You can also fish the traditional way by throwing nets but the most common fishing that is free for anyone and which both adults and kids engage and enjoy is fishing with a pole along the shorelines where you don’t have to own a boat to paddle to the middle of the ocean or spend dollars to buy fuel. You can do it anywhere along the shores.
Seeing an individual, groups or even kids at the shorelines with a pole dangling on the water is a very common sight. Fathers and mothers do it, kids do it, and teenagers do it. It’s one pastime that breaks through the barriers of culture and generation.

I’ve tried casting a fishing pole several times at the Smiling Cove Marina and at the Fishing Base sometime before but the fish were too clever. They either wait for my sandwich bait to melt and get separated from the hook, or they have a way of pecking their way around the bait without getting hooked. I bought several sets of hooks and plastic baits and other accessories to lure the fish to no avail. But try I did, several times until someone who must have thought I have no future in pole fishing my fishing pole from my car.
It’s fascinating to watch how patient these people are, waiting for any movement from their rods and yanking it out of the water only to find no fish at the end. Even the little kids who don’t have fishing poles found ways to tie the fishing strings around mineral water bottles.
I haven’t given up on pole fishing yet. Give me a call if ever one of you finds a fishing rod that comes with built-in patience. That may be the time I can catch my first fish.

Gone Fishing

ISLAND COLOR

Raquel C. Bagnol

(Published in March 5, 2006 issue of Sunstar Davao)

If there’s one thing most (if not all) Palauans have in common, it’s a passion for fishing. They do it not only for livelihood but for pastime. If the weather is not good for fishing, the men gather in groups and talk about it endlessly. My boss is no exception. He owns a 25-foot fishing boat aside from the other smaller ones and goes fishing whenever he can. Also, when a fisherman comes to his fish market with an extra-huge catch like a 65-lb. wahoo fish or any other, we will be expecting a call from him to take a photo of the fisherman and his catch for the newspaper.

I have tried fishing only one time and I couldn’t wait to do it again. The thrill of catching your own fish is so unforgettable that one day last month, the boss declared a whole day picnic at Ulong beach in one of the Rock Islands for his birthday. I decided to go with the group who were to go fishing for lunch.

There were eight of us and only Celina and I were the females. I sat at the front tip of the boat which was traveling at a speed of 35 knots an hour, my hair flying in all directions and getting salty and tangled without giving a thought to the damage I have done to it. (Getting my regular quarterly hair relaxing treatment is very expensive here!)

We were in the middle of the sea when Boss Phil slowed the boat and three lines were dropped into the water. I was asked to hold one of the lines and wait for fish to bite the bait. Then we picked up speed again. I later learned that was called “trawling”. We were going fast so I complained we didn’t have any catch because the fish can not catch up with us. Kuya Johnny, our Pinoy master fisherman said we have to go fast because we have to convince the fish that the bait is real.

We were handed one can of Budweiser each, for “good luck”, they said, but I was on my third can (still for good luck!) and no fish took my bait yet. I had no breakfast and I was already feeling groggy when I felt a tug on my line. I became alert and jumped up only to find our other companion, Tatay, laughing and tugging my lines. Another tug later and I knew a fish bit my bait. However the line felt lax and the fish got away.We did catch two huge wahoo fish but a big barracuda got away before Kuya Johnny was able to haul it in.  

And then I encountered a problem which I thought was the reason why women seldom go fishing- I felt the call of nature. But where was I supposed to empty my kidneys in the middle of the sea? I suppressed the urge for an eternity but when I couldn’t finally hold it, I told the guys what my problem was and they laughed. Boss stopped the boat and one of the guys lowered a ladder. I went down nervously, holding on to the ladder tightly, imagining myself slipping into the dark depths and getting washed up in some shore later if sharks won’t get me. I dipped myself in the sea water and relieved myself for three full minutes. Whew, I had no plans to take a bath in the sea but that was unevitable.

Last night I went fishing again but it was raining, and all the fish must have taken shelter from the rain we didn’t catch even a single one. However, we went fishing just at the back of our office and there was a rest room nearby so I didn’t have to take a dip in the sea.