My Favorite Fish of 2026 – Chicken of the Sea
Yes, I realize that the headline may seem a little clickbaitish because 2026 isn’t even half over, but I can say with some certainty that I have seen a fish that will thrill me more than any other – and I didn’t even catch it myself.
As many of you know, Hanna and I said goodbye to our dog Rooster on Thursday, May 21. He was 12 ½ and a rapid onslaught of multiple physical problems including pancreatitis and liver cancer had him seriously hurting. We hadn’t lost a dog since 2013, and I’d forgotten how truly painful the experience can be. We weren’t ready, but it was clearly time.
We had been prepared for one or both of us to stay home and take care of him during our hosted trip to Panama, but when he passed, it enabled both of us to travel. We were still shaken, but at least it was a slight distraction.
On our second full day of fishing we made a long run to chase inshore species around various islands, and we caught multiple cubera snapper and bluefin trevally, but when it was Hanna’s turn on the rod we hooked up with the lone roosterfish of the day. I didn’t put two and two together, but she did, and she spent the entire fight bawling, with tears running down her face. I’m not sure that I believe it was a sign, or a message from our beloved boy, but it seemed like things had come full circle.
As she released the still-vigorous fish back to the underwater rocks to live and thrive, she’d turned a slight corner. I’m sure there will still be tears, but the Chicken Man was out of pain. Like Springsteen sang, “Well, now, everything dies, baby, that's a fact/But maybe everything that dies someday comes back.” We will not have another dog for a long time as neither of us can go through that pain again, but we’ve gone from aching to remembering what a great life he lived and how much joy he brought to ours.
