Hawaii

While fishing alone on a dock in Kauai’s Salt Pond boat harbor, I landed this cute fish. The locals call it a Balloon Fish. It is also called a Puffer and it is famous in Japan. Chefs spend years learning how to remove the poison so as to serve it. Even so, there are deaths every year when the fish isn’t cleaned correctly.

Balloon Fish have very sharp teeth that usually cut the line when it is hooked. I caught this fish and then brought eight more to the top where they broke the line as I tried hoisting them from the water. When I hooked the tenth fish, it swam in circles as I reeled it in. Following it was a second Balloon fish swimming in circles, apparently trying to be part of the fun. This scene reminded me of drawings of the double helix.

I managed to land this fish and when I removed the mangled bent hook, I saw four more of my hooks in its mouth. I figured the other four missing hooks were in the other fish’s mouth. Not only are they cute and poisonous and fun loving, they are stupid.

I caught seven different species of fish in Hawaii, all very small.