A really lovely group for a 0930 sailing. I love languages. I will happily sit and listen to people
Somehow, this long but very skinny bass is fish of the day...
talking in a language I do not know. I would take that further, and suggest that it is quite possible to even almost follow a conversation, by absorbing the melody of the chatter. The music of all languages, is quite similar, when you really get into it. However, that isnt enough to communicate things like safety information, so I was quite anxious after mis-communication had already seen the trip postpone 24 hours. And then, a call saying just leaving London in a car with an unrealistic travel time of about an hour and a quarter (when will navigation devices stop giving us unrealistic, car free travel time estimations?) to sailing, I instinctively suggested we take the stress out of the day by them taking the 1330 slot. I also scratched my head a lot. All was to be revealed on their arrival.
In the meantime, I scrambled Mackie out, as I need some credits with him for some bush trimming (he is actually a highly trained tree surgeon, but his BIF1 addiction means he will lower himself to trim the odd bush...) to come and see what was about today. A few bass, fly doing very well. Mackie had a beast of a bass come adrift to a HTO Glide. The take was impressively dramatic. But then the fish just kept on thrashing its head, on the surface, and this technique was a winner for the fish with the glide catapulting back towards BIF1 as it came adrift. A nice wrasse for myself. Plaice were feeding. And a first. A decent bass on the isome. However, this bass was not well. Should have been four pound, but in such poor condition wouldnt go above 3lb. Desperate for food...
I assumed ("Its wrong to assume" said my supervisor in my early IT days, whilst hitting me over the head with a rolled up copy of IT WEEKLY... and he was sooo right...) that my group were ex-pat Chinese. But the unrealistic travel time, was because Johnny and his two friends were actually on holiday here from China. Hence believing the navigator... And my anxiety about communication dissolved on meeting them. Johnny was the only English speaker. But his "little English" was in fact comprehensive, and to a good level, so he became interpretor for the safety drill. And then we were off.
We began on plaice and mackerel. This went well. Not so many plaice, but mackerel were happily obliging. After an hour, I thought I would chance our arm. We headed inshore, to some rough ground. Hoping to show my guys some variety. And variety we found. Not so much of any of it though. wrasse and bass were added to the list. Then, the guys asked to go back to the mackerel. Which we did. But this time, the mackerel were not so obliging, but the plaice came on the feed a bit. Three very happy tourists left the boat. I have a feeling that the photos and the story of BIF1 will be well received by their friends. And their new found casting skills, that I knocked into them as soon as I saw how they were about to cast, maybe also...
1730 sailing, Mo was back down, with nephew Sam, and client Paul. Once more, it was split bass and plaice. But this time, both were poor. Just a single table plaice, just 2 mackerel, and just one bass. Incredibly, there were still very big smiles. Sometimes, its enough just to be out there. Which is why we make it easy for you to do so. BIF1. The first "Step on, Step off" rolling charter operation in the UK to the best of my knowledge.