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Dec. 19, 2008
'In the wake of a legend'
After many years of reading and writing about Ernest Hemingway, the American hunting and fishing icon, I succumbed recently to an invitation to visit his Key West haunts, walk through his home (turned museum), drink a Papa Doble at his favorite bar (Sloppy Joe's) and fish his waters. One of his favorite places to fish was along the east coast of the Keys. The reefs off Islemarada were particularly close to his heart. That's where I would start. My fishing adventure began at Islemarada's Holiday Isle Resort and I would be joined by my fishing buddy Ron Cross from Pahrump. The goal would be to taste the Atlantic waters Hemingway fished and search for its abundant sailfish, dolphin fish (also known as mahi mahi or dorado) and the plentiful king mackerel. My guide would be Capt. Larry Wren, owner of Pirate's Choice Charters. He would be assisted by frst mate, and "deckie," Gary Salyers. Both Ron and I were excited as we headed out to sea in the early morning sunrise; we were blessed with a soft westerly breeze. The first task, however, was to catch some bait. We drifted the reef drop-off, which indicated the end of the shallow shelf that extends several miles from shore. We were searching for ballyhoo, as Gary chummed the reef's edge with a mixture of fish and sand. As they came to the surface, he demonstrated his skill with a cast net. Now, this wasn't a small five-foot cast net as I had been taught to throw by my Thai restaurant owner friends, it was 20 feet in diameter and was to be thrown a considerable distance from the boat's stern. The water boiled just below the surface and the net was thrown masterfully. We netted more than enough live trolling bait. The others were returned to the sea; a few to the waiting mouths of noisy gulls and frigate birds. As the sky turned a bright blue, we began trolling. The first strike brought us a nice king mackerel, which seemed unrelated to our west coast species based on its fighting ability and meat texture. Then a second fish came aboard, a fine 10-pound dolphin fish, my favorite table fare and the one that always puts on a dramatic display of jumps and flashing blue, green, and yellow colors when landed. Most exciting though is the sight of sailfish trailing and inspecting the trolled ballyhoo. Several seemed to toy with us and we would all jump to our active stations, but they weren't having any of it. That was OK; Capt Wren switched two of the live trolled lines to lures and we immediately saw sails, but they were timid. The large dolphin fish that strip line from one of the surface trolls, however, wasn't. It took line from the light reels, spraying a mist of salt water that coated my glasses, face, and shirt. Gary soon helped get me settled as I lightened the drag a bit, and the fight was on. I was consistently reminded by all on board, "Pump and reel. Pump and reel." The fish was brought nearer to the boat; a gaff was ready, but the fish would streak off once again in the direction of the Bahamas, tearing line as it went. Again, he was brought close, but he wasn't through and would strip the light line once again, and again. The 15-minute battle seemed much longer. The adrenaline rush and my arm and wrist muscles were telling me of the constant pressure they were exerting. Once again he was brought to the transom and expertly gaffed by the first mate. Hand shakes, high-fives, and congratulations were made all around. The prize weighed in at 20 pounds and made a fine dinner that night for all. That afternoon we took advantage of some of the resort's other offerings. A bit of sun on the private beach, a swim in the pool, and of course, the sharing of beverages and stories with other anglers. Some of whom were preparing for a week long sailfish tournament which would start the next day. It might be asked, "Why go to the Florida Keys for sailfish and dolphin fish?" We on the West Coast certainly have an abundance of these species available, from California's Catalina Island to Mexico's Cabo San Lucas. The answer lies in the knowledge that fishing is not just gauged by the catching of fish; it's the adventure of travel, seeing new waters, and even following in the wake of legendary anglers, like Hemingway, Zane Grey, and Ron Cross. I had to add my pal Ron's name as this was just the first leg of our trip to fish Brazil's Amazon River for peacock bass and piranha, where he became a true legend. More of that story in a future column. For Larry Wren's Pirate's Choice Charters, go to info@pirateschoice.com or call 1-305-360-4900. Recipe of week Here's one inspired by the warm tropical breeze of the Florida Keys with a bit of an Italian influence. I'm sure Hemingway would approve of its taste, and of its originator. As you prepare this, think of those warm sunsets, of big fish, good beverage and Angelique. Angelique's Grilled Mahi Mahi Steaks Ingredients: 3/4 cup olive oil; 3 cloves of garlic, crushed; 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce; 1 red bell pepper, cut into bite-size pieces; 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into bite-size pieces; 2 large zucchini, cut into bite-size pieces; 2 small eggplants, cut into bite-size pieces; olive oil, for brushing on; 4 mahi mahi steaks. Sauce: To 1 cup mayonnaise, add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice; 1 small clove of garlic, chopped; 1 tablespoon of capers. Directions: Combine olive oil, garlic and sweet chili sauce in a large bowl. Add peppers, zucchini, and eggplant and toss well, then marinate for 30 minutes. For the mayonnaise sauce put all ingredients in a food processor, or blender, while slowly adding the oil until creamy. Stir in the capers. On a grill, cook the vegetables for 5 minutes on each size, or until cooked through. Set aside and keep warm. Brush the mahi mahi steaks with olive oil and grill for 2 minutes on each side, or to desired doneness. Arrange the vegetables and mahi mahi on a plate and top with mayonnaise sauce. -- If you have an adventure, a story or a comment , give me a call at 727-9777 or e-mail me at dansimmons@usa.net. |
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