We're the closest to Spain we ever been yet! I can smell it in the sir, shorts and t-shirts today! Mr Del Monte will be pleased with today's catch 71 bruisers, about 14 kilo plus. They are beauties, they are that big that Junior is being pulled down the deck he's got quite a battle going on with them. Captaino has put on a new pair of jeans, I've never thought I'd see the day they must have been in the bargin bucket. Well there goes another birthday for me at sea, ain't life great, gotta go get my gammon and chips!
Fishing wasn't good today, for us or Gervasio! We had 57 fish, they were a good run though. On the weather front, not very good - drizzley crap all day! No wind so can't ask for more, might be shorts and t-shirt weather today. On a different note Dicky has turned down the management position at Barrons, Junior is looking at it, but feels the responsibilty of the position is too much for him at the moment and feels the hours wouldn't fit into his lifestyle, I've declined the positon full-stop. We had roast pork for tea last night, bloody rich!
Got down the Bay of Biscay in good time, and we got the lures in the water at midday. Ended up with 97 fish, of all sorts of sizes, not a lot of fish with Gervasio. Walshy is on his way. Dicky is baking me a cake for my birthday tomorrow, 38 where does the time go!
We left the harbour at 8:00 this morning, John is leaving this evening. Weather is fine at the moment, but Friday could be a bit 'shake, rattle & roll'. It's south east wind, at the moment, and the sun is out. I spoke to Gervasio and fishing is not great at the moment, so will start fishing when we come accross a good sign (that's a sign on our fish sounder not a sign from God, unless he wants to who knows!). Junior is teasy as I got more sleep then him last trip, so he turned in as soon as we left the harbour, we could have a record in our hands, unless his bladder tells him otherwise! Just Captaino and myself up at the minute, talking life and tactics. My memory mattress is calling out to me, so I won't be long either. On my time off I did a talk to Newlyn School, got gear ready for sea, had acupunture on my back - not sure on that one yet, spoke to Jo Cole at ITV Westcountry, dropped a tuna off to the Gurnards Head for Carol Trewin for Western Morning News, met the man from Del Monte - he's happy, did a few other things, and then had a beer at the cabin, then back to sea!
The fishing industry is a comedy show and if you look at it like that you'll always look on the brightside of life. The way I look at it is, the fishermen are on plant earth and the merchants are in a galaxy far, far, far, far away! As far as I know this is a team effort by both boats and all parties involved. You were given the change, last year, for six landings, to do something with are product, instead you laughed, joked and flipped 50p pieces on a market that is supposed to be there for the fishermen. You will not and I repeat be able to buy individual or boxes of fish from us direct. You like everyone else will have to buy it direct from M&J Seafoods. On another side we are all looking forward to another trip and the man from Del Monte is happy as usual with the fish that he got and I gather from now on, the whole tuna will be sent out with our tags on them. Hope you all had a nice day on beach, for those who went, unlucky for those office workers. Another young lady has been recruited in the seafood resource centre and a rather a good choice if I say so myself, I understand she's fluent in Spanish as well, not bad!
On our way home! Our total for the trip is 1114 fish, our best trip yet not bad, but we could do better. Junior was bit gutted 'cos I ended up having 14 hours sleep in my bunk and he only had about 12 hours - lash up Junior! Dickie cooked a lovely lamb roast, which I've gotta say, it was the high light of our day having a hot cooked meal, and how he fits it in as well as all the work on deck, I don't know! The man from Del Monte ended up buying our blue marlin, after a bit of haggling on the price and the deal was £75 to Newlyn Mission and £75 to Captain Edwards Charity, NAS. M & J Seafoods, from what I gather, are selling most of the fish whole. So they are now using our tags, to label our fish, so you the consumer will know who caught them. Once again, please remember if you buy these fish whole, there might be some small holes in them, where we've had to gaff them to get them aboard the boat. This brings individuality to each fish caught, 'cos i can assure you we have some fun trying to gaff them. There is a lot more I could write, but I'm sorry I just haven't got the time at the minute. I've gotta go up to Newlyn School, to hopefully show the future generation of fishermen, that there is a future in fishing after all! We are probably going back to sea Wednesday morning, I've got two days of running around with my head up my arse, as usual but like everything I get there in the end. I think we've generated a bit of press interested now in what we are doing, which is for the good of us, but I don't want people thinking this is a instant success story, I myself have put at least 7 years, behind the scenes before we got to this stage and as you see I am still putting in a lot of hours when I home from sea, throughout the year, which people tend to not see.
Last day today and are best trip yet! Got 163 fish today, didn't get off to a good start. The lines kept getting tangled, my fault waas feeling tired so had some kip and started again. Everything is fine, the time now is 5am Saturday morning and we're towing north west and leaving the Spanish fleet. Going to shorten the distance for steaming home this afternoon. Will be landing Sunday evening ish. Weather has been beautiful wave all got Bay of Biscay suntans. I won't need anymore holidays, as you can't beat this. I think we've decided to put the Marlin on Plymouth market and donate the money to a couple of charities will no more later, seen a lot of whales this trip that's all for the minute as I am going to have a bit of breakfast now.
I am feeling better! It's a beautiful night, it's 10 o'clock and we're just finishing up with 225 of the little darlings. That's the best day yet and no better way to burn off the lurgie aswell. There is a full moon up and around 80 pole boats here, all lit up it looks amazing, shame I haven't got a good camera. We've heard from Mr Del Monte and they can't wait for us to land, just what you want. On another note we should bring a few (9 to 5) ministers to sea with us, to see how our counter parts have used their money in investing in peoples livelihoods as in all the boats out here, our boat is the oldest. I would like this matter explained to me in peasant terms, not the usual political crap we get because it looking us right in the face at the moment. As usual this is a waste of breath, but thats what I is thinking and that is what I is writing. So goodnight and God bless from all of us on the Nova Spero, aka chitty chitty bang bang - Captiaino saya she's a tiger!
Spoke with John this morning. The Charisma is now fishing alongside the Nova Spero. John said the first few days for fishing were very poor! However, the last two days have changed for the better and they now have a total of 520 Cornish Line-Caught Tuna! I will hear more from John tomorrow - Happy Hunting!
Everything is on top of the world - got back ache, sore throat and stinking cold! You could say I'm not 100 percent, someone bought the lurgie aboard! On a good note weather is fine. We had 192 fish, and the blue marlin (that's what I reckon it is don't think it's a sail fish). We're fishing well but we could do better no smoothness with it still and I don't know how to make it easier without catching fish you've got to look at the lines and react to the situation and every secnd counts. Quite frustrating but practice and more practice should do it. There is about 60 or 70 pole boats with us at the moment. Right got to put lines out, I am crawling out of the wheelhouse.
We're running a bit late this morning, cause we caught ourselves a blue marlin. What a fight that was this morning, but yesterday was a fine day. Fishing was a little slow, we went for a look round. Had 107 fish for the day, but it was a good day weather wise - flat calm. Dolphins and whales were everywhere! Can't think of much to put at the minute, as still buzzing from catching the marlin, about a 70lb to 80lb fish! The tan is coming on well at the minute - it's bloody hot!
