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Fishing Report 9th - 20th February 2007

February 2007 has seen some of the best fishing witnessed in the Pemba Channel in recent years with great variety with all THREE species of marlin, sailfish and broadbill. Grand slams (3 species of billfish) have been common and there has even been a super slam (4 species of billfish).

Fri 9th February - There were 5 boats out and all of them returned to base with at least one flag up the outrigger. In the morning it was rather hot & calm but the wind picked up in the afternoon. Kamara II tagged a stripey, Broadbill a stripey & a sail a first for Mark Russel, Jasiri a nice blue marlin that they estimated to be around 300-lb as well as 2 sails, Shuwari a sail and White Otter boated a blue marlin of 180-lb that a shark had mutilated. In the Pemba Channel this is very unusual even when the fish is dead, which I suspect this one was.

Sat 10th February - Again 5 boats out today, Kamara II tagged a nice black marlin estimated at 280-lb caught by Brian Emmott from Mombasa. Broadbill fished by Mark & Susie Russel tagged a stripey, a first for Susie this time and 2 sailfish, White Otter 2 sails and the others failed to score.

Sun 11th February - Fishing was a bit slow today quite a few seen but not really taking properly. Jasiri had 2 sail, Shuwari and Buccaneer 1 sail each and Broadbill and White Otter missed out.

Mon 12th February - One of our long term regulars, John Carr-Hartley from Botswana fishing with another regular Doug McKendrick and Martin who had never done this sort of fishing before were just starting what was to be a wonderful week. Doug who had had bad luck in recent years started it all off with 2 stripeys in quick succession and Martin getting both his first marlin, a striped and first sail on the 1st day. Broadbill fishing out of Funzi Keys didn't manage to score but White Otter had a small black marlin and Shuwari a stripey.

Tue 13th February - John and co fishing on Kamara II again did well today with a GRAND SLAM, which is always a great achievement. John after 20-yrs of fishing for marlin finally caught his first black marlin, a beauty of about 265-lb (120-kg) on 50-lb line. The party then added a stripey and 2 sailfish to this to complete the slam. Shuwari had a sail and unfortunately Broadbill missed out.

Wed 14th February - Kamara II had a stripey & a sail, White Otter a black marlin & a stripey, Shuwari a stripey & 3 sail and Jasiri missed out. Broadbill was not out today.

Thu 15th February - The Carr-Hartley party were now on Broadbill and got off to a great start with 2 stripeys & a sail. Kamara II fished by Werner Kroul from Germany and staying at the lovely Funzi Keys Resort caught his first marlin and sail ending up with 1 stripey & 4 sails. Shuwari had a stripey & 3 sail, White Otter a stripey and Jasiri missed out.

Fri 16th February - Broadbill again had 2 striped marlin & a sail and Kamara II fished just by myself and my son Chris tagged a small blue marlin, White Otter & Shuwari missed out today. The sea was much calmer and the wind was off the land until midday, never a good sign for marlin fishing here.

Sat 17th February - John & party started the day needing 3 more billfish to equal their record of 19 billfish in 6 days that they recorded in the wonderful La Nina year of 1999 when they fished their usual week in February. Well, they did it with 3 striped marlin to finish the week with a black marlin, 12 striped marlin & 6
sailfish between 3 anglers, wonderful fishing I think. Fishing on Kamara II was Hotho Vestergaard from Denmark on his first visit here and he took a striped marlin & a sailfish. White Otter also had a good day with a grand slam of a blue, a striped & a sail. Buccaneer had a black marlin and Shuwari fly fishing failed to
score.

Sun 18th February - Hotho again had a good day, this time with Pat on Broadbill tagging 2 striped marlin and Kamara II fished by return anglers Charlie McCrow & Lindsay Brown from London set out on an extended combo, about 33-hr of non-stop fishing. On day 1 we tagged a stripey caught by Charlie at 5.30pm and 2 sails followed by a Broadbill, a first for Lindsay. In the early morning Charlie had another stripey and then Lindsay tagged a lovely blue on 30-lb line estimated at 200-lb (90-kg) to complete a SUPER SLAM for the boat and a GRAND SLAM for Lindsay. Shuwari missed out on Sunday but Buccaneer did boat a striped
marlin.

Mon 19th February - Hotho had another stripey on Broadbill but nothing on Shuwari.

Tue 20th February - The last couple of days have seen westerly winds in the morning but good NE in the afternoon and incredibly blue seas with lots of dead squid all over. Charlie McCrow tagged another stripey on Kamara II but Hotho excelled with 2 striped marlin & 4 sailfish from Broadbill after which he complained
that his arms were tired! Are you surprised ?

Since new year Broadbill has had 1 black, 1 blue, 26 striped marlin & 25 sailfish in 32 days fishing; Kamara II has had 3 blacks, 2 blues, 25 striped marlin, 1 broadbill & 29 sailfish in 36 days fishing; Shuwari 0 blacks, 2 blues, 17 striped marlin & 20 sail in 33 days; Jasiri 0 blacks, 4 blues, 8 striped marlin, 15 sails in 37 days; and White Otter 2 blacks, 3 blues, 7 striped marlin & 6 sails in 33 days.

The conditions still look good so why not give early March a try?

Fishing Report 1st February - 8th February 2007

Apart from the first couple of days of the month the fishing in the Pemba Channel has been very hot with not only striped marlin but also quite a few blues and some blacks as well as a lot of sailfish. The water has been wonderful, that beautiful deep marlin blue with plenty huge flying fish and dead squid. The sails have all been out in the deep water with the marlin and pack attacks, even mixed species have been common. There are also an increasing number of dorado and a few wahoo to add in to the mix.

Thu 1st February - Broadbill was out along with White Otter, Shuwari & Jasiri but only sails were caught today 3 on Shuwari and 1 on Jasiri. I believe that White Otter lost a decent sized blue marlin that from what I can gather managed to spool them.

Fri 2nd February - No boats out from Sea Adventures but White Otter, Shuwari & Jasiri were out. Not many marlin were seen and those that were were mostly not taking what was on offer. No marlin were caught and not too sure if there were any sails taken.

Sat 3rd February - Kamara II out with Marcel Dekkers and Dinand Rouwenhorst returning for their 3rd trip on Kamara II. Shuwari, Jasiri, Otter and Pandora were also out today. There was a fantastic sea although not that many flying fish. We headed straight out deep and had our 1st strikes at 7.10am from a pair of sails that unfortunately we missed. The problem with them being out in the deep water is that they so often hit the marlin lures rather than the strips so far more difficult to hook up with. Action was fairly continuous all day with fishing being seen or struck nearly every 30 min or so. Kamara II ended up with 2 striped marlin & 2 sails, White Otter tagged a blue marlin they estimated at 250-300 lb, Shuwari & Jasiri missed out but little Pandora got a stripey & 2 sail.

Sun 4th February - Marcel & Dinand were again on Kamara II and 2 young German anglers were fishing with Pat on Broadbill. They had been fishing for some years always out from Mtwapa as well as Lamu and had never caught anything bigger than a kingfish. Otter. Shuwarei & Jasiri were also out and the fishing continued to be great fun. Kamara II had a stripey & 3 sails, Broadbill 2 striped marlin, Otter a sail, Shuwari a stripey & a sail, and Jasiri 2 sail.

Mon 5th February - A little bit overcast in the morning but it cleared by midday and the sea was quite choppy, a lot of dead squid again. The young Germans had a dream day following on from their 2 marlin yesterday to record a Grand Slam on Broadbill with a small blue marlin, a stripey & 3 sailfish. Kamara II also had a good day with 2 striped marlin & 3 sailfish, White Otter 1 stripey, Shuwari a small blue & Jasiri a stripey & a sail.

Tue 6th February - Marcel & Dinand had planned today to be their day off and a good or lucky choice it proved to be. The fishing was much quieter today and although we had our chances from both marlin and sail it was not to be. Shuwari did manage a blue of about 180-lb as well as a stripey, and Pandora a small black marlin and a sail but Jasiri & Otter ended with nothing. Shuwari hooked an estimated 500-lb black marlin on 50-lb line on the way home but unfortunately popped the line after a long fight.

Wed 7th February - Not as many seen today as earlier in the week, very calm until midday after which the wind and sea picked up. A lot of flying fish and dead squid everywhere but Kamara II with Marcel & Dinand again on board had a great day. We recorded the first Grand Slam for Kamara II with a small black marlin on 30, a stripey on 30 and 2 sailfish. Dinand also hooked up with a nice black marlin on 50 that rose to the teaser and took a lure, around 300-lb. It jumped like hell and took out most of the reel after which we were steadily recovering line. We had the reel mostly full when after 20 min the hook pulled. That would have been a very nice ending to the day! Jasiri tagged a blue, Shuwari a stripey & a sail and Otter a sail.

Thu 8th February - Much rougher today but surprisingly few fish seen for the wonderful conditions. We saw a few marlin finning but couldn't interest any of them and ended up with just a sail, a bit of a come down for the Dutch lads but still they have had 18 billfish in 5 days with 1 day to come. Broadbill also tagged a sail, Otter a stripey & a sail, Shuwari & Jasiri nothing. But the top boat today was the smallest, Pandora who had 2 striped marlin & 2 sails. Otter had run in to a big mixed pack of sails and 2 striped marlin on their way home that were knocking every thing down finally getting 1 marlin out of it.

The conditions still look great so we hope that the good fishing will persist in to March but we still have some free days towards the end of this month.

Fishing Report Wed 24th - Wed 31st January 2007

Despite it being an el nino year and contrary to what I thought would happen the sea has turned a beautiful blue colour, just as it should in the Pemba Channel. The seas are still mostly quite calm but on some days this week it was reasonably choppy and the NE (kaskazi) blowing quite nicely. There are still a lot of dead squid and yesterday coming home there was a rip line thick with them.

Wed 24th January 2007 - today there was more wind although the rips were still quite small and the water was still rather greenish in places. There were lots of marlin seen today although perhaps 90% of them would not even show the courtesy of looking at the spread. Kamara II saw a lot of fish today starting at just 8.15am when a stripey took a small lure on the 30 run just behind the teaser but unfortunately it came forward and down getting the line caught on the teaser rope and popping it. As we circled round a 2nd fish knocked down an outrigger and a 3rd was seen tailing off to the side. 30 min later we saw another tailing and Shuwari & Jasiri also saw marlin finning before 9am. Every hour fish were being seen occasionally coming in to the spread and hitting a lure. Between 9 and 10am we had seen 4 marlin with one knock down and Jasiri had also had a strike but it was not until 11am that someone got lucky, Shuwari tagging one out of 3 and Jasiri was busy. We got our first marlin at 11.30am after seeing a marlin jump and raising 2 sails that just knocked the riggers down. At 12 Jasiri had tagged a blue marlin estimated at 180-lb and Inca had lost 1 marlin and seen another. At 12.30 Kamara II tagged her second that we had seen free jumping and Jasiri added a stripey to their blue and Inca had another strike. We continued to see marlin and sail fairly regularly and finally picked up our 3rd just after 3pm. The final tally was 3 striped marlin on Kamara II, 1 stripey on Shuwari, a blue and a stripey on Jasiri, a stripey on White Otter and a sailfish each on Inca and Pandora.

Thu 25th January - In contrast to 24th today was a day to forget for Kamara II as we lost fish repeatedly, if it could go wrong, it did. I had re-spooled 3 of my 30-lb reels with "Silver Thread 30-lb line" that we had in the cupboard, still with its foil wrapper on. But, lines were just popping for seemingly no reason and at the end of the Chris & I took the reels ashore, stripped off the line and re-filled with Ande tournament line. Again there were a lot of fish and we had plenty of chances that is for sure. In the early morning we caught a couple of friggies and a dorado and at 8.20am hooked up with a sail that waited until it was very close to the boat before falling off! At 8.55am we saw a marlin finning that wouldn't come in and Jasiri had a strike from a sail and White Otter a strike from a marlin. At 9.25 we rose 2 marlin on the teasers that hit some lures but failed to get hooked but at 10am only Shuwari had a dorado no other billfish seen. At 10.25am we lost a sail on 30 that popped for seemingly no reason, there was no pressure on it. At 10.30 we saw a finning marlin that didn't come in to the spread and at 11am Shuwari had seen a black marlin of around 2-250 that wouldn't take and the other boats had all seen billfish tailing. At 12 Shuwari had seen a pair but only 1 had entered the spread, knocked a lure down and then destroyed a bait without eating it and they saw 3 more finning. At 12.40pm we found a pair of stripeys one we hooked and was going for the high timber. Again the line popped but possibly we didn't ease back the drag enough - when a fish is running so fast you generally need to slacken off slightly. At 1pm most boats had seen marlin and Broadbill had a dorado in addition to seeing a marlin. At 1.15pm we found 3 striped marlin tailing, one of which had a tag visible on its shoulder. We hooked 2 of these but Murphy's Law was working again and somehow both fish popped off. By now I was not in a very good mood but the two Belgian anglers Bernard and Marc were taking it all very well indeed. It was just one of those horrendous days but what is worse not seeing anything at all or seeing plenty and losing them all? Amazingly with all the fish seen today only Inca recorded a sailfish.

Fri 26th January - At 8am Inca tagged a sail and at 9am we saw a marlin tailing that wouldn't come in, White Otter had a double header of stripes popped the line on 1 and failed to hook-up with the other. It was sunny, a little bit choppy with a nice northeaster but water was greenish and there were lots of flying fish. That is always an important sign, generally no flying fish, no marlin. At 10am Broadbill had seen 3 marlin together but none took Otter and Shuwari had also seen. At 10.25 we found a marlin tailing that wouldn't take. At 11am Inca had missed a couple and Shuwari one. At 12 not much had been seen but just after Kamara II had a wahoo. It was now quite choppy and the colour was blue/green. There was no news from the fleet at 1pm but soon after Kamara II tagged a stripey for Marc at last, very rewarding after yesterday. At 2pm Broadbill saw a marlin as did Shuwari who also had a double header but both came off. At 2.20pm we tagged a stripey on 30-lb for Bernard, his first marlin. Final tally Kamara II 2 marlin, Shuwari & Inca a sail each.

Sat 27th January - was very overcast until around midday with light winds but sea a little choppy. The water has now become that beautiful dark blue usually associated with marlin fishing. There were not so many fish seen today, perhaps the blue water has put them off! At 8am Shuwari had a strike from a sail and one from a marlin at 9am. Kamara II had a dorado and Broadbill saw a marlin. At 10.30 we saw a marlin jump, turned to go after it and another took a lure but failed to hook up. At 11am quite a few billfish were seen and at 12 Broadbill rose 3 marlin but only hooked 1 that they tagged. Soon after they saw 4 more but these wouldn't take. Kamara II saw a stripey finning that didn't enter the spread and at 1pm Shuwari had had a double from stripes, tagged 1 and popped the line on the other. It was now rough and the sea very blue. After that Kamara II added a dorado and Shuwari tagged a sail. Final tally Broadbill 1 striped marlin and Shuwari a stripey and a sail.

Sun 28th January - Not so many fish seen today, overcast but fairly calm although a bit choppy in the rips and nice blue water. At 8am nothing, and at 9am White Otter had had a strike from a marlin, 10am Shuwari a dorado. At 11am Jasiri, Shuwari and Otter had each seen a marlin but no strikes and soon after Kamara II tagged a stripey on 30 for Marc. We were very lucky with this fish, although after day 1 I guess they deserved some good fortune. Soon after hook-up the stripey came jumping towards the boat and then went off to the horizon. We didn't think anything of it until the fish came close for the first time because as the double line came out of the water we could see that one strand was hanging loose. It was just holding on one piece relying on the knot on to the swivel, which is not really much of a knot as such. We tried to get to the leader but the marlin was not ready and pulled away going deep. We just had to wait and pray but somehow it held and we were able to get it close enough to grab the leader and put a tag in it. That was actually the only billfish we saw but at 12 noon we added a dorado and Jasiri missed a stripey. At 1pm only Pandora had seen a sail and at 2pm Kamara II had a dorado and Shuwari tagged a stripey. A private boat "Buccaneer" tagged a small blue marlin on the way home right in the green water. Final tally Kamara II 1 stripey, Shuwari a stripey and a sail, and Buccaneer a blue.

Mon 29th January - at 7.50am Kamara II saw a striped marlin finning it took a lure on the outrigger jumped and threw the hook. At 8am the rest were negative and at 8.15 Kamara II had had a strike from a sailfish. At 9am Kamara II had strikes from another sail and Broadbill managed to tag a stripey, the other boats saw marlin but none hooked. At 10am Broadbill tagged a sail and Shuwari had a dorado - it was sunny and had become very calm. At 11am Kamara II tagged Bernard's first sail and White Otter tagged a stripey. At 11.25 Kamara II had another knock down from sail and at 12 Shuwari saw 3 marlin and Jasiri 1 but none hooked. At 12.45 Kamara II lost a stripey that managed to shake the hook free and a few marlin were seen at 1pm by Broadbill, Otter and Jasiri. The wind had picked up and the sea was choppier, still blue. At 2pm Shuwari had had a double stripey tagged 1 of them and popped the other one. At 3pm Broadbill rose a pack of about 5 sail managing to tag 1 of them. Final tally Broadbill 1 striped marlin & 2 sail, Kamara II 1 sail, Shuwari 1 stripey, & Otter 1 marlin

Tue 30th January - At 7.30am Kamara II had a double from sail 1 failed to hook-up and the other was on nicely until quite close before coming off. Jasiri had better luck tagging a sail. At 10am Jasiri tagged another sail and Otter and Shuwari saw marlin finning. Hot, sunny and very calm. At 2pm we had a strike from a stripey that took out some line and let go not following back at all. At 2.50pm Kamara II saw 2 marlin, one free jumping and the other finning but they wouldn't look even. Final 2 sail on Jasiri and Shuwari stayed out on an extended combo. During the night they had 3 strikes from broadbill swordfish but didn't get a hook up.

Wed 31st January - Shuwari had a strike from a stripey in the early hours of the morning whilst the rest of us were getting out there. Broadbill picked up a small giant trevally, a few bonito and a kingfish fishing up towards Funzi looking for live bait. The morning was very overcast with quite thick cloud and rather stormy looking and nothing much was seen until late morning. At 10.25am Kamara II tagged a sailfish as did Shuwari soon after and Jasiri a stripey. Jasiri saw a pack of marlin finning but they wouldn't take and also saw a black marlin that also refused to look. At 1pm Broadbill, Shuwari and Otter saw marlin finning but none would take. Final tally Kamara II 1 sail, Jasiri a stripey and Shuwari finished her combo off with a stripey and a sail. By the time we were coming home the conditions were looking much improved and reports on Thur morning are encouraging. I will report on that next week.

Tight lines !

Fishing Report 17th to 23rd January 2007

The current has started to flow in the usual northerly direction, which is very good news although the seas have still been much calmer than we might normally expect at this time of year. Over the weekend the wind picked up a bit and the rips were showing, the water has also been much better on the whole. It is still not as blue as normal but then being an el nino year perhaps we shouldn't expect it to be either.

There have been a lot of schools of frigate mackerel on the drop off on the Kenya side of the channel and still plenty of squid over by Pemba Island. There are not so many game fish other than marlin and sails at the present but plenty of the latter.

Wed 17th January - Very calm indeed, rather dirty water with lots of floating weed but there were still marlin about. Jasiri tagged a stripey and Broadbill a stripey estimated at 125-lb and a sail but Shuwari missed out today. Broadbill fished by Frans Neuwirth and 2 colleagues from Austria saw 3 other striped marlin and another sail and caught 4 dorados. Frans has been fishing with us in Shimoni since the 1980's so a long term regular.

Thu 18th January - just Broadbill with Frans and party plus Shuwari fishing today. In the morning it was rather overcast and a rain shower passed across the entrance but did not amount to much. The sea was very calm and the water not very good with quite a few marlin seen either free jumping or finning in the morning but not taking. In the afternoon the wind picked up a little from the NE and both boats had their chances. Broadbill tagged a striped marlin estimated at 155-lb and Shuwari a sail. Broadbill also had 2 small giant trevallies in the morning on the bait patch.

Fri 19th January - in the morning the water was greenish becoming bluer in the afternoon, calm in the morning and quite choppy in the afternoon as the wind picked up. There were not so many marlin around today, Shuwari saw a couple and a few sails but didn't get any, Jasiri had 2 sail but I don't think saw any marlin today. Broadbill with the Austrian party lost a stripey but then had some great fortune on the way home tagging 3 sailfish separately in the deep water and then on the edge of the drop off coming in hooked up with a nice black marlin on 30. This they released after only about 25 minutes estimated at 275-lb, a
lovely fish on 30.

Sat 20th January - a much better sea today with a good NE or kaskazi as we call it here, nice blue water and good rips in the morning. About midday the wate became a bit green and the fish eased up but in the morning there were a lot of fish seen. Broadbill fished by the Austrians didn't see so many but converted what they did tagging both a stripey and a sail in the same hour in the early afternoon. Kamara II fished by my very good friend Raymond Matiba and his 2 boys saw quite a 6 marlin and a few sail but were unlucky to only get a sail. This was caught by Bryan aged 11, his first sailfish and caught all according to IGFA rules. Unfortunately it was on a 50 but Bryan took the rod out of the holder on his own and got himself in to the fighting chair, a very good effort. Ray lost a marlin on 30 that managed to break the line after some time and had another charge the boat soon after taking, which makes it very difficult to get a hook-up. Both Bryan and Martyn were amazing at spotting fins not just once but several times. Jasiri also out, saw a few but didn't catch today.

Sun 21st January - today the conditions were perhaps the best yet and particularly Kamara II and Jasiri saw a lot of marlin but neither managed to get any to boatside. Shuwari saw fewer fish but managed to tag 2 striped marlin and Broadbill also tagged 2 sails. They also saw 6 marlin that wouldn't take and lost 2 as well. Kamara was unfortunate to not get any losing one on a 50 that was hooked nicely but somehow the angler managed to flick the line around the rod tip a few minutes in to the fight and pop the line. We also lost a nice dorado by the angler striking the rod against the canopy and breaking the line, fortunately not the rod. If your hooks are sharp and the brake correctly set there really is no necessity to strike any of these game-fishes. It is much better to concentrate on keeping your line tight and watching what your fish is doing. White Otter saw 2 broadbill swordfish finning together today something that we haven't seen for a long time. We used to see them quite often in the day but they never seem to take then, perhaps they are just resting up. Being a Sunday the private boats of Buccaneer and Membe were also out but didn't get anything this week.

Mon 22nd January - the conditions were still good today but perhaps not quite as nice as yesterday. Broadbill had 2 marlin strikes and tagged 2 sails, Shuwari a stripey and Jasiri tagged an estimated 200-lb blue marlin as well as a sail, no other boats out. Many of the fish seen today would either not come in to the spread or would simply sound.

Tue 23rd January - very calm all day, the wind never really getting up and the rips were pretty pathetic. As was the case yesterday most of the fish seen tailing would not show any interest at all today but Broadbill managed to tag 2 striped marlin, one a nice one of 160-lb plus a sailfish. Kamara II tagged 2 sails, saw 4 marlin most of which appeared to be fast asleep plus 5 other sails. Shuwari and White Otter also saw a couple marlin but did not strike lucky today.

There are still some free days available in February and March if you are interested.

Fishing Report 10th - 16th January 2007

The past week has seen very calm seas most unlike January with rather a lot of sea weed and dead squid. The water has been variable mostly rather green but yesterday I did see some blue water coming in. The current has been static and the rips not showing much until yesterday when I detected a gentle but definite
northerly current and when the north-east wind picked up the rips started to show.

Wednesday 10th January - none of our boats were out and the marlin were not much in evidence today it seems. White Otter and Clueless were out and Alley Cat and Tega also arrived down from Watamu for a few days fishing. Alley Cat managed to tag 3 sailfish but none of the other boats saw very much. By all accounts although we have been complaining about the quality of the water the visiting skippers think it is wonderful compared to the brown water off Malindi and Watamu.

Thursday 11th January - many more marlin seen today with Clueless getting all of their 3 strikes, Alley Cat raised 5 marlin and managed to tag 2 plus a sail. Tega raised 2 but didn't manage to hook up with any but Broadbill and Jasiri were unlucky to miss out. Jasiri saw a big mako shark of around 500-lb but I don't think that they had any bait to offer it.

Friday 12th January - the marlin appeared to be having one day on, one day off this week as there were not so many seen. We had no boats out but Jasiri raised 2 or 3 striped marlin that did not hook up and they lost quite a nice black estimated at over 300-lb that jumped towards the boat and threw the hook. None of the Watamu boats saw any marlin today but Tega had a sail and Alley Cat 2.

Saturday 13th January - Again no boats out from Sea Adventures but Jasiri tagged a stripey on a short day and Alley Cat managed 2 marlin. Clueless had a sail but didn't raise any marlin much to Rob's frustration as he watched other boats hook up around him. Sometimes it just seems that you must be steering a course in between the marlin and everyone else is catching around you. But sooner or later your turn will come as your boat becomes the hot one. Today it was Tega that had some incredible excitement as they raised a big pack of 8 or 9 striped marlin chasing the teases, grabbing at lures and knocking riggers down. It really is the ultimate experience to see all those beautiful neon lights in your wake. As the stripey gets really aggravated so he lights up and the dorsal comes erect for greater maneuverability and they almost seem to shiver as they chase down a teaser or lure. Plus when there is a pack of them they start to compete with one another and reels scream, lines are getting crossed and more often than not the anglers lose their heads. For me as a skipper a pack attack of stripes is the ultimate adrenalin rush. You really need to wear polaroid sun-glasses to get the best view of all the fish. Anyway on this occasion Tega managed to get one stripey out of the pack but the skipper was bubbling over with excitement on the radio afterwards, he had never experienced quite such a pack before. That is what Shimoni and the Pemba Channel can produce at this time of the year (December through February).

Sunday 14th January - The wind was in the west all morning, which is never good here and didn't swing in to the north until late afternoon. Kamara II was out and found a stripey tailing early but it just came in to a flat line behind the teaser very briefly and shoved off. Then in the afternoon we saw saw jumpers and found 3 tailing and after some perseverance they came in to the spread. One took a big softhead but very half- heartedly jumped a few times and threw the hook. The other 2 just knocked riggers down but there was no commitment. We got a sailfish on the way home that sadly we had to boat as it was foul hooked and badly injured in the side. In a season we might have to boat 1% of our billfish but often not even that. Shuwari found a huge pack of stripes, they estimated between 10 and 15 marlin and actually hooked 6 of them at the same time. But one by one they fell of until they were left with just one fish and they got a second later. Clueless managed a stripey and a sail and in a half hour stretch in the afternoon saw 7 marlin. Tega tagged one early in the day so despite the westerly if you have the luck you can still catch a fish its just more likely when the wind is right. Alley Cat saw a few but didn't get lucky, Jasiri a sail and a private boat Buccaneer got a marlin.

Monday 15th January - Alley Cat, Clueless and Tega all left early to get back to Watamu a long hike without the help of a current that would normally be flowing north at a few knots. Clueless and Tega each got a stripey off Diani on their way home but further south in the channel the wind was again westerly and the sea flat calm. Kamara II on a short day had a strike from a stripey in the morning but it just pulled a few metres of line off the reel dropped it and shoved off. Broadbill, Jasiri and Shuwari were also out but there were not many fish seen and only Jasiri had a sail early in the morning.

Tuesday 16th January - In the early morning the sea was very calm and seemed rather lifeless but in the afternoon the wind picked up and with the now northerly flowing current the rips started to show. Kamara II was fishing down on the Pemba plateau where the fish have been all week, saw a marlin fast asleep seemingly hanging in the water head down and when we woke it up it swam in towards the spread and down. We tagged a sail and a had a couple more strikes but it was the boats fishing further north that found the marlin. Broadbill hooked a black marlin of about 250-lb on 30 that was jumping nicely, came off and as they were retrieving the lure a stripey rushed in and took it. They tagged that a nice fish of about 160-lb and then shortly after hit another on the tag line that did not connect. They later found 3 marlin free jumping and hit 2, hooked one and tagged that, another nice fish of about 170-lb. Jasiri also tagged a stripey estimated at 170-lb so seems as though there might be some bigger stripes coming through. Shuwari saw a lot of fish today but tagged just the one plus a sail and also released a big GT of around 70-lb in the morning coming out.

From reports further north it really seems as though Shimoni is the place to be at the moment and there are a lot of marlin there. We still have some days free in January 24-26, 28 & 30 plus the 7 day period of 2-8 February and late February early March. If you are interested please contact us at <hemphill@bigame.com> or phone me in the evening on +254-722-796 198 local time.

Fishing Report 2nd to 9th January 2007

We did not have a boat out in the first couple of days of the year with our first trip of 2007 on 4th. However boats were out from the nearby fishing club marlin were being seen but not much was being landed. The big cyclone "Bondo" that was off Northern Madagascar over Christmas took its time about leaving and then smaller one "Clovis" moved in. This just had the effect of prolonging the overcast weather and the occurrence of thunder storms but they gradually cleared away and we have fairly typical January weather now. The wind from the NE is strong, particularly in the afternoons as one would expect but the sea has been very green with very little current.

Thurs 4th January - There were 6 boats out, Kamara II was on a short day and Broadbill and Eligio Battaia's " Inca" were fishing a group of Russian tourists staying at the Coral Reef Lodge. "Water Wheels" the huge boat from Pemba, Mozambique was also fishing in the channel for a few days. The sea was a blue/green colour, no rips to speak of, a bit overcast in morning and wind strong. The first part of the day was a bit quiet with Jasiri losing a marlin and seeing another and Broadbill missed one also. Kamara II we saw a stripey finning and just as we started after it another marlin took the long rigger and hooked up. We tagged that one and never saw the other again and it was then time to head home. As so often happens the fish began to get up around midday and Broadbill hooked a stripey on 30. Unfortunately this one was either foul hooked or wrapped in the leader and was being very difficult. The angler fought it for 5 minutes, decided it was too much effort and handed the rod over to the crew and went down in to the cabin to sleep! Sadly the line bust after an hour and they came back home. Jasiri tagged a marlin about the same time but Inca and Water Wheels didn't see anything.

Fri 5th January - Only Kamara II and Inca with the Russians and Water Wheels out today. It was rather overcast and quite rough with a big swell and the water very dirty, better closer to Pemba Is. We didn't see any marlin, just 1 sailfish that followed but didn't take. Water Wheels saw a couple of marlin and certainly one of them took but did not stick. Inca also saw a couple of marlin but only billfish caught today was a sail on Water Wheels. There were a few small yellowfin tuna caught and we had a small dorado.

Sat 6th January - 6 boats out again today more sun today but sea still very dirty and big swell, not as rough as yesterday. We hooked a stripey on 50 at 8:25am and it was running nicely grey hounding away from us but the angler in his haste pushed the brake through the strike and the line parted, aaaagh! It was a nice big softhead! And it kept jumping but then that is all part of charter fishing and if anglers didn't get excited when a marlin took they would be playing golf or something.. We had another strike later in the day that was jumping and fell off, just bad luck. We had one wahoo and a few tunny were caught by the fleet. Broadbill rose 2 marlin, one of them took but no hook up and then they had to head for home because of seasick clients. Inca tagged a stripey and had a couple more strikes, White Otter lost a marlin and Jasiri saw a couple plus a nice mako shark.

Sun 7th January - 8 boats today with "Buccaneer" and "Membe II" coming out for the day. The morning was overcast and quite calm with a big swell still. By midday the NE had picked up and it became quite rough although not as rough as it might be if the current was flowing fast as normal. We saw 2 marlin both took, a stripey in the morning and a small black in the afternoon very close in. Both were jumping and fell off, very frustrating but not half as frustrating as for poor Pat on Broadbill. They hooked a nice black marlin of about 300-lb that had finished its jumping and they were now fighting it up when it just, came off. All in all 20 marlin were seen today but can you believe it none caught.

Mon 8th January - Only Kamara II, Shuwari and White Otter - Very calm in the morning with a rather lifeless looking sea but by late morning the wind came up and there was a nice rip forming on the escarpment. We hooked a marlin on 30 soon after 9am whilst we had coffee cups and samosas in hand. How often does that happen? The fish was wrapped but with some perseverance the angler, Donald Mowat from the UK brought it up tail first. We turned the fish around and swam it for at least 20 minutes if not more and it started to get stronger by the minute finally swimming off. I have found that to swim a billfish effectively you should not remove the hook if it is well placed in the jaw but let the fish off to the end of the leader so that it gets below the wash line. Then very slowly move the boat, and if it is a powerful boat by kicking one engine in and out of gear. They recover much better than if held at boatside by the bill. Then between 12 and 1 O' clock we saw 3 marlin all took. The first just did not hook up, the second the line must have had a turn around the rod tip because it popped as it came down from the rigger, another nice lure, aaaagh! These things happen rather too easily in strong winds, one tries to check over and over but you still get caught out from time to time. Then the last fish was great fun because it took the teaser on the bridge twice and I was having quite a tug of war with it before it let go and took an outrigger. We had it on for over 5 minutes before it just came off. We had a strike from a sailfish on the way in that didn't hook up either. The other 2 boats saw and hit but no success. On the way back I noticed that the water was verging on actually being blue so perhaps it is coming.

Tues 9th January - Our boats were not out but White Otter was out and Robert Duff on his 40-ft Riviera " Clueless" arrived in the area. Otter tells me that they saw 7 marlin today by 2pm and that it was quite rough. Clueless missed a stripey between Mtwapa and Mombasa and tagged a sail and a stripey once in the
channel.

>From reports further north fishing is not good there and water brown rather than green even. Alley Cat, Tega and perhaps Neptune are due in Shimoni tomorrow, which I think draws a pretty clear picture.

We still have a boat free during most of February and much of this month so if you are interested in giving the marlin a shot get in touch with me on <hemphill@bigame.com> or on +254-(0)722-796 198.

Tight lines and a great 2007 !

HAPPY NEW YEAR & TIGHT LINES FOR 2007
In the week leading up to Christmas and New Year we have had some very strange weather on the Kenya coast. The tropical cyclone "Bondo" may have been the cause of some of the thunderstorms and variable winds around Christmas but most likely it is simply the effects of El Nino that we are experiencing. We are
still getting thunder storms off and on but the fishing is still pretty good.

The marlin are certainly here, mostly striped marlin but also some blues and blacks and quite a few packs. When you raise a group it is always great fun and very exciting because they tend to compete with one another and if you can manage to hang on to them all it is a real achievement. We still have plenty of
availability in January and February so if you are interested please get in touch with me at
< hemphill@bigame.com> or by phone on +254-722-796198.

Wednesday 13th December 2006
A family from Johannesburg staying at the brand new Cove Resort at Kinondo Beach (www.cove.co.ke) came down for a day's fishing on our two boats. None of the six guests had ever done any deep sea fishing before so it was a completely new experience for them all, and what a day to have first up. Danger is they may now expect every day to be just as good !

Broadbill ended up with about 18 yellowfin tuna, a dorado and a skipjack tuna plus 14-yr old Robbie Hogan hooked in to a striped marlin on a 30-lb line. With some expert coaching from the Old Man and the Sea, Pat, he was able to bring this beautiful fish to boat-side for tagging and release. They had another striped marlin chase up after a lure whilst catching tuna and so for 2 hours they tried their luck at live baiting with 2 live yellowfin. This is the best method to catch a really big marlin and with so many football size tunas there must be some pretty big predators out there. It is estimated that a marlin can swallow in one go a prey 10% of its own body weight but on this occasion none came to the baits. They had a strike from a sailfish just as they were pulling the lines in at the end of the day but all in all a good day. On Kamara II 12-yr old Murray Nocton-Smith hooked in to a nice black marlin on a 30-lb line and played it really well. He brought it to the boat in very quick time where we estimated it at 65-kg before releasing it.

Taking kids fishing is always so rewarding when they are as enthusiastic as young Murray was and to begin with he was attacking each fish with gay abandon until we were able to calm him down and teach him the right techniques. By the time the black came along he was an expert and would have put many an adult to shame. In addition to the marlin he and his father, Tony caught 26 yellowfin tunas, a wahoo of 12-kg and then on the way home we had a double header from sailfish. Tony landed his on 30-lb line estimated at 30- kg and Murray had the second one on for some time but it made a final bid for freedom and managed to throw the hook. But what an introduction to deep sea fishing ?

11th December 2006
Pat and Simon took Broadbill out on test having just fitted a brand new propeller, which we hoped would be better balanced and give her increased speed. Well that it most certainly did, and we were able to run in at 16.5 knots very smoothly indeed. And the fishing results were pretty good, too. We managed to tag and release a small blue marlin as well as a sailfish and also caught 17 yellowfin tuna, a wahoo, a dorado and 2 frigate mackerels so not a bad day's testing. We did see a striped marlin tailing but could not entice a strike but the sea was a beautiful blue and the wind in the right direction.

10th Dec 2006 - The monsoon has changed, the marlin have arrived.

The monsoon has switched in to the North-east, which always marks the start of the marlin season in the Pemba Channel, and marlin are being seen every day now. It never ceases to amaze me that as soon as the wind switches from the south to the north the marlin start to appear almost immediately. The switch though is not just a change in wind direction but a change in temperature, in the sea conditions, in the colours, it is just so different. The sea looks that much bluer and the waves are typically bigger, further apart and less choppy than during the southerly monsoon when the wind is blowing from the same direction as the current. The rip lines are generally more pronounced in the northerly monsoon and the marlin are very often right in the roughest part of the rip.

The majority of our marlin are the striped, the smallest of the 3 species found in the Indian Ocean but arguably the most beautiful. When the stripey is excited the pectoral fins and the vertical stripes on the body light up an electric blue that appears against the contrasting black of the head. When he is really excited he seems to shiver with excitement and the dorsal comes fully erect to allow the marlin greater maneuverability. During December very often the stripeys appear in packs of anything up to 12 or more individuals. When you are fishing with 8 lines and 4 hookless teazers it is really exhilarating when you get a pack attack. The marlin season should continue in to March, or until the wind switches back from the north to the south. There is not a lot of difference between December, January and February really and it is impossible to predict when the peak of the season will fall.

As well as the stripes there are always some blacks and blues as well as sailfish, dorado, wahoo and other game fishes. From now until March we concentrate on marlin as the Pemba Channel is famous for its marlin fishing.

If you would like to make a booking please contact us at <hemphill@bigame.com>.

KAMARA II returns to Shimoni after a month away in the North.

Simon left Shimoni with his "Kamara II" back on 10th November for Malindi where they were to be based until last week. About that time there had been excessive unseasonal rains all along the Kenya coast and the roads were suffering from the effects. The water was very dirty with all the sediment and vegetation being washed down the rivers but the sailfish were still there in big numbers feasting on the vast schools of tiny white bait. Consequently they were very hard to raise and fishing was not as easy as it had been back in October. The week before we had arrived the boats had been fishing out of Ngomeni to the north of Malindi taking over 20 sails in a boat on some days. But, Murphy's Law says that as soon as we got there the fish would go off the bite and so they did. Consequently we tried our luck fishing for giant trevallies off Watamu with some considerable success. Fishing with Leo Haak and Coen Mollenberg from Holland I introduced them to a different form of fishing, casting large poppers to catch the GT's. Coen proved to be particularly good at this and was able to get quite some distance in to his casts. The other boats were going around us wondering what we were up to and were really amazed by the success. The GT's had to be on the surface so we needed to wait until the schools of frigate mackerel began boiling on the surface. We would drift up towards the school and cast the poppers over the school working them back through. The strikes were explosive and the fight very exciting and hard work. All the GT's were released apart from one that had been foul hooked and damaged and most were in the 20-30kg range.

The 2nd week was for the CADSAS tournament, which is groups of anglers from Zimbabwe and South Africa. Sadly the fishing was not good and despite runs up past Ngomeni very few sails were caught during the tournament. As I always tell people, if you travel to the best destination in the world often enough at the best time of the year you will get both wonderful fishing as well as shite fishing. Sadly it cannot always be wonderful, that is fishing I guess.

After the CADSAS we fished an "Extended Combo" to the North Kenya Banks with Keith Sanders and Teresa Prinsloo. We fished up past the satellite station but there were no sail around there and trolled fast
out to the NKB. We found lots and lots of decent size yellowfin tunas on the NKB with the most wonderful blue water. Sadly there were set long lines all along the outer ledge although in the afternoon of the first day we did not see the ships. We released some nice tunas up to an estimated 45-kg fish released by Teresa that gave her a very hard workout as these fish are want to do. Unfortunately in the night we only had the 1 strike that did not connect but Eclare had 3 strikes, 2 of them successful. In the morning the tunas were jumping all over the place and the Korean ships had appeared to work the place over. We caught a lot of tuna and then headed back to Malindi, a distance of over 40 miles against the current.

During our last week we embarked on a live aboard safari to the far north with Jan Soderman from Sweden. We began by running out to the NKB and catching some good tunas, the biggest 29-kg on 30 before pulling in to Lamu and anchoring outside the Peponi Hotel. The water was again very blue and the wind had started to blow from the north. From Lamu we fished north on day 2 past the top of Manda and Pate Islands before dropping anchor outside the Manda Bay Resort. The water had been excessively dirty with large amounts of what looked like papyrus washed down the flooding Tana River. We caught no sails that day but saw only a few. On day 3 we fished further north to the northern tip of Kiwayu Island but the dirty water had pushed out to 8 or 9 miles and there were a lot of small yellowfin tunas on the dirty water line with a few sail. It is strange how in the Kiwayu area the tunas are always seemingly that much more aggressive than anywhere further south. The tunas went down by 10.30am and we decided to fish the blue water line south, which turned out to be a great decision. We had a crash strike from a black marlin on a flat line sailfish lure on a 30, a 2nd marlin came up on the outrigger 30 but didn't take. Jan tagged this fish after 35 mins estimated at 110-kg, a lovely fish on 30. We then continued south trolling fast on 2 engines at around 9 knots and raised 2 packs of sails but we could not hook any of them. We pulled in to Manda again for the night.

On day 4 the decision was to fish for marlin along the outer ledge off Manda, which is an extension of the NKB. We caught only some yellowfin out there, the biggest of 35-kg but finally managed to tag a sail on the way in to Lamu, which took a big marlin lure. On day 5 we again went out deep looking for marlin but there were no flying fish out there and apart from one sail we saw nothing other than tuna. Little Toot on a half day fishing out Lamu had decided to stay in close and fish the 130m line, which proved a great idea. They tagged a sail, a black of 90-kg, a stripey and boated a 67-kg yellowfin! On day 5 we anchored in the lee of Tenewe Island before heading back to Malindi on day 6. It was an enjoyable trip with nice company but sad that the fishing was not as great as it was on our first trip up there but Jan caught his first black marlin and his first sail as well as his first yellowfin tuna.

NEW PROPELLER ON BROADBILL

Pat has fitted a brand new propeller on Broadbill and tests yesterday were very exciting. She is running very smooth and quick!

Good sailfish numbers in 2006 - The Kenya coast has experienced some very heavy rains with extensive flooding over the very high spring tides and the new moon. The rivers are all bloated and washing large quantities of good soil out in to the ocean. Wherever there is a river the sea has been chocolate brown but it has not deterred the sailfish one little bit. Perhaps they even like it, may be the extra nutrients in the water boost the food species. In the area just to the north of Shimoni there are large numbers of sailfish, not easy to catch but with some perseverance they usually turn on at some stage in the day. With the passing of the big tides the rains have eased up and the rivers returned to a more normal size.

There are also schools of nice size yellowfin tuna around 15-kg plus a few good wahoo and other species like trevally. The yellowfin are sometimes very difficult to catch but we have found that by drifting up to the school and casting large poppers in to them a strike is usually stimulated. Getting the technique right is the
hard part but after that you can very nearly have a fish every cast.

When the fishing on the top becomes slow it is sometimes worth having a go at deep jigging for such species as amberjack. These fishes, before jigging came along were not even known to exist here and the local fishers never caught them. They run up to 50-kg or perhaps more and give a really good fight. But, amberjacks are not the only fishes caught by jigging and there are all kinds of fishes that will take a jig. It is hard work but can be very productive.

Availability: In November Broadbill will be available for charters from Shimoni or if you are interested in doing a safari to the north she is available for that too. The Norman Matthews/ John de Villiers Tournament is on 18/19 November and Broadbill would be available. Please contact us if you are interested at hemphill@bigame.com.

THE FIRST NORTH KENYA SAFARI - On 30th September Simon departed from Shimoni for Malindi with Kamara II to begin our very first North Kenya safari. It was to be a great adventure but a 10-day safari requires a great deal of organizing and purchasing of sufficient provisions for the entire trip. The boat carries 2,800 litres of diesel and 400-litres of water but we also carried an extra 240 litres diesel to cover the trip up to Malindi so that we could top up the tanks before starting out. In the hold we carry all the beers, soft drinks, bottled water, charcoal and barbecue plus we also carry two minus 40 freezers. On the way north we noticed a lot of activity between Funzi and Chale Point in the Shimoni area with schools of yellowfin tuna and lots of sailfish but with 100 nautical miles to go we did not have time to hang about.

Gary and Daz Baynton who have already done a few live aboard safaris with me flew in to Malindi and were staying at the Coral Key Resort where I joined them for night of 30th. Normally I would use the Driftwood Beachclub but they were fully booked for a private function. Coral Key is a large hotel and hence perhaps a little impersonal but for just $44 per person per night half board one can hardly complain. The wake up call was on time and we were given breakfast at 5.30am.

Sun 1st October - we departed Malindi harbour at 6.30am and trolled out across the normal sailfish grounds of Mambrui to Ngomeni. The weather was not so pleasant with light drizzle and we only raised 1 sail not seeing any others or any bird activity. From Ngomeni we trolled out to the North Kenya Banks where we found large numbers of yellowfin tuna between 15-26 kg. We didn't see anything much bigger but there was no shortage of action. Towards evening we moved out to the outer ledge to fish for broadbill swordfish picking up a wahoo on the way. The night was very bumpy to say the least and the fish kept away from us, so not a single strike all night. Perhaps the rather bright moon did not help much as it did not set until about 2am.

Broadbill, fishing out of Shimoni with some Spanish clients, saw well over 100 sailfish off Funzi. They were in groups everywhere you looked, frantically feeding on tiny whitebait, but were so engrossed with gobbling up these tiny little fish that they ignored our rather larger halfbeaks and strips. However, we did manage to tag one, and had a couple more come off. Not being able to communicate with non-English-speaking clients did not help ! We also caught two nice sized yellowfin of 15-20 kgs.

Mon 2nd - we pulled in to Lamu around mid morning anchoring off the Peponi Hotel. Lamu is a beautiful setting and you anchor the boat only about 20m from the hotel. I was looking forward to a few hours sleep but in the evening we joined Nils and Lars Korschen at the Peponi Hotel. The Korschen family built the hotel in 1967 and have run it ever since. It is a very popular place with good reason, good food and very welcoming atmosphere. Nils is a fellow charter skipper but he was very happy to offer his advice to us fishing in his waters. This is how it should be and Pat and I have always believed in helping out others who visit our waters with their clients. Nils had been out that day and had released 3 sails and caught a massive 38-kg wahoo.

Broadbill was out again today,but the sailfish were not so numerous and not showing on the surface at all, unlike yesterday. We finally tagged two of them and lost a third.

Tue 3 - We ran out from Peponi round the top of Lamu and began fishing on the outer side of Manda Island, which is right next to Lamu as well as being where the Lamu airport is. Nils joined us in his boat "little Toot" and we fished round to the north eastern end of Manda where we found plenty of sailfish. We picked up a couple of small tuna and then the sailfishing began. We rose 46 sailfish, or at least that is what I counted had 36 strikes and tagged and released 12 fish. This is a record for Kamara II and a really exciting day. Daz had caught 2 sails before off Shimoni but Gary had never had one so they did admirably. It is also generally accepted that the success rate on sail is about 1 in 3 so that is what they got, well done guys. They were using only 30-lb that day plus remember that on Sea Adventures boats the crew do not hook the fish for you. The biggest was a lovely fish of about 36-kg caught by Daz and Gary had one of about 35-kg and we also picked up a wahoo on the rapala. That evening we pulled in to Manda Bay, which is to the north of Lamu and Manda Islands with Pate Is. on the north of the bay. We dropped anchor off the Manda Bay Resort, which is scenically stunning. The resort sent out a dinghy to meet us and to welcome us ashore and made welcome we most certainly were. Kara & Andy Roberts who are joint owners with Fuzz & Bimbi Dyer were fantastic hosts. We were living on the boat but we had dinner ashore 2 nights and enjoyed the bar whilst we were there. The rooms are massive, very simple but beautifully set out with great views. For anyone contemplating a safari to north Kenya might like to consider combining a live aboard with 1 or 2 nights at Manda Bay or at Peponi. Manda Bay
is not cheap but you get what you pay for, believe me.

Wed 4 - we fished out from Manda and although the sail were not so many or so aggressive we still managed to tag 5 of the 27 we raised and lost 2 fish that came off after some time. They were not taking very keenly and this so often happens after an amazing day the day before. We had substituted 2 of the 30's for 20-lb outfits as the boys gained experience on the sails, Daz had his first fish on 20. In addition to the sails we took a small yellowfin tuna, 4 kingfish, 1 trevally, a grouper and 2 bonito. That night again we anchored off Manda Bay and enjoyed a superb dinner and evening ashore, which was very reasonably priced.

Thu 5 - today we were heading further north to Kiwayu Is. where we hoped to anchor on the southern end of the island. The anchorages at Kiwayu are fairly tricky but the fishing is generally so good and unspoilt up there. Coming out of Manda Bay both mornings was very rough with the large spring tides ebbing out against the strong SE wind but the channel is very deep. We found the sails had moved further north and we raised 35 sails, tagged 6, lost 2 and 5 would not
take. Gary caught his first sail on 20-lb and Daz did a great job of feeding one on the teazer with the 20, hooking up with it and tagging it. In addition to the sails we had 10 yellowfin (8 released) and 2 kingfish. Off Kiwayu there were loads of yellowfin and they were behaving completely differently to further south. Off Manda the schools were there but they hardly touched your sail baits, which meant you could concentrate on the sailfish. Off Kiwayu the tunas would take anything and none of the other fish could get a look in. On a number of occasions the bait was literally taken out of the mouth of a sailfish by a tuna. We anchored in the southern channel of Kiwayu for the night but the wind howled all night.

Fri 6 - In the morning when we could get our anchor up the wind was still howling and the tide was ripping out. Just with the boat in gear we were making over 9 knots and once we turned to head out we met the full fury of the sea - it was very rough indeed. We decided that we didn't want to go through that again another morning and would move back south to Manda. I think that we were unlucky with the weather and the very big tides were not making things easy. It is generally better to enter new places at low water so that one can see the reefs and sand bars and accurately mark your best passage on the gps. Also with
all the rains that we have been having the water was still very dirty. Once we had gone out in to the deeper water the sea was not so bad. Soon after getting out we found the tunas again and hooked up with 4 of them. Gary had one on a 20-lb and after a while it became crystal clear that something much larger had eaten it. 1hr 45m later Gary brought up an estimated 75-kg blacktip shark for release, a pretty good effort on 20-lb line. We rose just 6 sails, tagging 3 and losing 1 plus 4 yellowfin & a garfish. That evening we were back at Manda Bay.

Sat 7 - Again very rough heading out of Manda Bay and out to sea it was very stormy looking and overcast all around. The fish appeared bothered by the conditions and kept down until the afternoon. Overall we rose 16 sail, tagged 3 of them but the majority were just billing the baits and not actually taking them. We also had 2 kingfish, 1 trevally, 1 yellowfin and 1 garfish. In the evening we were back at Manda Bay and enjoyed watching the full moon coming up.

Sun 8 - The tide was not yet running too hard as we headed out so the gap was not so rough as previous mornings and although it was still choppy outside it looked much better than yesterday. We decided that today we would go out and try our luck for marlin. The deep water is 11 miles off Manda so it takes a while to get out there. Once there we fished along the outer ledge, which is an extension of the North Kenya Banks. We just saw one school of tuna out there and picked up 2 nice wahoo of 22 & 21-kg and a yellowfin of 22-kg. But on the way back we had a strike from a small black marlin on a big softhead on the tag line that jumped itself inside out for a brief while before throwing the hook. That night we pulled in to Peponi and dropped anchor off the hotel again. We went ashore to enjoy a few beers with Nils and Lars and have some dinner. We had an excellent dinner and a very enjoyable evening before paddling back out to the boat to catch some z's.

Mon 9 - On the advice of Nils we were up early, made the coffee and pulled out of Lamu at around 5.45am to avoid the ebb. The Lamu entrance also points S in to the wind and there is a shallow bar, which can pick up in to quite a sea but when we left it was still very calm. We ran south to Kinyika Is before slowing down and putting the lines out. We made breakfast as we went and found the sail just south of Tenewe Is. By the end of the day we rose 52 sail or there abouts,
tagged 9, lost 1 and 9 did not take anything. Quite a few were seemingly hooked and jumping but still managed to throw the hook. That night we dropped anchor in the lee of the tiny island of Ziwayu and the various reefs there. It was a very bumpy night and none of us slept too well. It is definitely a calm weather anchorage only!

Tue 10 - we rose a few sails off Ziwayu but I think perhaps we were not fishing in shallow enough water, next time I shall know better. We fished back across the huge Ungwana (Formosa) Bay but the water was very dirty and there was very little there. The water colour changed as soon as we passed Ras Ngomeni and soon after that we tagged a sail. There was a competition taking place off Malindi and we joined the boats there but it seemed that although a couple of boats had struck fortune the majority were struggling. We picked up 1 more sail before we entered Malindi to bring our tally to a nice round 40 for the trip, 20 to Gary and 18 to Daz the other 2 being caught by myself and the deckhand. We rose 10 sail tagging 2 and also had 2 kingfish and 1 yellowfin. It was the end of the safari and back in to Malindi for the night at Coral Key.

Wed 11 - Gary and Daz flew out of Malindi in the afternoon but the crew and I brought the boat back to Shimoni just picking up 2 wahoo, 2 falusi or dorado, 1 kingfish and 1 barracuda. I think that it was a great fun trip, good fishing and great camaraderie so why not give it a try plus now we have learnt a lot from our first trip. Broadbill found only a few sails off Funzi, and they would not come to the baits, so after a while decided to head out to look for marlin or tuna. We saw no marlin, but collected 7 yellowfin, one dorado, one trevally and a couple of kawakawa. The wind kept changing direction and blew out of the West, which is never a good scenario here.

If you are interested in doing a safari please get in touch with us at hemphill@bigame.com and it doesn't have to be a live aboard but you could stay at Peponi and/or Manda or do a combination safari.