Jesus said to them, "Children, you have no fish, have you?" They answered him, "No." He said to them, "Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some." - John 21:5-6
By TERRY TOMALIN
Published May 21, 2004
PASS-A-GRILLE - Anybody can tell you how to catch fish. But where to catch them? Now that's a different story.
"I haven't done this in quite some time," the Rev. Chris Thompson said. "I could use a little help."
Fishing guide Doug Hemmer, a crotchety old salt, offered a quick lesson in Spinning Reel 101.
"At least you weren't afraid to ask," Hemmer said. "There is nothing worse than somebody who thinks they know what they're doing but really don't."
Thompson, who grew up fishing the streams and farm ponds of West Virginia, knew what he was doing but humored the cantankerous Hemmer.
"I appreciate the help," Thompson said. "As I said, it has been some time."
The mackerel fishing had been hit or miss in recent weeks as late spring fronts churned the water and scattered the bait. Hemmer prides himself on knowing where the fish are on any given day.
Hemmer also was smart enough to know that time spent chasing fish is time lost catching them. So he dangled a chum block off the side and waited for the fish to come to him.
Thompson, the pastor of St. Thomas Episcopal Church on Snell Isle Boulevard, enjoyed angling as a youth but spent the better part of his adult life in another pursuit.
"Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee when he saw two brothers throwing a cast net," Thompson said, paraphrasing the book of Matthew. "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men."
Thompson had done his job well, and as a result, he was a finalist for a bishop's post in North Carolina, a state that has trout streams that rival his native state.
But on this warm spring morning, Thompson was focused on more important things.
"I think you've got a fish on," Hemmer said. "Take your time with it ... those mackerel have sharp teeth."
On light tackle and monofilament line, the average angler will lose as many Spanish mackerel as he will land.
"That's a nice fish," Hemmer told Thompson as he boated the big mackerel. "Let's see if we can do better than that."
Spanish mackerel are a schooling fish. Where you find one, you find others.
"They are killers," Hemmer said. "They just come ripping through and slash at the bait. That's why you have to be on it ... ready ... you never know when they will hit."
Thompson just smiled. A man of the Lord, he knew his time would come.
A few minutes passed, and Hemmer asked if it would be appropriate to ask God for a hookup.
"Jesus didn't help Peter catch fish," Thompson said. "He just told him which side of the boat to throw the net."
With that, the reel screamed and the rod bent under the weight of a fish. "That's got to be a kingfish," Hemmer said. "I don't think it will last very long on that mono leader."
But Thompson took his time, playing the fish slowly, confident in a power greater than his.
Hemmer, however, started to get a little nervous as the fish ran beneath the boat and around the motor, trying to shake the hook.
Frustrated, Hemmer looked at the sky and asked, "Can we get a little help here?"
The kingfish circled the boat two or three more times, then stopped about 2 feet away.
"I'm afraid to grab the leader," Hemmer said.
The fish, a 20-pounder, looked like it had some fight left. As Hemmer leaned over the water, it took off on another run. Now Hemmer was sure the fish was lost.
But Thompson remained steadfast in his resolve.
And as quickly as it began, the battle was over.
"Will you look at that," Hemmer said. "You hooked that fish right in the corner of the mouth. You couldn't pick a more perfect spot. I can't believe it.'
