Cheerleader Kills Shark With Bare Hands

Published on Sunday, December 18, 2011 by Katherine

And a knife. For real.

I’m not sure how we got back in to fishing. It’s probably due to my older son’s love for the sport. Towards the end of the summer, we began to surf fish in Corolla, and it has done nothing but escalate from there.

Would I begin a fishing spree in the spring though? No, that is too easy. Typical me, it all starts to happen as the temperatures begin to drop. Of course in Virginia Beach, that means striper season. But you can’t just waltz on to a pier and fish in jeans and a winter coat. For winter pier fishing, you have to dress Rambo style. Thank heavens I have had a good teacher.

Our first escapade on the pier was a night fishing adventure. And as my luck goes, the evening we pick is freezing with wind gusts over 20 mph. Imagine yourself at the end of a pier over the freezing ocean water, IN THE DARK, being blown about like an episode of Deadliest Catch. Well, to be honest, scale that down a bit. Now a little bit more. There, you got it!

My outfit for the evening included the following: Base layer. Cuddle Duds. Jeans. Shirt. Thermal shirt. Another shirt. Fleece. Coveralls. Winter Coat. Ear protection. Head protection. Face protection. Eye protection. Four toastie toes, two in each boot. Gloves. And a bad ass attitude. Cause you know what? I was the only chick on the pier. Spit and SCRATCH.

During the course of our fishing adventures, a man walked on the pier and announced to us, “You are either avid outdoor lovers or lunatics.” My first thought was lunatic, by my son replied, “We are a little bit of both.”

Yesterday was our second adventure, immediately following a basketball game in which my ten-year-old daughter cheered. Yes. My daughter. A cheerleader. Who woulda thought.

After the game, she traded in her too cute cheer outfit for a very different uniform. Only HER winter hat had ears.

My friend said, “By the end of the day she was not only going to catch her own fish, she was going to kill it and clean it. My daughter’s reply? “I will NOT do the killing. That will put a stain on my soul.” From my point of view? Agreed.

Sadly, there was no striper to be had that day. However, there were indeed plenty of sharks, a crab, a skate and a little catfish.

Smiling Before He Is Released

One of the sharks came home for dinner. The shark we caught is actually called a spiny dog fish and is used in the popular fish and chip dishes. It is mild, tender and very delicious.

The ten-year-old cheerleader who didn’t want to stain her soul? She swiftly killed the shark, cut off the head, spines and fins, gutted and cleaned it. That is far more than I ever want to do.