This year has seen a very good run of marlin in the Rips, and although fish may not have been as plentiful as in some of the best previous years, there have been more big ones than usual, satisfying for keen anglers.
The day after the successful Friends of Kenya Tournament ended, Alleycat weighed in a blue marlin of 286.5kg for Tom Cunningham, his third big fish on his holiday, while Instedda had a black marlin of 160kgs with angler Marco Soldini and Tega an excellent day with two blue and one striped marlin. The same day both Unreel and White Dove had striped marlin, and the following day saw White Bear with a blue marlin and two sail, and both Tega and Kipapa with striped marlin, so no respite in the fishing.
On Saturday, Seastorm was the leading boat with a blue marlin estimated at 150kgs and two striped marlin and a sail, all released, a grand slam for anglers Andries Nicolaas and Larry Stals, while Alleycat had a stripey and four sail, Seahorse had a stripey and Tega continued their good run with a black marlin.
Instedda released a bullshark of about 150kgs to make a change from all the marlin on Sunday, and Tarka had a black marlin of 150kgs, and another smaller one as well as a striped marlin and four other boats came in with stripey flags, amazing fishing indeed.
Sand Dollar caught a blue marlin of 156kgs, which was hooked in the gills and dead at the boat, but the overseas angler was thrilled to take a mass of pictures to show his friends when he leaves, and boost the fishing in Kenya. The same day Tarka weighed a black marlin of 132kgs, and this was the first day of the annual Penn Challenge, which features fifteen teams of anglers from Holland fishing for four days, with an off day on Wednesday.
Monday was a quieter day for the Penn boats, with a stripey for angler Jan Tomassen in Ol Jogi and three sail on White Bear, but the next day saw fantastic fishing with no less than ten of the tournament boats coming home with marlin flags! Little Toot angler Richard Jack tagged a blue marlin of 160kgs, with Jan Thomassen again lucky with a blue marlin of 150kgs on Tega, while Seastorm had a blue estimated at 145kgs as well as two sail and B’s Nest weighed a black marlin of 145kgs for angler Kebs de Groot. Unreel flew both a blue and a striped marlin flag, Neptune had a stripey and three sail and the other boats had either a stripey or a blue as well as sailfish – while Clueless and Tarka, not in the tournament also had blue marlin so a dozen boats with marlin in a day – incredible fishing!
With two days left of the Penn tournament it looks as if this amazing fishing should continue.
