Current Waters: Hello From The Captain's Wife

Hello from the Captain’s wife. It’s that time of year again when Captain Carl has a lot on his plate, and I get to give a little perspective from the other side of charter fishing. From my perspective, it’s been a great summer. Lots of people are getting out on the water, from vacationing families to repeat customers whom I have come to know. I’ve also been pretty spoiled with an abundance of tuna and fresh fish. Our son is now addicted to poke bowls. I’ve been trying to figure out new recipes, combinations, and ways of cooking our local catch. One great follow on Instagram is @bon_abbetit. Her husband is also a fisherman, and she’s got lots of great, fresh recipes – although her plating is much better than mine!

One of Carl’s clients brought us some smoked striper pâté that they had made from their catch. Lighter than the traditional bluefish pâté, it was excellent on some toasted sourdough. Another client dropped off some homemade smoked bluefish pâté, which rivaled anything I’ve gotten at our local markets. I’m hoping to break out our smoker and try my hand at it. Hopefully I will follow through and have enough to freeze. Smoked bluefish pâté in the winter will be a welcome addition to wintertime potlucks!

Over the years I’ve experimented with which fish from the summer freeze well and which need to be eaten immediately. Tuna is best not frozen, so we prioritize eating immediately and sharing the bounty. Striper fillets do well in the freezer and make great fried fish or breaded and baked later in the year. Black sea bass, fluke, and some of the other flaky whitefish do well. Bluefish can be good (even not smoked) but only if eaten immediately. I don’t bother freezing those.

I’ll try to remember to report back next year with how this year’s catch defrosted. It may not be as fresh as it is right this minute, but in January and February it’ll be a sweet taste of summer.

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We are in the middle of the August Blues Tournament, which is a favorite of mine. I may be married to a fisherman, but I am still a novice at beach fishing on my own. This past Tuesday, we had an event/adventure that will go down (for me) as a highlight of the summer – Tammy King’s ladies fishing fundraiser. In its fourth year, the event is organized to get female anglers together and teach others how to cast a rod and fish while raising money for a good cause. But that description doesn’t hold a candle to what the event was actually like. There is nothing like getting a group of women together to support each other while learning something new.

Tuesday evening started by meeting up at 40^th Pole. My friend, Jocelyn, and I were going to walk over the dunes, but the first truck we saw stopped and said, “Hop in!” We didn’t even know each other. But it didn’t matter; we were all there to support one another and have a blast. As soon as we got on the beach, people were so welcoming. Checking us in, telling us about the raffles, and asking what we needed. There were flower leis, food, and tote bags for everyone – it was a fishing party. I was struck by the number of people I knew, and didn’t know, from so many parts of our community. Non-profit professionals, museum curators, town employees, decorators, summer residents, seasonal visitors, young women and a few kids, older women and their grandkids…all there to learn or teach and maybe catch a fish.

Tammy divided us up by people who had some experience casting and people who didn’t have any experience. There were something like 70 people and half or more had never fished. Tammy was so patient. She spent time with everyone individually, making sure they felt comfortable casting, encouraging their efforts. After someone would cast on their own, everyone on the beach would cheer for them! This event was so full of joy and encouragement. I couldn’t get enough.

What’s that saying about the best part was the friends you make along the way? Lots of fun and chatter was had at this event. Plans were made for future fishing meet ups. And that was a big part of Tammy’s dream. She told me she wanted to teach people but also for other women anglers to get together. Once you know who’s even interested in fishing you know who you can call on and hang out with.

If you don’t know her, Tammy King is a professional angler and fishing guide. She goes under the name @Fishgirlack. She is a badass on the water. And still she finds time to teach others. She was the force behind this event and is hoping it takes off with more support in future years. All the proceeds from the registration and raffles go to the Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy, the charity of the August Blues Tournament. Many businesses donated prizes to the raffles. Please see the list of sponsors on Tammy’s Instagram page.

Thank you, Tammy, for creating this amazing evening on the water full of fun, laughter, and friendship. In the end, we were treated to a spectacular sunset as we packed up for the ride home. We may not have caught fish, but we went home about 50 friends richer. I will definitely not forget this anytime soon.