Osprey - 10-11-2008 at 06:55 AM
Fishing with Tranquilino
No way to miss Tranquilino. He was the biggest Mexican I had encountered in Baja California. The big guy had many jobs and responsibilities at the
East Cape fishing resort. In the comparative cool of early morning he watered the palms, hibiscus and elephant grass. He coaxed the variegated crotons
to compete with the showy hibiscus, left the whole garden area un-manicured and naturally tropical. His name seemed to fit him as he spoke softly,
moved with a slow, measured grace (knowing how to pace himself for the heat and hard work ahead).
Looking back, I now imagine his appearance near my hammock later in the day, when all the boats were back in, might not have been altogether
accidental. Perhaps he learned, over time, that my pleasure was to share a cold beer or refresco with him while he worked. He was helpful, not mocking
as I stuttered and stumbled with little twisted bits and pieces of his language.
There were times during the day when things got busy for him. At times he was boat dispatchador, maintenance man, in charge several lively young boys
who did the fish cleaning and storage and much more. My growing acquaintance with the man was probably having positive results I couldn’t see; I think
he made sure my fish were always properly filleted, bagged and stored in the big walk-in freezer where each bin was marked with the room number of the
client. He always got a small propina from me when it was “taxi time”, time to fill and tape and tie the coolers for the trip on the plane back to
Americalandia.
The joy of saltwater fishing is that every trip is different – you never know what to expect. Most trips would find me taking home filets of dorado,
tuna, huachinango, croaker and triggerfish. On one trip I just plain ran out of luck. Just the way the dice landed – nobody’s fault. Others were
filling their coolers but any boat I got on was doomed to a “boat ride.”
Enter Tranquilino: he unlocked the big freezer to find in my bin, room 15, two puny baggies of triggerfish filets. He saw my look of disappointment as
the filets became lost in the emptiness of my big cooler. I said “Malo Suerte”, put on my best driver’s license picture smile and handed him 100
pesos. Most of Tranquilino’s words were lost on me but I did hear “Muchachas”, and “Error”. Then the big man “went fishing” --- he grabbed big bags of
filets from other bins, threw them in my bin, then finally transferred all of them to my big red cooler.
When I got home I was excited to discover I had caught my usual incredible edibles and also a nice bag of wahoo steaks. That was nearly 40 years ago
and Tranquilino has probably passed behind the veil – a place of self-watering plants and fish that clean, filet and bag themselves.
If any of you were around back then, found your freezer bin a little light, just chalk it up to luck – you weren’t lucky enough to have been fishing
with Tranquilino.
Russ - 10-11-2008 at 07:02 AM
A wonderful story and great for a morning when most of us down here are a little nervous about what Norbert will leave in his wake. Thanks!
shari - 10-11-2008 at 07:04 AM
THAT is a classic baja story....gracias mi estimado. You truly grasp the essence de mexicanos...and appreciate it.
Ken Bondy - 10-11-2008 at 07:07 AM
Wonderful story Osprey, just beautiful. I'm not sure that I ever met your Tranquilino, but I did meet some over the years who reminded me a lot of
him! Buen dicho,
++Ken++
Paulina - 10-11-2008 at 07:40 AM
*clapping hands*
Thank you.
P<*)))>{
Iflyfish - 10-11-2008 at 09:42 AM
That amazing sense of balance, harmony, and grace! Well told amigo! Well told!
Iflyfish
Sallysouth - 10-11-2008 at 10:30 AM
Another Classic tale from the Master! Thanks for the morning smile on my face Seahawk!!
Pescador - 10-11-2008 at 02:46 PM
I had a friend who was a great outdoor writer and he always said that he could never catch fish worth a darn but could sure write about it. Now I
don't know Osprey well enough to comment on his fishing abilities but his writing abilities sure "speak for themselves". Guess when they pass around
skills they want to make sure that we keep our balance in the greater scheme of things. So I am not going to offer any "fishing lessons" which might
upset the balance of this wonderful creativity and expression.
Cypress - 10-11-2008 at 03:34 PM
Thanks Osprey! 
I'm wanting to go fishing with Tranquilino.