By Lorraine Barnes & Jim Corbett
Our adventure began in Sao Miguel, Azores with Captain Carlos Linhares and his crew, sons Joa’o and Lewis August 7, 2018. We went for a full day of coastal fishing that in the end, didn’t disappoint. Carlos had excellent tackle and Penn is his tackle of choice.
We began sport fishing for Marlin. We trolled for approximately two hours, sadly only one bite. A large Marlin took the bait. We all cheered until he broke off. Seeming to want us to catch fish almost as much as we wanted, we shifted close to shore and changed tactics. We changed gear and went for smaller game, pargo, garoupa and a few other species we could not identify. The area was surrounded with giant volcanic rocks, hundreds of feet high jetting up everywhere.
Carlos knows all the local fisherman, and one commercial boat we were watching from afar drifted up to us and shared their live sardines for us to chum with. They had a commercial boat without a cabin. They fished with bamboo poles and handlines. The fish were jumping in their nets. Another crew was setting up nets with rowboats working with the mother ship.
We were served lunch, local beer, chicken, ham and cheese, and fresh cheese served on a banana leaf.
When you are not fishing, there is plenty to do. We chose a personal tour to the highest peak, and to view the natural waterfalls and basic strolls through the cobblestone streets. Throughout our travels, a lot of the people said they had relatives in New Bedford and Fall River. One of the tour guides told us there are more Azorians in Fall River and New Bedford than there are on Sao Miguel island.
All in all it was a fabulous trip and we plan to go back next year.
