View Full Version : Fly fits the Bill!
vertico
10-03-2010, 08:02 PM
Trueblue (Mick) asked me out to chase billys off mba and put into practice some new techniques for livebaiting he had learnt from one of the pro's Smithy. Arrive to find the bait and decided to jig liveys. Mick was on first but we think it was like a baby black marlin and dropped it down deep. After a few snip offs from Wahoo I decided to give the PEtackle gear a go and tied on a 6/0 gar Fly. Rigged up a Dead Slimey Bait but still rigged it up just like a livey and positioned it about 40 off the bottom. Moments later we were on and after waiting for like forever Mick said i could turn the drag slowly to strike and hookup as we watched the marlin jumping all over the horizon. A long and strenuous figh took place and eventually after about 45minutes we had the black boatside. We had the bill at the boat plenty of times so maybe Mick needs to invest in that tag pole sooner rather than later :P
We took some photos boatside and then spent the best part of 45 minutes swimming the bill boatside. Things were looking good with the bill seeming to bite a bit on the hand but no action of the tail and after a while Things didnt look good. Im pretty sure the bill had its mouth wrapped with the leader for half the fight and probably didnt help its survival rate.
It was decided after 45 minutes the fish was dead and was brought aboard.
Not happy about my second ever billy not being able to be released but these things happen apparrently and the flesh wasnt wasted.
Thanks again for the trip mick and I look forward to a 1770 trip with yah
Sean
trueblue
10-03-2010, 08:21 PM
Thanks for the company Sean - great day out.
some stats on the first marlin to come boatside to Trueblue......
it went 1.94m short length, with a girth of 95cm - solid fish. 70 odd kilo fish.
It put on a very dogged fight, where we had to drive away from it about 8 times to stop it going deep. We ended up a long way south of the grounds, but the upside to that was finding some really good bait shows while chasing down the fish. Also pretty cool to see a PE Tackle fly catching a billy on a dead bait......
We had about 8 hits today, 3 of them wahoo snip offs. I had a really little billy on for a while and if I had to guess it would have been less that 10 kg's, but somehow it spat the hook.
I enjoyed chasing Seans good fish at the helm just as much as achieving my own first marlin capture a couple of weeks ago.
cheers
Mick
Angla
10-03-2010, 10:19 PM
That is a very good looking fish Sean. Good to hear it didn't go to waste after the capture. Mick certainly agreed that you both put in the effort to revive it.
A little sad you did not pull a Wahoo. Maybe I can get one in the near future
Cheers
Chris
jeffo
11-03-2010, 06:02 AM
Sean- it looks healthy as in that 2nd photo. What happened? to long at the boat?
trueblue
11-03-2010, 07:49 AM
honestly just don't know what happened. We never had it out of the water except lifting its head for a quick photo with the fly, and then got it upright and were swimming it pretty quickly. It had a couple of really soft early bites on the hand when we first started swimming it but the bites stopped quickly and it never had any tail action at all.
It had tied itself in knots earlier in the fight. One time it came up for a jump close enough that we could see the leader was wrapped around its mouth with its mouth closed, and another time it was tail wrapped, but that came free after a while.
just don't understand what happened and why it just gave up. We were both pretty disappointed that it wouldn't revive.
trueblue
11-03-2010, 08:09 AM
probably one comment though that I can chalk up to inexperience was not getting after it quickly enough with the boat. It got a lot of line off us initially, and now I can see exactly what Ian (finding_time) meant by his previous comment about 'driving the boat like you hate it'........
Midnight
11-03-2010, 09:54 AM
Well done on the fish and good onya for trying something a bit different bait wise.
Bit of a bugger it couldn't be revived, but you certainly tried. These things happen. A good mate of mine got one about 70kg in the Trench a month or so ago that did the same thing, they swam it for a good half an hour with no luck. It ended up in the smoker!
Mick,
On the driving there is a happy medium to be found, I go after them as soon as the gear is in, but I have lost 2 fish by being a bit over zealous on the throttle and having the fish turn towards the boat quicker than I could turn or drive the other way and with the slack line that resulted they shook the hooks.
Its all good fun though, and I normally end up driving all day and never have a turn on strike.
I enjoy watching people catch their first one as much, if not more, than catching one myself.
Cheers,
Myles
P.S To catch my first Blue, I really did have to drive the boat as Ian suggested haha was a lot of fun! Good to hear the turbo whistle up when you are chasing a fish!
trueblue
11-03-2010, 10:01 AM
yeah mate, understood. just thinking back through it, there were a few times there where we could have got a lot of line back quicker through a bit more agressive driving. It took us 45 minutes to get it boatside, and obviously if we could have done it in 30 the fish may have survived
experience is what you get after you need it............
cheers
Mick
Thunderbird
11-03-2010, 10:21 AM
looks like a good reason not to buy pe flys 50% mortality rate.
sean the fish probably choked on what is commonly known as a "furrball"
vertico
11-03-2010, 10:32 AM
haha thunderbird. I think it all comes down to inexperience at fighting the fish and not backing down enough. Mick did yah check that drag setting ?
trueblue
11-03-2010, 10:47 AM
yes mate, drag was right.... correct setting when pulling it quickly off the rod tip
billy on mono just isn't the same as skull dragging a red emporer with 80 lb braid on a stella..........
Midnight
11-03-2010, 11:11 AM
Dont be too hard on yourself. The boys have been fighting 80-100kg fish for up to 4 hours at times on 8kg this season, and still had them swim away.
Sometimes they just kark it. When you have caught a hundred in your boat Mick and killed em all, we might start to talk about ya!;D
Cheers,
Myles
vertico
11-03-2010, 01:20 PM
yerh mick but remember i turned it up a bit :P
trueblue
11-03-2010, 01:44 PM
oh well then - one bedded in new drag
jeffo
11-03-2010, 04:38 PM
I gotta say sometimes swimming the fish is not the best option. I too have seen them go down hill after being towed along beside the boat...but also seen very tired fish come good. If they are obviously alive when they first come boat side, get rid of them asap. The 2nd photo of the fish shows it was still well and truely alive at some point.
Dont worry to much if they dont kick off at a million miles an hour. Most of them will just glide off into the depths. I once read some info about a blue marlin that had been tagged with a satilite tag. The fish was nearly dead and they held very little hope for it surviving. Once the tag popped off data showed the fish had sunk for 4-5 mins before righting itself and swimming off. (obviously not the ideal release but a successfull one).
trueblue
11-03-2010, 04:47 PM
I gotta say sometimes swimming the fish is not the best option. I too have seen them go down hill after being towed along beside the boat...but also seen very tired fish come good. If they are obviously alive when they first come boat side, get rid of them asap. The 2nd photo of the fish shows it was still well and truely alive at some point.
Dont worry to much if they dont kick off at a million miles an hour. Most of them will just glide off into the depths. I once read some info about a blue marlin that had been tagged with a satilite tag. The fish was nearly dead and they held very little hope for it surviving. Once the tag popped off data showed the fish had sunk for 4-5 mins before righting itself and swimming off. (obviously not the ideal release but a successfull one).
thanks mate - all a learning exercise
cheers
Mick
Apollo
11-03-2010, 06:35 PM
Good catch and effort fellas. You will get no flack from me about the fish not making it.
Steve
jason p
11-03-2010, 07:28 PM
well done on the catch fellas and too bad about the release but at least you gave it your best, 1 down for experence wich will make you more tunned next time
jp
Salty2
11-03-2010, 09:53 PM
I was out the day before and had the same thing happen with a fish the same size. It was my very first billfish and took me over an hour to bring it anywhere near the boat as I was on my own. It was still jumping about ten minutes before it went deep then just floated up near dead. I too tried for over half an hour to get it kicking but it just went stiff. I went from being pretty stoked about the capture to regretting not cutting it off at the hour mark.
I took it to the Fishery boys who passed it on to Juluin Pepperell to do a dna sample. I also caught a spaniard mackeral at the blinker that looked very sickly on one side so I gave them that too to see what was wrong with it. The black went 193 cm short and about 67kg. It was a very healthy looking fish so I think it must have had a similar thing happen.
I won't do that type of fishing on my own again. I can't believe how sore ever muscle in my body is today. Not to mention the groin - no belt or harness.
Hearing your comments helped me a lot to get a grip on this.
trueblue
11-03-2010, 09:59 PM
Thats what Seans fish did - tail went stiff, and its eyes rolled back into a weird position like rolled back in its head - what blew me away was how fast it just gave up - one minute I'm thinking its going to start chomping and kicking its tail, but then it never did
Midnight
11-03-2010, 10:15 PM
Have you eaten any of it Mick?
How was it?
Cheers,
Myles
trueblue
11-03-2010, 11:04 PM
Have you eaten any of it Mick?
How was it?
Cheers,
Myles
yeah mate - it won't get wasted.
cheers
trueblue
11-03-2010, 11:06 PM
Some photos of sounder shots of bait that we went over while chasing the fish - this was a good mile and a bit away from the grounds
Midnight
11-03-2010, 11:10 PM
I just wondered how it tasted? I have often wondered if they die from exhaustion vs being donged on the head and brain spiked, whether the flesh suffered any deteriation from lactic acid etc.
We didn't knock a slab off the Blue we had that died, so I haven't tried it myself.
I guess the Stripies that the long liners catch would normally be dead, and their flesh is still sought after in Japan for sashimi....
I reckon a small Black should eat ok??
Cheers,
Myles
brisbane_boy
11-03-2010, 11:38 PM
It starts with fish size myles, if you check out what price they go for in the countries that do eat them you will see under 100kg blues are considered a lot better than say a 200kg one, all blues are ratshit to eat compared to stripies. the flesh gets courser the larger they get, a 30kg black is ok to eat but the meat isnt first class by any means, a 70kg one is quiet a grubby feed and i wouldnt look forward to getting through one, if you think it tastes ok the first time round out of excitement by the time you get 20kg through the trunk the excitement is gone, they really arent worth eating compared to say a mackerel or wahoo fresh.
finding_time
11-03-2010, 11:41 PM
Blacks are ok......... i guess but can be a little dry one died on us early in the season and we have had a few meals of it. probably the best way to cook it we've found is in a green curry, it hold togeather well and doesn't sem to be as dry this way! Blue marlin is a little better , and it's not to bad on the BBQ.
ian
MyWay
11-03-2010, 11:47 PM
good going boys bit sad finish but next one will be ok R.I.P BM :'(
MyWay
11-03-2010, 11:48 PM
good going boys bit sad finish but next one will be OK R.I.P BM :'(
jeffo
12-03-2010, 05:55 AM
good sounder shots mick. Were they taken at around the same time? The first 3 shots looks like you have marked a marlin or 2 there. The last 2 shots are dolphins...or you are siting over the top of your hooked fish and lifting him.
trueblue
12-03-2010, 06:33 AM
I just wondered how it tasted? I have often wondered if they die from exhaustion vs being donged on the head and brain spiked, whether the flesh suffered any deteriation from lactic acid etc.
We didn't knock a slab off the Blue we had that died, so I haven't tried it myself.
I guess the Stripies that the long liners catch would normally be dead, and their flesh is still sought after in Japan for sashimi....
I reckon a small Black should eat ok??
Cheers,
Myles
It tasted quite ok to be honest. definitely can not be overcooked or it goes tough. I did it in a marinade of rice wine vinegar, soy, fresh grated ginger, and garlic.
cheers
Mick
Midnight
12-03-2010, 09:02 AM
Jeez Mick, thats a bit gourmet!;D
Thanks for the other replies fellas.
Cheers,
Myles
jeffo
12-03-2010, 05:14 PM
Mick- have you been pointed in the direction of our clubs new website?
www.scgfc.com.au (http://www.scgfc.com.au) incase you havent.
Brooksy
12-03-2010, 05:39 PM
Good points Jeff. If we get a fish boatside and he is a bit doughy but the colour looks OK (not gone dark) we will just let them go. I figure the extra stress of towing them will only add to the problem.
Steve
trueblue
12-03-2010, 05:58 PM
Mick- have you been pointed in the direction of our clubs new website?
www.scgfc.com.au (http://www.scgfc.com.au) incase you havent.
yes mate, have been checking it out
cheers
Mick
vertico
03-12-2010, 07:20 PM
This Gar fly is currently only made in New Zealand by Hotshotz and distributed by PEtackle.
Animal
04-12-2010, 08:36 AM
Hi, congrats on the fish. I picked up on your comment about being sure the drag was right using a set of scales pulling them quickly.
Pulling scales quickly results in the drags being set light, how light depends on how fast you pull the scales. To set your drags, pull the scales at walking pace. The difference is up to 300%.
Also I didn't see where the hook type used was mentioned.
Hope that helps for next time.
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