Fisherfolk can get a bit crazy when a bite develops, so much so that we have coined a few phrases to describe the condition. Be warned, the following information is very graphic and highly contagious. Read at your own risk!
Fisherfolk can get a bit crazy when a bite develops, so much so that we have coined a few phrases to describe the condition. Be warned, the following information is very graphic and highly contagious. Read at your own risk!
Yellow Fever
This malady can strike at any time and nearly anywhere along our coast, although prime conditions seem to be in structure-laden (reefs, points, drop-offs, etc.) salt water above 60 degrees, particularly if there is an abundance of squid in the area. These conditions produce a highly concentrated, very active strain of Seriola Lalandia. One encounter can hook a fisherman for life.
Blue Flu
The Thunnus Thynnus strain is found in very different conditions, but it is as contagious or perhaps more so due to its nature. This malady is much less rare in our local waters. Prime conditions are found off-shore along deep canyons or near undersea banks where the water is purple-blue, unseasonably warm and the thermocline is holding an abundant source of nutrients. In contrast to the Seriola Lalandia, which seems to return year-after year, an encounter with Thunnus Thynnus might well be a once in a life time experience. Few anglers are able to handle the strain, as the Blue Flu tends to drag on for hours and hours, often causing wild mood swings.
Common symptoms for both diseases include:
• Uncontrollable urge to buy new fishing gear, hooks, line, etc.
• Inability to sleep past 4 a.m. or to stay awake past 8 p.m.
• Obsession with hotbite and fishdope dot com web sites.
• Constant awareness of weather patterns and marine warnings.
• An incessant search for the right bait and technique.
• Swearing or yelping often followed by extended sobbing.
Although the symptoms for either disease look similar to the untrained eye, there are some subtle differences which will help to render a more accurate diagnosis. Most notably, those afflicted with Yellow Fever are more prone to return home at the end of the day whereas the Blue Flu might persist much longer causing extended absence. Yellow fever tends to attack groups of anglers, sometimes entire boats filled with fisherman are hollering and shouting. It is important to keep a good distance from such boats, as the victims have been known to hurl insults and sometimes much worse at any approaching vessel. It is believed that this behavior is a sort of auto-quarantine. Somehow, the victims of Yellow Fever seem to instinctively know that they should not share the malady with any other vessel until it has run its full course, at which point there seems to be a triggering mechanism that forces public posting of pictures complete with bloody decks. In contrast, the Blue Flu may target a single angler while the rest aboard just watch and moan. It is not uncommon for a call-out to nearby boats, particularly upon discovering that the boat gaff is not big enough and some assistance will be needed to subdue the central character in this drama. Additionally, the Blue Flu causes hallucinations that will manifest into wild and unbelievable stories of boiling oceans and ravaging bird schools. Unfortunately, there is often no real evidence to support such stories. In contrast, those with Yellow Fever seem to indulge in a high incidence of sushi eating.
You can no longer feign ignorance, you have been warned. There is a high incidence of Yellow Fever this season as well as an unusual number of cases of the Blue Flu. If you find yourself exhibiting any of the symptoms, do not panic. There are very few fatalities.
In an emergency call this hotline number 888-613-7770 and book an Afishinados Charter. Your captain will know what to do.
Captain John runs Afishinados Charters and can be reach at the hot line: 888-613-7770
