Last Cast

“Farewell and adieu unto you Spanish ladies, Farewell and adieu to you ladies of Spain…”

I do so feel like singing that old sea shanty now that I have an affinity with Robert Shaw’s character, Quint, from the film “Jaws”. Oh, and I have plenty of scars to show – not shark attack scars of course, but ones acquired honourably nevertheless (especially the swimming accident one – 45 minutes to clean up and sew at Southport Hospital many years ago!). Talking of shark attack…

My assistant and I were at the rather innocent sounding Pelican Slipway, Redland Bay, for a spot of fishing (my last for a while as tomorrow I shall be heading up to the Sunshine Coast). Roland had all the luck, catching a fine bream within the first half hour, after changing the bait from old squid (refrozen and thawed twice) to a piece of diced steak. I caught only the sun and, for the most part of three hours, I left my rod standing in the crevice of rocks; never willing to just sit and get bored, I scrambled over the rocks with my mobile phone camera.

Time passed happily enough for me, although my casting out was amateurish in the extreme and I had either to admit defeat by calling upon my aide’s strong arm or make do with short casts… with the tide going out. Apart from the once I made do with my own feeble efforts.

“Time to go, I think,” said Roland. (He had already had his prize.)

“Just one last cast?” I implored, not really thinking that it would be any more successful than the previous attempts.

The last cast was equally as short and disappointing as the many before, however, within moments there was an enormous bite on my line and my heart leapt. It was a big one – I could tell.

“Let it out,” yelled my helper, “then bring him in a bit.”

And so, with such sound advice, I brought Jaws onto the rocks and my seafaring friend fought to hold him long enough for me to take a few photographs. Those mighty jaws made short work of the fishing line and the desperate shark was allowed back into the water, albeit with a nasty big hook still in his mouth.

“Oh… Farewell and adieu unto you Spanish ladies, Farewell and adieu to you ladies of Spain…”