MARLIN, MARLIN AND MORE MARLIN!

The Pemba Channel is lifting with striped marlin and the sea is a beautiful colour with lovely rips. There are plenty of bait fish close in plus lots of flying fish and squid further out. Most of the marlin are striped marlin averaging 50-70 kg but there are a few blues and blacks. Many of the striped marlin are in packs and often seen tailing on the surface. In recent years one became accustomed to the tailing fish not taking, but this year they seem really keen. One might see just a single tail fin and then when you reach there the water turns electric blue with marlin, sometimes as many as SIX or more in the wake hitting the teasers and lures.

There are also some nice dorado (falusi) the biggest recently was 18,7-kg and some nice wahoo as well as some sailfish just to add to the variety and interest.

Peter Thomas from the UK scored with 2 striped marlin in 2 days plus the bonus of a 28,6-kg yellowfin tuna, a nice wahoo and half a dozen dorado. Regular David Dillistone and co-game keepers from the UK scored with 2 stripies on their first day, both firsts for Kevin and James. This same party are out again today and already have released 2 more marlin.

Please note that the RED TIDE phenomenon that you are seeing in the press is restricted to the extreme north of Kenya and Somalia only. It has not affected Shimoni and our conditions could hardly be better.

This incredible fishing that we are experiencing at present just goes to show why Shimoni and the Pemba Channel is the place to go for your next fishing holiday.

The excellent fishing is continuing in the Pemba Channel with not only lots of striped marlin but some nice black marlin starting to move in now. There are still big groups being seen and on Saturday 16 February KAMARA reported seeing a school of in excess of 20 marlin finning on the surface. Before they could get across the school they hooked up with a very aggressive striped marlin, which was tagged.

Notable catches include a fine 262-lb black marlin taken on just 30- lb line by Mervyn Hinton from the UK in just 10 minutes. This fish jumped like crazy and put on a wonderful spectacle. Mervyn also tagged and released 2 striped marlin the same day.

A regular visitor for us from Botswana, John Carr-Hartley tagged an estimated 150-lb striped marlin on 20-lb line, a really fine effort and an excellent fish.

On Saturday 16 KAMARA fished by three anglers from Holland released two striped marlin and then caught a broadbill swordfish night fishing.

Although the marlin have not always been too co-operative there have been huge numbers seen, mostly in the area close to Pemba Island. Two Belgian guests are going to be doing a week's safari to Pemba Island next week so the potential for them is very good. With the fish where they are they should be in the prime fishing grounds an hour before any of the boats from Shimoni.

Close in to Shimoni there were large numbers of bonito feeding on sardines and we witnessed a fantastic sight of whale sharks and manta rays feeding aggressively on the sardines. We have also seen a few sun fish, which all adds to the experience of a lifetime.

The conditions are still beautiful and together with the good fishing it just reinforces that SHIMONI and the PEMBA CHANNEL is the place to go for your next fishing safari. There was also a grand slam today and a 450-lb black marlin earlier in the week!

In April 2002 Pat, Simon and Hamisi fished the incredible LATHAM ISLAND between Zanzibar and Mafia Islands with "Kamara II".

Yes, Kamara II is here at last after an incredible journey ...

With only 4 rods and in just 4 hours fishing we landed 2 nice size yellowfin tuna of 20-30 kg each, 4 wahoo, 1 big bull dorado, 2 job or green snapper, 1 barracuda, 1 skipjack tuna, 4 kawakawa including the biggest one we have ever seen - at least 11-12 kg, 1 frigate mackerel and 17 rainbow runner including one monster of 8-9 kg.

And it is only the off season!

It really is an incredible place to fish, an amazing variety and some big fish too. The last time I fished there was in October 1994 and that time my two fishing pals and I were fished to a stanstill during the annual Latham Island Tournament. If you would be interested in fishing Latham a trip to Mafia island would be worthwhile.

We left our anchorage at the NW of Mafia at 4am and were at Latham by 7am about 40 nautical miles to the north. We departed Latham at 11 am and cruised to the Ras Nungwi on the NW of Zanzibar where we anchored for the night before continuing on our way home.

A couple of days earlier we had fished between Mtwara and Kilwa and within 3 min of putting the lines in the water we had raised a sailfish followed soon after by another. There were hundreds of dorado and we soon filled up our freezer with dorado fillets. Between Kilwa and Mafia we had a strange incident when a 70-kg hammerhead shark tried to eat our starboard propeller. There was a loud bang under the back of the boat and shortly afterwards the shark popped up in the wash close to the transom. It slowly crossed the wake and then went like hell!

Now that we are back we are doing our annual servicing of all the engines and fishing tackle. "Broadbill's" accommodation is being upgraded and she will be able to sleep up to 4 persons on safari now.

We are also installing a new cooker with an oven to give added flexibility in that department. "Kamara" continues to be for sale but until a buyer for her is found we shall continue to offer her for charter, but at a lower rate than the two bigger, faster boats.

By the way "KAMARA" was the #1 marlin boat in Kenya during the 2001/02 season for the second year running.

7th August, 2002

WORLD RECORD BILLFISH LANDED ON RECENTLY ARRIVED KAMARA II ...

WORLD RECORD SPEARFISH CAUGHT BY SOUTH AFRICAN VET

Dion Woodborne on his first ever deep sea game fishing trip landed his first billfish, the rarest of them all, a SHORTBILL SPEARFISH. Dion was fishing with Simon aboard the brand new 42-ft KAMARA II when the fish struck. It took a brown and clear 6" octopus run far back on a 30-lb rig. It weighed in at 18,2 kg tieing the world record of 18,14 kg held in Mauritius.

This spearfish is also the first billfish for Kamara II on just her second trip out!

We also saw lots of big yellowfin tuna hoovering up mantis shrimps just to the south of Kitugamwe Reef. We found the fish a little late and they were already starting to go down, but the whale sharks were still feeding voraciously on the surface. Local fishermen have been bringing in yellowfin tuna up to 56-kg so all looks good for the coming months.

November 2002

First week December 2002

A recent safari to Pemba was carried out with seven people using all three of our boats. A party of four anglers from Hong Kong started a day earlier with BROADBILL and KAMARA I with the last three persons joining up the next day on KAMARA II.

There were huge schools of yellowfin tuna mostly averaging 40-kg just hoovering up mantis shrimps off the Mwamba Shundo reef in Northern Tanzania. In the very hot and calm conditions the tuna were 'marching' forward in a line like an army on attack. They were not jumping, just porpoising along feeding on the still abundant shrimps. The difficulty is in getting your lures across the schools without putting the fish down and often the only way is by using very long lines so that the boat never comes near to the fish. Even so in the very bright conditions they were not easy to catch. John Mollison on KAMARA II caught the biggest at 36,5-kg on a 15-kg line using a small CD-14 rapala.

At the start of the safari the water in the Pemba Channel was still green although the current was still flowing strongly north. However by the end of the safari the water had turned to its more normal COBALT BLUE and really looks most encouraging. Two marlin were seen both on KAMARA II although only one of these actually took. This one took the lure in the wake and came straight towards the boat throwing the hook almost in to the cockpit.

We did an excursion to the sea mount with all three boats but were very disappointed. The water out there was nice but few flying fish and little action. During the night we started the return to Pemba early and Joe Vicic from Hong Kong was unlucky to lose a broadbill swordfish on a 24-kg line after some 5 min. when the hook pulled while fishing with Hamisi on KAMARA I. In the morning we fished the NE coast of Pemba where the water was fantastic with lovely rips and loads of flying fish. There were lots of small yellowfin tuna, dorado (mahi mahi), wahoo, rainbow runner and a few sailfish. Eric Sampson on KAMARA I tagged a 27-kg sail on 15-kg line and had a nice 16-kg dorado. KAMARA II had a double header of sail but both jumped off on the strike.

The wind is turning in to the EAST most afternoons and so might not be too long before the NE starts and this should trigger off the billfish season.

Good News! The NORTH wind is blowing at last and we can now look forward to the striped marlin and sailfish coming in. The conditions look really good and I am looking forward to my trip tomorrow.

The NIGHT FISHING in the Pemba Channel has been very good of late with four broadbill landed out of just two nights fished. On the first night there were two taken out of four strikes and two more on the second night out of five strikes.

AVAILABILITY - we have boats available between Christmas and New Year so if you are planning a visit to the South Coast why not try a day or night out on one of our boats.

We still have boats free in January and February the prime times for billfishing in the Pemba Channel.

Call us to make a booking now while space is still available.

The STRIPED MARLIN have come in to the Pemba Channel and the conditions look really great with the sea. The water is a wonderful cobalt blue and there are hundreds of flying fish wherever you look gliding away from the boat in groups. The wind swung in to the NE, known locally as the kaskazi quite early in December and after a few days the striped marlin were appearing.

On Wednesday 11th Lars Funderskov from Denmark fishing aboard the KAMARA I with Simon rose three striped marlin to the lures but they would not take. BROADBILL also saw a marlin fast asleep on the surface but it too would not take. A visiting boat from the north Albatross with skipper Charlie Harris saw three stripeys, one of which they teased up to the transom to cast a fly to but it turned down the fly. The following day Albatross tagged a striped marlin on 30-lb line and Raymond Matiba, the chairman of the Kenya Tourist Board released an estimated 250-lb hammerhead shark on 50-lb line from KAMARA II with skipper Simon. We also rose a striped marlin, which would not take.

On Saturday 14 KAMARA II started off on an 8-day live aboard safari with three South Africans, Koos Pretorius (on his 7th Pemba Safari), Deon de Klerk and Nicholas Smith all from Cape Town. This was to be the longest live aboard safari that we had attempted, Koos already having set the previous record at 6 days. The fishing that first day was disappointing with greenish water but it was to get better fortunately. KAMARA II was still to catch her first marlin and this was to prove a difficult hurdle. On day 2 we rose a stripey on the teasers and then hooked it on a 30-lb outfit but after a short fight the line popped. The marlin had made a very long run and possibly the brake was not slackened off sufficiently. On day 3 the water was much etter, very blue with loads of flying fish and a good NE wind - perfect conditions. We only had one marlin up, which we failed to hookup but this was the first day with good conditions. On day 4 we started off with a marlin up on the teasers just after 10-am, it took a 30-lb outfit and we appeared to have it on. But after a good fight the hook came out close to the boat just when we thought that this was the one. But then shortly afterwards another marlin pounced on a lure on a 50-lb run close behind the teasers and he was in with Koos on the rod. When the tag went in there was great jubilation on board, the ice was broken and KAMARA II had caught her FIRST MARLIN. Deon then tagged a sailfish not long after, his first billfish. We saw one other marlin and two more sailfish so it really looks as if the fish are in.

BROADBILL was also starting a Pemba Safari that day (17th) with Helgardt Muller (not the rugby player) and Liezel Button. Helgardt and Liezel are fly fishers and were keen to catch their first billfish on fly. They had some wonderful tackle and on that first day had a marlin up on the teasers, teased it up to the transom but would not take the fly. The following day they rose another marlin to the teasers but it managed to get hold of one of them before anybody could get it out of the way. The fish ran off with the teaser for some distance, dropped it and never followed back. In the afternoon they then rose first a sailfish up to the teasers, then another marlin both of which were teased up to the transom but in each cased declined to take the fly. The presentation of the fly is all important and takes some practice to master. Anybody looking to try this form of fishing would be well advised to practice on the lawn at home to get accuracy in to the casts. That same day KAMARA II rose two striped marlin, one of which was tagged and released by Nicholas on 50-lb, his first. The other fish was seen finning and although it came in fast to the pattern refused to take pushing off rapidly.

On Thursday 19 the weather had changed with a big thunder storm building up over Pemba and it was very oppressive. BROADBILL did raise a sail to the teasers but it refused to be drawn in to towards the boat. Helgardt then decided he would like one line put out with a hook so that he could see what a marlin was like. He was not to be disappointed and soon was busy in to one on 50-lb foul hooked in the flank just to make things really interesting. The fish was brought alongside and tagged.

The weather remained unchanged for the remainder of the trip with the wind now mostly in the south, not ideal but some marlin were raised despite this. On 20th KAMARA II found a weedline with plenty of dorado. When we hooked one on conventional tackle a whole school followed them to the transom. Koos managed to successfully hook one on his fly rod and had a most spectacular fight with the dorado jumping a good 6-ft out of the water. Koos brought it to boatside his first dorado on fly. At 3.30pm we hooked a striped marlin on a 50-lb outfit and Deon was in to the chair to do battle. Just when it all looked settled and the lines were all cleared the hook fell off.

On the final day, Saturday 21st there were more big rain storms about but with the marlin having come in there was a limit to how long they could go hungary for. We rose one that just knocked a lure down at 8.50am, then hooked one on 30-lb at 9.15am. This time Deon's luck had changed and we successfully released his first marlin.

Each evening in the very peaceful and beautiful lagoon of Njao the guys would go off with their fly rods and look for the trevally. Their best catch was about 15 fish, 6 of which were brought back for dinner. Most evenings we ate fish, either trevally or narrow barred mackerel or dorado cooked on the barbecue.

It is not uncommon for the NE wind to come in for a short while, then for the wind to revert back to the SE for a short while before settling in to the NE properly. As soon as the wind switched back the marlin will come up in good numbers because it is clear that they are here.

On Sunday 22nd December 2002 BROADBILL with Pat fishing some guests out of the very exclusive Funzi Keys Resort had a wonderful day of marlin fishing. At 9-am they hooked their first marlin, which unfortunately came unhooked after 5 minutes or so. Not too long afterwards they rose another one that was successfully brought to boatside and tagged. An hour or so later they had a triple header hooking up with two. One of these was tagged and released back for another day and an another angler to enjoy but sadly the other one had become tail wrapped in the leader and came up dead so had to be boated. Then on the way home they had a crash strike from yet another marlin that was again tagged and released. FOUR MARLIN in one day is really good and goes to show that the fish are really in.

On Monday 23rd the marlin were not so aggressive but still BROADBILL succeeded in tagging one striped marlin for a different guest from the Funzi Keys Resort. Another boat fishing the same area had a double header, tagging one and losing one.

MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR from all at Sea Adventures Ltd.

TUNA

The yellowfin season begins any time from mid-July and ought to continue well into October. This really is a most exciting time to fish with so many types of gamefish about all at the same time. Yellowfin, well we all know that they are probably amongst the strongest fish in the sea pound for pound, elusive at times but explosive and exhilarating at others. Personally I am always praying for one of those big blue marlin to pounce on to one of the lures in a spectacular, unforgettable strike. You can read about them, listen to tales about them but it is only when you are there to witness the sheer power and speed that you can truly understand what all the hype is about. The blue marlin is the ultimate! The big blacks also follow the tuna shoals and an interesting fact about them is that during the tuna season they are usually fatter than later on in the season. Mako shark, which many believe is the only true gamefish amongst the sharks also follow the tuna and they even jump when hooked, and what a spectacular leap it is too.

But it is not just the big guys that we are after for there are big giant trevally, large wahoo, narrow-barred mackerel, barracuda, and other species of trevally and even dogtooth tuna. With a Pemba safari you stand a really great chance at all these species as the fishing is better without a doubt over there. Add to this the wonderful deserted beaches, quiet inlets, beautiful scenery and you have the makings of a dream holiday.

Boats for the next season are being planned so call now on +254 20 - 217 0208 or 217 0222 or +254 722 - 796198 or email us

For details on the last 2001/2002 I would like to point you in the direction of our annual Newsletter for an over view of this season's happenings.

PEMBA ISLAND
Please note that it is now possible to do FIVE or even SIX day safaris for small groups of anglers to this paradise. Please contact us for a quote.

MARLIN

The main billfish season starts any time from mid-November and runs right through March. In March 2000 marlin were still here in good numbers well past the middle of the month. The wind remained in the Northeast and this together with the abundant food supply of squid, flying fish and sardines the marlin stayed on much to our benefit.

As you will see from the newsletter you really do have a great chance at a Grand Slam with no less than 6 species of billfish in the Pemba Channel - black, blue & striped marlin, sailfish, broadbill swordfish and shortbill spearfish. One of the great things about these waters is that when you put your lines out you can never be absolutely sure what will take next.

PRICES

Please check out our new prices, which are mostly unchanged from last season. Note our accommodation rate has no extras to pay at the end of your stay, just the flat rate as quoted.

BROADBILL

This is truly one of the best places in the world for broadbill swordfish where you stand a very high chance of catching one. May be you have caught the other billfish but not a broadie yet. Well, try us! Swordfish are very common in these waters and may well occur year round, although I would strongly recommend opting for a time when the sea is not likely to be too rough. October, November & March are ideal but September and December may also be calm. Most of our swords are small, but then I was nearly spooled on 50-lb. line in mid-March!