Arm Girl

From a little girl to a grown woman I proudly claimed my position as the Arm Girl. 

This role evolved over time as we made adjustments to the process but the goal was the same. Get the arm of the seine on the rock and secure the float and foot line so the fish cannot escape. 

I was about 8 years old when I had one of my memorable arm girl adventures. 

Dad was the rower, Ashield was the thrower and I was the designated arm girl. Sitting on the bow wearing my gear and holding the end of a long rope I was ready. The rope was tied to the arm of the net, it was my job to get on the rock and to pull the arm of the net to the rock, secure the float line, get in the water to secure the foot line and then swim along the net to make sure it was sitting right with no turns. 

Dad kept the boat close to the rocks while we waited for the school of fish to feed on the blue fry. This is likely where he will bring the bow even closer to the rocks so I can get out and climb up with the rope to secure the arm of the net. 

Klu-Kluz was the perfect stage for this event. The shallow water and with the lay of the shoreline will make for an easy round if the fish dared to push and feed on the bait ashore. 

The air was filled with seabird chatter. It was the noise of birds celebrating in the feast of fry. Pelicans, naudis, boobies were flying and diving everywhere around us. Boobies squawking, begging and stealing fry from the pelicans bill. Naudis doing their deep dive to secure their bit of food. Pelicans gracefully diving with precision given their awkward form. It was the perfect scene for a school of fish. 

A small boobie fluttered on the shoreline just west of our boat. Dad whispered without movement that the fish is with the single boobie.  As he said it the fish made a show. Fry jumped out of the water attempting to escape the fish. The activity was heading our way. As quickly as it started it stopped. Dad slowly raised the oars out of the water and whispered ‘look under the boat’. We watched the display of a mature school of hard nose, yellowtail and karang pass in the shallow water below us. A few tarpon followed behind the fish then came the sharks.  Yes, you read that correctly “sharks”. Three of them. A large one and two smaller ones. Before I could say anything my dad said…

Stay tuned for Part II of Arm Girl. It will be published on Sunday April 24.