On balance it was a pretty good year. Every month there was some interesting variety and a bit of success. The boys joined me several times throughout the year and catching anything with them is fun. It’s a useful reminder to keep it fun and simple.
When you’ve been catching fish of around three ounces for a couple of hours, something approaching two pounds looks and feels like a monster!
I never gave up and pushed the limits of my time out there but eventually had to turn my back with my tail firmly between my legs and with my belly full of humble pie. Turns out the giant eating machines aren’t always easy to catch and I have got a lot to learn!
It doesn’t matter what species of fish it is, I just love catching fish when you can see them feeding and taking the bait. For me it just makes the whole experience more exciting.
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.
Instantly we were taken back 30 years. We were running up and down the wall excitedly spotting the shoals and casting our lures. The shoals were dominated by very small mackerel so our modern, soft plastic lures with hooks mounted on the back weren’t so good for the job. What we needed was good old toby lures
You only ever get one first fish. It’s an absolute privilege for me every time I see people experience it. Like so many others, Graham’s first fish was a spikey little perch. I hope it’s the start of yet another boyhood adventure!
Here he was passing on his goby snatching skills and becoming totally lost in that mini monster world where the fish they caught were a fraction of the size the lures they use in tuna season but the smiles were every bit as big. Fishing is the biggest leveller I have ever experienced in my life. Give two people a rod and they are equal no matter what their background.
First up was the expected Dog Fish. For a seasoned angler, these are not an exciting catch but for six year olds that have never seen one before it’s the most exciting thing in the world!
In the clear water we spotted a very large fish rise off the bottom and start twisting. When you’re used to catching fish of a few ounces from the water, spotting something that would be weighed in pounds and not ounces, that’s exciting! But as quickly as the excitement rose, it was dashed again. The hooked pulled and we were left with unhealthy heart beats and knocking knees.