On a recent boat outing in Co Kerry, pioneering tuna skipper Derek Noble and friends enjoyed three days of fantastic game angling. Their catch of 35 tuna included a new Irish and European record (when ratified). In fact, at 29kg this magnificent fish fell short of a world record by just 5.5kg.
His log book account of events speaks volumes for the wonderful fishing available on our own doorstep and raises a question about whether it is really necessary to travel to exotic locations to experience top-class game angling?
"Wednesday 3am. Fired up the twin engines of our sports fisher Morna Joan and left Caherciveen Marina. On board were sea trout enthusiast Henry Macaulay, his son Barry and local charter skipper Adrian Hanley. We steamed in a southwest direction for four hours and began trolling with four Penn International 12lb class rods and 12lt reels loaded with 20lb International Game Fish Association (Igfa) line.
"At 7.50am, two reels start screaming! Henry takes one rod and Adrian the other. Ten minutes later Adrian's fish was lost - the hook pulled. Thirty minutes passed and still no sign of Henry's fish. I thought we might have hooked a small bluefin that sometimes travel with the albacore. Henry, who had never fished tuna before, played the fish with great skill.
"After an epic 45-minute battle, we saw colour and yes it was an albacore. I grabbed the leader and heaved the tuna through the transom door. What a fish! I guessed the weight at 30kg, and immediately knew we had smashed the Irish record held by Alan Glanville of Dunmore East with his fish of 16.6kg.
"We continued fishing until 6pm, before heading for home with nine albacore tuna. On weighing the fish the following day on two certified scales, Henry had indeed set a new Irish and European record at just over 29kg. It will take 60 days before the Igfa ratify the record, as strict rules must be adhered to, including line testing. The previous record was set in the Canary Islands in 1977.
"Saturday 3am. Departed Caherciveen with Hugh Mannix and his son Ian, Henry Macaulay and my nine-year-old son Elliot. Trolling commenced at 7am. At 8am, portside reel screams and Ian lands his first albacore, a super fish of 10.5kg. Later in the day he adds a specimen of 14.5kg and 30 minutes later a double hit of 12kg and 11kg. By midday we accounted for 10 fish!"
Double and treble strikes are common when trolling for albacore, according to Noble. The secret is to keep the boat moving when a strike occurs.
"My son Elliot," he continues, "was suffering terribly with seasickness, and helped to play out a couple of fish but he wanted to land one himself. At 2.30pm, a treble strike and Elliot grabbed one of the rods. I looked on proudly as he battled with the fish. Ten minutes later one tired boy landed his first tuna of 6.5kg. By 4pm we had 18 albacore. Mannix, who has fished extensively all over the world, said he never experienced fishing like it.
"With the weather about to break, we set out the following Wednesday for what I knew to be our last trip of the season. Two hours elapsed before our first strike, a good fish of 9kg. We started trolling south and waited 5½ hours before a double hit, each of 11kg. Five minutes later another double strike, this time much smaller fish of 3kg and 3.5kg. We headed home at 7pm with nine tuna.
"Three days fishing out of Caherciveen had produced 35 albacore, an Irish record and, soon to be ratified, European record. Believe me, it doesn't get any better," Noble concludes.
The Central Fisheries Board (CFB) intends offering for licence fishing rights for the 2008 season attaching to a number of fisheries located throughout the state. An advertisement is scheduled to appear in The Irish Times today with details of the tender process.
The board draw particular attention to anyone for a fishery licence that the minister for the marine may introduce regulations and/or bylaws that would close down certain rivers for salmon angling or introduce a compulsory catch and release regime on certain rivers.
Particulars of fishing rights and conditions of tender may be obtained from CFB, Unit 4, Swords Business Campus, Co Dublin, or visit www.cfb.ie. Closing date for applications is October 15th, 2007.
Castlebar Anglers Association is holding an end-of-season fly-fishing competition for the Jackson Cup and Prendergast Cup this Sunday (October 7th) on Lough Conn. Registration begins at 9.30am until 10.30am, and weigh-in is at 6.30 pm, both at Healy's Hotel, Pontoon, Co Mayo, followed by refreshments and prizes. Entry is €20 (juniors €5) and own boating arrangements are a prerequisite.