Reef Donkey Righteousness
After three trips to Panama, we’ve been so busy celebrating yellowfin tuna, roosterfish and cubera snapper that we’ve made scant mention of some of the other 15 or so species we’ve tallied. Among them were both Amberjack and Almaco Jack, hard-pulling reef-dwellers that have attacked our baits and lures. The Almacos also ended up on our plates.
While they have unfairly been denied our full respect, others throughout the world target these so-called “reef donkeys.” They may not be as strong as the cubera snapper, but few fish are. In celebration of their fierceness, there is an entire company called “Reef Donkey Fishing.”
The similarly-named “Reef Donkey Supply Co.” encourages you to “Get Your Ass in the Water.”
Monterey California also has a minor league baseball team in the Pecos League called the Amberjacks (the teams they play include the Austin Weirdos, the Bakersfield Train Robbers, the Martinez Sturgeon and the Vallejo Seaweed, so by comparison they’re not all that odd.)
Tampa Bay Brewing Company also offers a Reef Donkey American Pale Ale.
If you’d like to get someone a gift to celebrate these jacks, and none of the above is appropriate, here are some other ideas:
