Well, this Sunday, for the ninth year in a row, I took part in The Annual
Duke of Fluke Tournament started by a guy I used to work for way back when.
There is usually upwards of 25 of us on a chartered boat off of the Atlantic
Highlands of the New Jersey shore. We are all friends and it is a reunion of
sorts, as we all either still work together or we used to work together with
the horses at the track. It costs $150 to enter, and it lasts from 8:00 am
to 3:00 pm.
The person with the biggest Fluke wins. There are side pools for biggest
fish at 11:00 am and biggest fish at 1:00 pm with the grand prize $1500,
going to the person with the biggest fish by 3:00 pm.
At first we were worried that the weather would be bad as it had rained all
day on Saturday and into the night...then we worried that no one would catch
any fish, as it is usually slim pickings the morning after a rain. However,
the day turned out to be beautiful and sunny, with scattered clouds and the
temperature in the mid 80's.
After a short ride out to sea, at 8:30 our poles were in the water and the
contest was on. The beers are opened, the vodka and lemonade is mixed, the
fried chicken and sandwiches are passed around, the jokes start flowing, and
the laughing begins. It really is a grand time.
In all previous years, I have never come close. I've caught decent fish, a
great many sea robins (or croakers as they are commonly called), but nothing
you would even throw on a scale.
This year, after I had given up all hope of even catching supper and after
catching the granddaddy of all sea robins, at 2:00 pm, I caught a 22-inch
long fluke. At first, I thought it was another croaker because it gave such
a fight, but two tangled lines later, up surfaces this fluke. I was
astounded. Unfortunately, someone had already caught a fluke that was also
pretty large, but everyone thought mine was fatter and would weigh more. Ha!
<sigh>
At 3:00 pm, all fishing ceased. I had caught one more keeper (a fluke over
16 inches) and nobody else had caught anything close to the two pool fish.
Out comes the weigher.
<drum roll> ........ My fish was lighter by about 4 ounces. ARGHS!
Second Place. After all these years... <sigh> oh well, can't wait until next
year!
I will tell you one thing though, Second Place sure did taste good this
evening!! Nothing like fresh flounder that takes you all day to catch!
<grin>
I hope this finds everyone well,
Erika
(with a *K*)
"I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by." -
Douglas Adams (1952 - 2001)
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