About as pleasant a day offshore as one can imagine ideal for contemplation and preparation while we carve a path southward through the limitless expanse. This was one of those days when the unlimited boundaries of the open ocean are pleasing, azure, and beckoning in their most amiable state. The fact was missed by none, and certainly appreciated as this veteran group has experienced a full compliment of variety in conditions, fishing, and climate over the past twenty years. Not that the entire group has such credentials, but a few veterans from the old "Lewis Reyburn" charter are still making the annual pilgrimage delighted to continue the tradition among friends old and new.

It was a great day uneventful in every respect aside from a morning pep rally followed by a few hours of rigging gear. For the most part anglers languished the afternoon away content to appreciate the tranquilizing effect of ocean serenity in the form of relaxation best suited to them. Less the overwhelming variety found shore side, it is amazingly cathartic to be liberated from the responsibility of complicated decisions we seem to be confronted with at every turn in our daily home routines. It is an incredibly poignant attraction of long range fishing we often reference. Out here one is not compelled to check their text messages every five minutes, or voicemail; the radio or television does not fire it's relentless stream of unsettling information, political or otherwise; one is not drawn in or influenced by the cyber morass so dominant now in practically everyone's life.

Long range voyages are about unplugging - going "off the grid" so to speak. And when one does the transformation is amazing. I see it all the time to my infinite delight. Anglers arrive keyed up on the razor's edge fresh from the blistering world of stress, expectation, and haste. The first afternoon is almost always complimented by a rejuvenating "siesta" that sets the perfect tone from that point on. After stopping the world individuals become whole again able to immerse themselves in the tasks at hand for the following three, five, ten, or fifteen days. Eat, sleep, and fish. Guiltless indulgence. Zero pressure, zero external influence. We are definitely isolated, but that is the whole point.

Of course technology has overcome much of the isolation inherent in offshore fishing as of even ten years past. But beyond the obvious safety benefits of weather forecasting and satellite communications it begs the question. Do you want to be long range fishing while running in to steal glances at current events on the television, and check your e-mail, or voicemail messages on the phone? Do you think the essence of fishing itself would be lost in this scenario? Do you think one would absorb the wealth of lessons available, and appreciate the surrounding grandeur with a comparable level of recognition? They're good questions to ponder.

We are on schedule for a mid day arrival with high hopes of settling in and fishing for a few days before considering further options. Needless to say with all the above mentioned relaxation we are ready to get down to the business of fishing and catching. After all that is what we really came for, and what we (the boys and I) are most suited for. Come on tuna.


Tim Ekstrom