Barbary Coast Dive Club Newsletter Page 3
Fish Story of the Month.....
This month's fish story is brought to you by Lance Rennka. from his book "Back in '02... When There Were Wooden Tanks and Steel Men" ($13.95 from Anacapa Press). Lance was one of the first recreational SCUBA divers, and this book tells his stories about finding out things through trial and error. A great book..
Chapter 8 Pier Dives
I had just finished hooking the second tank when a commotion on the pier attracted my attention. I walked down the pier and arrived at the crowd just in time to see a fisherman pull up a medium sized ling cod. The street shoes, casual dress (for Morro Bay it was black tie formal), fresh water spinning reel, and the local resident fishermen glowereing indicated a tourist. The fish was definitely a keeper, and probably the only ling caught on the pier in a month. Beginners luck , of course.
"Honey, look how green the fish is, " the proud fisherman's wife was commenting. "Do you think it's OK?"
Now most of the ling cod on the central coast are green with turquoise meat that turns white when cooked. They are the best eating fish by the unanimous consent of all the locals.
Without a second's hesitation, the guy pitched the fish back into the water from the pier. His action was so fast, I couldn't even retract my statement. The locals gasped in disbelief, then proceeded to enjoy a good belly laugh. Up until that incident, they had all been a little nonplused at me harvesting what they considered "their " bounty, even though they seldom caught what I shot. They came over, shook my hand, introduced themselves, and offered my favorite fuel/delicacy- doughnuts and coffee.
"I'm not sure ," the fisherman/tourist replied. He carefully removed the hook and examined the fish, making sure it didn't contaminate his clothes.
From a periphery of the crowd, I said, "That's a young ling cod, its not ripe yet, that's why its green. You should throw it back."
Updated 6/10/02
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