Big Braddah Po'o-Pa'a

We are back in Hawaii and I have dug out one of my favorite books: Hawaii's Fishes.

The yellow tabs sticking out the side mark many of the different species of fish that Tara and I have caught over the years.
Two of our good friends from Nashville came to visit recently and we took them to one of our old fishing spots.

We had good luck, everyone caught at least one fish. Justin caught a nice Stocky Hawkfish, which is one of my favorite reef-dwellers.

Hawkfish are negatively buoyant because they don't have swimbladders like most fish do. Instead of spending their time suspended in the water, hawkfish use their strong pectoral fins to perch on rocky outcrops. When something tasty swims along, the hawkfish swoops down to grab a meal.