With the Malindi tournament over, the boats do not seem to have made many trips in the last ten days. This is probably due to the lack of fish being caught, as anglers save their money for a period when the billfish, particularly, might become more active!
However the weather stays good and skipper Pete Darnborough in his Alleycat had some good days two weeks ago with very keen clients from Zambia, who ended up with four sailfish as well as mixed bags of smaller fish. This last week, seven-year-old Lochy Murray on this boat caught a nice wahoo and a giant trevally, thrilling for the youngster, while on a couple of other days, two sail were released along with catches of kingfish, wahoo, dorado and smaller bait fish – two marlin were seen but did not strike. The marlin are becoming fewer as the weather has calmed, but Seyyida, had a luckier day catching a black marlin on a Halco lure on the Banks. Halcos are an Australian version of the well-known Rappala lures, a type of lure with clusters of triple hooks not normally associated with catching marlin, but it is surprising how many marlin are raised, and indeed, hooked and landed, with these lures, which are very effective on all species of fish. Tarka has also been out, with a 25kg yellowfin a notable catch, and the odd sailfish has been caught on some of the other boats coming in at Watamu.
At Kilifi, Rossano has continued his success in Katisa with the daytime deep drops for broadbill with Jamie Gaymer landing a 44kg swordfish. Strange to think that fifty years ago, this species was just a myth in East Africa, with no one having landed one on rod and line. Techniques have advanced however and with modern technology in GPS and echo sounders, anything seems possible.
Clueless from Malindi has gone south for a trip to Tanzania, and raised two nice blue marlin on the way this side of Shimoni, fish estimated at about 150 and 200kgs, but no hookups – but it shows the fish are there.
No news this week from Mombasa and south, nor from Malindi either – the charter industry is in serious need of a revival in tourism all along the coast.
