Life on an Atoll: Catching fish in nets -- By Hunter

When I was in Anse Amyot, I did many things that were different than the way we do things at home. For one thing, almost nothing is bought from a store. Gaston and Valentine trade for most of the things that they need but first they have to get things to trade, like fish that they catch. This is a story  I wrote about one of the ways that Gaston catches fish.

I'm not exaggerating,these details actually happened--all of them!
My mom is typing it for me because today is too rough for me to type very well.
(I wrote this one a while ago.)




Yesterday, Kai, Gaston, John (not my dad, another cruiser with the same name, spelled JOHN) and my dad and I, went to go fishing with nets. We wanted fish for a party Valentine was making for other cruisers. This is one of the ways they earn money for buying the few things that they need to buy. She also trades with cruisers, like, if they bring her flour or butter, she will make them a special dinner or make them a necklace made of black pearls that they farm.

We all set out with hats and good shoes because we would be on coral (razor sharp coral) with the HUGE net we also brought. Everyone got into Gaston's boat and he sped off, as we started to go, I asked;
"am i going on the reef with you guys?"

"No" said my dad "You stay in the boat with John, so you can pull up the net and get the fish out of it."

A little while later we were dodging coral heads in about two to three INCHES of water (this almost gave me a heart attack as the boat could have sunk if it hit one and we would be stuck on the reef). At last, after some breath taking moments, we stopped.

Gaston suddenly said, "Kai! You go near da shore, you see tha poisson, you say, "AHHHHHHH!" and make them run! Then I go with your Pappa and we come with the net and then we catch them!".
So everyone went to their stations and we began the hunt.

I was far away so I only saw splashing and fish jumping everywhere and I even saw a Black Tip Reef shark in all the commotion. Twenty minutes later (it seemed like three because I was having fun, even in the boat), we were taking the net from the boys.

As John started to take the Parrot fish out of the net (by the way, these were the only fish that we wanted because;
1) No ciguatara -something that gets in fish, usually reef fish and it makes you very sick and you could die if you get it.
2)Its Valentine and Gaston and everyone else's favorite tasting fish!

He said, "hey, you are supposed to help me!"
"Wha..."I said, looking at the slimy, poopy fish flopping all over the place (Parrot fish poop everywhere when they are scared). Then I just started to grab them and take them out of the net.

"be careful of the beaks', John said, showing me a cut he had just gotten that minute from the sharp mouth of the fish (we call it a beak).

I looked at all the fish snapping at us...
"Wow. Okay, lets do this thing" I said.
There were about fifty fish in the net that we had to get out!
Finally, dirtily, we finished.

Everyone got into the boat and we started to go home.
My dad looked at me and said, "Kind of a blue job, huh?"
(my mom uses this saying, all the time, Blue jobs are usually gross and Pink jobs are nice)
But I thought it was fun!