Zirembo was a smooth one with occasional glimpses of Humback whales bubble feeding along the way. Humpbacks frequently use this technique to concentrate their food into an area surrounded by a cylinder of bubbles that they blow. One or more of them then expands their mouth around this area and swims toward the surface, capturing all of the sea life within. It's quite a sight even when viewed from the above the water.
We had unbelievable luck today - Jack, Bob, and I pulled in over 250 pounds of halibut. We were so successful that at one point, we had two at the side of the boat at the same time waiting for the gaffer. Our first was the largest of the bunch - about an eighty pounder. Bob dispatched him with his .357 magnum before pulling it on board. They are incredibly tough - it took two shots from the gun and several heavy cracks over the head to finally subdue it. None of them give up without a fight and all required a heavy hand to subdue them.
The weather remained calm for the rest of the day as we made our way back to the dock for several hours of cleaning and hauling. Jack and I will be vacuum packing and freezing our haul in the morning.
We met our boss at the city dock at 8:30 this morning and headed straight to a spot located just offshore of Zirembo island. The ride was a rough one with a stiff west wind kicking up large waves and we were soaked by the time we arrived. After about an hour with no luck, we decided to pull bait and try another area farther out into Clarence Strait. By the time we left, the sun had begun to poke through the clouds and the remainder of the day was calm, cool, and sunny. The ride west to a ridge running just south of Zirembo was a smooth one with occasional glimpses of Humback whales bubble feeding along the way. Humpbacks frequently use this technique to concentrate their food into an area surrounded by a cylinder of bubbles that they blow. One or more of them then expands their mouth around this area and swims toward the surface, capturing all of the sea life within. It's quite a sight even when viewed from the above the water.
We had unbelievable luck today - Jack, Bob, and I pulled in over 250 pounds of halibut. We were so successful that at one point, we had two at the side of the boat at the same time waiting for the gaffer. Our first was the largest of the bunch - about an eighty pounder. Bob dispatched him with his .357 magnum before pulling it on board. They are incredibly tough - it took two shots from the gun and several heavy cracks over the head to finally subdue it. None of them give up without a fight and all required a heavy hand to subdue them.
The weather remained calm for the rest of the day as we made our way back to the dock for several hours of cleaning and hauling. Jack and I will be vacuum packing and freezing our haul in the morning.
I hope you are bringing some of that halibut back to Colorado. I would love a taste! We could work a trade! Bread for halibut or something of the sort.
ReplyDeleteSam thought the one you're holding, Greg, looked like a stingray. Holy smokes! That's big!
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