Dominica Fishing and Market

Blogger: John

After detailed instruction from Dick we bought some more ballyhoo for bait and I settled down for a long evening fishing on Petronella. Nothing, nada for hours fishing on the bottom with bits of ballyhoo or whole fish. There was a lot of disturbance on the surface though so when a flying fish noisily jumped aboard I gave him a quick stab in the guts and stuck him on the end of the line, free lining as we say. I jigged it up and down in the top 3 metres and finally around 12.30am there was a “bang” on the rod and off we go. The fish let go though and I wound gently in trying to get him to attack it again. “Bang, bang”, here we go again, and again. Finally he was properly hooked and eventually bought alongside. I tried to use the gaff for the first time but it wasn’t sharp enough (subsequently sharpened). So hand lined him out after waking Gilly up for assistance. We got him (it turned out to be a her) on board, dispatched her with alcohol in the gills and Gilly used her fish factory skills to gut her. She’s now in the fridge awaiting grilling (tuna, not Gilly). I think it is a tuna of some sort. The tail looks very tuna-like and it could possibly be a black fin tuna. Whatever, it looks very tasty.

Fish

Proud angler with fish

So today it’s Saturday, market day in Portsmouth, Dominica and we meant to be off early to catch the bargains but Gilly is not too good today – temperature, feeling sick and achy and very, very tired. It was 8.30 by the time we had dinghied to the town quay. The conchs (big shells) were being sounded so we knew that there was fish for sale (we, off course, did not need any!) but it was the vegetable and fruit market that really caught the eye.

Selection of fresh Dominican fruit and vegetables at the Saturday market

Coconut husks

More fresh and colourful Dominican produce

Trimming sugar cane

As I was off buying a delicious fried cooking banana (plantain) stuffed with celery and salt fish a crinkly old chap came up to Gill and asked her if she had anyone to look after her. If not, he said, he would like to take care of her!! Yeah, I bet.

Yummy grilled plantain banana filled with celery and salt fish (70p)

We’re still waiting for Jack and Fizzy to get here. They’ve had problems with their tenants in the UK and then can’t check their dogs in to Dominica over the weekend. So our reunion will be delayed yet again as they wait in Martinique, the next island south. Hurry up guys, there’s walks to do and fish to eat.

Postscript: It appears this was no tuna, ratyher some sort of Jack. Jack's are particularly renowned for  carrying ciguatera the nerve poison that can, at worst kill you. Luckily this one was not carrying the disease. Lucky, especially as we fed a good portion of it to the French on the next boat!