August was a good month. Pretty bloody huge to be honest. I’ve been out on my own little boat, and with my Catch and Release license, I have caught and released Blue Fin Tuna. If you had told me 10 years ago that that was possible, I would have laughed. Ten years ago the fish weren’t here, although they were about to arrive. Catching those fish has been years of preparation. I wasn’t successful in my license application last year and I didn’t go “thresher shark fishing” and remarkably, when I did go shark fishing with wire traces, I didn’t catch any tuna either…
I’ve had the kit ready to go for about three years. But, things haven’t aligned until this year. And so far I’ve made the most of the weather windows I’ve had.
Going out to sea on any boat should be full of preparation. Obviously, the more you do it, the easier the preparation gets but that doesn’t mean you should become complacent. I probably push the limits of a 16 foot boat but in sensible conditions, you can do any awful lot with that boat. But, you need to be prepared to have a Plan B (and C and D…) and the right safety kit if you should ever need it.
Once the basics of boat safety have been covered there is the small matter of preparing to catch a fish that will very likely weigh more than you. Whenever you talk about tuna fishing, people want to know about the biggest one you’ve caught. They’re all big in my eyes. OK, there are some monsters out there but the average 150 – 250lb fish, they’re massive! A huge cod is a 30lb fish, a big pollack is a 15lb fish, a good conger might be 60lb. These are not small fish but, in comparison, they’re not in the same league. A tuna will test everything in your preparation and if there is a weak link, it’ll be found and it will be broken.
As anglers, whatever we catch, from the smallest of Roach, to the biggest ocean dwelling monsters that swim in the deepest seas, if we as anglers are going to try to catch one, then as soon as we hook them, we have a responsibility for them. When I teach anyone fishing lessons, we make sure we return the fish safely. We learn how to use a disgorger using a dummy before anyone is allowed to catch a real fish. When catching a small fish, as far as the tackle is concerned, we have far more margin for error. If we’re catching three ounce Roach and a two pound carp comes along, the tackle we’re using will be able to cope with the sudden change. But you couldn’t take a 30lb class rod that you’ve been Blue Shark fishing with and even begin to attempt to safely catch and release a Blue Fin Tuna, they are in a different league.
It means every decision you make in your preparation has to be thought through. It’s not just the rod and reel, but the line, the braid, the swivel, the hook. The knots that join everything will be under immense strain. The harness you use and how you use it, it all makes the difference between success or not.
So much of my fishing is preparation. I’ve said in the past I should record my actual angling time versus my preparation time. I reckon they must be very similar. I want to be make sure that when I arrive for what will invariably be a short couple of hours of fishing (ok, it’s a bit longer on the boat) are spent fishing and not cursing about something I’ve forgotten or didn’t plan for. Yes there’s always the unplanned and it’s fun to work out a solution but with Tuna, unless it’s the right kit, you’re not going to cobble together something from the bottom of the tackle box.
If you get all of your preparation right, actually catching massive huge fish that form shoals of hundreds if not thousands of fish, can actually be quite straight forward. No, that’s wrong, hooking them is quite straight forward. Bring them to the boat safely, that’s not. They are strong. Sooo strong! The first bit of the fight is the fun bit. That’s when all the line stripping happens and the first time you watch the top shot and the braid backing disappear from your reel, it’s frightening! How good is your FG Knot joining the braid to the top shot? You’re about to find out. The first 10 minutes or so is the best bit. The fish is dashing about all over the place and you’re working on keeping the line tight through some frantic winding and keeping the boat positioned so you don’t get a big “belly” in the line which gives the fish a chance to get slack line and shake the hook out. After the first 10-15 minutes, you’ll quite likely have the fish pretty close to the boat. If you’re fishing with spreader bars, the fish will be nearly boat side. I don’t fish with spreader bars opting instead for live or dead baiting depending on how the fish are feeding on the day but, either method is fished without anything on the line except for a swivel and a hook. This does make the fights a bit of a tussle (that’s putting it mildly…). For the second half of the fight the fish is likely to go deep and start swimming in powerful circles known as a “pin-wheel”. Get stuck in this and you could be in for a right royal battle. But, but manoeuvring the boat sensibly you can break a fish out of this or even prevent it happening at all and you swing the odds in your favour.
There’s no doubt, fishing for them like this, without a spreader bar, you need good technique and fitness. Combine this with the right kit, and you’ll bing fish safely alongside to remove the hook, recover the fish and watch them swim away with a good strong tail.
The fight is longest and also the shortest you’ll experience. You hook up, you blink and twenty minutes is gone. You blink again and you’re sweating profusely. You blink again when you back is starting to hurt and your thighs are feeling the fighting pad and then, it’s all over.
It is a a mind-blowing experience. A day tuna fishing typically involves close rides with dolphins. With keen eyes you’re likely to see Minke whales. With patient eyes you’ll spot a Fin Whale and if you’ve got anything left there will be Sun Fish, Sharks, thousands of birds and if you’re lucky, a tuna or two.
The first half of August was very kind. I found myself in quite water with no other boats around and I was able to enjoy the adventure on my own. Just the way I like it. The weather since has been a bit lively and even the biggest boats in the tuna fleet have been stuck on the moorings. It’s a long seasons though and I’m sure there will be more days out and more adventures ahead.
They are by the way, a hard fish to take a photo of. Nothing does them justice. And during the day it feels like there’s little chance to take many photos of everything that’s happening around you. If it’s quiet, there’s nothing to photograph. And if there is something to photograph, then I’ll be fully concentrating as I prepare for what will possibly be the biggest fish I’ve ever seen on the end of the line.
I love this adventure!
Whilst I’ve enjoyed success on my own boat, I also had a day out making tea for my good friend Mike and his Skipper Steve aboard True Blue. It was the August bank holiday and when the chance came to ride along with them rather than battle it out on the launching slip in Fowey during regatta week, I opted for the lazy option. True Blue is the kind of sport fishing boat we used to only see elsewhere in the world but the unmistakeable profile of a Rodman with outriggers towing spreads of lures is now a common thing. True Blue is a beautiful boat and if you want a good day out enjoying the this fantastic fishery, Mike and Steve will certainly work hard to give you an unforgetable day.
The client for this trip was a smashing bloke and old skool angler, also called Steve. Chatting with Steve as we steamed out, it was clear our fishing came from a very similar perspective and I thouroughly enjoyed his company throughout the day. The tuna were in a bit of an odd mood. We saw fish here and there all day but the busts were short lived. We helped Steve spot Dolphins (we’ll they just swam next to the boat all day) but we also saw Blue Sharks cruising, Minke Whales and I wasn’t quick enough to get everyone’s eyes on a brief glimpse of a Fin Whale but it was there.
At last knocking we finally caught up with a proper bust and eventually with an absolutely incredibly take, Steve was hooked up. The take has to be mentioned, it was spectacular. Steve positioned the boat, Mike was working a lure to tease a take and when it came, the fish exploded out of the water and was aiming straight at the boat. The biggest drop-back bite you’ll ever have! With Steve in the harness he was giuded through the fight and within about 25 minutes the fish was alongside ready for recovery. It was a superb end to a brilliant day and I’m so chuffed Steve got his fish.
The website is rubbish but the experience on the boat is superb so give them a call and see if you can get on board – True Blue Charters.
Thanks for the day out gents!
