We were up at the crack of dawn for our fishing trip with Ian. Ian Cuevas is our head guide, and friend. He lives in Monkey River Village with partner Alison, from Canada, who is doing her doctorate on the howler monkeys of Monkey River.

We are trying to fit in a trip to the reef every week at the moment, brushing up our skills and “doing learning”. Later on in the season Ian will be working every single day with guests, but for now, we have the time to play a bit ourselves and build up our knowledge of the cayes and the reef.

It was not a promising morning; the sea state was described as moderate, which translates to a very bumpy ride out to the reef, especially as we had decided to go north to Glovers Spit to try for kingfish. The wind was coming out for the northeast, and despite Ian’s skill at sliding up and down the big waves, our bones were well jolted around by the time we reached Pumpkin Island (sometimes called Pompion). This is our bait catching place, but for once the baits just weren’t there. Just as well Chris had just done a complete overhaul and refit of our lures.

We head out to the outside of the reef and began to patrol along Gladden Spit. In April, May and June, this is where you can spot whale shark gorging on plankton produced by a huge grouper spawning – especially around the full moon. Using deep running lures, we trolled up and down in a pretty big though gentle swell. Glass green transparent waves 8 foot high are beautiful when the sun is shining and you have a great boatman at the helm.

Chris started getting hits on his Yo-Zuri L Jack Minnow in bright silver. Small bonito. Ian started to see kings jumping, and Chris hauled in a bonito, neatly cut in half on its way back to the boat. “Big kingfish” declared Ian. So we were into the bite, and another bonito followed shortly, surely only a matter of time before we hit the kingfish. But I was starting to feel very queasy, unusually for me and despite travel sickness tablets. Rather than spoil the whole day, I asked Ian to take us inside the reef into calmer water. I was angry at myself, as Chris and Ian both knew the bite was on, but they were kind enough not to point out that I was a wimp.

I just threw myself down on the foredeck and had a brief doze, while Chris and Ian pottered around and caught a few snappers, small ‘cuda and the like, in the lovely turquoise waters of the inner reef. Feeling better, I joined in, and had a baby big eye jack – my only fish of the day.

We stopped for a chat with the rangers at Little Water Caye. That place is spotless; the guides really do a good job out there. As usual, the jokes were in Creole, but Ian and co be warned, I understand more Creole each day! They have a nice pack of dogs out there, a lovely brindle mother dog, a big male that looks to have boxer and rottie in him, and some pups, one of whom has a perfect gsd head, and another looks a bit like Faye.

The guides had been fishing for ‘cuda for their dinner, and for the dogs’ dinner as well. We watched the german shepherd-looking pup gently and delicately retrieve a fish tail from the water, look around for the others to make sure they weren’t watching, and take it off to eat in private.

We had some quiche and my trademark chips ‘n’ dips, then off for a bit more fishing, this time trolling the banks around Little Water Caye. Ian was amazed as we set off to see a shoal of mixed permit and bonefish in the shallows by the Caye. In all the time he has fished that area, he has never seen bonefish and permit there before. We weren’t out for permit and bones, or they would have been a good cheap shot.

The afternoon’s trolling produced a decent barracuda of about 10lb on a Yo-Zuri Tobimaru, which Chris later lost when after a ten minute battle a fish took him round a coral head. Then finally, a kingfish, not a monster, but good enough for a few meals, was tempted by Chris’s Halco Laser Pro is silver blue and pink, which Ian had earlier declared to be an ugly useless lure! However, when the fish came in and we could see fish and lure together it was clear that the colour of the lure imitated the colours of a small kingfish.

We don’t get many wins when it comes to pitching our knowledge against Ian’s, so we treasure the ones that come along!

We decided not to push on with fishing into the dark, it had just been too bumpy a day for all of us. Chris and I were worn out when we got home, and absolutely covered in salt, it felt like sand we were so thickly encrusted from the spray. The hot water shower that our solar water heater supplies felt wonderful!

I think we were in bed by about eight o clock, completely worn out. The week ahead will be occupied with trips to Independence for supplies, and a trip to the city to look at a backup generator and to buy some necessary fripperies. More fishing next weekend – but we will pay more attention to the weather next time.