What a day! The kind people who bottle CAPI sparkling mineral water invited me for a day out deep-sea fishing today. I had the best time meeting Pitzy Folk and his sidekicks. Chris Arnold from Noosa River Fishing was our captain for today and his assistant Lee kept our hooks baited, took fish off and were really kind to me when my skin tone began to change.
“Look at the horizon. See that point of land? Focus on that and you won’t throw up,” was Chris’s sage advice and it worked.
Before green, however, I did almost catch a fish. I say I almost did it because to be honest, Lee caught the fish before I ever had a chance for him to pass the rod to me.
We started out at 6am from the front door of the Sheraton Hotel and Resort in Noosa. To get up to Noosa and find my way, I was up at 4:45am and on the boat by 6:15. Getting past the sand bar at low tide took courage and all of us needed to be seated and holding on — but we made it just fine and headed out to the reef to fish.
Pitzy provided us with bacon and egg rolls, muffins, great coffee and their fantastic sparkling water. Just last week CAPI Sparkling mineral water was awarded the title of Best Australian Water by Melbourne’s Epicure. CAPI received accolades for its mineral water alongside the famous international brand Badoit-French. Can’t get much better than that.
On the way home from Noosa, I stopped at the local Dan Murphy’s and bought two bottles to photograph (and drink). It will soon be in all Coles and Woolies supermarkets. CAPI also have flavoured water and I bought a cranberry to test.
The water has natural carbonation so it’s bubbly but it has a refreshing mouth feel. You know what I mean when I say some fizzy water seems to crackle in your mouth? CAPI isn’t like that at all. It’s smooth and I would have drunk several bottles but I feared feeding the fish with my breakfast.
Not long ago I received an email about CAPI’s new commercials. I cracked up. This was before I knew anything about them. Since I absolutely love Cuba, here’s their Cuba commercial. They’ll have this and others on tv here in Australia very soon.
So back to fishing. As we were catching fish left right and center, a fast-moving cruiser came flying by and when its wake hit us we were going forward and back and side to side, seemingly all at the same time. My old nemesis vertigo kicked in and it was time to hold on to something. This was the end of my fishing but I was able to stop watching the horizon long enough to take some good fish shots.
This is Daniel Baum, sous chef of Sails Restaurant in Noosa. Isn’t this a great fishing photo?
Then there was French born Patrick Landelle, executive chef of Café Le Monde restaurant. It’s one of my favorite spots in Noosa and we dined there with John’s dad when he was up here recently. We loved it. It’s not always easy to find a table but when you do, it’s guaranteed to be a good time with great food. Just walking by the restaurant reminds you of the last time you were in Paris. It certainly does for me.
Sorry the rod cut him in half but he was a charming companion on the boat. (aren’t all French men?)
Finally, award-winning chef Ryan Squires, former co-owner of Esquire Restaurant in Brisbane (3 hats in the Good Food Guide for 2012 – now closed) was the fishing winner of the day with this huge jewfish. I wasn’t first in line to view this fish so apologies for the pole.
Here’s a photo of our host, the most gracious Pitzy Folk standing with Ryan Squires. He’s a mad keen fisherman who created CAPI Sparking mineral water and who also owns the Map Coffee business.
And here’s the other lady on the boat and her fish!
Don’t ask me the names of the fish because I’m not too clued in. I know what I can catch off the pontoon out back and none of these looked like that. 🙂 There was one shark, one creepy eel and several red or red striped fish. Don’t I sound like I’m ready to take people out fishing? no.
Thanks to the CAPI folk for a great start to the Noosa International Food and Wine show this weekend. Tomorrow it’s a Q & A lunch with Tetsuya Wakuda.
You are amazing. I don’t think I could go fishing like that.. I get seasick. Sorry about your vertigo… but you continued and got some beautiful fishing shots. That was some massive fish you were all catching. Well done. 🙂
I had a very good time 🙂
Fishing extraordinaire my friend the size is so impressive 🙂
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
It was a big fish 🙂
Oh you poor thing Maureen! There’s nothing quite like seasickness but you were a real trooper!! 😀
In spite of it I had a great time, Lorraine.
You are so brave to go fishing on the high seas with your vertigo.
Those are some beautiful fish. But what? No recipes?
I know.. I paid for it but I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. One of the chefs has worked at Noma and the French Laundry.. talk about top class. AND he caught the biggest fish. 🙂
Wow you caught a huge fish and don’t worry I wont ask you their names. It looks like you had a blast. Who caught the shark? Yikes I guess I would just cut the line if that happened. Have a super weekend. BAM
I think Dan caught the shark. He was pretty wiggly. (the shark I mean)
You are brave M aureen, going out on a boat with all of those chefs ( Ryan Squires a favourite of mine). Didnt everyone catch some fish!! amazing. I will make it to the Noosa festival one of these years. Look forward to your report. MeantimeI am sitting in Helsinki airport wishing for a tall glass of that capi water.
Helsinki? You lucky thing!! Not only can he cook but he’s not too bad on the eyes either, Tania! 🙂
I LOVE the photo of you holding the fish. You should have told us you caught it because you look proud enough!
What an adventure. Glad you managed to keep your breakfast down.
I’ll keep an eye out for this when it hits the shelf. I know what you mean about bubbly water crackling in your mouth!
ps you made me laugh with your Spanish!
LOL, I COULD have caught it but it was really heavy. Lee kept saying, “here, take it” and I kept saying, “no, you go ahead.”
WOW they are a great size, all of them!! My husband is a mad fisherman and always tries to get me to go with him, well I did once and NEVER AGAIN!! I was so sick it was terrible. I think every persons body handles the sea very differently.
I was pretty sure I’d get sick because I do suffer from vertigo on occasion but I wouldn’t have missed this for the world.
What an incredible opportunity! How lucky are you? I hope you got to go and cook the fish and taste each one after you landed… fishing is only HALF the fun! Tetsuya tomorrow? WOWSERS. What fun! Do you know Lynette MacDonald? She’d my great pal in all things Thermomix from Australia.
🙂
V
I don’t know Lynette but I’d love to!
Tetsuya Wakuda was as gracious as could be. It was just me and 3 others and we had him all to ourselves for over an hour. It was great fun.
That sounds like a world of fun, Maureen, and how wonderful that so many fish were caught. Good for you!
Everyone caught at least one fish. I caught several and one fish (probably a shark) ate not only my bait but cut the line too!
I haven’t been fishing since I was a kid, this looks like such a fun day! Glad you didn’t get sick 🙂
Well, I got green and I was praying that it was nearly time to go back 🙂
Maureen I posted a comment yesterday, but it’s not here so I guess it disappeared into cyber space!? Love your day out on the water, what absolute fun! And what I wouldn’t give for this experience. Just look at the size of those fish, almost as big as your smile!! I had a similar experience once in Robe, SA, as part of the media contingent with Tasting Australia. We went out pulling up lobster pots! Awesome.
I haven’t been on a lobster boat since I was a kid in Maine. Maine is renowned for it’s umm.. Maine Lobsters. 🙂 They have huge claws filled with meat.
How exciting!
A fish! … even if you weren’t quite holding the rod when it jumped on 😉
I love it when I actually catch something, the only times I have had success have been on a charter.
Lol about the green, I have the same problem 😉
Have fun at the festival, I will have to enjoy the food and wine through you this year 🙂
You should have been here. What a wonderful food event. I met so many people I can’t possibly remember who they are. 🙂 One person was introduced as Queensland’s PR Tart but I have no idea who she is. The rest of the day was sort of like that. 🙂
Well done!!! It looks like it was such a fun day. 🙂
it was a lot of fun. 3 chefs, me and the hosts. Can’t get better than that 🙂
Maureen – What a great day!! And I have to tell you, I LOVE that commercial!