Club News

February 2010

Maldives.

One of the Club's German members, Stephan Kreupl, returned in November to fish the Maldives. 

Stephan was hiring the local 'dhonies' with crews for a full twelve hours at literally just 2 to 300$US a day. Whereas these traditional craft do tend to be somewhat under-powered for trolling with lures - although he did catch a range of species including Sailfish, Wahoo and Barracuda - they did seem to offer a reasonable platform for targeting Giant Trevally.  And Stephan had some superb specimens, fish approaching 110lbs in weight.  There was one proverbial ‘monster’, well over 50 kilos in weight, which he hooked only to lose it boat-side, on the leader, when the hook pulled!  (Look at the list of Club trophy awards elsewhere in the newsletter and you’ll see, in commiseration, Stephan was awarded the Crying Towel trophy for that this year.)

Stephan also reported catching Bluefin Trevally.  And, although he never saw them on the Flats, seeing pods of trophy-sized Bonefish that would regularly visit the dock each evening competing with GTs for the bread guests were throwing in the water.  Of course though, on the island, fishing was prohibited!

But what do they say - a picture speaks a thousand words. You can see a well illustrated report on Stephan's - and Robert Rein's - web site - http://www.bluewaterfishing.eu/. Go through the English link, identified by the Union flag, click on Trip Reports and select Maledives 2009. In addition, under the menu option Movies and Clips, there's some excellent video footage of his trip. That will identify some of his successful lures, the surface strikes and tailing of GTs - with what looks like a Salmon tailer - and his experimentation with 'hookless' Sailfish lures.

‘Hookless’ lures?  Yes, it’s something I’ve heard of previously where a small lure is rigged to sit over the top of unravelled strands of artificial rope.  The Sailfish slashes at the lure and, usually it’s at the very tip, the strands tangle round the bill.  Not dissimilar to the effect you get with Velcro!  It’s certainly effective though with Stephan reporting that all five Sails that attacked the lure stayed attached.  Stephan did point out though that the lure, as such, isn’t acceptable for submitting IGFA World record claims.

Kenya

Russell Brumby has been fishing regularly at Malindi for about thirty years now, but this time he tried with fly tackle and landed his first Sail on Snark. With son Peter they continued fishing with traditional light tackle, till a double header of Sailfish resulted in the two fish going in different directions! One was on a small spinning rod with only 300 metres of line which came to an end, so the rod was tied to a buoy and thrown overboard – once the other fish was tagged, it was retrieved a mile away and the fish duly caught!

Les Sampson now spends much of the year in the South of France where he has business interests, but he did manage to fit in six days fishing with Howard Lawrence-Brown aboard Kipapa with nephew Nic Brownlee.  Unfortunately though just before the billfish season started ‘with a bang’.  Still, more of that later.  They had the usual mix of pelagic with Yellowfin in the 40 to 50lb range.

New member, Andy Mansfield, was in Kenya over the Christmas period on what was his third trip to Hemingways at Watamu fishing with Robbie Hellier on Unreel and Tarka skippered by Calum Looman.  Very much like Les, beforehand, Andy had been monitoring conditions – conditions had been far from perfect with an earlier combination of heavy rains, causing soil run-off, and a failure of the North-East Trade winds.  However, literally days before the start of his trip conditions improved, and the wind settled into the North-East.  And the fish appeared!

To summarise Andy had some great fishing for Sails - tagged fish up to an estimated 100lbs (45kgs) – with, the day he ran north towards Malindi with Callum, him releasing 24.  Just like mackerel fishing, well almost!   The other highlight was undoubtedly the overnighter for Broadbill on Unreel, fishing a sea mount that peaked in 450’ some 50 kilometres South-East of Watamu.  They had seven fish from 11 strikes, Andy personally taking six including the biggest, a fish in the 180lb range (80kgs).  All were released with the exception of the largest fish that was bleeding profusely from the gills after what proved to be a two hour battle extending either side of dawn.  Running in they also tagged a 90lb Sail.  Just a shame that the Black Marlin Andy hooked up on the way out came unstuck after a couple of jumps.

He also missed out on a Grand Slam on his final day of fishing when he released a Sail and a nice Striped Marlin.  Still Andy’s back in Kenya in March, hopefully with another opportunity for that Billfish Slam.

Also, on another day, speed jigging in 600’ of water Andy had some superb Amberjack and Giant Trevally to 90lbs in weight.  Hard work in that deep water!

New Zealand.

As I write John Gill’s currently in New Zealand where he’s managing to fit in just the odd day Trout fishing.  The first report I’ve had back is of a tremendous 11lb male Brownie taken on an upstream dry fly fishing the Hurunui River on the South Island.  As well as being renowned for its Trout I understand the Hurunui also has a run of Salmon.

Fuerteventura, Canary Islands.  Stan Massey has just returned from holidaying in Fuerteventura – back to ‘snowy’ Scotland - where he was targeting, amongst other species, Atlantic Bonito and Bluefish from the island’s lava shoreline.  Well apart from a range of other species, and a number of near misses, Stan finally got his Bonito, a 10 pounder – a new Club record – after a 20 minute fight on just 6lb class tackle.

To put things into context though, whilst he was there, locals landed Bonito to over 17lbs in weight and I know that they often – with wire rather than the fluorocarbon ‘Bonito’  traces – get 20lb plus Bluefish.  And, literally 100 yards off the marina, again locals are catching Amberjack to 100lbs in weight.  So patently not, as an island, over-developed as yet – very much like the conditions I suspect John Holmes was experiencing back in the ‘60s and ‘70s from Gran Canaria.

Venezuela.

I guess some of you are likely to remember our Club trip to Venezuela in May 1990 for a variety of reasons, not just the unpleasantness and anger at being defrauded by a certain American ‘gentleman’.  There was of course Ken Greenwood losing his luggage, then his ‘assignations’ - and his subsequent marriage to the Venezuelan lady – Chas Underhay’s ‘Spider Man’ impression – clambering from one balcony to another on the hotel’s third floor – and casting the cyalume light sticks at night into the swimming pool, confusing the security guard completely.  (Um ... we were all much younger then!)  That aside some excellent fish were taken, with a number of us combined fishing on the La Guaira Bank with the trip to Los Roques for Bonefish.  But I guess most will recall the unstinting assistance we received from the locals – ‘Napoleon’, the original ‘Mr Fix It’, and Nani (Handelman).

Well new member, Andy Atkins, got to fish out of Caraballeda in the Autumn – for the run of White Marlin – aboard Diablo skippered by, none other than Nani.  And yes, he still remembers us from that 1990 and subsequent trips.  As well as getting his White, a 76 pounder – one of a triple header – Andy also released a small Blue in the 230lb range – one of a double header – and lost a decent Broadbill ‘deep dropping’ during the day.

Bahamas.

International members Judi Houldey and Buckley Hunt currently live in Nassau on the island of New Providence in the Bahamas.  And between jobs they’re managing the odd ‘hour or two’ to manage some self-guided flats fishing locally.  Well on Friday 15th January – important because it was Judi’s birthday – she took an 8lb Bonefish, her largest to-date, whilst wading using a crab-pattern fly she’d designed and tied herself.  Not a bad birthday present!

Club News

June 2nd 2009

Denis Froud

Has received a letter from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Rhode Island USA.

"A Porbeagle Shark that he tagged in July 1985 weighing 50 kilos (112lbs) off the Isle of Wight whilst fishing with Ted Legg, has just been recaptured off the Roscoff Peninsular France, after 24 years at liberty. The longest time ever recorded for Porbeagle Shark, the fish had grown from 1.8 metres to 2.5 metres (8ft 4in) and weighed 115 kilos (260lbs) dressed out. Full weigh about 134 kilos (300lbs). It was a male fish which explains its lack of growth. It seems to have spent most of its life in or around the channel and western approaches."

Don Wheeler

Over the years Don has been fishing. He has amassed a collection of a nearly hundred over 100lb fish the majority from fresh water. Many of these catfish from The River Ebro, in Spain, where he has caught over fifty 100 lb plus Catfish. Finally this year he achieved his goal of catching his 100th 100 lb plus fish with a catfish of 178 lbs. A remarkable achievement.

Don is offering to take a small group to the same area on the Ebro next year, there are also carp to over 40 lb.
If you are interested please contact Gordon or Don.

Jaap Tuit

Fished South Africa with Traill for Great Whites and other species.

‘It was a perfect holiday with lots of excitement. I caught 7 cookie monsters the biggest 2200 lbs. The fishing when as follows: Wednesday April 8: White Shark 1700 lbs, Thursday April 9 : White of 2200 lbs, Sunday April 12: white of 2100 lbs, Monday April 13: whites of 1500 and 1700 lbs, and two small whites of 900 lbs and 650 lbs on Thursday. I also caught a nice Kabeljou of 52 lbs. 3 Dusky's of 225 lbs- 240 lbs and smaller ones, a 120 lbs Mako. plus other types of fish, tope , smooth hound, cat sharks, Spurdogs, lots of red bream and striped bonito's. One of Best fishing holiday ever with the best captain Traill, good atmosphere great potential, Perfect. He's a good guy and the family made me most welcome. Jaap

The 52 lb Kabeljou I believe is a club line class record.

Richard Wooding

Had a successful trip in April to Cap Verde, fishing with Zak Conde on Beast’N. released Ten blues from 21 bites in 6 days. On pitch baits and lures
12/04 650-700 lb on Pitch bait / 80 lb Stand Up, 800 lb on Black Bart RPP, 375 lb on RPP
13/04 550 lb on Pitch Bait, 350 lb on Marlin Magic Bog Eye
14/04 250 lb on Abaco Prowler, 350 lb on Abaco Prowler
15/04 Zero ( bad day)
16/04 400 lb on Abaco Prowler
17/04 300 lb on Marlin Candy, 250 lb on Marlin Candy

Gordon Stone

Fished Kona Hawaii for Thresher Shark, fishing was poor with too many bait robbers around. Fished five nights for one fish of 400-450 lbs, looks like the shark have yet to move in and clear out the bait robbers.

Steve Collins

Fished Hawaii directly after Gordon Stone. The first goal was to catch a Thresher shark, but being thin on the ground, too many bait robbers, Tried one night but no bites. (they didn't have the problem last year). On the positive side caught his first second choice Shark a tiger of 1300 lbs with a 700 pounder on the last day, his first short bill spearfish - 3 in total - 40,30 & 20lb, 2 striped marlin 70 & 45, 2 blues 750 & 160 lb, So a good trip for him. Steve is the first person in the club to catch all three types of spearfish, short bill (Pacific), long bill (Atlantic) and Mediterranean Spearfish. An outstanding achievement.

John Bremn

Fished Key West with Capt. Greg Sheretz on his boat Calcutta out of Hurricane Hole Marina in April, not a good trip failed to make any connection with the usual species
Missed a good day offshore due to bad weather for the smaller boats. Once the weather had settled the fish had moved on.
Greg Sheretz, Mako of 656 lbs caught a couple of days earlier.

For those of who know Greg he has not changed much.

Greg Roskell

Released 30 Blues to 700 in six days fishing with friends, on Zaks boat in the Cape Verdes.
( more next news letter)

Terry & Mick Smith

Fished out of Los Suenos Costa Rica at the end of February early March using lures and dead baits, had Blue Marlin to 200 lb on 30 lb, 7 good size Striped Marlin to 300 lbs, 18 sailfish to 120 lbs on 20-30lb, and other species.