Arrrrr. Let me spin you a tale of fishing in the Maldives for the great tuna. A heartbreaking tale from The Culinary Edge TV ..
Bailey and I booked a fishing charter on the isle of Huraa. Our host Shahid Rasheed is like the Maldivian version of Ricardo Montalban- 'Welcome to Fantasy Island'. We really didn't know what we were in for. We have been fishing on a boat 4 times so far in our around the world adventure and each one was full of surprises.
We set out onto the clear blue Maldivian waters in an 18ft speed boat. The fishing gear consisted of empty 3 gallon oil jugs with fishing line wrapped around and trolling lures on the end. Perfect! We were hand-lining tuna in the Indian Ocean.
The Captain drove the boat to some fishing grounds off the the island of Hulhumale. Bailey and I took our places in the stern and let the lines drift out into the rich colbalt blue sea. We held the lines waiting for a fish. Not too long into it Bailey got a hit, she started pulling in her line with this scary and determined look. I told her to make sure the line wasn't wrapped around her hands "I've seen fingers torn out at the knuckles."
Bailey and I booked a fishing charter on the isle of Huraa. Our host Shahid Rasheed is like the Maldivian version of Ricardo Montalban- 'Welcome to Fantasy Island'. We really didn't know what we were in for. We have been fishing on a boat 4 times so far in our around the world adventure and each one was full of surprises.
We set out onto the clear blue Maldivian waters in an 18ft speed boat. The fishing gear consisted of empty 3 gallon oil jugs with fishing line wrapped around and trolling lures on the end. Perfect! We were hand-lining tuna in the Indian Ocean.
The Captain drove the boat to some fishing grounds off the the island of Hulhumale. Bailey and I took our places in the stern and let the lines drift out into the rich colbalt blue sea. We held the lines waiting for a fish. Not too long into it Bailey got a hit, she started pulling in her line with this scary and determined look. I told her to make sure the line wasn't wrapped around her hands "I've seen fingers torn out at the knuckles."
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"It looked like a nice yellowfin (ahi) tuna and I was salivating thinking of the Hawaiian style poke I would prepare from this tasty fish."
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As she gained line on the fish, our Captain wound the line around the oil jug. The fish got closer and I asked the crew if they had a gaffe. It doesn't appear they use gaffes in the Maldives. Bailey persistently kept pulling the fish in with her hands and I filmed it with the GoPro. She brought the fish to the side of the boat. Looked like a nice yellowfin (ahi) tuna and I was salivating thinking of the Hawaiian style poke I would prepare from this tasty fish.
At the side of the boat the Captain went to go lift the fish and we watched as the yellowfin tuna seemed to look right at us. And with one flick of his beak it shook the hook out, flopping back into the water and shooting us a stare that read, "You'll be eating salad tonight. HaHaHA". And then he was gone!
We didn't hook another fish that day but we will always remember that stare the fish gave us as he escaped back into the Indian Ocean. Bailey has cuts on her hands from the line and will certainly remember the fight...the question is -- will that fish remember us?
At the side of the boat the Captain went to go lift the fish and we watched as the yellowfin tuna seemed to look right at us. And with one flick of his beak it shook the hook out, flopping back into the water and shooting us a stare that read, "You'll be eating salad tonight. HaHaHA". And then he was gone!
We didn't hook another fish that day but we will always remember that stare the fish gave us as he escaped back into the Indian Ocean. Bailey has cuts on her hands from the line and will certainly remember the fight...the question is -- will that fish remember us?
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