First Blood

Jan is an accomplished offshore fisher. I usually could care less about fishing, but in the nature of couples everywhere she buys me a great offshore rod and reel for my 60th birthday. I promised to let her use it if she is good. Anyway last Sunday was the perfect day. We were broad reaching in the Exuma Sound after leaving George Town headed for Galliot Cut and Cay.

At 3:30 lightning struck--our first fish and it was a beauty. The fish was about an 8 pound Mahi-mahi. It was probably a male based on the head features. We caught it on a red and black lure. The reel was a Penn 300. White Pepper was in 75 feet of water although very deep water was only a mile away. The moon was 3 days from new.

Jan fished the creature up to the boat, and I gaffed it. Then we pored rum into the gills. I thought it was a waste of good rum, but Jan said it helped settle him down. Soon he was dead, gutted, filleted. A shark eat the carcass. Cleaning up the cockpit under sail was a major effort but Jan did a great job.

Soon afterwards we maneuvered Galliot Cut without incident. Crossing any Exuma cut is a delicate exercise in tide, timing and navigation. We anchored for the night around the corner behind Galliot Cay. I grilled the Mahi-mahi on the Magma gill hanging off the stern rail as the sun went down. Jan had made a dill sauce. I have never tasted anything finer, or been more tired. We slept nearly 10 hours that night.