A day away with my son


El Presidente

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  • 5 months later...

I had a fly fishing charter planned with eldest my son Ben (14) yesterday.

We woke at 4:00 am to the sound of rain and a slight breeze which dampened spirits slightly. They certainly dampened mine but to any 14 year old boy getting wet in wildish weather is not even an annoyance.

We hit the water at Mooloolaba with our guide Gavin Platz just after daybreak. The rain was clearing into sqauls and there was a steady 10 knot wind blowing and increasing by the minute. It was goint to be a tough day on fly.

You can't dampen the spirits of Ben.

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The birds don't lie. They feed off the pieces of baitfish that the Tuna schools leave behind. Today the Tuna schools were skittish...get within 100 feet and they disappear ......as do the birds.

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A good long cast with the wind at his back followed by some furious stripping and he was on.

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20 minutes later, first fish for the day and a nice Mac Tuna

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Half hour later and he struck another.

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I picked up a few Mac Tuna as well but by midmorning the wind was howling. Casting into the 20 knot wind on fly was nigh an impossibility but we persevered. We had to work inshore to gain some protection from the headland which limited our range but we began to see some Long Tail Tuna which is the holy grail and the reason for the charter. The Long Tails weren't feeding but travelling at speed and I was luck enough to sight and hit my first at midday 150 metres from the beach. All three of us on board saw size of the fish as it took the fly just below the surface and Gavin estimated it at 30 pounds. 40 minutes later and two kilometres off shore I lost it. I hadn't taken a metre of line off it. I lost my second an hour later.

The increasing gale necessitated that Ben switch to spinning gear and he was rewarded with this cracker of a Long Tail Tuna.

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I persisted with fly and we ignored the Mac Tuna in order to land a Long Tail. Bloody tough work but I managed to get one fly close enough to a passing fish and attract his attention. These things hit like a train and take you right down to your backing. On light gear they are a hoot!

What a great day and one that I know Ben will remember for a long time :-)

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