Sao Miguel in the Summer of 2012

Marlin fishing while the weather was all haywire

The objective when planning our angling adventure called “Summer 2012 with Peter and Robert off Sao Miguel” was to participate in the “Marlin Champions League” together with other hobby sea anglers and, if possible, to catch one or two blues and whites. The terms and conditions involved were: Fishing on a 24 foot boat with a single inboard engine; stand-up fish-fighting; helping out on board a necessity and (if available) using your own tackle. Towards the end of 2011 I wrote to my acquaintances and fishing friends; in spite of initial reticence, four teams and an individual angler eventually had the guts to sign up.

At the end of July the first group of three Czech fishing mates set off for the Azores. They were the lucky ones who had the best weather and sea conditions by far! There were also plenty of white marlins around at the end of July until early August.

But the blues failed to show up until the end of their trip but when they did they were decent heavyweights that put the lads through their paces.

But the blues failed to show up until the end of their trip but when they did they were decent heavyweights that put the lads through their paces. I took tremendous pleasure from fishing with the still “unspoiled” friends from Bohemia and Moravia and the evenings we spent together will remain unforgettable! Although the second group had a higher hook-up rate weather conditions simply got worse from day to day.

My Bavarian buddy Helmut deserves a special mention: He had to fight two big marlins in succession. Regrettably he lost the first marlin after a tough battle but he did catch the second one which was a real gut buster. Two such strenuous stand-up fights with heavy tackle deserve my respect for an awesome performance! At the end of August tropical storm “Gordon” swept in and made it impossible to get out fishing for a couple of days.

Thank Poseidon, conditions improved for our third group. However, the rain fronts and an unpredictable swell continued to bug us. They didn’t seem to bother the marlin, though; strenuous battles with big marlins.

And at times our three lads from the Palatinate steeled themselves to hold on in the pouring rain.

At the end of August tropical storm “Gordon” swept in and made it impossible to get out fishing for a couple of days. Apparently, the joint German-Turkish crew had previously signed a pact with the sea and wind god. So it goes without saying that these two lucky ones also caught the most marlins. My Balıkçı Kardeşim Timur went on to catch the biggest marlin of the MEA 2012!

These two had hardly left before the weather again took a turn for the worse and, contrary to all rules of hurricane meteorology, wild “Nadine” set a course for the Azores. Two tropical storms in one summer – even the most elderly inhabitants of the island couldn’t remember this ever happening before.

Nevertheless, my Dutch fishing mate Mark still had a bit of fisherman‘s luck in the midst of this disastrous weather. Although we only got out to sea twice he caught two excellent marlins!

For reasons we were unable to understand one of his marlins died in spite of being brought to the boat swiftly.
To make sure there are no false impressions: Apart from two marlins (that died during the fight) we were able to release all the others!

After 15th September the weather got even worse and to add insult to injury Nadine drew even closer. This was why I prematurely ended my marlin fighting expedition to the Azores on 18th September.

Summary and Insights:

  • Most importantly for me – nobody was seriously injured!
  • Every participant caught at least one marlin; in my estimation none weighed less than 200 kg; I estimate that the heaviest one weighed well over 300 kg.
  • “Fishing as a team” worked a treat with everyone involved!

Nevertheless one recommendation: Anyone wanting to take on larger marlins with stand-up tackle should be physically fit and mentally strong – because at the end of the day he will be close to the limits of his physical and mental capabilities. But! One way or the other – it won’t work unless you have a modicum of practical stand-up experience. With no previous experience the outing is likely to end in chaos and the angler will be in for a nasty surprise which could end up with him in the deep blue!

In my opinion it is feasible to fish for marlin off Sao Miguel in small boats, too. But! Weather, wind and waves have to be ideal otherwise the whole thing becomes a tremendous gamble with little chance of success.

My impressions and experiences as wireman: It is hard to find anything to equal the excitement, thrills and overwhelming emotions of holding and guiding such huge fish by the leader.

However, never forget that when you do this you always have one foot in a watery grave! This is why I would like to reiterate my respect and regard for the crews who earn their livings by doing it year in year out.

Unfortunately, it was not until I got home that I fully realized that at times I had been taking too many risks under such awful weather conditions, or in other words: “I was lucky to get away with it in a small boat!”

As in 2011 our BWF “Big Smoker” and “Grander 1238”“ lure models plus single hook rigs were the most successful systems.

As a worthy conclusion once again my sincere thanks and respect to all the participants – lads, I had a great time with you all!

Robert Rein, Munich, November 2012