1 00:00:04,920 --> 00:00:10,080 Speaker 1: Welcome to the ten minute Storyteller. That's me Bill Simpson, 2 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:15,040 Speaker 1: your host, narrator and author. We hear at the ten 3 00:00:15,080 --> 00:00:19,640 Speaker 1: minute Storyteller endeavor to entertain you with tall tales or 4 00:00:19,720 --> 00:00:24,840 Speaker 1: rendered swiftly and with the utmost empathy. We pledge to 5 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:29,520 Speaker 1: pack as much entertainment, emotion, and exploration into the human 6 00:00:29,560 --> 00:00:40,120 Speaker 1: condition as ten minutes will permit mini novels on steroids. 7 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:46,360 Speaker 1: This week we meet Storm. Storm is a serious deep 8 00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:51,239 Speaker 1: sea fisherman, a passionate deep sea fisherman, even if it's 9 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:54,040 Speaker 1: only his hobby, even if he only gets to do 10 00:00:54,160 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 1: his thing a few days each year. Storm has the boat, 11 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:02,480 Speaker 1: the tack, and the knowledge to catch the big fish 12 00:01:02,600 --> 00:01:06,440 Speaker 1: out in the deep water. Too bad, he doesn't have 13 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:11,080 Speaker 1: much time, and no matter what the stones might have 14 00:01:11,160 --> 00:01:15,880 Speaker 1: told us back in nineteen sixty four, time that most 15 00:01:16,000 --> 00:01:23,480 Speaker 1: precious of all commodities is definitely not on our side 16 00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:29,759 Speaker 1: the deep sea fishermen. Storm leaves the dock just after 17 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:34,959 Speaker 1: eleven PM. He wants to clear the Manasquan Inlet by midnight. 18 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:38,840 Speaker 1: It's a long haul out to the canyon, five to 19 00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:42,720 Speaker 1: eight hours, depending upon winds, currents, and where the big 20 00:01:42,760 --> 00:01:47,880 Speaker 1: fish might be running. The forty five foot Grady White 21 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:52,880 Speaker 1: Canyon four fifty six, with its twin c twelve caterpillar 22 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:58,440 Speaker 1: diesel engines churning out fourteen hundred horses might not be 23 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:01,520 Speaker 1: the fastest boat heading for the canyon, but she's a 24 00:02:01,600 --> 00:02:05,720 Speaker 1: brick shit house capable of handling just about anything the 25 00:02:05,920 --> 00:02:12,760 Speaker 1: unpredictable and unforgiving North Atlantic might throw her way. Earlier, 26 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:17,359 Speaker 1: Storm filled the twin tanks with just over six hundred 27 00:02:17,400 --> 00:02:22,680 Speaker 1: gallons of marine diesel costs just over twenty two hundred bucks, 28 00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:27,000 Speaker 1: which is why Storm always tries to bring a crew 29 00:02:27,040 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 1: of at least three, even if they don't know dick 30 00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:34,480 Speaker 1: about deep sea fishing, even if they spend the whole 31 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:38,120 Speaker 1: trip drinking beer and pissing over the stern or down 32 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:42,080 Speaker 1: in the cabin barfing in the head from seasickness. Five 33 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:46,680 Speaker 1: hundred bucks apiece to fish the canyon. If Storm holds 34 00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:50,240 Speaker 1: back on the throttle, which he won't once he starts 35 00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:54,240 Speaker 1: getting antsy, those sea twelves will burn at least a 36 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:59,280 Speaker 1: gallon of diesel for every nautical mile traveled. They clear 37 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:03,120 Speaker 1: the inlet and head due east. This time of year, 38 00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:06,800 Speaker 1: late June, it'll be about four hours before the first 39 00:03:06,840 --> 00:03:11,120 Speaker 1: glow of a new day shows on the horizon. They 40 00:03:11,160 --> 00:03:13,440 Speaker 1: will be most of the way to where the big 41 00:03:13,480 --> 00:03:17,000 Speaker 1: fish might be found along the continental shelf, where the 42 00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:20,640 Speaker 1: coastal waters mix with the warm Gulf stream and the 43 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:25,280 Speaker 1: Atlantic drops quickly from one hundred fathoms to nearly one 44 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:30,520 Speaker 1: thousand fathoms. Primary focus will be on the yellowfin tuna, 45 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:34,359 Speaker 1: the big eye tuna white marlin, and its close cousin, 46 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:40,480 Speaker 1: the famous and massive blue marlin. Yellowfin should be plentiful, 47 00:03:40,920 --> 00:03:44,760 Speaker 1: some weighing upwards of one hundred pounds. Big Eye might 48 00:03:44,800 --> 00:03:48,320 Speaker 1: be running also, and they can easily top two hundred pounds. 49 00:03:48,760 --> 00:03:53,320 Speaker 1: Both make good fighting and good eating. But what Storm 50 00:03:53,600 --> 00:03:57,760 Speaker 1: really wants this trip is a marlin trophy class. White 51 00:03:57,760 --> 00:04:01,480 Speaker 1: marlins can easily top one hundred and fifty pounds, but 52 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:06,320 Speaker 1: the big blues those commonly hit five hundred pounds and up. 53 00:04:07,000 --> 00:04:10,280 Speaker 1: Last year, during the Marlin opened down in Ocean City, 54 00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:14,280 Speaker 1: one witting team landed a blue marlin that weighed in 55 00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:20,359 Speaker 1: excess of one thousand pounds at the helm, staring straight 56 00:04:20,400 --> 00:04:25,279 Speaker 1: ahead into the night, ignoring his noisy beer swinging meats, 57 00:04:25,680 --> 00:04:29,240 Speaker 1: Storm whistles softly at the mere thought of hooking and 58 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:36,080 Speaker 1: landing a half ton blue marlin. By day, Storm studies data, 59 00:04:36,720 --> 00:04:41,280 Speaker 1: reams and reams of data dealing with various drugs his employer, 60 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:47,480 Speaker 1: medi Well, is trying to push through the arduous FDA process. 61 00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:50,640 Speaker 1: Since COVID, he has worked out of his small home 62 00:04:50,760 --> 00:04:55,480 Speaker 1: office in the basement of his Center Hall Colonial. Occasionally 63 00:04:55,720 --> 00:04:59,480 Speaker 1: he escapes this dim cell for business trips to Chicago 64 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:06,080 Speaker 1: and where Mediwell has research labs, but mostly he spends 65 00:05:06,279 --> 00:05:10,520 Speaker 1: his sixty plus hour workweeks down in the cellar, not 66 00:05:10,680 --> 00:05:14,719 Speaker 1: far from the furnace and the hot water heater. He 67 00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:18,039 Speaker 1: makes good money, a couple hundred grand a year, plus 68 00:05:18,080 --> 00:05:22,560 Speaker 1: bonuses and stock options. He needs all that money and 69 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:26,359 Speaker 1: more to pay the mortgages on the house and the 70 00:05:26,400 --> 00:05:31,080 Speaker 1: beach house, the car payments, the hefty marine payment for 71 00:05:31,120 --> 00:05:35,000 Speaker 1: the forty five foot Grady White, and all the expenses 72 00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:39,480 Speaker 1: associated with being an upper middle class white guy living 73 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:43,040 Speaker 1: in the affluent verbs with a non working wife and 74 00:05:43,240 --> 00:05:47,679 Speaker 1: three daughters, the eldest of whom attends an eighty four 75 00:05:47,800 --> 00:05:54,720 Speaker 1: thousand dollars per year university in Boston. Storm tries not 76 00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:59,719 Speaker 1: to think about his financial commitments and his domestic responsibilities 77 00:06:00,200 --> 00:06:04,200 Speaker 1: here on the water. He knows all that stuff will 78 00:06:04,240 --> 00:06:07,800 Speaker 1: become his reality soon enough, in the blink of the 79 00:06:07,839 --> 00:06:12,719 Speaker 1: proverbial eye. But for a few hours, he just wants 80 00:06:12,800 --> 00:06:16,040 Speaker 1: to escape. He just wants to stare out to see. 81 00:06:16,080 --> 00:06:23,039 Speaker 1: He just wants to fish. Fishing, after all, is Storm's passion, 82 00:06:23,640 --> 00:06:27,000 Speaker 1: the one thing that gets his blood pumping, the only 83 00:06:27,040 --> 00:06:29,440 Speaker 1: thing that he really likes to think about or talk about, 84 00:06:29,560 --> 00:06:32,800 Speaker 1: the only thing he really likes to do. But he 85 00:06:32,880 --> 00:06:37,280 Speaker 1: knows he can't get too worked up, not with his 86 00:06:37,560 --> 00:06:41,720 Speaker 1: less than stellar ticker. A bad ticker took his old 87 00:06:41,760 --> 00:06:46,920 Speaker 1: man in his mid fifties now to catch the big fish. 88 00:06:47,200 --> 00:06:52,080 Speaker 1: Storm has invested a small fortune on tackle. His mantra 89 00:06:52,240 --> 00:06:58,640 Speaker 1: could well be shitty tackle, don't catch big fish. His 90 00:06:58,680 --> 00:07:03,159 Speaker 1: main rig is a five foot eight inch Melton Royale 91 00:07:03,760 --> 00:07:09,960 Speaker 1: rod in combination with a pen International vstick gold reel 92 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:14,560 Speaker 1: loaded with two hundred yards of eighty pound mono backed 93 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:17,960 Speaker 1: by seven hundred yards of one hundred and thirty pound 94 00:07:18,080 --> 00:07:24,320 Speaker 1: braided line. Storm prefers a short rod loaded with backbone 95 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:28,640 Speaker 1: to apply torque and raise worthy predators from the depths. 96 00:07:30,080 --> 00:07:35,680 Speaker 1: He uses trolling lures consisting of spreader bars designed to 97 00:07:35,800 --> 00:07:39,680 Speaker 1: mimic a school of squid splashing on the surface as 98 00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:44,480 Speaker 1: they try to evade predators in comseeas he might put 99 00:07:44,480 --> 00:07:48,679 Speaker 1: out three rods rigged with ballyhu to appease the palate 100 00:07:48,920 --> 00:07:54,720 Speaker 1: of the more refined species, including the big eye. Oh yeah, 101 00:07:55,200 --> 00:07:58,400 Speaker 1: there's no doubt about it. Storm knows how to fish. 102 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:03,200 Speaker 1: He knows what he's doing out here. His crew nods 103 00:08:03,280 --> 00:08:09,640 Speaker 1: off the engines drone a low, starless sky above, a 104 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:14,040 Speaker 1: few drops of rain splatter the windshield. Winds out of 105 00:08:14,080 --> 00:08:19,320 Speaker 1: the southeast, brisk and gathering strength. An unexpected blow might 106 00:08:19,400 --> 00:08:23,840 Speaker 1: well be headed their way, thunder and lightning and high seas. 107 00:08:25,080 --> 00:08:30,000 Speaker 1: Storm fears a shitty day of fishing, or worse. He 108 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:33,560 Speaker 1: sighs and tries to keep his mind from running the data, 109 00:08:33,880 --> 00:08:40,640 Speaker 1: the goddamn data, and the endless pitoless numbers, always, always, always, 110 00:08:40,679 --> 00:08:44,280 Speaker 1: his brain runs the numbers. It's what he does for 111 00:08:44,360 --> 00:08:47,280 Speaker 1: a living, after all, what he does in the basement 112 00:08:47,360 --> 00:08:50,320 Speaker 1: for hours at a time, He runs the numbers. And 113 00:08:50,360 --> 00:08:53,160 Speaker 1: that's the last thing he wants to do out here 114 00:08:53,240 --> 00:08:56,680 Speaker 1: on the open ocean, away from everything, away from all 115 00:08:56,720 --> 00:09:01,520 Speaker 1: of life's hassles and stresses. But the numbers come anyway, 116 00:09:02,320 --> 00:09:05,040 Speaker 1: and there's nothing he can do to stop them. They're 117 00:09:05,120 --> 00:09:08,840 Speaker 1: like they're like the fucking bulls running through the streets 118 00:09:08,880 --> 00:09:15,520 Speaker 1: of Pamplona. Twelve hundred bucks for the Melton, eight hundred 119 00:09:15,559 --> 00:09:19,040 Speaker 1: and fifty bucks for the pen, hundreds more for the 120 00:09:19,080 --> 00:09:23,240 Speaker 1: mono and braided lines. Two grand a month, two grand 121 00:09:23,360 --> 00:09:26,520 Speaker 1: his bride doesn't even know about for the Grady White 122 00:09:27,120 --> 00:09:31,040 Speaker 1: bought used with fifty grand down. But still he'll be 123 00:09:31,160 --> 00:09:35,000 Speaker 1: well past seventy before he gets that damn thing paid off. 124 00:09:35,920 --> 00:09:39,000 Speaker 1: The slip at the marina, the maintenance, the repairs, the fuel, 125 00:09:39,520 --> 00:09:45,400 Speaker 1: the fuel, all that, all that, and Jesus, how often 126 00:09:45,400 --> 00:09:47,760 Speaker 1: do I even get out? How often do I get 127 00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:52,440 Speaker 1: out here? Yeah, that's not something I want to think about. 128 00:09:53,280 --> 00:09:56,840 Speaker 1: Last year, with his mom dying and his oldest heading 129 00:09:56,880 --> 00:10:01,760 Speaker 1: off to college, Storm got out just six times. Took 130 00:10:01,920 --> 00:10:06,280 Speaker 1: just six trips, six Measley trips, three hundred and sixty 131 00:10:06,320 --> 00:10:09,640 Speaker 1: five days in the year, and he got six trips 132 00:10:09,720 --> 00:10:13,160 Speaker 1: to the canyon. And this year it's almost the first 133 00:10:13,160 --> 00:10:16,280 Speaker 1: of July and this is his first trip, and he 134 00:10:16,440 --> 00:10:19,440 Speaker 1: doubts there will be another much before the middle of August. 135 00:10:20,400 --> 00:10:28,040 Speaker 1: Work kids, commitments, the data, the numbers, the three girls 136 00:10:28,320 --> 00:10:32,160 Speaker 1: to put through school. That's a million bucks. And their weddings. 137 00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:37,199 Speaker 1: There's another quarter mill or more work another ten years, 138 00:10:37,200 --> 00:10:40,400 Speaker 1: at least maybe twelve, hopefully not more than twelve. Get 139 00:10:40,400 --> 00:10:43,520 Speaker 1: the houses paid off and the boat mostly paid off, 140 00:10:43,640 --> 00:10:46,559 Speaker 1: and the girls educated and married off. And then and 141 00:10:46,640 --> 00:10:50,720 Speaker 1: then finally I'll be able to fish fifty sixty seventy 142 00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:53,640 Speaker 1: days a year, many of them out at the canyon 143 00:10:53,800 --> 00:10:59,760 Speaker 1: where the big fish room. Where the big fish Room. Yeah, whoa, 144 00:11:00,240 --> 00:11:02,880 Speaker 1: what was that? A pain? A pain in his chest, 145 00:11:03,679 --> 00:11:06,480 Speaker 1: Probably just heartburn from all those fucking hot dogs he ate. 146 00:11:06,520 --> 00:11:09,880 Speaker 1: Back at the marina. Just a couple of nights ago, 147 00:11:10,080 --> 00:11:13,760 Speaker 1: Storm was out having beers with some of the local guys. 148 00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:17,720 Speaker 1: He was all worked up about the night's trip, talking 149 00:11:17,880 --> 00:11:21,000 Speaker 1: a blue streak about being out on the ocean and 150 00:11:21,080 --> 00:11:26,200 Speaker 1: maybe hauling in a big blue marlin. And that's when Samson, 151 00:11:26,720 --> 00:11:32,440 Speaker 1: a non fisherman, said to everyone standing around the bar, 152 00:11:32,679 --> 00:11:36,120 Speaker 1: so let me get the straight Storm. You're gonna spend 153 00:11:36,240 --> 00:11:39,840 Speaker 1: a couple grand on fuel, drive all night out into 154 00:11:39,880 --> 00:11:43,760 Speaker 1: the middle of the fucking ocean, throw a baited hook overboard, 155 00:11:43,920 --> 00:11:47,679 Speaker 1: and then spend all day trying to capture and kill 156 00:11:47,800 --> 00:11:52,199 Speaker 1: a giant, free running fish. You don't know and can't see, 157 00:11:52,480 --> 00:11:55,160 Speaker 1: and who hasn't done a fucking thing to you or 158 00:11:55,200 --> 00:11:57,640 Speaker 1: to those you love. That's your plan, That's what you're 159 00:11:57,640 --> 00:12:03,280 Speaker 1: gonna spend your day doing. Samson shit man, quite a talker, 160 00:12:03,360 --> 00:12:06,760 Speaker 1: a real yarn spinner. All the guys laughed at his 161 00:12:07,000 --> 00:12:12,160 Speaker 1: assessment of Storm's fishing trip, well most of them anyway, now, No, 162 00:12:12,480 --> 00:12:17,319 Speaker 1: all of them. They all laughed. Storm remembering, he sighs, 163 00:12:18,160 --> 00:12:21,880 Speaker 1: and he ignores that pain in his chest and thinks 164 00:12:21,920 --> 00:12:26,480 Speaker 1: about the tax man. Not the taxman who takes a 165 00:12:26,559 --> 00:12:30,760 Speaker 1: large chunk of his hard earned wages, but the taxman 166 00:12:30,960 --> 00:12:35,520 Speaker 1: of the sea, the shark, the tigers and the macOS, 167 00:12:36,040 --> 00:12:40,120 Speaker 1: and the Atlantic black tips who appear out of nowhere 168 00:12:40,200 --> 00:12:44,000 Speaker 1: and circle the big blue marlin you've been battling for hours, 169 00:12:44,320 --> 00:12:47,320 Speaker 1: and just seconds before you are about to finally land 170 00:12:47,400 --> 00:12:51,760 Speaker 1: that thousand pound blue marlin and haul him aboard, the 171 00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:56,640 Speaker 1: sea churns, the taxman strikes, and the water turns blood 172 00:12:56,720 --> 00:13:00,360 Speaker 1: red as your catch of a lifetime gets ripped to 173 00:13:00,480 --> 00:13:16,640 Speaker 1: shreds by a shiver of hungry primordial sharks. Hey, thanks 174 00:13:16,720 --> 00:13:20,920 Speaker 1: for listening to this original audio presentation of the deep 175 00:13:20,960 --> 00:13:26,080 Speaker 1: sea Fishermen narrated as always by the author. If you 176 00:13:26,240 --> 00:13:30,120 Speaker 1: enjoy today's story, please take a few seconds to rate, review, 177 00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:34,960 Speaker 1: and subscribe to this podcast, and then go to Thomas 178 00:13:35,040 --> 00:13:39,400 Speaker 1: William Simpson dot com for additional information about the author 179 00:13:39,600 --> 00:13:44,599 Speaker 1: and to view his extensive canon. The ten Minute Storyteller 180 00:13:44,840 --> 00:13:48,439 Speaker 1: is produced by Andrew Buglisi and Josh Klani and is 181 00:13:48,480 --> 00:13:52,400 Speaker 1: part of the Elvis Duran Podcast Network in partnership with 182 00:13:52,840 --> 00:13:58,520 Speaker 1: iHeart Productions. So until next time, this is Bill Simpson, 183 00:13:58,760 --> 00:14:01,120 Speaker 1: Your Minute Storyteller.