Mauritius in February 2008

As you surely know, I drive for over 20 years in regular intervals to Mauritius. In the last years one could during 10 exits (on the average with 8 to 10 Marlinstrikes) nevertheless catch two to three Marlin. With a little luck, there was a fish over 500lb in this list. At the reef one could (with still more luck) catch the one or other GT with the popper. Also, the „bycatch“ (Dorado, Tuna and so on) was in good number.

Conditions today:

About 20 boats exit the Marina per day for searching and catching billfish. That´s like former. On a good day in this season, the boats (all together) caught between aprox. 3 to 5 Marlin. Days with up to 15 catches became rare. On one month with approximately 400 boat exits that are 60 caught and weighted Marlin. The piece weight is thereby in the last years unfortunately only between 100 and 150 lb (in former times around 250 lb).

The one or other racket (fish over 500lb) can be caught, of course. I think the cause for the decrease is the risen fishing-pressure from the Longliner and the other occupation-fisher. The natural food for Marlin and CO becomes thereby less or is missing completely. The Longliner fishes meanwhile directly (within the 10 mile border) near the coast in the Big Game district.

And now to the Catch-Report:

Actually Martina and I had booked Kenya; by the unclear safety situation there, we had to transfer at short notice – two weeks on Mauritius was the only still feasible alternative.

20. February – 1. Fishing day on the Esmeralda.

The Esmeralda was called in former times times “Flipper 5”. The names were changed on many boats in the Black River after the owner changed; also these boats received a new painting. The daily charter prices rose thereby partly substantially – a small marketing trick! Nevertheless, the Esmeralda with its 44 foot is top; the fishing tackle is on the newest conditions; with comfortable seat and also laying possibilities on board. Skipper and crew (like at nearly all boats at Black River) are good. The charter price is between 350 and 450€ per day.

After two hours we got a violent Strike on my passionately loved combination – Wide Range Softhead plus upstream Bird. The Marlin dipped immediately off and pulled approx. 400 meters line of my 80’s Tiagra. When the remaining six lures were finite in the boat, was the Marlin away. We estimated the fish between 400 and 500 lb. Apparently the hookcircle had become wedged briefly at the sword. The remaining day we had no more fish contact.

2. Day – Jigging on the Mika.

The 26foot Mika is (normally) very good siutable for jigging and popping. My plan: Jigging in the morning, and with the dide popping in the channels. I booked the Mika from Germany in large expectations for large Dogtooth Tunas and GT´s. The sky was strongly cloudy and it rained in rivers. On my question: “what says the echolot…?” I received the statement: “broken…”. I tried it then still without GPS and echolot – unfortunately without success. We changed our destination for popping to the great reef. Big waves and clear water, good conditions. But, unfortunately, the captain was frightened and so we couldn´t drive near the good spots. After the third, successless try I don´t wanted another one. After that, we caught in the deep water a nice bonito and rigged it (like Mauritius spezial) for marlin. Unfortunately we hadn´t heavy tackle on board, so we tried it with my jigging-rod. Also, no Downrigger as well as other tackle was on board. After about 20 Minutes, a Wahoo snatched the half of the bonito and so we finished. Despite the premature end, I had to pay the full charter price (EUR 320,-). I cancelled the remainder of the booked exits – or probably it was a Touricase? For further exits then no Mauritius Jigging professional was to be found locally. Maybe it was better so.

3. Day

Cyclon-Warning – Fishing impossible

4. Day – again on the Esmeralda.

Today we hadn´t any Strike in 9 hours. A big Dorado took my Blue Caviator, unbelievable. At the evening weh ad a lot of Sashimi.

5. Day

Today I tried it with my Mauritius-friend Dan popping. We fished in ten channels in the south. With 350 throws (my System: long cast = big fish) we got only one strike – a little GT, I released the fish after the photo. On this day we had nearly no wind, but, unfortunately „green Water“ – not good conditions for popping.

6. day

Stormy sea and high waves, we fished from the Esmeralda. Against noon we caught a beautiful Yellowfin (160 lb.) on the 80’s and Robertos specialcoloured Ilander express. That was the only Strike on this day.

11. day

… and the last fishing-day on the Kestrel. Today we exit in north direction. Between Tamarin and Port Louis we had to cross approximately 20 kilometers the buoys and lines of a Longliners (only 10 km near the coast!) – a sad feeling for a fishing romantic like me.

Nevertheless we could find a larger Skipjack swarm. Here we caught 12 smaller and three larger fish. The joy of the crew was then still more, when in the swarm a small Marlin took my softhead. I wanted to release the small fish – meanwhile no problem on Mauritius- but he was (unfortunately) hurted very hard on his eye, so we had to take him with us. The crew was happy, it was finally only the fifth Marlin since the beginning of January (with altogether 22 Marlin Strikes).

Summary:

After this vacation, unfortunately I can´t fall a positive judgement over this, for me for nearly three decades on my heart grownisland. During my stay (two weeks) three large fish between 600 and 700lb and five fishes between 300 to 400 could be catched. In addition still a few smaller fish between 100 to 200 lb.

The Native owners and captains want to learn Jigging and Popping from the guests?! Well, I don´t want to teach! And it seems, that they want to save the money for GPS and Echolot. Oh, but you have to pay more (between 350 and 400 EUR) fort hat „service“.

For me as Marlinangler (ok, maybe I´m delicated from other destinations) the „lure-pulling“ makes no fun – and the masses of tourists are horrible.