‘Bob the Bass’ liked to fish off the rocks whenever he could. He might only catch the occasional sea bass but when he did, it was always a meal to remember.
He shouted to his wife, ‘Just off fishing, love. I’ll be back before it’s dark.’
‘Which spot are you going to?’ Fiona called from the kitchen.
‘Usual place.’
He made his way along the uneven path before reaching his favourite rock and began baiting up his hook.
After an hour, he sensed the onshore wind was beginning to strengthen and as the sea began to roar in front of him, he noticed the fast moving and darkening clouds swirling above him.
Checking his watch, he decided to give himself another half-hour and adjusted his stance to counteract the sudden buffeting.
He was annoyed for not making his usual weather check but decided to have one last cast.
When the bite came he knew he’d caught something big. In his excitement, he didn’t notice the gigantic wave forming to his left.
The last thing he saw was his biggest ever bass leaping into the air, mouth twisted and hopelessly struggling to be free of his hook.
As the wind howled, the massive breaker crashed onto the rock, sweeping him under the raging currents.
The thought of cooking fresh sea bass for supper gave Fiona a warm feeling as the sound of the wind intensified and the windows began to rattle.
She looked out her largest frying pan just in case he’d caught the big one.
By Harry Dunn, author of Smile of the Viper, Forever Evil, Death Run and One Night in Andalucía published by Caffeine Nights.
This entry was highly commended in the Wokingham Writers Group summer writing challenge, on the theme of Stormy Weather.
