Billy Beachcaster on BIF1... stoked.
Anybody who has followed my fishy career might have seen my writings or the video interview (on www.sportingfish.co.uk ) with the infamous Billy Beachcaster. Billy is somebody any frequent visitor to Fuerteventura will likely have met. He cant help but put people onto fishing, even guiding himself before a lung condition from a lifetime working with wood, asbestos and MDF slowed him down too much. But he would still adopt people and get them catching. Especially his favorite on the wind blasted rock. Parrot fish for which he has a reputation for being a bit good. Another side effect of his illness is he is tee-total. Its a strange thing sitting with a jock, getting slowly plastered whilst listening to endless hilarious and interesting stories about the fishing on the island, whilst BB sips a diet coke with ice... but I think he believed me I was getting drunk for both of us. Some awesome times out there. Sadly, the economy has recovered to the point I can no longer offer budget blue water tours out there. Pastures new next time. Cape Verde islands most likely. But I digress. BB was coming out on BIF1 today...
And great company he was in too. BIF1 addict Mackie was on board, as was my very good friend JP, a veteran of two of my Fuerte tours so he also had met Billy. It had all the ingredients of an epic sailing. We launched and headed west, in a bouncy sea. However, compared to my trip out on a 23' FV charter boat, in 40 knot winds, and seas towering above the boat, earlier this year, a mill pond. I must say, that trip with skipper Agoney Heiro, working out of Coraljeco (or something like that... come on.. I struggle with the English towns... ) really showed me what a quality small boat can handle. And I dont think there is a more quality small boat in all the world than a Pirate 21 (thats what BIF1 is...) so I have been that bit braver. If this seems a strange statement, I should point out I am a non-swimmer, terrified of water, and yet, on BIF1 I feel I could take on the perfect storm. Should that push into Brighton, I wont be taking clients to test my theory, so be calm...
Im waffling quite a lot, because the fishing wasnt great. The banter however, was awesome. And trust Billy Beachcaster to do the impossible. Pull a cod off a reef so close inshore and so shallow, we could have walked in for ice creams. He did however!!! C.A,T 30. I'll take that to show we are Brighton's no 1 cod and bass charter boat with hard facts...
Otherwise, Mackie had a lovely wrasse, we all caught some better sized schoolies, including two over the legal limit, dispatched for eating. It was actually an excellent session really. Just sizes down on what I am hunting for at the moment. And I had BB on my boat Truly flattering, and with him now UK based in the warmer times, I hope not the last time.
