15.08.2016

Flattyfun at Fehmarn

While comfortably leaning against the railing of the boat, we are enjoying the warm sun on our skins. We are passing the shoreline with the famous Fehmarnsund bridge behind us. It’s Sunday afternoon in late July and we are on board the Lana II. Klaus Brandenburg or “Schollenbrandi”, our captain, stops the 8-person fishing boat on a sandbank. He lowers the anchor from a height of 6 meters and it drops firmly into the sand. My American colleagues are excited. After a jam-packed working week, they accepted my invitation to catch flatfish in the Baltic Sea. My husband, Florian Hühnken, and a fishing buddy, Frank Adam, came along to help us attach lugworms onto the hooks of the colorful rigs, among other things. Shortly thereafter the bait find their way to the sea bed. Cindy Kelly, who enjoys all kind of sports, has never caught a fish in her life. Although she lives close to the famous Lake Michigan, which is excellent for trout fishing, she had never been really interested in fishing. Suddenly, the tip of her rod starts moving suspiciously. What is that? A short time later she carefully hooks her first fish. Adrenalin rushes through her body. It is indeed her “Iron spinning rod” bending into a semicircle on the water surface. She is happily reeling in her first flounder. Greg Griffin also feels something pulling. It feels very light. The passionate camper and trout hunter isn’t very sure, if it is a fish or not. The bites which he knows from trout fishing in Michigan feel very different, much more aggressive than this. He just reels in his line. And suddenly he feels something on the hook. The flounder doesn’t want to leave the sea bed. The fish tries hard to get rid of the hook. Greg Griffin is having a lot of fun while reeling in the flatfish. ”It’s so funny, I’m so excited” he says amused. Greg Griffin has caught his first flounder. Since no-one managed to catch a fish, Klaus Brandenburg, decide to release the anchor from the sea bed and move to the next fishing spot. 10 minutes later the salty worms were waiting to be eaten on the sand. Successfully! The flatfishes are now significantly larger. Frank Adam and Florian Hühnken even catch two flounders that are longer than 45cm. Vicky Rop loves kayak-fishing and she had already caught flounders on the coast of Florida. She is well-experienced in catching flatties. Flounder after flounder are welcomed on board. Among those she caught a big one, which was 43cm long. Florian Hühnken and Klaus Brandenburg replace their spinning rods with knives. The catch is prepared for cooking. Suddenly, Viktor Oberst, my German colleague, fights with a fish. In his spare time he plays football, but today he is only interested in one thing: Catching his first fish. "I can’t believe how much strength they have" he calls out to us, as he proudly lifts the fish on board. We fish for a while, before completing the tour. It's time for dinner. We enjoy a beautiful sunset, as well as the freshly cooked catch at a barbeque site on the coast. I overhear the Americans say „What an amazing day we had at the Baltic Sea“. I'm pretty sure that we will all remember this day for a very long time.