Well seeing as she'd tried sitting on top with me the other day and found herself getting far wetter than when sliding around inside like normal it was only natural that she'd decide to do more of it in the future and so, with Shore Watersports selling off some ex-demo kayaks the Scupper Pro just had to go back to Shetland with her. With it back in Yarmouth I went to pick it up and arranged to meet her at the end of the road so we could sneak off through the dunes for a quick session.
In the three weeks since she'd got here the sea had not been obliging so this was to be the first time she'd got out on it here in eighteen years which was, incidentally, the first time I’d ever been on the sea in a kayak and only my second or third time on a kayak at all. We remember the day well and, quite frankly, I was terrified the whole time and convinced I was going to die; I only lasted a couple of minutes before having to pull out. It's funny to think that we launched, back then, from the end of the road I now live on and it's now my local surfing spot. But anyway, that was ten miles south from where we stood now by a calm sea that was coming up to high water and about as clear as I’ve ever seen it here. It screamed bass in fact and it'd be rude to not take my rod out. You can see where this is going, can't you.
Virgin launch. She jumped on as I slipped it in, getting wet immediately and with a couple of quick strokes she was off. Of course I'm notoriously quick off the mark and had got straight in so had already got off before her, ideal for the first launch photo, giving her a quick flash as she came straight after.
Of course we could slow our pace and take our time now and with gentle strokes we both went down to the outfall. The tip of my rod was twitching but failed to attract the attention of an eager mouth so we carried on to the rocks that form the edge of the outer harbour. I moved in close and made shallow strokes, dipping slowly and keeping things nice and tight when suddenly my rod started to buck solidly. I turned and grabbed hold and could feel that lovely pull. My paddle was on my knees now but the incoming tide was causing issues and as I got sucked in to the boulders I stuck my rod between my knees, took hold of my shaft and pulled out a bit.
Meanwhile, 4lb or so of bass had taken my J13 off into the distance and with my other lure being a sinker I needed it out of the way rather than stuck to the bed and as I got stuck in Paula came next to me, pulling my rod out of the tube and helped me out.
A minute later I had the fish alongside, beautifully conditioned and thick I grasped it firmly behind the head and pulled it in between my legs. A quick photograph of me holding it in the air followed before I popped it back down between my legs; It was the biggest one Paula had ever seen and her eyes were wide in awe.
I was well happy and after a celebratory cigarette I decided I fancied another go so we continued round the end of the outer harbour.
Crossing the harbour mouth it looked as empty as ever but with no more takes, the water being more coloured and bits of weed floating around it was nothing more than a gentle paddle round. Coming down the other side the water was still coloured and I spotted a ship coming through the harbour and out to sea. I wound the rods in and we stayed near the rocks to wait for it to pass before radioing in for permission to cross the entrance. We got discussed over the VHF and the next thing I knew a lifeguard rib came shooting out from the beach; not wanting to break into the transmissions between harbourmaster and ship we sat and waited as they came over. Quite amusing for me as when they pulled up they said they'd spotted an orange thing come around the corner, wondered what it is, seen it was kayaks and came out to check up...whereupon they recognised me and said they knew I'd be fine. A quick chat followed and I showed them my bass and then tried calling up the harbourmaster to check it was okay to cross; no answer, perhaps interference from the rocks being the problem and then a pilot boat came through behind the ship, popped over as well and after a brief chat we shot across and headed down towards the Swan.
The tide was starting to turn now and realising that I'd run out of time if we continued we stopped halfway and headed back for the rocks, transmission and reception being clear as a bell this time and we went straight across; the sea had changed here though, very disturbed and quite choppy and the pair of us bounced around for a while getting quite wet, especially with all the splashing, and at times I had to pull quite hard on my shaft to keep on track.
All the way around the rocks I had issues with my J13 not running right or hooking weed and it wasn't until I got to the bottom that I decided to change lures again, tying on a Sliver and a 7cm Jointed Shad Rap for the run past the structure of the outfall. I'd passed it and stopped to wind the one rod in when Paula noticed my rod twitching again; I grasped it and felt that familiar pull. She came next to me once more and I thrust my rod into her hand, her grip tightening as she pulled on it and in no time she was getting splashed as twelve inches of solid flesh came in her direction. Alarmed at how big it was and reluctant to hold it, being so slimy, I grabbed it behind the head and pulled it out. "It's so big!" she cried and reaching out I put it into her hands, both being needed to hold it properly.
That was it then, I reeled in and we paddled into the shore, beached and carried the Scuppers up to the waiting vehicles. Codcatcher was there and asked how we'd got on; I showed him the catch (57cm, 4lb 1oz and 46cm, 2lb 4oz) :
"Did you catch them or the wife?"
"She's not my wife."
"Oh..."
"My wife never touches my rod."
We loaded up and headed off to McDonalds for the last bit of time together before she headed off to her parents' before the long drag back to Shetland, sitting there eating the twenty chicken nuggets (with a selection of sauces) and drinking banana thickshakes just as we always did way back when...and then, the most random coincidence occurred as a song that I always associate with sitting in her room came on. Yep, Bryan Adams was right.
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