Weekend out #2: Fishing
After the excitement of the camel race we decided it was time we did something gentlemanly and relaxing. Stu had heard there was some good fishing to be had off the coast so off we headed off to find one of the many day fishing boats out instructor promised us would be fighting for our custom in Abu Dhabi Marina.
After two hours of wandering around in 30 degree heat we had found only one bloke that cost 3600D for 4 hours but was out an a trip any way so couldn't take us. It was fair to say that moral was low so I decided to try the marine sports building. I casually wondered into the building and found a helpful looking block to ask where we could go to find fishing. As he chatted to a colleague I took in my surroundings, apparently I had wandered into the middle of an office but nobody seemed to mind so I carried on like I was supposed to be there. The helpful man did point me in the direction of some ramshackle cafe where we bumped into a guy we named Tony (or something) who was up for taking us out.
We decided to go to the store to stock up on water as it was roasting and Tony went off for prayer so we met up half hour late and jumped on Tony's boat. It was fantastic, the sun was shining the water was crystal clear and the giant flag on the mosque not moving an inch so we powered off into the distance. Dave was steadily working through the 3 litres of power aid he bought insisting we could sweat out 1/4 our body weight on a day like this when the horizon suddenly developed a line of clouds. When we asked our local fishing guide what the weather forecast was for the day it turned out he had no idea so we assumed it would be ok and carried on. By the time we dropped our first hook over the side it was pretty damn windy. Like proper windy - even for me. This meant that the moment I dropped the line over the side (the wrong side) it got wrapped around the prop. Tony spent the next 15 minutes hanging off the back trying to untangle us as the boat lurched about making Dave feel seasick - Quote "is it best to throw up?"
After untangling the fishing gear Tony had had enough so we motored back to shelter - totally soaking us when the bow buried itself in a wave sending a wall of water completely over the top of the boat straight onto Dave. The next 3 hours were spent catching hypothermia while drifting gradually down the coastline of Abu Dhabi. Stu took the record for fish over the day catching a total of one (the only one out of all of us) approx 7" long.
The day was summed up when Surab from off our course saw us at dinner and asked "what happened to you? why do you look so tired and red!". Another successful weekend.
After the excitement of the camel race we decided it was time we did something gentlemanly and relaxing. Stu had heard there was some good fishing to be had off the coast so off we headed off to find one of the many day fishing boats out instructor promised us would be fighting for our custom in Abu Dhabi Marina.
After two hours of wandering around in 30 degree heat we had found only one bloke that cost 3600D for 4 hours but was out an a trip any way so couldn't take us. It was fair to say that moral was low so I decided to try the marine sports building. I casually wondered into the building and found a helpful looking block to ask where we could go to find fishing. As he chatted to a colleague I took in my surroundings, apparently I had wandered into the middle of an office but nobody seemed to mind so I carried on like I was supposed to be there. The helpful man did point me in the direction of some ramshackle cafe where we bumped into a guy we named Tony (or something) who was up for taking us out.
We decided to go to the store to stock up on water as it was roasting and Tony went off for prayer so we met up half hour late and jumped on Tony's boat. It was fantastic, the sun was shining the water was crystal clear and the giant flag on the mosque not moving an inch so we powered off into the distance. Dave was steadily working through the 3 litres of power aid he bought insisting we could sweat out 1/4 our body weight on a day like this when the horizon suddenly developed a line of clouds. When we asked our local fishing guide what the weather forecast was for the day it turned out he had no idea so we assumed it would be ok and carried on. By the time we dropped our first hook over the side it was pretty damn windy. Like proper windy - even for me. This meant that the moment I dropped the line over the side (the wrong side) it got wrapped around the prop. Tony spent the next 15 minutes hanging off the back trying to untangle us as the boat lurched about making Dave feel seasick - Quote "is it best to throw up?"
After untangling the fishing gear Tony had had enough so we motored back to shelter - totally soaking us when the bow buried itself in a wave sending a wall of water completely over the top of the boat straight onto Dave. The next 3 hours were spent catching hypothermia while drifting gradually down the coastline of Abu Dhabi. Stu took the record for fish over the day catching a total of one (the only one out of all of us) approx 7" long.
The day was summed up when Surab from off our course saw us at dinner and asked "what happened to you? why do you look so tired and red!". Another successful weekend.
Mind you still beats being on a boat off Felixstowe in the rain trying to fish in a sea thats been fished out!!
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