I gotta tell this story, because this is how fishing goes....... sometimes! It's why we do what we do, and come back for more!
3 guys came from Italy. Andrea , Valerio and Julio. They were referred and decided to try Mozambique for the first time.They are essentially poppers and jiggers, and judging by the amount of tackle they brought halfway around the world, one could immediately see they were seasoned, and serious. No pressure on me......
They booked for 10 days, and in the course of our preparation, I mentioned that we should set aside some days for Marlin fishing as it was right in the middle of the Marlin season, being September, October until the end of November. They were here in October. Even though they weren't rigged for Marlin, I had the tackle.
It didn't start off well. Boat engine problems, delays, and few gamefish around, but we persevered. Thankfully they are sea people, and understand that fishing isn't always hunky dory, without a few challenges. Perseverance is key. So, at some stage, I hired another boat, while my mechanic was scrambling around for spares. This boat took on water while we were jigging, so that didn't work, and we abandoned the day. In between bad weather, boats that were giving challenges and fish that were hard to come by, I was under serious pressure to find fish, and save the trip.
We were down to the last few days, so we went all in for a final throw of the dice! We drove 2 hours and went to Tofo. Tofo is an important place, because in the 1969, the all Africa record of 1084 pounds, Black Marlin was caught by SJ Coates from that beach. We were fortunate in that a fellow charter operator, Jakkie, with his boat Master Jack, had a gap and so we could go out and stay at Casa de Mar, his beautiful lodge, right on Tofo beach.
To say that I was at my wits end, would be an understatement. Broken sleep, with me waking up at 3 am, worrying about where are we going to find this fish was every night now.
So we were left with two days fishing, then the plane was leaving back to Italy.
The first of the two days went with no by catch, and no strike, but we did raise a fish, that some of us saw briefly, or did we? Were we just imagining it? , like thirsty people crawling through the desert that sees water, when there isnt? At the end of the days fishing with little to show, once again, I would have understood if they wanted to throw in the towel, and call it a day. We certainly had tried up until that point. I asked the question, not being very hopeful, about the final day and wanted another chance.
The Italians were keen, and said we didn't travel half way around the world to sit by the pool and drink beer, when there is always a chance, if you have a bait in the water. My type of people! That's what we live for, that one fish....
Julio is a fit 63 years old. He is an octopus fisherman, with his own boat. Fished all over the world, and spent thousands of days at sea, caught thousands of fish, but not a Marlin.... yet. In fact none of the three Italians had been on a boat that caught a marlin at this stage, besides spending plenty of days at sea at different places around the world.
At just past 9 o clock we had a brief hookup on the short left line, but it didn't stick. Then at 10 o clock we hooked up on a Blue Marlin, that took a blue/yellow/red (bleeding Dorado) islander in the white water and showed itself. It then took 300m of 130 pound line on a 130 reel before it settled. We fought it for just over an hour, then boated it. It weighed 141 kg, and it fed many people afterwards.
We live for moments like this. Marlin fishing is boring, until you hookup, and then it is the ultimate in fishing. We have the video/ photos/ memories that will live with us until we die. Julio got what he always dreamed of, and I was left with some form of dignity.
That's why I do what I do. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else, and I'm grateful for the times i get to guide and go to sea, and meet like minded people from all walks of life that enjoy fishing. I'll do this until I can't anymore, but I've still got many fish I need to hunt and get. I'm not even close to being done just yet!
Well done guys for sticking it out, and persevering. Now we got to find a bigger one!