News courtesy of David Slater – 08/04/2010 – Fishing slows as south wind blows
In the last few days the south wind, the kusi, has started to blow in earnest, and it looks as if it will stay that way now, as we are already into April which is late for the change. This is usually the signal for the migratory billfish to move on in their annual migration and we can expect catches of sailfish and marlin to decrease, especially far offshore in the Rips, although one can expect black marlin to be found around the Watamu Banks and off Malindi for a while.
Anglers are also in short supply and the boats have not been out much in the last week, although there were some good days at the beginning of the period. Thursday a week ago we saw Unreel coming in with tag and release flags for a blue marlin of around 120 kgs, three striped marlin and a sailfish, plus one stripey that was bleeding badly and had to be boated. A grand slam for Andy Manfield and what a good day, as they raised eleven marlin in total so the boat was really running hot for skipper Rob Hellier. The previous day Bamara had tagged two striped marlin with Dickie Evans, as well as a good haul of bottom fish, and two days later the same boat tagged a sail, and caught eight yellowfin totalling 170 kgs, so some hard work there for the anglers.
With the south wind blowing it can get uncomfortably rough in the afternoons, so half days can be the norm and Seastorm with Frederick van Zyl and son William had a sail and a wahoo in a morning trip.
Down in the Pemba Channel, Kamara II returned after a run up north in which Ray Matiba joined Simon Hemphill fishing the Friends of Kenya tournament. A group from Botswana fished in three boats and found lots of sailfish but had a problem hooking these – predictable when boats are targeting marlin as the fishing methods are different and the lures suitable for marlin often not conducive to hooking up with sailfish. White Otter finished the first day with a blue and a striped marlin, Broadbill had three sailfish and Kamara had a good story when the anglers by mistake knocked the drag lever off with a very big marlin leaping away across the ocean, resulting in the ‘long line release’- one hopes the fish was able to shake the hook and add to the welter of expensive lures which must litter the ocean floor in these fishing areas!
There are not a lot of private boats running these days, but Minerva at Kilifi is one of them, and Anne Taylor had a most thrilling day when after releasing a sail and missing three marlin strikes, a really big marlin nailed a lure on a 24kg line Twice it was almost at the boat and was seen to be a really huge fish, but after two hours the line parted – but what a fun experience and a day to never forget!
