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Hemingway Adventure
Havana, Cuba (eighth day)
Trying my luck on the Great Blue River, the best marlin waters in the world. No luck today, which is why they call it fishing, not catching.
The organisers have issued a map of the fishing zone, divided into alphabetical squares. Square F is the best. It is where the coastline juts out to meet the stream and the marlin are most likely to stop and feed. It's also right at the mouth of the harbour, opposite the old city, visible once upon a time from Room 511 at the Ambos Mundos.It's also the busiest and our skipper, up on the flying bridge, decides to head a little further north and east before putting out the lines.
Four rods are fished, but apart from one false alarm, there is a lot of watching, waiting and application of sun cream. Little else. Explanatory theories are concocted - the wind has slipped away from due east, the most favourable direction. There's too much direct sunlight. The middle of the day is always the worst time. No one mentions the Palin effect.
The sun climbs, hangs and begins to fall. The skipper puts the boat about and we begin to readjust our position a little nervously. But still nothing breaks the waters.
At the end of the day's fishing, at six o'clock, we return to shore empty-rodded, hoping everyone else will have done so too. But there have been strikes and other people's flags are flying and one boat is still out there. A huge marlin was hooked early on this morning by one of the women in her crew and she has held on to it all day long and is prepared to hang on all night if necessary.
Now that is hard to take. A Hemingway adventure is happening out there and we have no way of getting to it.
Our crew is still optimistic. They were unlucky today, but their first two days' tally keeps them up with the leaders and in with a chance. They've invited us to return tomorrow, the last day of the tournament.
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PALIN'S GUIDES
- Series: Hemingway Adventure
- Chapter: Havana, Cuba (eighth day)
- Country/sea: Cuba
- Place: Havana
- Book page no: 225
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