Negative Fishing

A couple more PCVs from my group came in, Dan and Trevor, who stay in the Mortlock Islands (south east of the Chuuk Lagoon). They're both great guys, and Trevor was my roommate through staging up till we moved in with host families. He's a really unique and interesting guy. Really love chatting with him. The three of us tried fishing last Friday. To sum it up, we titled the day "Negative Fishing". We rented two sea kayaks from a resort here, after purchasing some supplies for the day. After some pretty sad rigging of the fishing line in local style (secured to and wrapped around a short piece of 1x4), we took to the lagoon. Dan was in a single kayak and Trevor and I were in the other kayak, also designed for one person. Things started just fine, though balancing was a bit tricky. We got a ways out, had a good rhythm going with out paddles, and started surveying where we'd want to try fishing. That was the pinnacle of our fishing day. After that, we started loosing things.

I turned around (was sitting in the back recess, meant for gear) and noticed Trevor's flip-flops were no longer with us. We spotted one and were able to get it, but the other alluded us. Unbeknownst to the operators, our kayak was taking on a prodigious amount of water, becoming more unstable with every second. It tipped over, my newly purchased snorkel mask (left my other in Houk), the fish we'd bought for bait and a REALLY important set of keys to the office sank beneath the gentle lagoon waves.


We righted the kayak, got Trevor back in and all the gear--save those mentioned above. Trevor's backpack was soaking, though. Also, I couldn't get back into the kayak, due to how tip-happy it had become. This exposed me to an unanticipated danger: jellyfish. Big ones. Lots of them. Dan tried to come to our rescue, but took too long. He did, however, bring the beer, which was even better. We cracked one open and shared it around. I took some photos, and then Trevor started towing us in. At one point, I looked to my left and there was a jellyfish within reach the size of my head! Somehow I managed not to get stung on the way in, we swapped places about halfway and Trevor, likewise, escaped the jellys' wrath.

Dan kept fishing for a while, and Trevor and I had a great chat, munching Cheese-Its and drinking more beer, drying out our stuff. During it, I really started to formulate a plan to check out the US after I'm done with my Master's. Go check out the country, you know? Visit friends from before and during Peace Corps. It's really sounding like exactly what I need to do, because I BARELY know any of the States outside of my little corner in the Northwest. I think that needs to be addressed. Otherwise, I'm going to know a tiny island nation in the Pacific better than my own homeland.

Anyhow, we BSed, relaxed, enjoyed some of the late, slanting rays of the day's sun, and then headed on home. It was such a great day, and the tremendous failure that was fishing only made it better. Could NOT have been better. Could not have been better.