One day, I was walking along the shoreline when an older man spoke to me, "Ven aquí (Come here)," he said to me, pointing to a small fishing spot. I asked the man if I could fish, and he told me, "Hay peces grandes (There are big fish here)," and held out his hands as if he was showing me a big fish. I gratefully made my way to the spot and began fishing. Surrounded by other fishermen, I studied the baits they were using and their techniques. Not long after, I hooked up on my first fish from Tenerife. It was a wide, reddish fish called a sama with an antenna-like feature hanging over its face. The next day, I found a fishing store near the school I teach at. I talked to the employees there who advised me on what baits I should use. They were also kind enough to write a list of the species of fish commonly caught around the island.
Following these instances, my optimism and fishing success increased dramatically. With the proper bait and knowledge, I was catching many fish, which you can see in the pictures posted in this journal. My girlfriend and I were even lucky enough to rent a small boat and fish out in the open ocean. We caught some cool fish that I have never caught before! I'm super grateful for the generosity of the fishermen around Tenerife. Without their help, I could not have caught so many amazing fish around the island!
One fish that still alluded me for a long time was the sierra, a predatory fish around Tenerife. The sierra is also known as a bonito and some of its relatives can be caught in the United States. I worked hard to catch a sierra, fishing early in the morning and even late at night.
