Squid'n

 

First catch of the night

This post is about time I recently spent on the water.  However, this post will not include and mention of tenkara (well, maybe not), rod and reel, or beautiful wild brook trout.  This time the quarry was squid.  There are several times a year when the right conditions present themselves to catching these fascinating, quick and delicious creatures.  On an incoming tides after dark, all that is required is a bucket, headlamp, long-handled net and some patience. Simply spot them and get a net into place before they dart away and quickly scoop them up....while trying to avoid the spraying black ink. On Saturday night I tried my hand at this for the first time and met with some success.

I managed to catch about a half dozen squid.  I planned to have these guys for lunch on Sunday but as I prepared to clean them I could not help but be fascinated by them.  This was especially true when witnessing the movement of the chromatophores.  These are the little brown spots visible in the picture.  They are used in communication displays, as well as camouflage.

Like many other aspects of Nature, the time for "squid'n" will only last for a short time. Hopefully, there will be a few more trips in the near future.  While netting them is the best method some were trying to catching them with rod and reel.  Who knows....I may eventually be the first to land a squid on a tenkara rod.