Tonga to Fiji and a couple of Marlin (A Gary Blog)

To date we have not had any offshore passage remotely similar to another, and the trip from Tonga to Fiji was no exception.  The highlights (or lowlights) of this trip were not broken autopilots, hand steering, big seas, or forty knots.  This was a fishing trip, and the best one yet. 

About 6 miles off Tonga there are a few FADs or fish aggregation devices anchored in about 1000m (this is not a typo) of water. The purpose is as one would expect – to attract fish. We departed Tonga on a Friday (which is supposed to be bad luck if you are superstitious) at 11:00 with our bananas swinging from the back of our bimini (also bad luck) and set our course for the middle FAD.  Upon arrival at 12:00 we began making passes in the general vicinity of the FAD and around the numerous birds that were working. After 15 minutes we headed for a concentration of birds and up ahead we saw a large dark figure in the water.  I was getting rather excited about the possibility of catching this large animal,  however, my chances were spoit as two yellowfin tuna devoured the lures that we were towing. 

Ordinarily once we hook up,  I reel them in and Kate gets yelled at as the ‘crazy fishing gene’ (present in all males I think) makes an appearance.  This time however, we both had fish to reel in, so we let the boat drift and quickly dispatched our catch to the chilli bin.  

I then set about the clean up while Kate drove Toodles around for another pass.  It does not take long before we have another double hook up and two more yellowfin tuna.  These are released to fight another day.  

Although I could have spent all day there, I resign myself to the fact that we should probably get on our way and think about turning towards Fiji.  Kate points out a whale breaching about a mile away and we are ‘forced’ to go have a look. After a while we lose sight of the playful mammal and reluctantly turn towards Fiji, finally on our way by 12:30.

We had now left what is supposed to be the best place to catch fish, so in my mind expectation of fish has been reduced to a strong hope of fish.  By 13:00, as Kate is cooking up the yellowfin breadcrumbed with tomato and basil (that surpisingly goes really well)  I spot a marlin harassing the lure.  Unfortunately, it goes on its merry way, but the wanton expectation is beginning to set in again.  Lunch is served only to be interuppeted by another double hookup of tuna.  With a blister on her hand, Kate does not permit me to put out a second line and I am forced to only fish with one lure out the back. 

When fishing in New Zealand, it seems that the more unprepared you are, the bigger fish you will catch.  In NZ we are able to bribe a fish on to the line by putting the rod in the rod holder and tempting the fish with making coffee. So hoping to repeat this we hoist the main and jib and beging sailing in ernest, making ourselves more vulnerable to the bigger fish…. and it worked.

At around 14:00 the reel starts losing line, not fast but consistently.  We take the time to stop the boat, me trying to suppress the crazy fishing gene and then I pick the rod up and wind up the drag.  At this point, the fish goes berserk, jumping, thrashing, and tail walking, revealing my first proper marlin hook up.   The rest of the fight was a bit of a blur for me (a symptom of the crazy fishing gene) but we did get it to the boat, grab the leader (apparently that counts as landed) and cut my first marlin free.  It may not have been the biggest, but it counts!

Two days later and approaching Fiji, I convince myself that we needed more fish as we are getting low on fish after eating it for every meal. While Kate was off watch, I sneak out a line, and wait.  It did not take long (10 minutes) and the reel starts running again, this time with even more purpose than two days prior.  Kate is woken by the sound of the reel (and me) screaming.  I pick the rod up and set the drag up hard and the already hard running fish runs even harder.  The fish charges off and thrashes about in the air.  Again it was another marlin hook up, but this time, it was huge.  The marlin pulled 200m of line (half the reel) in one hit and I wondered just how this was going to end.  Unfortunately, it manages to break the main line (I don't think the leader was long enough, but I am sure some marlin catching guru will know how to stop this in the future) and I am left disappointed, but with a big urge to get into game fishing in a big way!

To top off the trip once inside the reef area another marlin takes the lure but spits the hook pretty quickly.  With the score at 1 - 2,  and me having lost two lures, we head into harbour.  The very first chance I get in Savusavu, I rush out and buy new lures with long traces.

Round two, bring it on!