April 15Madagascar – Day 16
Even though yesterday led me to believe the fishing here isn’t too good I began the day by chucking some Crazy Charlie shrimp patterns in front of our room. I’ve managed to catch a fish every single day of this trip that I’ve been near water. It’s important I keep that going, but morning gave me no luck.After breakfast, Granny and I joined our South African family (the father, Peter, his wife Renee, and their two daughters Ané
and Monique) for a tour of Isle Saint Marie. There are a couple things we wanted to check out, the village on Isle Saint Marie and the world’s only pirate cemetery.Florio and Herman (the guys I fished with yesterday) poled us all across the channel to Isle Saint Marie. Me and Peter started by enjoying a few early beers during the short pirogue ride. What the heck, its vacation right?
The way this tour worked, La Petite Traversée helped us hire a four wheel drive vehicle with a driver and guide. The truck was supposed to have room for all six of us. It didn’t. Granny and I huddled in the back as if we were on an African minivan bus, something we are all too familiar with. We made it work though despite the fact that I ruined my shorts by sitting in oil and it was excruciatingly hot.Anyhow, we saw the village. That was
nothing to write home about. The pirate cemetery was cool, but if the fishing was decent yesterday I could have easily skipped this. The highlight at the cemetery was seeing the first tarantula of the trip. We also checked out a waterfall. That was nice and I wanted to hike above it and fish wherever the water was coming from but our driver would have no part of the idea. The tours highlight was eating a great lunch of monster prawns on a remote beach at the north part of the island. All the food has 
been great this trip and the prawns were scrumptious. To top the tour off, I sucked a few extra beers and watched Granny and the South Africans explore several of the locally made rums. Everyone was feeling good.Tonight I ran straight to the channel near our room to try and get that one fish for the day. First cast I had a small barracuda chase but he never returned. Twenty minutes later I was about to give up when as I was
Other than having a blast with our new found family, the tour was a bore. However, it was a heck of an eating day. We had those delicious prawns for lunch and tonight La Petite fed us whole crabs. I like this anniversary!
The Pirate Cemetery looks almost like it is out of a movie... kind of cool. Congratulations on your tarantula, and Granny looks as if she has found a warm friend in a glass.
ReplyDeleteAnother cold day in ID, and they are expecting more snow in the mountains... fishing is very limited here in the south west side of the state.
You know Jeff, as you contemplate your 'Cioppino,' you look a little like a young Ansel Adams. He would probably want more of your photos in B&W though. :)
ReplyDeleteOn crutches, so fishing for me these days. Besides all Sierra Nevada creeks to rivers are running high. Snowpack is about 160% of average.
Pat