The Enchanting Fisherman

While the beachfront at Christopher Columbus Condos is private, the immediate shoreline is a public corridor for anyone who wishes to take a stroll along Seven Mile Beach. Since Christopher Columbus Condos is on the northern (quieter) side of Seven Mile Beach there is less pedestrian traffic. During a typical day you may see a handful of pedestrians walk by the beach every couple of hours, and they’re usually guests of surrounding condo properties.

However, during a previous stay, I along with the other guests on the beach had the pleasure of a brief encounter with an enchanting fisherman.

As I saw the man approaching from the north, I could see he was carrying a net and looking out into the ocean. He was barefoot and had a weathered look about him. I remember thinking there was no way this man was going to catch any fish with his bare hands and a simple net. I was fixated on his movement though as he slowly worked his way down the beach and closer to the beachfront that we were relaxing on. I could feel the others begin to pay attention too.

Right as he reached the CCC beach he whipped out his net and pulled it back in with one swift movement. I perked up in my lounge chair and gasped with glee as I saw him pull in a net full of fish. A couple of the other guests hopped up with excitement and ran to check out the fisherman’s catch, so I followed suit with my camera in hand.

When we reached him, we could see that he’d caught a slew of sardines – with one simple toss – I couldn’t believe it. He had emptied them from his net onto the sand, and I asked him if I could help him pick them up. He didn’t say much, just smiled as he picked them up, and I did too as I started to try to pick them up. I squealed and laughed every time I picked one up and felt it flip and flop, but he let me continue to “help”. Some of the other guests were talking with him as I worked on picking up the tiny fish, and I heard them say he had been following the school of fish down the shoreline for a while before he cast his net.

Once he gathered his fish he picked up his net, gazed out on the sea and went on his way. He left as mystically and quickly as he’d come. Amid all the excitement I didn’t get a chance to get his name or his story, but I have a feeling he enjoys being a man of mystery. I’ll always remember him and the enchanting aura of this brief encounter.