Tell me your fish story

[Shaky]

Spring of 1987 saw us setting our gear off the coast of Florida for swordfish. We were hauling back our third set if I remember correctly and we were having a pretty decent trip. Had about three thousand pounds in the hole for the first two sets and the third looked promising as well.

Captain was bringing in a live fish and Jay, the butcher, was waiting with the gaff. He gaffed the fish cleanly and I reached over the side and stuck the meat hook in the eye socket and gained control of the fish by grabbing his bill with my left hand. Looked to be a nice fat double.

We started hauling the fish over the side when we got broadsided by a good sized wave. The boat shook and heeled over. I lost my footing and as i started to head over the railing i let go of the fish’s bill and grabbed for the railing to keep myself from going over the side.

I had a handle on the fish as the meat hook was still stuck in his eye and in hindsight this was a huge mistake. What happened next took only a split second, but seemed like an eternity, as i grabbed the railing the fish thrashed and caught me in the belly slashing upwards. I pushed myself away and I let go of the meat hook. I looked down only to see a huge gash in my belly.

I grabbed my insides and hit the deck, the rest is a blur as I went into shock. Jay put out a mayday over the radio and John the skipper, an ex Viet Nam combat vet and medic tended to my wound. Lucky for me John was a universal blood donor and he set up make shift IV as I was losing a lot of blood. Doctors say he probably saved my life.

I was airlifted of the boat and hospitalized for a few weeks as a result of infection, nasty critters those swordfish are and the injury put an abrupt end to my longlining. I try to forget about it but the scar is a constant reminder of the dangers at sea.