MIGHT AS WELL, MIGHT AS WELL

NEVER HAD SUCH A GOOD TIME IN MY LIFE BEFORE!
I'D LIKE TO HAVE IT ONE TIME MORE
ONE GOOD RIDE FROM START TO END,
I'D LIKE TO TAKE THAT RIDE AGAIN, AGAIN!

MIGHT AS WELL, MIGHT AS WELL!
                                        - R. HUNTER

HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO FISHING YESTERDAY WITH ONE OF MY LONGEST TERM CUSTOMERS (I USED TO USE THE WORK "OLDEST", BUT SOMEHOW THAT SEEMS LESS COMPLIMENTARY THAN IT USED TO), MR. DAVID GOODE, FROM THE FAR FLUNG LANDS OF MINNESOTA. DAVID HAS BEEN COMING DOWN SINCE BEFORE I OWNED THE BUSINESS, AND I'VE ALWAYS LIKED AND ADMIRED HIM. HE WAS ALWAYS A SERIOUS GUY, DETAILED AND PUNCTUAL, BUT ALSO CREATIVE AND WRY. SINCE RETIRING AND MARRYING CHERYL HE'S BECOME SOMEWHAT LESS GRAVE, AND THERE ARE DEFINITE MOMENTS OF WHIMSY. HE'S ONE OF THOSE GUYS THAT YOU LIKE UPON MEETING, AND THE BETTER YOU KNOW HIM THE BETTER YOU LIKE HIM, HE AGES WELL. ANYWAY, CHERYL WAS WANTING TO PURSUE HER HOBBY OF PHOTOGRAPHY AROUND LA PAZ, AND I GUESS I SORTA IMPLANTED MYSELF INTO HER CHAIR ON THE PANGA. THANKS CHERYL! THE FISHING HAS BEEN GOOD OF LATE, NOT EXCELLENT AS SOME DAYS HAVE BEEN STELLAR AND OTHERS NOT. WE'VE STILL GOT SOME GREEN WATER MIXING WITH THE BLUE, AND SO IT ISN'T YET THE ROCK SOLID CONSISTENT FISHING THAT WE ARE ACCUSTOMED TO THIS TIME OF YEAR. IN THE LAST WEEK WE'VE TAKEN PARGO, WAHOO, TUNA, MARLIN, SAILFISH, ROOSTERS, AND SOME VERY LARGE DORADO, BUT THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN SOME OF THOSE BLACK AND WHITE RODENTIAL TYPES THAT ARE THE BANE OF THE FISHING BUSINESS. DAVID HAS A LONG ASSOCIATION WITH CAPT. JAVIER, AND SO I JOINED THESE COMPADRES FOR A DAY OF FISHING. WE HEADED N.E. QUARTERING A 12 MPH N.W. WIND, OUT TO AND BEYOND THE 88 BANK. THINGS WERE LOOKING VERY GOOD, WITH WATER AS BLUE AS YOU CAN GET, LOTS OF BIRDS WORKING, AND ALL KINDS OF BAIT ON THE BUOYS. MOLCATE, COCINERO, ZEBRAS, AND BONITO WERE ALL FOR THE TAKING AND WE KEPT A CONSTANT SUPPLY. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A GOLD MINE OF FISH, BUT IT WASN'T. THERE WERE QUITE A FEW OF WHAT JAVIER CALLED "TIBURON PILOTO" OR "PILOT SHARKS". I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH THIS NAME, BUT THEY WERE BROWN, ABOUT 4 FEET LONG, AND REALLY HUNGRY, EATING MOST OF OUR OFFERINGS, AND GENERALLY WEARING THROUGH THE LEADER. ENOUGH OF THAT. WE MOTORED NORTH, AND A LITTLE WEST, AND ENDED UP MORE OR LESS IN FRONT OF THE CERRALVO CHANNEL, AND ABOUT 12 MILES OUT. THERE WERE BUOYS THERE, BUT THE WATER WASN'T AS BLUE, AND WE COULDN'T MAKE ANY BAIT ON THE BUOYS, SO IT DIDN'T SEEM VERY PROMISING. WE TROLLED FOR A WHILE, AND JAVIER LOOKED LIKE HE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING ELSE, BUT WASN'T SURE WHAT THAT WAS. ALL OF A SUDDEN MY REEL WENT OFF AND I WAS FAST TO A 24 POUND DORADO, THINGS WERE LOOKING UP. A FEW MINUTES LATER A 65 POUND SAILFISH INHALED A BAIT, AND DAVID LANDED AND RELEASED THE SAIL. THEN I HOOKED UP TO ANOTHER DORADO, A MALE IN THE MID 30'S. WHILE I WAS PLAYING THAT FISH JAVIER BECAME EVEN MORE AGITATED THAN NORMAL AND STARTED POINTING, "SU ESPOA!" HE CHATTERED, INDICATING THAT HE HAD SEEN THE MATE TO THE FISH THAT I WAS PLAYING, A VERY COMMON THING WHEN DORADO FISHING OUTSIDE. JAVIER FLUNG DAVID'S BAIT OUT AS FAR FROM THE BOAT AS HE COULD AND IT WAS IMMEDIATELY TAKEN UP BY THE PRESUMED ESPOSA. DAVID CAME TIGHT ON THE CIRCLE HOOK (I LIKE THOSE THINGS) AND A 45+ POUND MALE DORADO EXPLODED INTO THE AIR. BEAUTIFUL FISH, BIG, VERY BRIGHT COLORS, AND ALMOST ABLE TO FLY. I CONCLUDED THAT SINCE THIS WAS MY FISH'S ESPOSA THAT THEY MUST HAVE BEEN GAY DORADO. I QUESTIONED JAVIER ABOUT THIS POSSIBILITY
EXTENSIVELY AND BETWEEN MY SPANISH AND THIS UNFAMILIAR LINE OF QUESTIONING HE BECAME SOMEWHAT CONFUSED. I COULD SEE DAVID VIBRATING WITH SOME CHUCKLING WHILE CONTINUING TO STRUGGLE WITH HIS FISH. AS DAVID AND I BOTH SEE OURSELVES AS FAIR MEN, WE CONCLUDED THAT WE COULD WITHOUT PREJUDICE DISPATCH  HOMOSEXUAL DORADO WITH THE SAME ALACRITY WHICH WE NORMALLY APPLY TO HETEROSEXUAL ONES, AND AFTER SEVERAL LAPS OF THE BOAT DAVIDS' FINE FISH CAME TO THE GAFF.  SO THE DAY BEGAN SLOWLY BUT FINISHED WITH 4 NICE FISH IN AN HOUR OR SO AND WE CALLED IT DONE. QUARTERING DOWNWIND ON THE WAY HOME I FELT THAT SATISFIED FEELING COME OVER ME THAT FISHING SEEMS TO UNIQUELY PROVIDE, THE BOAT WAS SKIMMING ALONG, THE SUN WAS SHINING FROM BEHIND US, AND JAVIER WAS WHISTLING AND SINGING, CLEARLY PLEASED WITH HIS EFFORTS AS WE WERE. IT'S A GOOD FEELING, OR IN THIS CASE A GOODE FEELING, HAVING SPENT A MOST ENJOYABLE DAY WITH FRIENDS, AND WITH FISH IN THE BOX TO BOOT. MIGHT AS WELL!

DAVID