Today was an INCREDIBLE day of fishing. I went out with three other guys. Matt (helo tech), Mouse (electrician) and Rich (Pisten Bully mechanic). We had such great weather the entire day. We even stopped on our way out to Cape Evans wall to take some photos.
Next, it was time to Jiffy Drill! Rich is from Minnesota so he know a thing or two about Jiffy Drilling!
The ice is still a little over six feet thick so we need to use two flights on our Jiffy Drill to get all the way through to the ocean.
Once we punch the ice, we need to clear all the excess snow and ice out of the hole. When we do this, water also gets pulled up out of the hole and all over the front of our pants and boots. Good thing we are always prepared with waterproof boots and pants!
Here is Rich catching his first ever Antarctic fish. A Trematomus bernacchii, or a "bernie" for short.
The first fish that Mouse caught was also a "bernie."
Matt was catching fish like crazy today! He kept catching a fish called, Pagothenia borchgrevinki. We just call them "borks" for short. We don't know how he did it, but he caught two borks at the same time with the same hook! And each one of them had the hook in their mouth! I have never seen such a thing!
I caught fish too. I promise. A lot! All in all, we ended up with 52 fish! That is the most that I have ever brought back! And I even caught a Gymnodraco acuticeps, also know as a dragonfish. It was the first one that I have ever caught at Cape Evans wall! We only caught five of them last year and only caught them near the station. It was really cool to catch a dragon fish 20 miles away from where they are normally caught! Here are some pictures of the guys fishing at Cape Evans wall.
Today was an absolutely incredible day. I know that all the guys had fun and it was really cool that everyone got to catch a bunch of fish too! All of this week, I have felt like a fishing guide! Taking people out to our "secret" spots and giving them an incredible day of fishing. Today was no different. In fact, we caught more fish that I have ever caught in one session. That always makes for an incredible day anywhere, and it made it even more special to have it be in Antarctica with some really fun guys!
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