| Rarely has there been a more perfect day for | | | | century ship that crossed the ocean from England |
| catching bluefish! Dark, rain laden clouds and a cold | | | | complete with a grizzled first mate explaining their |
| drizzle that left you chilled to the bone made the day | | | | voyage across the Atlantic 400 years ago. The boat |
| one to remember. It was the third of June and the third | | | | was small! I mean little! I like the water and boat riding, |
| day of our vacation. It was also a beautiful day for | | | | but I don't believe I have the guts to attempt an ocean |
| catching bluefish! My family and I were bundled up as if | | | | voyage in something a little larger than a bathtub! We |
| it were January. It was hot down in Alabama when | | | | visited other tourist sites while attempting to stay |
| we left, but now it was cold. This didn't seem to bother | | | | warm.By the afternoon of the third day, the wind had |
| the fishermen though. The fishing pier was crowded | | | | decreased to a gentle little breeze of about 20 miles |
| with vacationers from all over the eastern seaboard; | | | | per hour. This was calm enough to head for the beach |
| lined up on either side of the Nag's Head Fishing | | | | and surf casting. After an hour of having our bait |
| Pier.Ignoring the cold spray from the surf as it beat | | | | thrown back at us by the wind, we packed up our |
| against the pier, dozens of men, women and kids | | | | tackle and drove a mile to the Nag's Head Fishing Pier! |
| wearing coats and rain gear were casting artificial lures | | | | We weren't the only ones glad to get away from sight |
| into the water 12 feet below. Every few minutes a | | | | seeing with the wives. The pier stretched out quite far |
| new school of fish would attack the lures that were | | | | into the ocean, a lot farther than we had been able to |
| being cast into dark choppy waters. Fishing rods could | | | | cast from the beach.Stopping at the bait and tackle |
| be seen bent double with a fish on the end of the line. | | | | store to buy our out of state fishing licenses and some |
| We were in Nag's Head, on the outer banks of | | | | bait shrimp, we began walking to the end of the deck |
| beautiful North Carolina and the blue fish were running | | | | where we had seen three fishermen leaving. Luckily |
| in schools up and down the coast.Our vacation last | | | | the space was still empty when we got there. Looking |
| year was to the outer banks, where we rented a | | | | around to see what other folks were using as bait, it |
| large beach house for the first week in June. Yes, it | | | | was surprising to see that most were using the same |
| was quite expensive, but split up between six families, | | | | thing.I asked one fisherman who had just landed a |
| it became fairly reasonable. Being from the south, we | | | | bluefish about the bait he was using and he told me |
| expected the weather to cooperate as it does most | | | | we could buy them at the bait store at the end of the |
| of the time at home. This was not the case though in | | | | pier. The lure he was using was about the size of an |
| Nags Head. A cold front moved in the day we got | | | | unfiltered cigarette. If you can picture a cigarette with |
| there and didn't leave until we left for home. In | | | | black spots and a red head with treble hooks front |
| Alabama we have some strong winds, but not like | | | | and back, you know what a 'thing-a-ma-jig' looks like. A |
| those skipping over the Atlantic Ocean to nail us to the | | | | strange name, but they really caught fish!During a lull in |
| walls on the outer banks of North Carolina.The first | | | | the action we used the shrimp we had bought to |
| two days of our vacation we took advantage of the | | | | bottom fish. We didn't catch any fish, but we caught a |
| winds and visited tourist attractions like the good | | | | lot of skates which are in the sting ray family. Folks |
| husbands and fathers we were. We didn't have much | | | | around us said this sandy colored animal wouldn't hurt |
| choice. It was too difficult to try to fish. If you threw a | | | | you, but the way they were snapping at me when I |
| fishing lure toward the water, the wind would throw it | | | | tried to remove the hook made me think otherwise. |
| back in your face, treble hooks and all! I like to fish, but | | | | The Bluefish began to run again, so we left the skates |
| not that much!We fishermen consigned ourselves to | | | | to someone else.We went back to the pier each |
| following the wives around the island. We saw all five | | | | morning and each remaining evening of our vacation, |
| of the lighthouses on the outer banks, including the | | | | catching fish each time. The weather didn't get a lot |
| famous black and white striped one on Kitty Hawk, | | | | better. Nag's head is a nice place to visit. Someday I'll |
| where the Wright Brothers made their historic airplane | | | | go back when the sun is shining.Bob Alexander is the |
| flight. It was easy to see how those dunes would be | | | | author and owner of this article. |
| an excellent place from which to launch. You could | | | | He is well experienced in outdoor cooking, fishing and |
| almost see yourself helping push the airplane into the | | | | leisure living. |
| wind.Of ancient ships we saw a replica of a 16th | | | | |