The Blue Marlins of Rodriguez

My “big plan” for January 2006

Four exits on Mauritius with the “KESTREL” catching big marlin´s, then to Rodrigues, for three days with the “BELUGA” offshore with Light Tackle and in addition still two days popperfishing at the reef with the “PUTTING” to the arms to hurt off. Afterwards again back on Mauritius and still two days marlin-fishing.

Like always, however everything came differently: The first Mauritius days on the “KESTREL” brought only two, short Marlinstrikes and were it also small fish. After the Mauritiusfrustrations I was full of positive expectations about Rodrigues. But there was another thing..: One calls Rodrigues also “island in the wind”, i.e. the island is famous for extremely strong wind; now in January is also still cyclone time! Already twice I could make bad experiences with this strong wind. I hope my prayers to the God of the seas and the wind will help – I will release also all small billfish, and will ensure that the other fish are up-eaten by humans! We closer us the island, the weather is beautiful and the sea low blue. – I am very good things! My hope here for Rodriguez: Wahoos, Tunas, Dorados and perhaps the one or other sail fish on the “BELUGA”. Perhaps a beautiful GT!?

1. day on the BELUGA:

In the first two hours we try it with 20´ and 30lb-tackle for Wahoo, Dorados, Tunas and other species which are still here. After 2 hours – still no Strike despite calm sea. We troll in 300 meters depth for Marlin over to the edge – as on Mauritius it continues: 50’s, 80’s and 130er equipment + plastics. For our rehabilitation we troll with a 20lb-rod too. Finally the first Strike on the 20’s with the Bonitojig. After about 20 minutes we see a very beautiful Speerfisch of approx.. 70 lb. We tag and realease the fish!

Now bite for bite: first 2 Wahoos on the 50’s and then the first blue Marlin with around 300 lb. After a 20minute fight we can tag and release the fish. After 20 minutes the next blue on the 50lb-rod. A smaller fish. After a short fight we tag and release it too. Afterwards we catch some striped tunas. On the return of the trip then even still two Sailfishstrikes – on plastics. We can´t catch the fish, but a nice experience. What a day today – on the first day nearly a Grand Slam.

2. day on the BELUGA:

Today we drive approximately 30 nautical miles into the northwest on the sea. Again well – up to the afternoon zero contacts; not a bonito, nothing. We change our tackle again, the last two hours we attack inshore; in 40 to 60 meters deep water. We start with Jigging – actually we catch some Snapper around 20 LB. – one delicate-eat!
With the return of the trip we get still another beautiful Wahoo on the 20′ lb rod. That was it – not a straight entry in the “eternal catch book” today. 

3. day on the LEGEND.

We start at 10:00 o´clock on the reef. Today, the popper should bring the success. Tackled with two 300g-popperrods, SHIMANO Stellas 20000, 200lb-dynema-line – it should work … 
The reel is on approx. 20 kg adjusted. The catch quota for large GT’s is to the about the close rock on Rodrigues, and the small depth of water about 1:10. A crew man ejects at the nose, I from the tail – always fully into the surf. The 3. Man steers the boat from the center console parallel to the reef. We start at the external reef – thus with the wave. After 2 hours throwing, still nothing – grind arises and the arms hurts. We make a break and continue trolling with Rapalas. Also nothing, then again the heavy Popper into the breaking waves … After the slogan: “a new place, new hope” we stationed our boat from interior reef and throw the Popper into the waves cracking in the reef: There the water is one to six meters deep and; we see the fish hunting in the waves. It lasted not for a long time and we has the first Strike; a beautiful Barrakuda. After the photo the fish goes again back into the water – Barracudas starting from a certain size are at Rodriguez no longer for the consumption.

Ten minutes later the next Strike, this time a GT of approx.. 70lb. After a five minute-fight on bending and breaking, the 200lb-line scrubs at the razor-sharp reef through – away. In the next half hour we catch three fish between 10 and 20 lb. A large black GT with around 80 lb goes through after the Strike between the corals and tears off – Sh …! The 1:10 ratio become unfortunately again practice. Against four o’clock the official fishing day ends. I want to give myself however still struck. Native Fischer drives against 18 o’clock in his Dinghy again with me to the reef. Against seven o’clock the sun goes down and already 2 GTs between 10 and 15 lb lie in the boat. Today is full moon and so we can fish two hours in the night. The fisher says it´s harmless, but I think he wants to get the fish. We throw our Popper to the external reef directly where the moon reflects – full into the cracking surf inside. On a place we had briefly before a violent doublestrike; is there probably a big swarm? Then the Hammerstrike comes; the native knows immediately what to do – off with full power in the deeper water. After 30 minutes hard fight bends upward the 50 lb Sampo eddies. We estimated the fish on well 90 lb – harm.

4. day, again on the “BELUGA”

We steer the area of the 1. Day on. In the flat water we catch Wahoos, striped Tunas, Dorados and a Barracuda. In the deep water we reequipped again and fish on Marlin. Still no 30 minutes are past and the first Strike comes. 15 minutes later we pull a blue Marlin of approx.. 200 lb in the boat. First we marked the fish and released it again. Unfortunately he could not recover any longer and so we pulled him in the boat. One hour later we catch a further Blue Marlin around 300 lb.

20 minutes later a fish on the Outriggerlure cracks – a big Marlin jumps on the horizon; after 40 minutes fight he comes to the boat; we estimate the Marlin around the 750 lb. I exit the chair and want to get my camera – Skipper Christian comes from above: “No release – incoming goods gaff…”. Keep the Marlin with a rope young at the sword. To find the Gaff on a C&R-boat…not so easy. The Marlin vibrates themselves few times and frees themselves from the loop. The hook is already solved and the Lure in the boat. The fish swims slowly away. For me it´s ok. But, in the trouble we couldn´t make a photo. Three blue Marline + bycatch – I am happy and overjoyed!

I must hurry up, the native Fischer from yesterday already waits. It is already 7 o’clock, easy rain and nearly dark. I can persuade him only with a lot of trouble to exit this evening. During the travel to the external reef now, also (to all evil) a thunderstorm comes to us. Powerful waves break in the darkness in the reef. From time to time the full moon gleams through and the lights ashore we recognize as little points – in so a weather we shuldn´t fish, but…. The waves become more powerful and we are here in our nutshell. In the hecticness we had forgotten also our Harness and the Gaff. Now we regain the good place from yesterday evening. First throw and Strike – during the fight of the 20lb GT, the current takes us out to open waters. The second attempt, immediately the Strike – after it still 6 fish in short consequence, everything so around 15 – 20 lb.

In addition, now the native becomes still more nervously, the situation is not easy: “last cast, please” his reminder. The Popper disappears in the waves -, a violent bite – then nothing more – again – there hangs a large one! After ten minutes we are drifting in the deep water; that looks good. What now, the fish does not fight no more – now short strange pulling and then it feels like a train. With racing speed “strange pulling” tears the line of the Stella. I must close the reel-brake and we both hold the fishing rod – for 30 kg and no Harness and Gimbal. Laboriously I forge ahead to the nose. With the next crusher it strikes me then fully between anchors and sail things! We follow the fish against the high waves – inside in storm, – out to the open ocean. One hour passed, my line is completely outside – I cannot recover only one meter of cord. Now my Skipper does not like no more, it is meanwhile also actually extremely dangerously – the wind, the waves and in addition also without Gaff. I should cut the line – that would be then the first time in my angler lives! We turned again the boat and hope the fish with support of the waves behind us to clean-pull. That succeeds in the first moment and I can win about 50 meters of my line. But, I´ve been too early pleased – now the powerful fish turns and off goes out again stubbornly on the open ocean. I hold the rod with both hands, the rod point toward fish – for Peng. On the return trip silence – we listen only to the powerful crushers around us and are welfare gladly to be finally back again back ashore.

What was it for a fish? We assume that a large GT took the popper, then a great shark took the GT fully. At the end of the Poppers we had installed approx. 1,80m steel. The shark probably ate the GT and couldn´t cut the line with his teeth. How large the fish was – with 30 kg braking force, probably not small. At the night I cannot close an eye, on the one hand the too much adrenalin in the blood on the other hand because of the knee pain. As turned out later, I had splintered myself with the fall in the boat the kneecap.

Last day on the BELUGA:

We drive to the place, where we caught the Marlins. Two short Marlinstrikes in the 250er-klass. Then nevertheless still another big one – after 30 minutes we get the too strongly hurt fish on board. The digital balance stopped with 601 lb.

In the evening we fly back to Mauritius and on the next day directly again on the sea. I caught on the KESTREL some beautiful touched Tuna with the fly rod. Afterwards one day break – Last day, last luck – against noon we have a Strike. After 10 minutes I brought the fish to the boat – it was a Blue Marlin of the 200er-klass, which had unfortunately swallowed the bait too deeply. In the late afternoon then still another Strike on lure – after 15 minutes we released a blue Marlin around 200 lb.

Stephan Kreupl, January 2007