June 2004

A Dorset 'Brownie'

Despite the vile weather in South England John Reynolds managed to catch and release a superb Brown Trout from the River Piddle in Dorset. It pulled the scale down to exactly 8lbs.  For a proper presentation John, fishing a deep weir pool, needed to use a gold headed GRHE fished on a 4lb tippet on a 7' cane rod.  However the last thing he was targeting was something of quite that size! Click on thumbnail to view full-sized image.

Cape Verde Islands

Billy Furnish has recently returned from a trip to Mindelo fishing with Berno Niebuhr on Happy Hooker 1.  Whilst the fishing, by the standards set by Peter and Clive in May, could be described as ‘steady’ this was more than offset by the results!  Trolling plastic for 6 days Billy, who weighs just over 9 stone, caught 9 fish – 3 Wahoo, 4 Yellowfin Tuna and 2 Blue Marlin.  But the Tuna were all in the 160 to 250lb range and his best Marlin, released, was estimated at 700lbs.  And the largest of the Yellowfin at 249lb 1oz (113kgs) set a new Cape Verdean, as well as Club record. 

As I said not a bad result!  But it could have been significantly better.  Billy on his last day, coming in early, missed the afternoon bite.  That was the day God’s Will went 6 for 9.  And the day after Berno experienced the frustration of just one fish from 6 hook-ups whilst out with a group of German friends.

It’s really too early to determine whether the moon significantly impacts on the fishing.  Peter and Clive fished the dark phase and went 16 from 30 bites in six days.  Phil Cobham had a relative slow week over the June full moon and Billy fished the waxing moon up to half.  As always something we can endlessly speculate about!

Click on each of the thumbnail images below to view a full-sized photograph.

	Three Yellowfin Tuna in one day!  Fish of 165, 176 and 183lbs.  They were all taken trolling Marlin lures on 130lb class tackle.
	Billy's big Yellowfin - 249lbs - a new Cape Verdean and Club record.  It took 45 minutes to beat on 130lb class tackle.

Cape Verde - Update on Andromeda's season

Just a brief update from Dieter Haselhorst summarising Andromeda's first season in Cape Verde.

We stopped fishing on Andromeda on 25th June, because the crew must fish the Azores and Croatia. The final result from the end of April until end of June - Andromeda fished 56 days, got 152 bites and caught 66 Blues - biggest fish 800 lb. We caught around 50 wahoos and some nice Tuna up to 200 lb as bycatch. I think thats pretty good for our first short season. Next year we fish the full season from April until September.

Editor - Dieter has fixed his rate for next year at 1200 Euros a day.  Club members shoud remember that this is subject to a discount - contact us for further details.  Click here.

Just some further 'colour' on the statistics.  Whilst the main fishing area was off the airport on Sao Vincente they also experienced good fishing in the lee of its neighbouring island Sao Antao.  Twenty of the fish released were estimated at better than 500lbs.  And whilst the majority were taken on lures around 30% were taken Bait 'n' Switch - in my experience a particularly exciting way of fishing.  You see the strike up 'real close' - around 30' back from the transom - and there's the exhilaration of the line zipping from under your finger as you're holding the bait in free spool.

Tagging Report from Kenya

What follows has been précised from a report submitted by Herbie Paul of Kingfisher Boats. (Click on blue embolden text to view their web site for up to-date captures.)

Tina Harris has just released the results for the number  of fish tagged for the past season on the whole of the Kenyan coastline and for those re-captured.  In total 1278 Sailfish, 60 Black Marlin, 164 Striped Marlin, 43 Broadbill and 307 other fish – including Giant Trevally, Shark, etc – were tagged.

Top boat for Sails was Neptune with 202 fish tagged. And again Neptune for Black Marlin with 11 fish tagged. Top boat for Striped Marlin was Kamara, fishing out of Shimoni, with 55 fish tagged with top boat in our area (Malindi / Watamu) being Eclare with 11 fish.  Neptune, with 14 fish, recorded the most Broadbill tagged with Ol Jogi taking the award in the ‘Other Species’ category - 110 fish tagged. 

In the Malindi area the bulk of the fish re-captured were Sailfish however it did illustrate that estimated weights for fish tagged are often ‘way out’.  Perhaps skippers are relying on the word of a trainee crew?  But certainly not enough attention is currently given to estimates by skippers.

It was particularly interesting to note that a Broadbill tagged on the South Malima off Watamu was recovered, after 165 days at large, off the Somalia coast in a net. The fish went North, most unusual.

Also of interest is the Striped Marlin programme.  Some 135 were tagged in the Shimoni area, but not a single recovery during this past season.  Whilst we have had recoveries of Striped Marlin tagged in the Malindi / Watamu area, we have never had a recovery from any fish tagged off Shimoni.  Where do they go? Or are they being clobbered by Commercial longliners and purse seiners?  They would undoubtedly destroy any evidence of where fish were caught.

Items from the May / June Edition of the IGFA’s publication – International Angler

Amongst the new representatives recently appointed by the IGFA is Kenyan Peter Ready.  Peter is well known by many of our Club members, and is widely recognised as being the first to actively promote tag-and-release fishing in Malindi starting back in the early 1980s.  He is Vice Chairman of the Malindi Sea Fishing Club and one of his current projects is to increase tagging of non-Billfish species particularly Shark and Giant Trevally.

Forgive me for being cynical but the IGFA refers to game fish catches being considered for world record status where the fish is “trophy-sized”.  The rule of thumb given being that it is within the top half of the estimated maximum weight for that species. 

But firstly we have a Barbel - our Barbus barbus - of 5lb 13oz from Germany ratified, and breaking the existing All-Tackle record.  The ultimate accolade?  Last January Mark Lloyd, fishing the River Soar in Leicestershire, weighed and released a 16 pounder.  That’s our current Club record, but by no means the largest taken from UK waters.  Perhaps they should undertake more detailed and objective research on these claims?

Then, also awarded All-Tackle record status, there is a 1lb 5oz Thread-Sail Filefish, a 2lb 6oz Okin-buna and a 2lb 8oz Inshore Lizardfish.  The first two were recorded from Japan and the latter from Florida.  Surely these can’t possibly be described as regularly fished for ‘gamefish’?  Or can they?  If so I for one am missing out on a great deal of excitement!

Finally some sobering statistics from the “Did You Know?” section.  Firstly the reported commercial landings of Blue Marlin by Ghana in 2003 was 2.2 million lbs.  That has to be way upwards of 5000 fish!  Then, and this ties in with concerns I’ve recently seen expressed in Internet forums, two Mexican longlining vessels operating for nine months in Magdalena Bay (Pacific) caught 11,743 Striped Marlin.  But the two vessels is the tip of a ‘very large iceberg’.  Patently commercial interests far outweigh tourism concerns in Mexico.

Cape Verde / Ascension Island Update

Just spoken to Dieter Haselhorst who clarified the position vis a vis his boats starting from next season and through to 2006 season.

He will charter SHY 111, the 38' Hatteras, from Ascension from mid-October through to end of March.  This from experience is when the 'monster' Blue Marlin are present.  Then he will charter ANDROMEDA, the 46' Bertram, from the end of April through to the beginning of September from the Cape Verde Islands.  April to June will be from Mindelo, whilst the latter half of the season is likely to involve moving around the archipelago.  This won't present any problem for ANDROMEDA with its long range tanks and there are reasonable hotels on all of the islands.

The daily charter rate for each of the vessels has been fixed at 1200 Euros, but is subject to a discount for Club members.  Contact us at info@scbi.org.uk for further information.

Details of recent catch reports may be viewed through their web site, click here.  But just to whet your appetites from Cape Verde one of the local skippers has, within the last week, released a 'grander' and Trevor Cockle on the God's Favor/God's Will operation went 9 releases out of 20 bites in a single day.

St Martin Billfish Tournament

For what was the 12th consecutive year Peter Gurd and former Club member Harry Marshall competed in the three day St Martin (French Caribbean) Billfish Tournament.  With 30 boats participating results, on the dark phase of the moon, were somewhat disappointing with just 14 Blue Marlin recorded.  Peter and Harry released one small fish each.  However Peter did release a 450 pounder on one of the preceding practice days.

Despite this though plans are already afoot to return next year.

Phil Cobham's trip to Cape Verde Islands

Phil's report:

I fished 4 days - lost 1 to bad weather - out of Mindelo on the island of Sao Vicente which is where most of the proper Marlin fishing is based and where Andromeda, God's Will and Happy Hooker (1 & 2) are fishing from.   I was fishing with local skipper Kalu on a 33foot Bertram - the Nha Cretcheu.  The boat is owned and usually skippered by a Frenchman but unfortunately he has had a bad auto accident on the island and has been sent back to France thus the local skipper.

During my 4 days of fishing I raised 5 fish, releasing 3 - 200 and 350lbs on 130lbs test and a nice fish of 750lbs which I caught on 50lbs stand up that I brought with me. That was a really tough fight of 2 hours and 15 mins , the fish dove and stayed down.   During my stay all the boats fished the same area , only a 30 to 40 min run from the dock.  The seas were 2-5ft and everybody seemed to be fishing lures with double hooks. The fishing certainly seemed to be nothing like that experienced by Peter and Clive 10 days earlier. The best anybody did during the week of my visit was 2 fish in a day on Andromeda. 1-3 shots a day seem to be the form during the week and there was no visible by-catch of Tuna, Wahoo or Dorado.

750 pounder at boatside - ready for release. Click on thumbnail to view full-sized image. Reproduced by kind permission of Phil Cobham.

The local boats, the one I fished on and Happy Hooker 1 & 2 are reasonable.  Berno on Happy Hooker has better tackle than the French outfit, and he also speaks English . Kalu speaks nothing other than Portuguese which made it difficult at times although I do speak reasonable Portuguese , the dialect here is quite different.  Most of the fish are in the 200-400lbs range during this week with 2 nice fish including the one I caught.

If one wants to fish stand-up bring your own, and I think that any lures or teasers one might have would also be welcomed.  The easiest place to stay for the fishing is the Mindelo Hotel which is a 5 min walk from the dock. The fishing days don't start early and they seem to leave the dock around 8.30 and return around 5pm.  It is not a beach resort.   I didn't see any good beaches, by Caribbean or Indian Ocean standards, but the folks are friendly.

Mullock & Madeley's Fishing Tackle Auction

I've just received notification of Mullock and Madeley's next tackle aution to be held at Ludlow Racecourse on Saturday, 3rd July.  Viewing's on the Friday and also the Saturday morning up to 10:45.  But postal or telephoned bids may also be place.

Whilst the focus is on 'collectable' fishing tackle, books, etc I certainly, in the past, have successfully bid for reasonably priced quality usable rods and reels.

Lots may be viewed through their web site - click here.

In pursuit of Baltic Sea Trout - Clive Williamson

After his encounter with the 'voracious Bonefish' in Barbados (see May 2004 News) this was very much gentler pursuits - fly fishing for Sea Trout in the salt.  And conveniently 'tied' onto the back of a business trip to Denmark.  So a night out in Copenhagen on Thursday, a business meeting wave goodbye to work colleagues and pick up the hire car for a drive to the north of Zealand.

Unfortunately this coincided with school holidays.  Then there was Friday evening commuting plus a motorway pile up!  What should have been a sedate 1 1/2 hour journey turned into one nearer 4 hours in duration!

The incentive was there though.  A colleague of Clive's had earlier e-mailed him a picture of a 9kg (nearly 20lb) Sea Trout taken on the fly less than 2 weeks previously by one of his friends.

Click on Thumbnail to view Full Sized Image

Clive and his friend fished continuously from 8pm through to 6am.  That was apart from a short break for much needed rest between 1am and 3am - a dead spell - as well as a couple of food breaks.

Conditions looked promising, unfortunately the Sea Trout were not so sure.

His friend picked up a smallish one - 1 3/4lbs - around midnight. And Clive broke with tradition and caught what they decided was an immature herring, also on a muddler!  Could this be another Club record?  (Unfortunately NO - Editor and Fish Recorder)

Around dawn Clive raised a two further Sea Trout, both somewhat inconveniently as he was beginning a roll cast at the end of his retrieve. The second came back three times, but saw through the thinly veiled deception and made off!

Strangely the heavy morning rain did not dampen the enthusiasm, but unfortunately the airport called.   And only 6 hours after leaving the beach Clive was putting the key in his front door!

In that his friend had purchased the fishing licence over the Internet he wasn't able to avail Clive of the day ticket rate - 25kr - just over £2.  he therefore had to splash out on an annual ticket at the exhorbitant rate of 100kr - around a tenner!  Now there's the incentive to return. 

If Clive's article's has stirred the 'That's somewhere I MUST go' "button" could I suggest that you do some pre-reading.  There's a excellent article on the Global Fly Fishers web site.  Click here for further information.