Me, Myself And The Monkeyface Eel

I'm getting a lot of hits lately from people who have not actually seen my poke poling video... so if you are one of the unlucky few, have at:
 

 
 

If you've seen it already, sorry.  But I got three thousand new hits in the last few days (largely because of my recent videos on urban fishing--scroll down a few days if you haven't seen 'em) and I wanted to put it up so new folks will stop asking me why the blog is called The Monkeyface News.  

I always refer to it as mine but the video was actually shot by the good folks at Wholphin. I should point out that this project was a spur of the moment kind of thing. I got a call from a total stranger who wanted to shoot a film about poke poling.  It was high tide and I tried to beg out gracefully, but he talked me into it (when it involves performing and fishing I'm an easy mark).  So when you see me dodging waves and whatnot, rest assured this is not what I usually do out there in the intertidal.  Also, I have gotten a fair amount of teasing over the size of the monkeyface eel in this video.  I would challenge any poke poler in California to go out to Rockaway on a rough day, at high tide, (with cameras rolling, mind you) and do better!  And anyway, I do not lack for eel confidence (see below).

  

Lombard Of The Intertidal with the current state record monkeyface. Sorry to report you're all going to be seeing a lot of this picture in the next 12 months.  (When March rolls around you'll understand what I mean).

  

Yeah. Yeah. I know. You've caught bigger eels than this. Right. You do it all the time. Fort Baker Jetty. Carmel by the Sea. Agate Beach. Bean Hollow. Whatever. I got an e-mail the other day from a guy who will, no doubt, be the next CA record holder (his monkeyface evidently tipped the scales at a jaw dropping 9.6 pounds).  But thanks to the glacial speed of Fish and Game sport fishing records dept., I get to hold on to my record for at least 6 more months.  Call me a lame-duck prickleback champ, I don't care!  I think it's safe to say five years was a pretty good run.  

 

Feeling Crabby (in a good way)


 
Unofficial Emblem of the BKM. By MFN resident cartoonist, Mark "Finesmell" Feinthel, whose Monkeyface News-related comic strips will be featured every monday.
 

Well, the Boer Kayak Mafia was back in action today... or I should say, half of the Boer Kayak Mafia was back in action today--the non-Boer half. (How you can be South African with a last name that starts with "Von" and somehow not be a Boer is beyond me). Anyway, despite lacking the Boer element we picked up a few extra hands and pounded through some ugly surf.  

Strike Force 1, Mosley Cove CA., 2010 (from left to right:  Rockin Reuben, Niko Von Sharky, Guitarzan, MFN Fishwife Camilladilla)

Despite our lowest dungie totals for the year, in the end we prevailed. And although prevailing in this case may have involved eating red rock crabs and California mussels the day was, for all involved, a resounding success--culminating, as all such wonderfully exhausting days must, with frosty mugs of beer at Ye Olde Pelican Inn.
   

    The arthropod that saved the day

FYI: for all those arthropod snobs out there, the decision was unanimous: big red rock crabs are delicious.  Even the aforementioned Niko Non Sharky had to concede this.  In fact, he pointed out that on a slow dungie outing rock crabs can quite literally "save the day."  

Anyway...

From high above the bounteous shores of the Pacific Ocean, this is Lombard of the Intertidal, signing out.

 

Comments

[Fish Elvis]

Yeah, red rock crabs are absolutely delicious. Totally underrated--why is that? I guess we should keep it a secret or something.

[Rachael]

A-ha! This I did not know! I am illuminated as to the name of your blog. Nice video. That was a cute little fish, too.

[J.]

That's a red crab. Not a rock crab. Rock crabs have extremely big pincers, generally smaller, and darker in color.

...I'm such a douche.