Roncos
We'd go every Sunday during the summer, but there was a week in August when my Aunt and Godfather would come down from New Jersey that we would go every single day. El Farito. The small lighthouse at Bill Baggs Florida state park in Key Biscayne. I learned how to fish there next to my Padrino who is the family's most avid fisherman.
We'd while away the hours standing there on the sea wall, fishing rods in hand, the ocean breeze tickling our skin. Sun shining. Fingers smelling of bait. All we ever caught were Roncos. Grunts.
Man, I love fishing.
Ive got to thank Mike Pancier for these beautiful memories Ive conjured up today. He has just started Pancier's Photo Blog and the most recent post is a gem about El Farito. If you grew up here in Miami, then you know all about El Farito.
Either way, take a quick trip to the old days of El Farito with Mike. You'll wish you were 5 again.
Took a look - wonderful, evocative image...will settle for being 13 again; back then dad would take us fishing off Gov't Cut; no, we had no boat, went on the ones for the tourists or boatless locals; we'd usually catch grunt, bony but good eating. One time we did rent a small boat with an outboard and yours truly caught two nice sized grunts that day, which were duly enjoyed at the table. We also used to fish for them off the McArthur Causeway - will never forget the time one of my cousins was reelin' one in and POW! Out of nowhere, a blurred, silvery flash - 'cuda came, grunt gone...
I go free diving down by the rocks at El Farito every chance I get. Just 60 or 70 feet off the shore, it's a whole different world out there. I've swam with sharks, barracuda, schools of dolphin numbering well over a 100, and the last time I went out; four huge manta rays.
I caught many a ronco at Elliot Key in my dad's boat as a kid.
You got to use a fishing rod Val? We were only allowed to use the yoyo's. Funny, you reminded me that I caught my first fish there too. A pilchard on a yoyo using squid. We fished off the jetty or the dock on the north side of the light.