Gone Fishin'

So we just got back from our trip to see my family in Plymouth, MA.  One of the things I did was to go fishing with my brother.  Not just any fish, tuna fish.  My brother has his own boat that he takes out (usually with his son) for fun and the occasional fish that they can sell.  He loves it and this was a good chance for me to spend some time with him and see a piece of his world.

First of all, I woke up at 2:10 AM.  You have to get out early.  We picked up some Pogeys in the harbor.  Those are what I would call normal size fish, but they were just bait for the bait.  We headed out to an area where the Bluefish were plentiful.  I ended up catching one (almost by accident) which made my day because it was the largest fish I've ever caught.  About the size of my arm (I'm 6'5" with long arms).  Of course that fish and others like it, were only the bait for the tuna.

You see, tuna are very large.  The ones you can catch and keep start around 500 lbs. or so.  The big ones are around 1,500 lbs. and I'm sure they get even bigger.  The other thing you have to understand is that it is hard to catch them.  My brother goes out on weekends in the summer (time permitting) and he's caught 10 in 3 years, which is actually a pretty good rate for non-professional fishers.

So we saw a few "splashers" (when they jump - much like swordfish) which got us excited, but never hooked into one.  So we spent the day messing with the lines and talking about fish all day.  Who could imagine talking obsessively about some silly sport all day long?  ...oh wait, never mind.

The funny thing is that it wasn't boring at all.  I'm no fisherman, but I can see what my brother likes so much about it.  It was peaceful, relaxing, and a lot of fun.  I saw a number of whales, enjoyed a beautiful day on the water, and spent some time with my brother.  Couldn't ask for anything better.