30 Days of November, Day 8: Of Fishing
Recently a work college asked me to interview my Father about reef fishing. A coral reef is a spectacular feature of nature, that is a living underwater architectural wonder. It is home to dozens if not hundreds of sea creatures, many of which are good for food.
I could remember as a little girl going to the beach with my Father and while I was playing, he would swim out with his spear gun to the coral reef, put up his buoy with a flag and dive down to fish. While he was on the hunt, I would run up and down the beach, swim and play in the sand, keeping myself occupied until he resurfaced. He didn't always catch anything but when he did, it could be a wide range of things from lobster to Red snapper.
We would go home, me chatting nine to the dozen about everything under the sun, and asking questions about the fish he caught. He would put them in the sink for my Mother to clean and I would find a book to read, after getting a shower to rinse off all the sand and salty sea water.
It is indeed one of my fondest memories of childhood and so I looked forward to finding out more about how my Father ended up with this hobby.
He started out by saying that he didn't even really remember how he got into fishing. Growing up near to the sea, it was his playground as a child and he enjoyed swimming. He then went on to recall that since they lived near to a fishing village, he was used to seeing men fishing and eventually he started to try it out himself.
I inquired as to if anyone had taught him to fish, my Grandfather for instance, who I had never met as he passed away before I was both, but that brought a swift denial. My Grandfather had apparently never fished in his life! My Father told me that he had learned by watching others and by trail and error. Overtime he got more experienced and become competent in spear fishing.
My father explained that fishing could give you a real thrill when you managed to catch something, and it could become addictive. He pointed out that fisherman tended to celebrate their catches by drinking and carousing and because they were paid on a daily basis, tended to spend their money quickly as well.
My Father never went into fishing as a main source of income, but I remember having plenty of fresh fish over the years that were caught either by him or by his brother, who also is a fisherman. I don't think that I would every go fishing myself but I must admit, that it makes me feel nostalgic.
As the sea continues to be threatened by climate change in the arrival of invasive predators like the Lion Fish, I think it is important that we prioritize taking care of the sea so that future generations can enjoy it the way that I do, and make memories like mine.
I could remember as a little girl going to the beach with my Father and while I was playing, he would swim out with his spear gun to the coral reef, put up his buoy with a flag and dive down to fish. While he was on the hunt, I would run up and down the beach, swim and play in the sand, keeping myself occupied until he resurfaced. He didn't always catch anything but when he did, it could be a wide range of things from lobster to Red snapper.
We would go home, me chatting nine to the dozen about everything under the sun, and asking questions about the fish he caught. He would put them in the sink for my Mother to clean and I would find a book to read, after getting a shower to rinse off all the sand and salty sea water.
It is indeed one of my fondest memories of childhood and so I looked forward to finding out more about how my Father ended up with this hobby.
He started out by saying that he didn't even really remember how he got into fishing. Growing up near to the sea, it was his playground as a child and he enjoyed swimming. He then went on to recall that since they lived near to a fishing village, he was used to seeing men fishing and eventually he started to try it out himself.
I inquired as to if anyone had taught him to fish, my Grandfather for instance, who I had never met as he passed away before I was both, but that brought a swift denial. My Grandfather had apparently never fished in his life! My Father told me that he had learned by watching others and by trail and error. Overtime he got more experienced and become competent in spear fishing.
My father explained that fishing could give you a real thrill when you managed to catch something, and it could become addictive. He pointed out that fisherman tended to celebrate their catches by drinking and carousing and because they were paid on a daily basis, tended to spend their money quickly as well.
My Father never went into fishing as a main source of income, but I remember having plenty of fresh fish over the years that were caught either by him or by his brother, who also is a fisherman. I don't think that I would every go fishing myself but I must admit, that it makes me feel nostalgic.
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| The beach where I grew up. |
As the sea continues to be threatened by climate change in the arrival of invasive predators like the Lion Fish, I think it is important that we prioritize taking care of the sea so that future generations can enjoy it the way that I do, and make memories like mine.
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