Catching Barry

Waiting for a bite

In English lessons at Daddy school, I recently had to practice writing precisely so that someone could follow what I had written as a set of instructions. This was quite difficult especially for me as Mum and Dad usually accuse me of ‘waffling’ when I write. I have tried to use a precise style to describe how to catch a barracuda (which I did this week on a fishing trip). I have then also written about catching the fish in a more descriptive way.

Instructions – how to catch a barracuda.
To catch a barracuda you first need a rod. The rod should be long and thin, about 1.4m high and 5cm wide, but the rod is wider at the bottom than the top. On the rod you attach a long piece of Nylon line that is threaded through 3 rings attached to the rod and equally spaced out. From the rings the line is tied to another piece of Nylon line that is wrapped round a reel that is at the back of the rod. To the line you attach 2 hooks that are separated by about 5cm. The top one has 1 point and holds the bait by the mouth, the bottom one has 3 points and holds the bait by the tail. The particular favourite of the barracuda is sardines. The size of the sardine should be about 5cm and it needs to be alive.
Next you have to cast the line. To do that you need to wind in the line till it is dangling about 30cm from the top. Then you need to hold the line with your finger by the reel and flip back the bailer. The bailer is a metal thing that controls the line. Then you need to swing back the rod (being careful at the same time, for other people behind you) and bring it forwards with force, letting go of the line from your finger while you are at it. The line should go about 30m away. When your bait is in the water you must wait for a bite. The boat drives slowly around.
When you have a bite you must quickly give the rod a tug, this is called setting. You know when you have a bite because the rod starts pulling. Then you must start winding in with all your might. You must wind until the barracuda is by the side of the boat then you need someone to get a Gaff (a gaff is a big pole that has a hook on the end) and pull it in the boat. There you are, you have caught a barracuda.

My BIG Barracuda
My first fishing trip was great.
Ramon was an experienced fisherman, I loved the way that the bait went flying through the air like a silver bird when he cast it, then, plop and it was in the water. My best moment was the time when I caught a HUGE barracuda! I was there perched on the edge of the boat waiting anxiously, like I have never felt before, for the bite, then I felt a huge tug ,immediately I yanked the rod high in the air to set the rod and started winding with all my might. It was really hard and the rod was quivering and slipping from my grip, it was so hard I felt although I would be dragged out the boat as if I was a rag doll. Mum was soon by my side and together we wound and wound and gave all we had. Slowly time crept along at snail speed and the line didn’t seem to be getting shorter. Finally the end of the line was visible underneath the clear water and soon the catch was at the side of the boat.
My first sighting of the barracuda was scary, he was dangling off the line his sharp, pointy, white teeth were visible and he looked angry. Another look and I felt sorrow for there, dangling in front of me was a helpless fish. Weed was dangling off him probably from when he had been dragged along through the weed. His eyes were huge and full of fear just like I had felt when he had been hauled out of the water. He was breathing in and out in short; shallow breaths and I could tell that he was suffocating. He wasn’t struggling but his eye swivelled in its socket and focused on ME, the person with the dreadful rod in her hand, he stared in a way that frightened me, it was full of pity and despair, as he did so, the silvery colour went out in his scales and I thought about how I had my family and if he had one they were down there and he was up here with us!
I felt proud and boastful, just as the barracuda once did, but deep inside I felt horrified about what I had done.