Scary Waters

It really felt sharky the other day, out in the water at Doheny.  You see, the fishing grounds are far out and you have to paddle over submerged reef and a channel to get to 1/2 mile reef, way past the surfers, and almost to the end of the short jetty inlet to Dana Harbor.

On the way out, I got yelled at by a few grommets, and inevitably stared them down, some kook trying to tell me I couldn't fish there.  I acted like I couldn't understand him at first (but everything told me to get out of the water and fast).

Sorry, no can do.

Far from shore, I heard the seals going off.  Waves were chaotic and ugly, blown from a strong SE wind, grey and dirty brown; nasty looking sky, and I thought I saw a fin pop up in the distance.

I had freshly frozen anchovies in a Ziploc, in my lure bag, that was dripping blood everywhere in the water.  Every time I took a lure out of my bag, red-stained seawater poured out.  Man, I was leaving a sent trail out there and I was afraid to paddle and stick my arms down in the water. 

I started having sketchy shark visions.

Closer to the channel, I quickly picked up a short bass while mouth-trolling.  Then, something tugged me hard and bit my lure in half.  As I retrieved the lure from the murky water, I stared down at my legs dissapearing into the muddy green depths.  I thought I saw a giant shadow move underneath me.

Luckily, it was just Kelp. Ha!

Serious though, I did not want to tempt fate any longer so I paddled myself back to the beach.  I got up on the tidal burm and stared down at the grommets coming towards me from the water.  I felt there was going to be a fight, so I readied myself and my gear.  They passed by me and said no word, though I looked them in the eyes the whole way.

The real sharks are on land and I sometimes wish I could stay in the ocean, but that would be boring.  It is good to fish on land, as well as in the ocean. 

Life is abundant...

Even though death is always near.