You get a line, I'll get a pole...

As of late, conversation among nearly everyone in town has included the excitement of the 'subida de las sardinas!'..the rise of the sardines! I'm told that in this time, sardines journey from the Caribbean, and the creeks/rivers are full of 'em. So, many campesinos have been doing a lot of fishing. I've been mentioning how I would love to go out with them sometime- learn to fish campo-style! Hardly able to believe this muchacha would want to go fishing, they laugh and always suggest that the men will go out and fish, but that they'd bring some of their catch back for me so that I can 'fry it and eat it with a heaping bowl of rice'. hmm. The joys of being a female here. However, after continued bugging, and convincing that it would 'vale la pena'..be worth the pain..to take me out because I've been fishing with my dad and brother countless times, thus, have some skills ( =] ), I got someone to take me along!

Upon arriving at the creek, my guide, Alberto, proceeded to make us 'poles' out of sticks, tieing to them a string, with a rock as the sinker, and a hook. We dug through the mud collecting worms, and were set. I will admit I had very low expectations, but the first 'cast' I made into the water, I had a bite, and pulled out a 'barbudo'...beardfish. Better luck than I ever had in the states! For the first hour, Alberto refused to let me bait my own hook...however, after an hour of THIS muchacha being the only one pulling fish from the river (3 to be exact!), I graduated in his eyes, and got to hook the worms myself. Ha.


Granted, several times throughout the day, I, without fail, managed to tangle up my string, get it caught in some brush, or cast it out over his line, getting both all messy. Unlike outings with my fisherman dad, there were no bouts of impatience including an irritated shake of the head while yelling "JENNNN-AHHHH-FUUURRRR"!!! Which was kind of nice. Love you, Dad.

We left with beardfish (barbudos), a fish I am told is called mojarra (I'm not sure of the English name), and of course, several sardines. The small ones are thrown whole in the fryer, and eaten like little chips. ...It's not the worst thing I've ever eaten...
barbudo
mojarra--any fish experts out there?
welp, it's no large-mouth bass, but the Panamanians certainly go crazy for them...