A failed fishing weekend

Yes it's true. I had a failed fishing weekend. By weekend, i mean 2 days of failure, but, this Blog is named "Ocean Bounty" for a reason.

Saturday morning, me and my sister decided to give our kids a camping weekend on Murração beach, a remote beach just 40 Km away from home in the west coast of Algarve.

The plan suited me and "Helder", my brother in law, because we could go fishing while the kids have their fun in the beach and the women would be on watch. Suitable plan for the men but not so funny for the women. They made sure we were aware of their feeling.

Since the cars were packed with all the camping gear, both of us had to chose only one fishing rod to take. No need to say which rod Helder took since he is the bream fanatic, and my self, the spinning rod, because on the left side of Murração beach the low tide creates some water inlets ideal for sea bass.  If I do not catch a fish, Helder would and vice versa.

That afternoon, Helder tried his fishing luck in the rocks in the right side of the beach.
Nothing happen. In the evening, at dusk and low tide, I thought to give a try but we started assembling the 3 tents and the kids asking for dinner that i canceled my evening fishery.

Fire was set and the meat was on the grill to feed 5 hungry kids. Good mood all around after the first steaks.

At dawn, with low tide, i thought my chance of getting a seabass was now or never, while Helder mention "Don't know if i'm going fishing or not !!!". I let him with his dilemma, i just could not lose the timing that morning.


The best excuse for my failure was that there was to much seaweeds in the water getting stuck in my lure all the time. My ego was getting damaged but could not get back to camp without a fish. Sad decision, never got a fish.

When arriving defeated to camp, 2 couples of friends with their camper trucks were there for a Sunday Pic-nic and Helder with a full bag of Mussels, goose barnacles and some sea snails while our friends had a bag of big limpets that they caught the day before, Saturday, in a neighbor beach.
And me !!! with empty hands.

I admit, was not much of an help, the sea food was cooked and eaten and i did not do i thing. For some reason I'm the King.

The mussels, the goose barnacles and the sea snails are cooked very easily on the fire. Just a 1 or 2 minutes on the fire and thats it, still with sea water flavor.

The limpets are different. They go in the pan with some garlic, coriander and a dash of good olive oil and lemon. It only takes a few minutes to get ready.

We all eat a lot of extremely fresh seafood and i've behaved like a Lord. Beer, red wine, good tidbit of this and that, the company of loved ones and friends with good stories to share, is all a man can ask.
There was no need to cook the meat we took along for lunch, it came back to town for a home Sunday dinner.

What was a forgettable fishing day became a memorable friends reunion day, all thanks to the "Ocean Bounty".

The kids slept like angels that night.... who am i fooling. Everybody slept like stones.

The sea provides and humans just harvest the bounty.