A true story – " fisherman friends of the unique mediterranean’s blue. "

Absorbed with all that was going on abut me, I was startled by the tap of a hand on my shoulder. Whhen I turned around I saw Captain Ahmet greeting me with all his sincerity. “Good morning friends” he said and leadimng us straight to his boat he continued, “you all woke up very early today but you will see that it will be all worth it”. The ship that we boarded was bigger and had a more powerful engine than most of other ships that wre anchored at the harbour. As soon as we boarded the ship we took seat at the places where we were shown and before the sailing trip began we listened to Captain Ahmet giving some information on the details of the pleasant journey that awaited us and about what we were going to do.

With every chance that he got the Captain talked of his admiraiton of the country’s natural beauty and especially of the soul-stirring Mediterranean Sea where he has been fishing since 1970. Following a short briefing he explained that we were setting out to collect the nets that were cast at the sea the previous night. The engine roared and so began the journey.

In the journey that was to take close to an hour we got the chance of having a long conversation with the Captain. In the light of his experience he talked about significiant issues of the fishing trade and with pride told us that due to cleanliness of the sea the taste of the fish in the Mediterranean is incomparable to the same kind found elsewhere. He explained that in the winter months the fish move out to deeper waters and in catching them that not only used nets but also fishing rods.

All along the journey Captain Ahmet’s brother sat at the stern of the ship tryig his luck at catching Tunny and mineri with a thick fishing rod that had big hooks tied up to foam-rubber. The Captain continued to inform us that all fishermen await the spring season when the sea is more abundant with fish, and that in these days of winter their journey is made in order to meet their household needs and to satisfy their love of fishing.

“We try to catch fish in two ways” said the Captain, and continued. “One way is by casting a net, and the other is with a fishing rod. We don’t need bait to catch fish when we cast a net. What is important is here to guess where the fish may be and cast the nets, which are tied a chain of buoy. By using a net we expect to catch Orfoz, Lagos, Sinarit and Karagoz. When using a rod and the ‘baragadi’ method we must use bait. The ‘baragadi’ method is for deep-sea fishing and is where a row of hooks is tied up together to form a huge basket. This method enables us to catch swordfish and other big fish that wonder in our deep waters. For a profitable catch of such, we need to use calamari or small fish as bait”, and as he explained the different methods of fishing the Captain couldn’t hide his excitement of having reached the place of where the nets had been cast the previous night.

Checking the line of buoy from a distance, he reduced the speed of his ship and moved close to the first net. With the aid of a small winch they started to hoist the nets. At this point the sun had risen and the endless brilliant blue of the sea lay before us. Hoisting the nets took close to an hour and our fishermen friends had caught a bucket full of fish that would be served at the diner tablet hat very night.

On our journey back, as we sailed along close to the shore, we were able to observe fishermen fishing with fishing rods and sugar canes. In the light of what we saw, we concluded that fishing is wide spread pass time activity, one of the most important hobbies chosen to help in clearing the head from the stresses of work and escaping from the worries of life.

One of the most relieving comforts fort he fishermen is that their hobby not only gives support to social life but makes them experience the sweet excitement of bringing different taste direct from the sea to their kitchen table first-hand.

Content with the days catch, Captain Ahmet checks over the ship and on our way back tells about an interesting fishing experience. As the story unfolds we learn of the biggest fish that had come abroad the ship that we were on. The event took place in the early hours of a hot summer morning. On that day, hopelessly waiting to catch some fish, in desperation they sailed out to deep waters and breaking their own record, the Captain explained with pride, how they cought a 60-kilo swordfish. On their return, their fishermen friends at the quay were as happy and excited as they were said the Captain and watching the blue horizon added, “this was the first and the last, after that day we were not able to catch any that big”.

This trip has not only made us forget all our troubles and relaxbut also has given us the chance to discover the beauties of natrual life in a different sense of serenity we returned home entranced with our country’s nature.