Sportfishing Adventures - Issue 3 | Q3 2018

ISSUE #3 | Q3 2018

DENMARK MAGICAL SAMSO

EFTTEX 2018

ZAMBIA

PRODUCT AWARD RESULTS

ZAMBEZI TIGERS

MAURITIUS

PANAMA

ST BRANDON’S REEFS

SUDAN

EXTREME KAYAK FISHING

THE NUBIAN FLATS

FLORIDA’S RED TIDE TRAGEDY SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES MAGAZINE | Q2 2018

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CONTENTS ISSUE 03 | Q3 2018 6

Editorial

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What’s new

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News

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Panama

14

Florida

72

Zambia

18

Mauritius

90

Sudan

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Fishing : an ever changing industry

Efttex 2018 results

Red tide tragedy

St Brandon’s reefs

Denmark Magical Samso

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A selection of the latest tackle

Extreme kayak fishing

Zambezi tigers

The Nubian flats

Seen on the web

A selection of entertaining videos

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8 14 18

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50

54 72

90

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WHERE ARE WE TAKI

DENMARK

PANAMA

ZAMBIA

ING YOU THIS TIME ?

SUDAN

MAURITIUS

EDITORIAL Next craze in fishing ?

There is nothing like a trade show to get a feel of where the industry is heading.

Dylan Smith Editor in Chief

The last few years saw a boom in the lure fishing industry. Manufacturers from all around the world started surfing on the «lure wave», producing countless new products. However, we can say that the lure craze has now slowed down. Only a few manufacturers managed to survive and thrive. These «trend cycles» are very important because they give a huge innovation boost to the industry.

As I was walking through the alleys of the EFTTEX last June, I kept wondering which will be the next craze in fishing ? I believe carp fishing is really getting bigger everyday, but I was also pleased to notice more and more manufacturers making travel fishing rods ! As travelling becomes cheaper, anglers have much less difficulty fishing abroad.

Let’s hope travelling becomes fishing’s next big trend !

Dylan Smith

COVER SHOT: A beautiful titan triggerfish from the Nubian Flats. (p.90)

SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES T H E

W O R L D ' S

B E S T

F I S H I N G

D E S T I N A T I O N S

Editor in chief Dylan SMITH

Contributors Rudy Van Duijnhoven Shawn Peters Jonathan Boulton Chad White Adam Fisk Peter Mcleod

Special thanks Iskander Mermet Aardvark Mcleod

Sportfishing Adventures magazine, published quarterly, is independently owned and operated by DMS Editions.

Opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publisher.

No part of this magazine can be reproduced without prior permission.

For inquiries, contact the editor: editor@sportfishing-adventures.com

NEWS WORLDWIDE FISHING

EFTTEX

2018 The European Fishing Tackle Trade Exhibition took place in Amsterdam from 28. - 30.

June 2018. A great occasion to have a taste of the latest trends and what’s coming up.

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WORLDWIDE FISHING NEWS

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NEWS WORLDWIDE FISHING

Savage Gear’s 3D snake and Fishup’s Flint soft lure.

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Bluing Hearts’ beautiful japanese stand.

WORLDWIDE FISHING NEWS

Mads Grosell demonstrating Savage Gear’s latest lures.

Strike Pro’s famous Pig Shad.

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NEWS WORLDWIDE FISHING

Results of the Best New Product Awards - Efttex 2018, Amsterdam Best New Rod Winner: Okuma Fishing Tackle Helios SX Runner up: Pure Fishing Greys GR100 Best New Fly Rod Winner: Temple Fork OutfittersAxiom II Switch Rod Runner up: Pure Fishing Hardys HBX Rods Best New Fly Reel Winner: Pure Fishing Hardy HBX Reel - saltwater Runner up: SAGE Spey Best New Fixed Spool Reel Winner: Daiwa - Exist LT Runner up: DAM Quick 7 Best New Multiplier Reel Winner: Daiwa - 18 RYOGA Runner up: Pure Fishing Abu Garcia Revo 4 Beast

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Ocean Record SHOCK LEADER Best New Braided Line Winner: Rapala VMC Corporation Sufix 131 Runner up: Pure Fishing Berkley X9 Superline Best New Hard Lure Winner: Rapala VMC Corporation Rapala Super Shadow Rap Runner up: Svendsen Sport 3D Snake Best New Soft Lure Winner: Svendsen Sport 4D Line Thru Pike Runner up: Rapala VMC Corporation X-Rap Peto Best New Metal Lure Winner: Svendsen Sport /DAM MADCAT - A-STATIC Rattlin’ spoons Runner up: Rapala VMC Corporation Storm R.I.P. Spinnerbait

Best New Fly Line or Fly Leader Winner: RIO Products BIG NASTY 4D SINK TIP Runner up: Scientific AnglersTiemco Amplitude Smooth Infinity

Best New Accessory Winner: Deeper, UAB Deeper START Runner up: FRICHY/The Art of Tools TITANIUM FISHING PLIERS

Best New Monofilament Line Winner: Firstdart Fishing Tackle FD RXi Fluorocarbon Runner up: Morris - Varivas

Best New Terminal Tackle Winner: O Mustad & Son Mustad Triangle Hook Runner up: Lemer Fonderie Natsumi System

Best New Clothing Winner: Snowbee Nivalis - Down Jacket Runner up: Svendsen Sport ProLogic RealTree Fishing Jacket + B&B Best New soft/ dough Natural Hook Bait Winner: Lucky John Package of slug TRICK WORM Runner up: Energofish Benzar Mix Method Puffy Best New Sunglasses, headlamps and headwear Winner: Wiley X WX NASH with Kryptek® Altitude™ Runner up: Costa del Mar Cape and Leech Eyewear Leech Arctic Best New Boxes, holders, bags and luggage Winner: Daiwa - PROREX Folding XL Lure Bucket Runner up: RIVE RS2 seatbox Innovation of the Year Clee Fishing Jungle Operator Flex Visitors Choice Award R.L. Winston Air Fly for Salt Water

WORLDWIDE FISHING NEWS

The show was hosted at the Amsterdam RAI.

Mustad’s famous Ultrapoint hooks and Strike Pro’s Wolftail.

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NEWS WORLDWIDE FISHING

FLORIDA’S RED TIDE TRAGEDY

by Shawn Peters The entire southwest Gulf coast of Florida has been hit since early summer by a red tide that now extends 160km between Sarasota and Naples.

Affecting some of the best beaches in the United States, which have since become deserted, as hundreds of thousands of dead fish are present in the water as well as on the white sands of Sanibel, Captiva, Key Lovers, Cayo Costa, Siesta Key and others. Impossible to enjoy the beaches during such a tragedy; seeing endless heaps and piles of dead fish is disheartening, the associated stench is repulsive.

For local and visiting fishermen, as well as professional fishing guides specializing in this area, the impact is enor14

mous. Disappointment, sadness, incomprehension and negative economic consequences must be dealt with as the red tide wreaks havoc in the Gulf waters.

Jenny Staletovich of the Miami Herald, reports: On a cloudless, windless day in Pine Island Sound usually perfect for fishing, Capt.

Chad Huff sees something that breaks his heart and threatens his livelihood: an 80- to 100-pound tarpon, probably a dozen years old, scales glistening like armor forged from silver dollars, bobbing on the surface.

Its lifeless body is beginning to bloat. Its eyes, ten thousand times stronger than a human’s, have clouded over.

“Horrible,” mutters Huff, a second-generation fishing SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES MAGAZINE | Q2 2018

guide. “Eighty percent of what I get paid for is the pursuit of one of these on a fly rod.”

Huff hooked his first tarpon with his dad when he was 6 and has spent the years since catching and releasing countless more. The sight of the fish fills him with disgust.

“I can’t look at it anymore,” he says before motoring away.

Soft-spoken and generally laconic, Huff is not one to wave a political flag or jump into a protest. But a 10-month-long red tide washing up along Southwest Florida, coupled with blue-green algae flushed from Lake Okeechobee past his backyard, have drawn him into the fray. Huff now finds himself joining an increa-

WORLDWIDE FISHING NEWS

singly angry public. They’ve shown up at weekend protests in Sanibel and Sarasota, at a heated meeting last July with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and every day across social media, tired of officials downplaying coastal pollution and simply blaming nature for the red tide.

What is the Red tide?

menon is completely natural and occurs when water temperature, periods of sunshine and marine currents are favorable. It is not new or recent, since more than 300 algae species are responsible for red tides worldwide, and at least 80 are toxic. In Florida, the red tide is primarily due to the micro-algae known as Karenia brevis.

A «red tide» indicates that there is a sudden concentration of microalgae that gives a brown or reddish tint to a body of water. This pheno-

Karenia brevis blooms occur in the Gulf of Mexico almost every year, generally in late summer or early fall. They are most common off the central

and Southwestern coasts of Florida between Clearwater and Sanibel Island but may occur anywhere in the Gulf.

Blooms are less common but do occur along the Southeastern Atlantic coast as far north as North Carolina.

Most blooms last three to five months and affect hundreds of square miles, but they can continue sporadically for as long as 18 months, affecting thousands of square miles.

Prior to the early 1970s, Florida red tides were believed to originate inshore because

The karenia brevis bloom is exceptionnally harsh this year, killing more wildlife than ever before.

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NEWS WORLDWIDE FISHING

Tarpon, sea turtles, purpoise, baitfish and even manatees have been found dead. Photo Miami Herald.

blooms and respiratory irritation were most often observed first around passes and barrier islands. We now know that Florida red tides begin in nutrient-poor water 18 to 74 kilometers offshore.

Offshore Florida red tide bloom Blooms develop in four stages. The initiation stage occurs when a Karenia brevis population first accumulates and moves into in an area. During the second stage, growth, the population steadily increases. Within a few weeks, Karenia brevis 16

concentrations may be high enough to kill fish. The third stage is maintenance, during which wind and currents control the bloom’s movement. If the bloom moves inshore, nutrient runoff from land may promote bloom expansion. A bloom can linger in coastal areas for days, weeks or even months. The fourth stage is dissipation or termination.

During this stage, mechanisms such as winds and currents disperse the cells, introduce new water masses that reduce the concentration of SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES MAGAZINE | Q2 2018

Karenia brevis cells or move the bloom to a different area.

Is the sugar industry responsible?

Some individuals and groups are beginning to blame local authorities for favoring polluting businesses around Lake Okeechobee. It’s important to keep in mind that scientists are not yet in agreement on the subject.

What is clear is that Lake Okeechobee irrigates all of South Florida through rivers and waterways but also the Everglades marshes. Every summer, the waters of the

WORLDWIDE FISHING NEWS

lake cause a bloom of green algae on the beaches of the Atlantic, near Stuart (and sometimes further South, in Palm Beach County). This pollution on the Atlantic is indeed a result of human activity, and it is particularly the sugar industry, very present around the lake, which is designated as the primary culprit providing nutrients for the micro-algae.

«All phytoplankton and harmful algal blooms need nutrients.

So if you add nutrients, they bloom» says National Geographic’s Richard Bartleson, a biologist with the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF).

Others have different views.

Local resident Mike Rowland laments, “The real cause is Interstate 75 and US27 form dikes/berms that prevent water flowing to the Everglades.

Look at all the canals along major roads like Krome avenue that inhibit natural water flow. Those canals were dug to drain swamp land for agriculture and homes and now have to be protected by huge dikes around Lake Okeechobee to prevent the former swampland from being flooded when it rains.

There are places West of Miami and Homestead where my

SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES MAGAZINE | Q2 2018

cousin use to take me out on his airboat that now are covered with subdivisions. Draining swamp land to build houses and create farm land and a huge increase in population are the real problem and there is no way to deal with that”.

Whether Florida’s red tide of 2018 has its origins in purely natural causes, a result of diverse human activities or a deadly combination of both, it will be recorded as one of the most horrific occurrences in recorded history in terms of both marine life kill-off and adverse economic impact

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TRAVEL MAURITIUS

MAURITIUS

THE UNTOUCHED REEFS OF ST BRANDON Text and photos by Chad White

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SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES MAGAZINE | Q2 2018

MAURITIUS TRAVEL

SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES MAGAZINE | Q2 2018

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TRAVEL MAURITIUS

S

A decent GT just took the popper, the fight is on !

aint Brandon, also known as the Cargados Carajos Shoals, is an Indian Ocean archipelago about 430 kilometres northeast of Mauritius consisting of a number of sand banks, shoals and islets.

The Islands are a pristine example of what Mauritius might have looked like if it were not colonised and remains relatively untouched by mankind.

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The Islands of Saint Brandon consist of various shifting Islands and sand banks that span over a distance of 2,300 km2 . It has become well known in the region for numerous shipwrecks that occur without any warning.

While the advancement of technology and navigational systems has decreased the frequency of wrecks it has not eliminated them completely including several high profile wrecks such as Team VesSPORTFISHING ADVENTURES MAGAZINE | Q2 2018

The Islands are a pristine example of what Mauritius might have looked like if it were not colonised and remains relatively untouched by mankind.

MAURITIUS TRAVEL

tas during the Volvo Ocean Race.

One of the key geological features which has kept life in St Brandon flourishing is the cool water which is drawn around the islands from the nearby Indian Ocean, this cool water has over the years preserved the marine ecology helping combat coral bleaching and with it the life of the whole ecosystem in the area. Unfortunately while deep sea diving is limited due to a lack of compression chamber on the Islands, a

lot of the beauty can be appreciated with a snorkelling mask due to the clear shallow waters. However sharks are plentiful and our skippers always keep a knife and relevant safety equipment handy.

The islands themselves are sanctuaries which require an application and permission in order to be granted access and permission to fish on the island.

Sportfisher and Co Ltd organises its own trips to St Bran-

don as well as helping local companies such as Raphael Fishing and Flycastaway with their operational logistics ferring people to and fro between Mainland Mauritius and St Brandon. While visiting Sportfisher promotes the sanctuaries guidelines in order minimize our impact to the environment and preserve this beautiful place for generations to come. We promote catch and release and while we encourage you to fish we recommend against eating fish over 50 lb and ask that you catch and re-

View from the fishing camp on Ile Saint Raphael.

SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES MAGAZINE | Q2 2018

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TRAVEL MAURITIUS

Giant trevallies (caranx ignobilis) are probably the strongest predators you’ll encounter on the reefs.

They provide explosive strikes on topwater lures.

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MAURITIUS TRAVEL

SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES MAGAZINE | Q2 2018

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TRAVEL MAURITIUS

lease smaller fish to avoid overfishing.

Turtles are quite commonly sighted around the Islands as it is a crucial nesting haven for them vital to continue reproduction. There are three different types of Turtles that rely on the Islands to repopulate. These are the Endangered Green Turtles, Leatherback and the rarest and critically endangered Hawksbill Turtle.

It is very common to find the tracks along the beach of a

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SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES MAGAZINE | Q2 2018

MAURITIUS TRAVEL

Most of the fish are released, only a very few are kept for a delicious dinner!

SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES MAGAZINE | Q2 2018

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TRAVEL MAURITIUS

Around 60 small islands compose St Brandon’s archipelago, with a maximum height of 4,6 meters. These islands are naturally protected by a bow-shaped coral reef.

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SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES MAGAZINE | Q2 2018

MAURITIUS TRAVEL

SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES MAGAZINE | Q2 2018

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TRAVEL MAURITIUS

Beautiful sunset on Ile Coco.

turtle attempting to nest, during nesting season in April it is recommended to visit Ile Coco the most popular nesting site to witness the beautiful beach with tractor like marks from the nesting attempts made by turtles that very morning.

Birds were the original reason that temporary camps were set up on the Island as the highly sought after Guano or Bird Excrement provided excellent fertilizer for the growing Sugar Cane Industry that was being developed back on Mainland Mauritius.

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Bird species include various Tern and Noddy with the rarest breed being the vulnerable Fairy Tern. The largest bird habitats can be found in the Northern Islands with Puits a Eau having the largest nesting ground due to its long history of being out of bounds for guano extraction.

All of Sportfishers trips to St Brandon are carefully tailored in accordance to what you want from the excursion. For serious fishing fanatics we recommend a Fishing guide who knows the area well and which spots are best for certain species.

SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES MAGAZINE | Q2 2018

Bird species include various Tern and Noddy with the rarest breed being the vulnerable Fairy Tern.

MAURITIUS TRAVEL

Blue trevallies can be caught on foot around the reefs. They fight hard and have a beautiful blueish pigmentation

SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES MAGAZINE | Q2 2018

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TRAVEL MAURITIUS

VIDEO : VR view of the nesting site on Puits Ă Eau.

If you would prefer to explore the various Islands of St Brandon and its nature we have several favourites that vary from crew to crew. Upon preparation of your quote we will help you in planning to get the most out of this lifetime trip with recommendations with points of interest based on what experiences you would like to have, advise you on how long to stay at each location as well as organise food and drinks during your trip and anything else you might require to make your visit to paradise as unforgettable as possible.

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A typical great blue trevally fishing spot.

SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES MAGAZINE | Q2 2018

MAURITIUS TRAVEL

The most sought after fish in St Brandon are Bonefish and Permit fish which are known for giving a spectacular fight on the reel and being notoriously difficult to get on the line, often requiring a direct on target cast. As a result fly cast fishing is quite popular in the region and gives visitors the ultimate adventure of a walk and stalk fishing experience. Not only is the scenery simple stunning but the sheer distance of the these Archipelago Islands from Mainland Africa and the nearest landmass Mauritius makes it the ultimate remote fishing destination in the Indian Ocean and arguably one of the best spots for Indo-pacific Permit and Bonefish in the world.

A quick photo and this GT was released back to its habitat.

SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES MAGAZINE | Q2 2018

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TRAVEL MAURITIUS

Blue trevallies (caranx melanpygus) don’t grow as big as GTs do, but they still pull like a jack and look much prettier !

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SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES MAGAZINE | Q2 2018

MAURITIUS TRAVEL

SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES MAGAZINE | Q2 2018

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TRAVEL MAURITIUS

Bonefish are common and can be caught on the fly, or on lures, like this one.

Permit and Bonefish hot spots are most present in the North of St Brandon around Ile Raphael however can be found on almost any island should you know the right signs to look out for such as high water on the flats. If you are looking to catch any of the various Giant Trevally species we recommend fishing close to the reef off a small boat. We have been successful using various wooden popping lures as you can see 34

from our small teaser video were we caught a huge 80lb GT. In general you can expect to catch bonefish around 6lb in size with an average catch of 11lb for other common fish in the area. The largest bonefish caught in the region weighed up to 15 with our largest Indo-Pacific Permit weighting in at 14lb.

Ile Raphael is one of the norSPORTFISHING ADVENTURES MAGAZINE | Q2 2018

MAURITIUS TRAVEL

SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES MAGAZINE | Q2 2018

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TRAVEL MAURITIUS

Fishing in St Brandon is the adventure of a lifetime.You can spend weeks fishing an unspoilt nature without seeing another human being.

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MAURITIUS TRAVEL

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TRAVEL MAURITIUS

thernmost islands of St Brandon, and home to a small transient fishing village of around 30 fishermen. Originally being one of the main islands where Guano was extracted it is now known for the presence of the national coast guard as well as host to the majority of the transient fishing population visiting the St Brandon Islands.

Amateur fishermen are sometimes brought here from

around the world with fishing guides to experience once in a lifetime fishing trips around these beautiful islands.

While visiting one day were lucky enough to be granted access to the top of the Coast Guards Radio tower to film the view. While it was slightly swaying in the wind the unique perspective was well worth the long, slow climb to the top

VIDEO : VR view of Ile Raphael from the Coast Guard tower.

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SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES MAGAZINE | Q2 2018

TRIP INFORMATION

For more information, and how to book a fishing trip to St Brandon : Info@sportfisher.mu www.sportfisher.mu

saltydogfishing.co.uk +44(0)7515 738 100

Travel Fishing West Africa

SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES MAGAZINE | Q2 2018

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TRAVEL DENMARK

DENMARK

MAGICAL SAMSO Text and photos by Rudy Van Duijnhoven

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SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES MAGAZINE | Q2 2018

DENMARK TRAVEL

SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES MAGAZINE | Q2 2018

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TRAVEL DENMARK

Our spacious holiday home a short distance from the coast.

T

he island of Samsø is about 114 square kilometres in size and is situated north of Funen. The island can only be reached by ferry, from the town of Hov on Jutland it takes about an hour to reach the harbour of Sælvig in the middle of the island. It is advisable to make reservations for the ferry in advance, a return trip with a car and two persons did cost us 112 euro in October.

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A little over 4000 people live on the island and they get their income largely from tourism, agriculture and the supply of green energy.

Thanks to wind energy and renewable energy sources the island of Samsø is the largest CO2-neutral community on earth. These days 100 percent of the electricity that is used on the island is produced by themselves through a good many wind mills. The excess is supplied to the main land.

75 percent of the warmth that SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES MAGAZINE | Q2 2018

Thanks to wind energy and renewable energy sources the island of Samsø is the largest CO2-neutral community on earth.

DENMARK TRAVEL

is needed is supplied through solar power en the burning of bio mass.

Short distances Even though there have been a few publications on the possibilities to fish on Samsø, you will not find too many hits when you use Google and search for “Samsø” and “seatrout flyfishing”. A good reason to take a look there for myself along with some friends of mine.

fifty centimetres mark when they threw the fly during the fight and Jan Pieter and Hubert both had takes as well (not of seatrout but of coalfish, but still). As the wind was blowing towards shore, there was a lot of debris in the water in the form of rest of water plants, which made

fishing not all that easy.

Light and dark spots The next morning the wind from the west had increased even more in strength, which made fishing in front of our holiday home close to impossible. After breakfast we the-

Through Novasol we rented, in early October, a holiday home near Vesterløkken on the west side of the island, an excellent base from which we could explore the island; every spot on Samsø can be reached in about forty minutes from there. The short distances are a major advantage of such a small island compared to, for instance, Funen. When the wind turns or it looks like that the circumstances at a certain spot are not in your favour, than it is just a short ride to another spot on the opposite side of the island.

Because we arrived on the island by the end of the afternoon, we had a chance to fish in front of our holiday home that same evening and our start was hopeful, to say the least. Theo landed his first seatrout on the fly after a short while, I lost two fish that were easily above the

Theo with his 53 centimetre seatrout in perfect condition.

SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES MAGAZINE | Q2 2018

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TRAVEL MONGOLIA DENMARK

A seatrout over 50cm in length is considered a very good fish on Samso.

This one was hooked at considerable distance from the shore.

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SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES MAGAZINE | Q2 2018

MONGOLIA DENMARK TRAVEL

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TRAVEL DENMARK

Casting under the fading sun. Do not leave your house without a line tray.

refore went to some spots on the east-side of the island and close to where the ferry service approaches the island.

Spots that looked very interesting with lots of light and dark spots on the bottom and an abundance of seaweed, but it looked like the seatrout stayed out further away from the coast on this sunny day.

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In the evening the force of the wind had gone down a bit and we could give the spot in front of the area with holiday homes another try. Next to the fly-rods we had brought some spinning rods as well and a few casts with a white Hansen Lotus spoon brought me a nice 53 cm seatrout at one moment. The trout had SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES MAGAZINE | Q2 2018

taken the spoon shortly after I started the retrieve, so it was well out of reach of the flyrod. After a short fight with lots of swirls right in front of me, I was able to land the seatrout safely. After quickly taking a few pictures of the trout lying on my net, I returned it safely to the salt water. The others

DENMARK TRAVEL

of fishing and casting, with just a few casts the fly is at the desired distance again, even when the wind is from a more difficult angle. A line tray is necessary because the line will otherwise float away from your position or get caught behind seaweed and other parts of debris.

Nice bay

a few casts with a white Hansen Lotus spoon brought me a nice 53 cm seatrout

were only able to land some small coalfish; with the fly I think I had a few more takes of seatrout. During this trip I only used a 11’6” switch flyrod by Sage for a line class #6 flyline plus some floating and intermediate flylines by Rio that match it really well.

Using both hands on the rod is a very comfortable way SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES MAGAZINE | Q2 2018

One spot near the golf course of Bresser only brought us one small seatrout the following morning. The second spot, near the church of Maarup, turned out to be the most beautiful spot we had seen until than on the island. A nice bay with a lot of dark seaweed, surrounded by high hills, a spot that can be fished even when there is a fresh wind from the west.

Here we only caught some small seatrout too, but we had quite a few takes of garfish as well, strange to find them here still so late in the year. Along the north side of the island we found the last morning some good looking areas with a steep coastline behind us and a great amount of seaweed in the deeper water. Theo van de Poll quickly landed a forty something centimetre seatrout plus some small coalfish; the amount of coalfish around Samsø is quite amazing, around Funen I do not think I have never come across this species. Jan Pieter and Hubert had walked on and caught, in an area 47

TRAVEL DENMARK

where the wind was a little easier to handle, six seatrout with a length up to 45 centimetres. At one moment they had a take on almost every cast !

In the afternoon Theo hooked a seatrout that felt more heavy and powerful right from the start. This fish turned out to be 53 centimetres in length when it was safely landed and it was in an excellent condition. For Theo a dream that came true, even if it did cost him quite a few more than just a ‘thousand casts’. Towards the end of the day we fished near the north-eastern point of the island. It turned out there was an abundance of small coalfish in the water here, in the fast current around

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the point we hooked them on every cast. The seatrout that were present probably just did not get the opportunity to grab the fly, only Hubert managed to land one this evening.

Enjoying the peacefulness It seems to me that Samsø is an island where you can, in peaceful settings, enjoy flyfishing for seatrout during summer and autumn.

There are long stretches that are easy to wade, when the wind is from a difficult angle it is easy to move to another spot quickly and there were few other anglers fishing for seatrout when we were there in early October. Enough reasons for us to return to the island soon again

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TRIP INFORMATION Novasol Phone: +44 (0)845 680 5856 International calls: +45 3914 3092 Fax: +45 3914 3060 Website: www.novasol.co.uk E-mail novasol@novasol.com Tourist office: Samsø Erhvervs- og Turistcenter Langgade 32, Tranebjerg 8305 Samsø Denmark Website: www.visitsamsoe.dk/ en/

SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES T H E

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B E S T

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BRAZIL TRAVEL DENMARK

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TACKLE NEW GEAR

WHAT’S

NEW

?

WESTIN FREDDY THE FROG This ultra realistic frog imitation from Westin sets the bar very high in the frog lure market. Winner of the award for best Freshwater Hardlure at ICAST 2018 Show, freddy the frog features multi-jointed legs and a front lip that allows you to retrieve the lure at any speed while the legs kick, just like a real frog. On a pause the lure floats head up, and it is rigged with a 1/0 treble hook on the belly and a removable single hook on the back. With 18,5cm in total length and a weight of 46 grams, this lure is an obvious must for pike and bass anglers, especially in the hottest months of the year.

$29.99 | westin-fishing.com

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WESTIN SWIM SALTWATER

The Swim lure was originally designed by Westin for freshwater predators such as perch and pike. It quicky became obvious that this lure’s awesome action could be effective on saltwater gamefish as well. This new version is designed with ABS plastic and has a wire through construction. Simply give little twitches with your rod to make the lure go from side to side, mimicking a fleeing baitfish. During a pause, the suspending lure stays in position and often triggers the strike. For a more linear action, a simple retrieve works perfect. rigged with Japanese style hooks and lead free, the Swim is a great for snook, striped bass, tarpon, GT’s and other saltwater predators. Weighs 60g and 12 cm long.

westin-fishing.com

NEW GEAR TACKLE

CLEE FISHING JUNGLE OPERATOR FLEX The Jungle Operator Flex won the Innovation of the Year Award at Efttex 2018. It is a new generation float tube. Its Air Dropstich technology allows a slim design and improves stability. You can even stand up safely on the Jungle Flex Operator ! Includes two paddles, side storages and an engine mount. Weighs 24kg and fits perfectly in its backpack once deflated.

clee-fishing.com

WESTIN FLAT MATT Westin’s Flat Matt is a lifelike imitation of a flounder. This soft bait swims perfectly flat and can be used anywhere in the water column. When big halibut can be found in shallow areas, just drop the Flat Matt to the bottom and give short pulls on the rod to make the sides and tails of the lure wiggle, creating mini sand clouds.

Weighs 400g, 24.5cm long and rigged with a single 10/0 hook.

westin-fishing.com

RAPALA X-RAP MAGNUM X-PLODE Rapala’s first big game popper. With its heavy duty wire-through construction and ABS body, the X-Rap Magnum X-plode will absorb any strike without breaking like a wooden lures. It features 3D Holographic Eyes, internal foil and 5/0 VMC 75 series 6X Tropic Spark Point trebles, connected to 250lb split rings. The low positionned tow points keep the popper stable and generates huge explosions on every pull. Available in 8 fish catching colours, the lure weighs 145g and is 17cm in length.

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TACKLE NEW GEAR

RAPALA X-RAP PETO The X-Rap Peto (peto means beast in Finnish) is a combination of a hard X-Rap body and a soft tail. The result is an extremely effective pike lure. Slow sinking, the Peto stays perfectly horizontal during pauses. Sold with an extra soft tail and VMC Coastal Black hooks. With its 83gr and its 20cm length , this lure is the perfect meal for a trophy pike !

$19.99 | rapala.com

AFTCO HYDRONAUT HEAVY-DUTY WATERPROOF JACKET The Hydronaut is the ultimate waterproof fishing jacket. It is packed with technology and innovation. The Speedvent hood design is engineered to alleviate neck strain and restriction from the airflow encountered when travelling at high rates of speed and the Double Dry Cuff prevents water from seeping up your arm cast after cast. Another interesting feature is the Cyclops Camera Mount, a builtin system that renders chest straps obsolete.

Available in October 2018, the Hydronaut jacket is one of the most advanced raingear on the market.

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LIVINGSTON FREDDY B Changing the face of frog fishing, the Livingston Freddy B is the first ever hollow body frog that emits the actual biological sounds of a real frog. Its EBS technology (Electronic Baitfish Sound) imiattes the sound signature of a frog, triggering the laziest predators. The Freddy B is equipped with a custom heavy wire 5/0 double hook for rock solid hook sets.

$9.99 | livingstonlures.com

NEW GEAR TACKLE

TSUNAMI SALT X New for fall 2018, this reel is designed for durability in harsh saltwater conditions. the SALT X utilizes 14 seals to fully enclose its innards for a saltwater-safe, water-tight design. The body and rotor are made of A6061 aluminum. The reel has 50-pound drag and includes sealed hammer drag system, a digitally optimized S-Drive stainless steel face gear, 7 sealed stainless steel ball bearings, a one-piece machined handle with a round non-slip power knob. Available in 4000 and 6000 sizes.

$379.99

FISHUP LURES CATFISH This new soft plastic bait is a very realistic replica of a baby catfish.

The behavior of fins and whiskers of FishUp Catfish both in static position and while moving is absolutely similar to the behavior of a catfish fingerling: the whiskers and fins are straight and motionless as it stand still, and then they are pressed against the body while you drag it.

This realistic imitation is perfect for pike, perch, zander, and other predators.

$9.95 / 8 pc | fishuplures.com

HALCO LASER PRO Halco’s Laser Pro is a lure designed for trollling. With a wide range of models diving from 1m to 7m deep. The outer body has extra secure hook anchoring and towing points that are built in as an integral part of the lure body.

The optimum speed for trolling this lure is around 6.5 knots. Halco lures are very well known for their durability, catching toothy critters one after the other.

halcotackle.com

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PANAMA

KAYAK FISHING

CAMBUTAL Text and photos by Adam Fisk

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The wahoo is one of the fastest swimming creatures, their first runs are supersonic.

W

hen it comes to the world of kayak fishing there really is no place like Los Buzos Resort in Cambutal, Panama.

ter. We do not know of any other place in the world that is home to more roosterfish than right in their backyard.

One of their groups once landed over 55 roosterfish on poppers in just two days.

The size of the fish and abundance of species truly is something to behold. Ask any fisherman around the world to name 5 species of fish they wish they could target if they had the chance and you will find that every one of them will include roosterfish, and it just so happens that roosterfish is their bread and but-

Los Buzos is nestled between two of the world’s most renowned sport fishing destinations “Tropic Star Lodge” and “Cebaco Bay”. However, the area where Los Buzos is located is very remote meaning fishing pressure is extremely low. On a typical day on the water you may see just one or two pangas

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One of their groups once landed over 55 roosterfish on poppers in just two days.

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out fishing. Generally, these boats are trolling cedar plugs for tuna or hand-lining snapper putting zero pressure on roosterfish, sailfish, marlin, large cubera snapper and other prized species. Because of this lack of fishing pressure, it has enabled anglers to very easily target the fish of their dreams.

The guides at Los Buzos have put countless first-time anglers on massive roosterfish and cubera snappers. Some of their guests have never been

VIDEO : How to catch a big roosterfish at Los Buzos

Los Buzos has a fleet of more than 20 perfectly equiped fishing kayaks SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES MAGAZINE | Q2 2018

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Jigging also produces outstanding fishing. Cuberas, tunas and healthy amberjacks like this one lurk near the bottom.

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If you need a day off to relax, Los Buzos offers plenty of other activities like horseback rides.

in a kayak or even held a fishing rod in their life. Their expert guides walk them through everything they need to know and many of them have single handedly landed roosterfish and cubera snapper over 40 lbs. Many anglers spend their whole lives chasing these bucket list fish in boats costing more than a house, while Los Buzos does it daily from 12-foot kayaks.

The well-named broomtail grouper.

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Los Buzos has a fleet of 15 Hobie Outback’s, 6 Jackson Coosa FD’s and several other paddle powered kayaks. All SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES MAGAZINE | Q2 2018

kayaks are outfitted with Garmin Fishfinder/Chartplotters, Railblaza Starports to mount cameras and other accessories, up to seven rod holders, gear crates, NRS dry bags, a safety flag, and PFD. They also have rods and reels available for rent so their guests do not have to go through the painful process of lugging their own gear and rod tubes through the airport. Los Buzos uses some of the best gear available so there really is no reason to not take advantage of this convenience. The gear includes reels by Accurate,

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Penn, Shimano and Daiwa spooled with line from Diamond Fishing Products, all paired with Star and Wright & McGill rods. They also have a tackle shop on site where they can buy Yo-Zuri products, line, fluorocarbon, premade rigs, hooks of many sizes, protective clothing and much more. Their guests can arrive with a backpack full of clothes and have all they need for a week of hardcore fishing.

It is not just the fish that make Los Buzos such an amazing

destination. Depending on the time of year guests may get a chance to see a variety of other creatures.

June through October is whale season and the number of humpback whales that visit the area to raise their young is staggering. It is very rare to go out in the heart of whale season and not see at least one. Also, it is common to see pods of dolphins chasing schools of yellowfin tuna, manta- and devil rays doing backflips and getting visited by several species of sea turtles.

April and May typically bring in cold water currents which can trigger whale sharks to congregate just outside the bay

Flyfishing is also very effective, especially if you run into a school of dorados !

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Most anglers come to Los Buzos to catch the beautiful roosterfish.

April and May typically bring in cold water currents which can trigger whale sharks to congregate just outside the bay. This April they had a day where the group of anglers saw more than 10 whale sharks in a radius of no more than 2 miles and a span of just a few hours. When not on the water there is still plenty to see and experience.

The lodge is adjacent to Cerro Hoya, an untouched national park which many exotic birds like toucans, macaws, parrots and several cat species call their home. Guests

can explore miles of empty volcanic black sand beaches, large caves and rock formations, surf world class reef and beach breaks, hike or go by horseback along nearby mountains and beautiful waterfalls, pick tropical fruits and swim in the protected cove.

In their bunk style rooms, all with ocean view, guests will have the comfort of air conditioning and standard US style power outlets for charging electronic devices. Water from the tap is excellent SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES MAGAZINE | Q2 2018

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Humpback whales can be seen from June through October in very large numbers.

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and is even rated higher quality than in the United States. Guests who wish to bring family members who are non-anglers can choose to be accommodated in the neighboring Hotel Playa Cambutal, which has more of a resort feel with full time service, Wi-Fi, a pool, beach bar, restaurant and much more.

Many fishermen’s biggest concern when booking a fishing trip is weather. Los Buzos has been blessed with consistently mild weather and rarely misses a fishing day because of bad weather.

The main fishing area is nearshore which enables it to be

Big cuberas like this one are like dynamite on your line !

protected from winds from multiple directions. During their main season the winds are very low to begin with and rainstorms generally do not last more than a couple of hours. Occasionally a swell

The cosy inside of Los Buzos’ lodge.

Our to reach ADVENTURES Chuka. MAGAZINE | Q2 2018 66 chef working his way on the river SPORTFISHING

can come through which can look intimidating at high tide, however, when the tide gets lower the exposed reef that protects the bay will break up the swell creating a calm beach launch and safe pas-

PANAMA TRAVEL

Sitting exactly at sea level makes this type of fishing really exciting.

Target species are roosterfish, yellowfin tuna, sierra mackerel, rock snapper, mahi-mahi, cubera snapper, wahoo, sailfish, marlin and many more.

sage into deeper water where swell is of little concern.

Each fishing day starts with coffee and a continental breakfast before first light. A hearty lunch is packed in an insulated lunchbox for each angler and the guides bring each kayak down to the water’s edge and help every angler individually launch.

Anglers paddle out through the pass between the exposed reef and start fishing almost right away. There are several hotspots they target on a typical fishing day, SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES MAGAZINE | Q2 2018

all of which are less than 2 miles from shore. The rocky coastline and exposed reef that breaks the surface, just a stone’s throw away from depths of 100 plus feet of water, is a magnet for fish of all types. Target species that our guests encounter are roosterfish, yellowfin tuna, sierra mackerel, rock snapper, mahi-mahi, broomtail grouper, cubera snapper, wahoo, sailfish, marlin and many more.

All of these species are easily in range of the kayaks and the guides will show you 67

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Probably the most iconic fish in these waters, the roosterfish (Nematistius pectoralis) is a beautiful hard fighter.

The IGFA world record is a 114lb fish caught in June 1960 in La Paz, Baja California, Mexico.

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exactly how to target them.

Bridling live baits including blue runners, yellowfin tuna, and bonito is a sure tactic to get you a monster and trolling plugs, popping, jigging and dropping cut bait are all proven methods to get some action.

One of their favorite species to target is yellowfin tuna.

Schools of thousands come in at a time and can be seen frothing on the surface from a long distance away. Kayaks offer a sneaky way to get to them as they normally spook at the sound of an outboard.

Anglers can sit in the middle of the school and catch them on large poppers every single cast. Sometimes anglers will have more than five tunas chasing and rocketing out of the water after their popper before they connect with one.

This really makes for an incredible fishing experience.

nament with a grand prize of $10,000.

When the fishing day comes to an end, anglers bring back the day’s catch to the lodge where their chef will be waiting to prepare it for dinner.

In the meantime, guests will enjoy unlimited beers, an appetizer of sushi and guacamole while they share stories and prep their gear for the next day. Los Buzos serves a variety of food, so fish is not on the menu every night.

They typically include a pizza night and serve a few locally inspired deserts.

During the championship points per pound are awarded for edible fish like tuna, snapper, trevally or wahoo, while catch and release species like roosterfish, cubera, sailfish and marlin are scored differently. All tournaments are a field of 12 anglers with participants from different regions in the United States, South America, Central America, Australia, Europe and several other countries competing for the title of world’s best offshore kayak angler

Some anglers with more of a competitive edge can choose to join one of their four Qualifier tournaments which, if they win, can earn them $2500 and a spot in the World Championship Tour-

TRIP INFORMATION

For more information, and how to book a fishing trip in Panama : www.losbuzos.com info@losbuzos.com +507 6214-1107 (Whatsapp only)

Catching a sailfish from a kayak is something you’ll never forget.

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m +27 82 748 7290 [GMT+02:00] t +248 422 9700 [GMT+04:00] e reservations@alphonsefishingco.com w www.alphonsefishingco.com PHOTOS: TALWEG CREATIVE & ALPHONSE FISHING CO.

TRAVEL ZAMBIA

ZAMBIA

TIGERS OF THE ZAMBEZI RIVER Text and photos by Jonathan Boulton

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The first tigerfish for this young angler. Well done !

I

f you’ve ever seen a picture of a tigerfish or even better, held one close up and looked into its eyes you realise instantly it is a fish that means business. Mother Nature often understates some of her wonderful creations; imagine you had never seen a hippo before, plump, pink and prone to sunburn. Often portrayed in ballerina tutus, 74

their comically cuddly demeanour could not be further from the truth, catch one by surprise in a boat or canoe, or get between a mother with calf and the water and you will soon realise why they account for the most lives in Africa every year.

The tiger fish on the other hand is a very accurate representation of just what you are SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES MAGAZINE | Q2 2018

The Striped Water Dog has a mouthful of neat, pearly white conical shaped dog like teeth.

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in for, nothing unassuming, no subtle understatement terror on the fin Hydorcynus vittatus The Striped Water Dog has a mouthful of neat, pearly white conical shaped dog like teeth. They interlock with the mechanical precision of a well engineered gin trap and are certainly not for show!

Many predatory fish have tidy, serrated teeth for slicing and dicing like Wahoo and Piranha. Tiger fish dishevel and disembowel, nothing surgical about them, their modus operandi is to charge into their prey, shred-

The colorful malachite kingfisher.

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ding them or stunning them in the process, then turning back to pick up the dead and bewildered. It is for this reason that catching tiger fish has always been a fairly serious endeavour, the combination of lightening speed, a mouthful of sharp teeth and a rock hard impenetrable palette make hooking them a challenge to say the least.

Tackle has traditionally been stout spinning rods and reels with heavy metal spoons and spinners on the end of a length of metal trace to prevent

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been bitten off. As tackle and techniques have evolved with time, it was inevitable that someone would be daft enough to take a knife to a gun fight and try and tame a tiger on a fly rod. Sporadic literature and a few grainy photos featuring bad haircuts and sideburns lay testament to some limited success through the seventies and early eighties. In the early nineties I ran a lodge in the Okavango Delta and using my first sloppy Diawa Osprey six weight rod, Leeda Rimfly reel and double taper sinking line, I

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Vundu catfish on the fly !

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The Zambezi offers spectacular wildlife and scenery, like a fishing-safari !

threw some home tied flies that wouldn’t have been out of place in The Muppet Show.

I managed to land some tigers up to 8 pounds, and today they still remain one of my favourite fish to pursue with a flyrod. In prime time on the Zambezi or Okavango one will actually see more ‘fluff chuckers” than conventional anglers on the water, the fly cleans up, not only does a modern baitfish brushfly look far more delectable than a big shiny brass spoon but hook up rates are better than on hardware. Tigerfish are notoriously hard to hook, 80 ADVENTURES MAGAZINE | Q2 2018 A nicely marked brown trout for MarkusSPORTFISHING from Glen Lough.

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Tigerfish are notoriously hard to hook, well documented stats state you are doing well to land one in 10 strikes.

well documented stats state you are doing well to land one in 10 strikes. This is not difficult to believe, seeing a seething mad tiger leap, somersault and headshake a heavy spoon or spinner is a sight to behold and more often than not results in the lure being hurled back at the angler in disgust. Flyfishing for them is more exhilarating, being directly in touch with the fish as it hits, unencumbered by a heavy geared reel one is directly in contact with enhanced sensitivity and line control as you strip the line over your forefinger. Of course when that inevitable jump and head shake comes a virtually weightless fly is far

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less likely to dislodge than a heavy metal lure.

Prime time for tigerfish on the fly on the Zambezi River is undoubtedly the winter months (May through till September). This may seem strange for the quintessential warm water predator, however it is not so much as water temperature but water height that make for such favourable conditions. Floodwater from the Angolan highlands move down the river system like a wave, the river bursts its banks and the flood waters spreads out for miles onto the surrounding floodplains.

The shallow warm water, nutrient enriched by dung from

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The tigerfish species inhabiting the Zambezi is the hydrocynus vittatus. They don’t reach 50kg like the famous hydrocynus goliath but are equally aggressive and have beautiful stripes on their bodies.

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plains game, elephant, buffalo and the local tribe’s cattle, make an ideal nursery environment for resident fish.

Depending upon the extent of the floods, the floodwaters reside and the juvenile fish from prolific breeding in the shallows are funnelled back into the main channel. At these inlets flocks of birds mark the ensuing carnage where tigerfish baitball and mercilessly smash the baitfish re-entering the system. The water at this time of year is very clear and hence an ideal scenario

for the flyfisherman relying on the Tigers keen eyesight to home in on its prey.

We base our trips from Ichingo Island Lodge on Impalila which is set amongst an ancient riverine forest. The trip is ideal for both die hard flyfishermen, couples and family groups whether both fish, or only one. Keen anglers can be on the water at first light enjoying good tiger action, and then return for an excellent brunch on the viewing deck.

The rest of the afternoon can

An edible by-catch : The delicious tilapia !

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Tigerfish have the reputation of being the fastest freshwater gamefish on the planet.

be spent with the wife & kids leisurely sipping gin and tonics while enjoying world class bird watching and spectacular African sunsets.

Flyfishing for Tigers is by no mean a leisurely day out, up to greet the morning stars at first light, a quick cup of coffee and then racing upstream in a fast boat, the icy predawn wind cutting through your clothes on the way to the hunting grounds.

Once the sun is up things quickly warm up, as does the level of challenge. You will be perched on the front of a drifting boat in barefeet so as not to stand on the flyline when casting out heavy clousers on a fast sinking line, then stripping back at a rate of knots,

imitating a small fish fleeing the jaws of death for all its worth. A lot of the time it’s just about covering water making consistently long casts, experimenting with different sink rates, mixing up double

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handed retrieves with single handed strips. There can be long periods of no action and just as your attention wonders, admiring an 18 foot croc sunbathing on a sandbank unperturbed as you drift past

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A double hookup with a happy ending. Tigers of this size will make your reel scream like you’ve never heard 86

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it happens. A hit so ferocious that it rips the line from your stripping hand, the friction of the line over your forefinger on the rod, burns so much you audibly whimper. Now you are focused, whipped back to reality in an instant, you feverishly recast in the same direction, your first strip is met with a solid stop and the sensation that is often described as an electric shock passing through the flyline. The worst thing you could possibly do is rod strike, the rod will do exactly what it’s designed to do, on being lifted it will flex and bend acting as a shock absorber, softening the hook set and guaranteeing a dropped fish. Instead, with your level of anticipation heightened, you keep the rod horizontal and strip strike into the take, setting the hook into the tough jaws, purchase made, all Hell breaks loose.

The rate at which line is stripped away by a sizable running fish weakens your knees, I mean bonefish run, but tigerfish streak away with such ferocity, you tangle the line round your toes you will be an instant amputee! As quickly as it heads off it will turn and dash directly back at you, having to strip line for all your worth, lift the rod and maybe even have the presence of mind to yell at the skipper to reverse before you know it, the fish is under the boat and out the other side, you line darting in one direction and the fish jumping and somersaulting in

d before.

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John McLaughlin brings a brown trout to the boat on Lough Fern.

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a totally different place. This will create some interesting rod angles that will make you pleased you only fish with a top end imported lifetime guarantee stick. If the blistering runs, thudding headshakes and explosive jumps begin to subside and you are still miraculously attached to your prize there is half a chance you could still slip the net under her.

A quick weigh in and the bogagrip tips ten pounds, using heavy duty pliers or you will never play the piano again remove the hook, a photo , revive and release.

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You slump on the bow of your boat as the adrenalin leaves your veins; sunburnt, aching shoulder blades from casting a heavy rod, cramped knuckles from stripping a thin flyline all day and your skipper hands you Africa’s soothing tonic for the soul, the bitterly cold amber nectar from the timeless brown beer bottle.

Hippo grunts and fish Eagle cries salute the passing day in a sunset cacophony and you ask yourself – ‘could I put myself through this again tomorrow – maybe just maybe.....’

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TRIP INFORMATION

Contact the author for personally hosted days on his favourite local water : Jonathan Boulton jonathan@flyfishing.co.za

ADVENTUROUS MAHSEER FISHING TRIPS IN NORTHERN INDIA’S HIMALAYAN OUTBACK info@himalayanoutback.com himalayanoutback.com

TRAVEL SUDAN

SUDAN

NUBIAN FLATS Text and photos by Peter McLeod

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h e n thinking of saltwater flats destinations Sudan is hardly a name that springs to mind.

In fact pretty much the opposite. When the Nubian Flats operation was launched 18 months ago, reports began to trickle through of giant deserted flats teeming with fish.

There appeared to be a very high density of trigger fish, good numbers of bluefin and boha snapper and a few GTs to be considered a bonus.

However, Sudan?

My limited knowledge of this part of the world imme92

diately made me nervous as most news reports of Sudan are hardly favourable. I began to research it further and discovered I was very wrong.

Sudan is a huge country, and when I say huge, I mean huge.

It is some 1200 miles across and the area which is troubled is an entirely different country; South Sudan. The more I understood about the area the more I began to have any worries I might have had dispelled. I therefore put together a small team of six anglers to go and continue exploring the potential this fishery might have.

Our bus drove down the jetty where we laid eyes on SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES MAGAZINE | Q2 2018

Our home for the week, the 60 ft moto

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our home for the week, the 60 ft motor catamaran, Scuba Libre operated by the Italians Nicola Vitali and Federico Castignoli. As tenders she has two 23 ft. fibre glass pangas equipped with 30 and 40 hp two stroke engines.

Our team was ferried across with our luggage, buzzing with excitement and met by the guide team from Tourette Fishing headed up by Mark Murray. He introduced us to Federico (Fede) and Stuart Harley (Stu) who would be our guides for the week.

toys purchased for the trip, benefits of other pieces of kit and fly selection. The guides set up rods, patiently listened to theories and then everyone was called down for dinner followed by bed. Although everyone had a cabin, when it comes to sleeping the guides and crew all sleep topside along with most of the fishermen. We revelled in the gentle offshore breeze, lapping of water and the total contrast to our normal lives as we drifted off to sleep.

Kit spewed out of bags as we took everything up to the top deck in allocated kit boxes amidst much chatter of latest

The first morning dawned crystal clear and flat calm.

The clarity of the water was

Trigger time

There appeared to be a very high density of trigger fish, good numbers of bluefin and boha snapper and a few GTs to be considered a bonus.

or catamaran Scuba Libre.

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Fighting such powerful fish in little water is a total workout, you chase the fish, fall down, get back up and try to keep the leader from touching the corals !

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A typical Nubian flat : cristal clear water and no other fishermen in sight.

astounding and as we stepped out onto the beach I felt a thrill of excitement pulse through me. The flat was some 150 - 250 yards wide from the beach edge to the reef and dropping off into aquamarine water with the contrasting red mountain of the island climbing up to our right. Almost immediately I had a shot at a small titan trigger off the beach, but in 96

my excitement I slapped the fly down on his head and spooked him. As we lined up across the flat and proceeded to wade slowly north what ensued was staggering. The flats were crawling with triggers, titan and yellow margin tailing on the mixture of coral and weed. However those who have fished before for trigger fish will be fully aware that even though there SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES MAGAZINE | Q2 2018

Theflats were crawling with triggers, titan and yellow margin tailing on the mixture of coral and weed.

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the Gumby Crab one small twitch and one large titan charged over to investigate.

It tailed on the fly three times as it followed it towards me and I could feel it nipping as I maintained contact with slow strips. Finally everything went tight and he was on! I felt the weight and then as if on purpose the fish spat the fly back at me nearly hitting me in the face.

Finally I found a lovely titan tailing between myself and the bank. I moved into position and dropped the Gumby crab 10 ft to the left on a back hand cast across the breeze.

are many fish it does not necessarily mean you will catch many! They are tricky little guys, each one with an individual personality. Sometimes it is not about finding the right fly but sometimes about finding the right trigger.

I spotted two titans tailing in a small depression and dropped the fly off to the right.

After letting it sink I gave

The aggressive titan did exactly what it was supposed to and charged over and hit the fly like a ton of bricks and I was in! This one was not getting away as it tore off to the coral edge and I began to pump it on my 8 weight Hardy Proaxis. I was on a Rio Saltwater tapered leader to a 20 lbs point with two feet of 19 lbs Seagur tippet so I knew I was safe. I quickly landed my first Nubian Flats trigger of about 6 lbs.

As we had lunch Scuba Libre motored over to an outer area called Shambaya. This is a huge sand flat dotted with areas of broken coral and

The very effective Gumby Crab fly.

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The titan triggerfish is one of the biggest triggers. It is a diurnal and solitary fish that feeds on molluscs and crustaceans.

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We took alternate shots and both managed to land some lovely titans…

Keep your fingers away, triggers are built for shell-crushing !

the green snot weed found on some of the flats in the Seychelles. In the afternoon we all went to fish this flat as there was more than enough room for five of us to wade line abreast. The water level was deep, up to our chests at some points, but this did not stop the guides spotting triggers all around us. Phil and Chris both landed lovely yellow margins, and as they both knew that this particular species has eluded me over the last 15 years began to heckle me about it. Andrew and I left them to it and broke right to avoid the abuse while David brought up the rear with Mark.

We took alternate shots (yes, there were more than enough triggers to cast at to make this feasible) and we both managed to land some lovely titans… and the yellow margins continued to give me the 100

fin, spooking off, following and refusing to hook up. As we neared the sandy Island the density increased and Andrew and I were astounded by the size of some of those fish. I found a massive fish in the deeper water that came in furiously on the rolling bead Gumby Crab I was using and proceeded to chew the hell out of it without hooking up. Infuriating! But that is why trigger fishing is so exciting…

Nubian GTs The weather was crystal clear and a flat calm on the water.

Some current was pushing in from the Red Sea producing even higher water than the previous day. While using the boat and Mark as a human pole in the deepest bit we encountered one of the largest GTs I have seen on the flats that was being folSPORTFISHING ADVENTURES MAGAZINE | Q2 2018

A splashy release for this titan, reco

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lowed by a shark‌not the other way round. I got one shot off, but the fish did not see it and continued unperturbed. It did however leave me shaking for ten minutes or so afterwards.

The afternoon did not prove any less eventful. On a tiny pinnacle of land called Angorosh, Chris hooked a GT

immediately which corralled him and cut through the 150 lbs leader. When I was first advised that we would need 150 lbs leader I really thought this was excessive. Now that I have seen the edges it is not I can assure you. We staked out the island and suddenly from stage left appeared another beast GT. We managed to contain the exci-

tement and put a cast out.

The GT missed it, turned and he cast again stripping the black and purple semper past its nose. It accelerated to attack speed, planed and savaged the fly before heading for Open Ocean‌ and the edge. Unfortunately Phil had not retightened his drag after the cast and was desperately trying to palm the reel,

ognizable by the black margins on the fins.

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his fingers taking a massive pummelling. Andrew began to run towards him figuring out what had happened, but by then it was too late and the fish wrapped him through several coral heads and severed the connection. The action continued as Andrew had shots at two cruisers and while Phil re-rigged another four came in and Andrew had another shot but did not hook up. They then began to tease off the edge. While blind casting with a NYAP of the edge Chris hooked up to another GT and immediately ran to the edge to try and prevent being sliced. All was going well and he thought he was in the clear when out of nowhere his fished got taxed by large silky shark. The

shark then came up the wall onto the flats looking for another meal, but finding nothing headed back into the depths.

While I hung onto him to prevent him nose diving over the edge, Stu went for the boat and we continued the battle from the floating

The bohar snapper (lutjanus bohar) is very similar to its cousin, the mighty cubera snapper (lutjanus cyanopterus) but they have bigger eyes, they’re smaller in size and have an stunning bright red color.

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More GTs had piled into the flats and Phil landed one bluefin that went bananas.

platform. Finally it tired and David was clutching his first ever GT of 88 cm.

More GTs had piled into the flats and Phil landed one bluefin that went bananas. While he was fighting the bluefin a GT was head butting it trying to make it disgorge the fly.

Chris then landed another 78 cm GT on a brown brush fly.

Phil hooked a little snapper and during the fight it spat the hook to be eaten by a small GT which he landed. In the afternoon fishing Snake Island, the biggest excitement was a big Cuda

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caught by Phil. The big barracuda turned sideways and hit the fly so hard it came clean out of the water.

Exhausted but totally elated we returned home for cold beer and medals.

That evening the cost of tackle and damage was weighed up and numerous battle stories related. We were all too tired for evening fishing but were hugely surprised by the number of GTs we had encountered. We all agree though that many of these fish would have been lost if we had not been fishing with the new RIO GT line with the 50 lbs cores as we would have lost far more lines otherwise‌

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The fish is trying to leave the flats for the deep blue water, hang on !

More GTs had piled into the flats and Phil landed one bluefin that went bananas.

While he was fighting the bluefin a GT was head butting it trying to make it disgorge the fly. Chris then landed another 78 cm GT on a brown brush fly. Phil hooked a little snapper and during the fight it spat the hook to be eaten by a small GT which he landed. In the afternoon fishing Snake Island, the biggest excitement was a big Cuda caught

by Phil. The big barracuda turned sideways and hit the 104

fly so hard it came clean out of the water.

Homeward bound Having settled bills and said good bye our bus driver headed south and once more we travelled though the desert landscape to Port Sudan. As we re-entered the trappings of civilisation we stopped for lunch in Port Sudan before heading back to the airport. Once again the ground handlers aided us through the rather chaotic process and soon we were on SPORTFISHING ADVENTURES MAGAZINE | Q2 2018

our way back to Dubai, Wi Fi, 3g, emails and text messages and air conditioning. I think it does the soul good to unplug every so often, become a sea gypsy and dream of tails in the air.

The guiding is outstanding.

Mark, Fede and Stu work incredibly hard to get you on fish and are extremely knowledgeable about their fishery. They go above and beyond the call of duty to land your fish. Many of those we landed would have ended in tears if it were not for them.

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I would like to thank them for all their hard work.

Accommodation on Scuba Libre is basic but functional.

Be prepared to sleep up on deck which is an experience in itself. The marine toilets are electric, there are fans in the rooms and the communal areas are shared by everyone. In my opinion this is part of the experience and part of the adventure. The crew looked after us very well and are very much part of the team. The food was good considering where we were and although quite carbohydrate heavy was more

than sufficient in quantity.

With this being one area we fished along a 300 mile coastline I am extremely excited about the fishing opportunities that Sudan holds for the future. This could just be the next major saltwater fishery to be discovered, and being also the closest to the UK to reach could prove very popular.

This trip is by no means for everyone, but if you love triggers and the possibility of some GTs and other trevally species this could just be the adventure you are looking for

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TRIP INFORMATION

For more information, and how to book a trip in Sudan: www.aardvarkmcleod.com mail@aardvarkmcleod.com +44 (0) 1980 847389

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