January 14

3.5C Overcast.
No snow here - yet! Vancouver and up Island got it. Unfortunately it is promised for later next week and that could interfere with our departure. Lets just have rain instead.
Had a pleasant visit with friends from the B/C, they came for a little 'happy hour'.
More packing and organizing in store today then off to G Grandson's hockey game. He is also much into skate boarding, even has a video on U tube - see 'Ridge Rosa mini edit'

Water Borne --

far end where it rose from the deep water.

As he got underway he had noticed the black line on the horizon but as there was no significant cloud build up he mentally shrugged and concentrated on where he was going.

Just over a half hour later he slowed and once again put out his lines.

The scattered cloud that was there earlier had been replaced by a thickening overcast, he noticed that the black line was still off to the west and was noticeably closer.

Suddenly the rod on his deep fishing line dipped abruptly and the line was torn from the down-rigger clip. He grabbed the rod and started reeling until he had taken up the slack then carefully commenced the fight with what he knew was a big fish. He immediately knew it wasn’t a salmon that he had hooked as instead of the frenzied jerking and line stripping of a spring or coho the fish at the other end was quietly resisting by using its weight and occasional tiny tugs.

“A halibut, by God, Bob me boy.” He muttered aloud. He backed to the boat’s console and cut the motor then switched on the automatic cable retrievers on both down-riggers then bracing his knees against the gunwale he had set himself for what could be a long tug o war.

As he and the fish struggled he felt a breeze brush his cheek, he had glanced out to the west and saw that the leading edge of the black line was much closer but still ended on the horizon. Clouds were forming between it and the overcast which was now much lower.

“Might have to make a run for it when I get this sucker aboard.” He had spoken aloud once more.

The struggle had gone on for a half hour, the fish had tired and the man, Bob, knew that he would prevail, another fifteen minutes had passed then as the fish finally started a desperate  run the boat was pitched violently by a blast of wind.

Bob had stumbled and fallen against the engine cover, He had looked over his shoulder and had seen a line of cresting waves some half mile away. At the same time his line had gone slack as the fish took advantage of the moment and either threw the hook or broke the line.

Bob hadn’t had time to worry about the loss of the fish, he rammed the rod into its travel holder and lunged for the console and the ignition switch.