Early morning tea arrived to ourrooms just before dawn. I took mycup out on the balcony and watched

the Indian Ocean surge up from thedarkness to drum against the beach.Thekaskazi trade wind fingered the fronds ofthe coconut palms; the air was as warm asbathwater.At first light, we were goingdeep-sea fishing.

My friend, her young son, and I – totalfishing novices – were staying atHemingways Resort, in Watamu, Kenya.

One of the so-called “Small Luxury Hotelsof the World,” it’s named for thelegendary writer and big-game hunter,Ernest Hemingway, who "discovered" deepsea fishing in these waters in 1934.Hemingway's discovery came at the end ofa safari.With two weeks to kill beforesailing from Mombasa, Hemingway set outin a semi-derelict boat named Xanadu totry his hand at fishing in the Indian Ocean.The subsequent battle with the weather,boat, skipper, and fighting fish engendereda respect for the sport that never left him.

We spent our first few days ofdiscovery walking the long, white beach,sunning by the pools, and enjoying thecuisine and the tropical landscape. Lateeach afternoon we watched – drinks inhand – as the Hemingways fishing fleetreturned home.The catches were weighedon the slip; the more impressivespecimens – including a 1,000-pound Tiger

Shark – were photographed.Would we tryit too? Why not. So, at 5:30 this morning, a“fisherman’s breakfast” awaited us underthe thatched roof of Hemingways’restaurant pavilion.

In the lamplight, a chef stood behind arow of chafing dishes.We weren’t hungryfor more than coffee and toast at thathour, but when he asked us to assembleour lunches for the cool box on the boat,we optimistically picked out roast beefsandwiches, egg salad sandwiches, somelittle homemade cakes, and bags of crisps.

Then, along with the skipper and thethree-man crew, we waded out to thedinghy and headed for the boat.The lateFebruary sun had risen quickly and wasalready glinting on the dark blue sea,promising another day in the 30s.The Ol-Jogi, a pristine 33-foot-long, twin-enginefishing boat, proved to be an extension ofthe five-star standards of the hotel.

We stretched out on foam mattressesunder a canvas shade and tried to adjustto the rocking motion as the Ol-Jogiploughed away from the coast.The skipper told us we’d bemotoring through “sail fishalley” where billfish ride thecurrent down towardZanzibar.We seemed morethan ready for them. Ninerods bristled from thecockpit.

Once we were underway, the three-man crewbegan a ballet of sorts,switching rods fromplace to place,attaching lures likebrilliant dust mopsto the lines,balancingthemselves on

EuroTimes December 2005

by Maryalicia Post

Out at first light in Hemingway’s wake

Fishing at Hemingways runs fromAugust to mid-May. November throughMarch, when the seas are warmer andcalmer, are the main months for marlinand sailfish. The 33-foot boats carryan absolute maximum of four clients.Cost ranges from UK £390 to £540 fora 10-hour day, and from £290 to £400for a half day, depending on the time ofyear.

Room rates range from £82 to £288including breakfast, afternoon tea anddinner. Luxurious suites are alsoavailable.

Contact: Hemingways Resort,Watamu, Kenya. Telephone +254 4232624 or 32724;

Email:Reservations@Hemingways.co.ke;

Websites: www.hemingways.co.kewww.big-gamefishing.net

You can also contact Rosie Llewellyn inthe Hemingways UK office at Ash TreeHouse, Church Street, Shipton underWychwood, Oxfordshire OX7 6BP.Telephone: 01993 832687. Fax: 01993 832932.

Getting there: From Nairobi’s JomoKenyatta airport, it is a 45-minute flightto Malindi. The Hemingways minibuswill meet your flight for the short driveto Watamu.

FACT FILE

Photos: M. Post

EuroTimes December 2005

the rails to set up out rigging devices.Wewere well clear of the coastal coral reef

when the clatter of the ratchet onthe rod brought us to

attention and off themattresses. I was

given firstturn in

therevolving“fighting chair.”Bracing againstthe footrests, Iwound the reelmightily forseveral longminutes.With alurch and a flap,a plump silverfish about 12inches longlanded at myfeet, gave me asurprised look,twitched once,and lay still.The crewmenpulled in moreof them onother lines.

They were bonitos, a kind of tuna and mycatch was not, in fact, a potential trophy,but live bait for bigger fish to come.

The diesel motors hummed on, the seaaround us peaked in dark triangles abovethe inky blue wash.The ratchet squealedagain and a rod dipped down. Though theseven-year-old was coping with the onsetof seasickness, he willingly left the rail totake his turn in the chair.A crewman gavehim a hand, helping him to reel in hardand fast.A dorado, the agile predator offlying fish, came streaking out of the water

on the end of the hook, shimmeringgold and four feet long. It was

brought aboard withgrappling hooks and

held for aphotograph

before itsiridescence died

with it.As the morning

went on, weglimpsed dolphins,

barracuda, and thelateen sails of local

fishing boats but not themarlins or sailfish for

which these waters arefamous. Ernest Hemingway’s

record catch stands at 23sailfish, all tagged and released.

We brought in a second dorado,a small yellow fin tuna and several

more bonito. By noon, theonshore monsoon began to kick up astomach-churning chop and though thecrew moved aft for a few discreet bites oflunch, they were kind enough not toremind us of our provisions in the coolbox.

Back on shore, the fish were weighedand the youngest member of our partyposed with the best of our catch beforewe gave it to the crew. We kept onebonito.The chef turned the silver fish intosix platters of rose-pink sushi, garnishingthe plates with slices of the pale greenKenyan lemon. It was served to our partythat evening at a candle-lit table under acrescent moon. Just beyond the terrace,in the dark, the waves were drumming onthe shore.

Sail up Mida creek on a dhow at sunset. An area of extensive mangrove forests and mudflats, the Mida Creek Reserve is home to flamingos, egrets, kingfishers and many otherlocal and migrant species. You’ll spot many of them winging in to their nests as dayturns – spectacularly – into night. Enjoy a drink and “bitings” as the craft glides silentlyalong under its lateen sail.

You can also explore the nearby ruins of Gedi, in the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest. An Arabtown dating from the late 13th or early 14th century, Gedi was mysteriously abandonedin the 17th century. Excavations began in 1927; so far, they have uncovered theawesomely carved arches of the Great Mosque and the Palace, as well as severaldomestic dwellings and pillar tombs. Inquisitive Sykes monkeys swing through thetreetops, tracking your progress. In the huge forest surrounding the ruins, there areelephants and baboons, plus the rare bushy-tailed mongoose and miniature antelope.

Although you may not see all of those animals, you will certainly see plenty of butterflies.There are 260 species of them in this indigenous coastal forest. Visit the Kipepeo Farmnear the entrance to the ruins. “Kipepeo” is Swahili for butterfly. Not only will you enjoythe fly house with its exotic fluttering butterflies, but you will also have a chance to seefirst-hand a successful economic/ecological experiment. At Kipepeo, farmers are beingpaid to net butterflies, collect the eggs, and when they hatch, to bring the pupae to thebutterfly farm to be exported to collectors all over the world. The income makes up insome measure for the damage inflicted on the surrounding farms by maraudingelephants.

Hemingways will make the arrangements for these excursions and more.

WHILE YOU’RE THERE