4 September – Irish Bluefin

This is a report submitted by Dustin Foo – lure manufacturer extraordinaire - regarding the start of what, this year, was to prove a relatively short season for Irish Bluefin.  Further details of the fishery are included in the Members Only section of this site.
Yesterday - 3 September - the first dedicated day after Bluefin Tuna of my visit, with Capt. Mary Hughes who skippers an Aquabell 33 out of Clew Bay, further to the south, and her friend George on board the Naomh Cartha skippered by Adrian Mulloy with myself as crew.  On the run west a couple miles or so before arriving at Rathlin O'Beirne island Adrian spotted tuna busting.  We slowed to put out the gear, worked the area but the Bluefin didn't show again, just a small pod of Common Dolphin moving fast to the South South-East.
Arrived at Rathlin O'Beirne and began to work the areas South West, West and North West of the island where the previous day, whilst general bottom fishing working rock structures in 40/50 metres, we’d both sighted large splashes thought to be Tuna busting.  Adrian fished two spreader bars with 18 inch squid on the ‘riggers, one more on a short flatline and allowed me to put a lure behind a bird back behind the other lures.  On this day it was grey and overcast with swell from the West but little wind.
Nothing showed until about 4:00 when I saw that tell-tale shape appear behind the spreader bar of black 18" squids tipped with a fluorescent green tail bait on the right ‘rigger.  It wasn't an aggressive strike but, I suppose at 3 knots, the fish didn't need to make that explosive an attack.  I just saw the broad back and a black fin break the surface.  Then the spreader bar was dragged below the surface.  I shouted out and pointed.  The Roller Troller, tightened up as hard as Adrian could make it to hold the drag of the big spreader bars, broke open with authority.  And the bent butt 130 outfit swivelled round aft as the fish made a fast, powerful run against a 30lb strike drag.  Adrian stood by the rod whilst the rest of us cleared the gear in double quick time, motivated by the sound of the line whistling off the reel.  But as the last spreader bar hit the deck he shouted out the fish was off.
On investigation it was found that the fish had cut cleanly through the 500lb Momoi leader. This was Adrian's first Bluefin hook-up of the season and he was disappointed to have lost the fish.  But, at the same time, glad to have finally connected with one.  From what I saw of the fish my inexperienced opinion would have put it at 5/600 pounds.
That was to be our only hook-up of the day. Later in the afternoon, about 6:00 to 6:30, Bluefin began busting about a mile West of Rathlin O'Beirne island.  It was a small pod of 5 to 7 fish making large splashes on the surface, with one fish jumping clear of the water. They looked just like the Big Eye Tuna I'd fished in Madeira but much bigger. We worked the area until about 8:30 before winding in and heading for home.
Today - 4 September - there was a Force 4/5 with southerly winds making for lots of whitecaps outside Teelin harbour and our German charter cancelled.   But Adrian and myself went out to see if we couldn't find another one.  Seas were sloppy outside the harbour but as we headed West towards Rathlin O'Beirne island in deeper water the slop decreased, although the southerly wind and large fairly closely spaced Atlantic swells made for a bit of up and down.  Somewhat fortunately, trolling at the slow speed that Adrian favours made for as comfortable a ride as we could have had in the conditions. Today there were a lot of birds in the areas we fished North West and West of the island but they were pretty much just looking rather than actively working.
We sighted Bluefin only once when, at around 3:30, Adrian spotted very briefly fish busting a little West of the island.  The birds were only just beginning to get in on the action when the fish disappeared.  We constantly marked formation shapes on the sounder at about 20/25metres below the surface that Adrian thought could be tuna.  However got no bites on either the two spreader bars or the Mann's giant 50+ plug that Adrian fished on the short flat line. Today as yesterday the Meridian, skippered by Brian McGillivray, trolled for Tuna for a short while but saw no fish and got no bites.