Inaugural Fujairah Fishing Classic is Al Luring

Alluring Competition
Several boats are out today for the second of the three day inaugural Fujairah Fishing Classic, joined with some people fishing in kayaks.

The posters plastered around the city by organizer, Bruce Fennessey, adopt a play on some Arabic and fishing lingo when declaring that the competition is ‘Al Luring’.

Alluringly Tasty
Yesterday at the Harbour Club restaurant (located at the Fujairah International Marine Club), while waiting for the competitors to bring in their catch, I ordered this Fish Burger (pictured). This was fresh Fujairah fish called dorado (also mahi-mahi, dolphin fish). Absolutely delicious and it tastes better knowing it is so fresh.

Dorado (photo courtesy of Wikipedia).

Alluring Hospitality
The night before the competition I accepted the invitation to dinner from Raed Dabbous. He owns the Harbour Club Restaurant and to say he is a fishing fanatic is an understatement.

Raed had been out fishing earlier in the day (getting some practice for the Fishing Classic) and had pulled in some mahi-mahi and yellow-fin tuna. The chef cooked the fish in a spicy cachun style and it was served only a few hours after they had been swimming in the water. Ample servings and so tasty.

When the menu at the Harbour Club says ‘Fish of the Day’ there’s a good chance that the fish that is served on your plate has been caught on the very same day.

Alluring Catch

This is Raed or one of his team bringing a handsome fish into the boat (photo courtesy of Raed’s Facebook page).

Alluring Concepts
Tournament director, Bruce Fennessey, has established the rules of the Fujairah Fishing Classic.

Rather than ‘bottom fishing’ where you sit in a boat and let your line and hooks go to the bottom, this competition is about trawling where the boats move along and fish are attracted by the lure.

The eligible species for this competition are yellowfin tuna (and others associated with this family like bonito), dorado (mahi-mahi), trevally, kingfish and rainbow runners.

Bruce said they are focusing on the theme of sustainability. This is not a ‘catch and kill’ tournament for most fishing regions of the world are plagued with overfishing. Specifically they have set bag limits and quotas per boat. Only four tuna can be caught per boat each day and three of every other species.

The biggest fish caught on the first day of the event was an 8.5 kg kingfish pulled in by the Dibba-based team, ‘Team Bite Me’.

On Related Sites
See the Textile and Spice Souks of Dubai UAE, Experiencing the Emirates, 12 October 2009.

BMW Oracle Objection to RAK More About Light Winds than Iranian Dangers, America’s Cup in the UAE, 14 October 2009.

Fly to and From Fujairah by Seawings Seaplane, Fujairah in Focus, 11 October 2009.

Dr Geoff Pound

Geoff can be contacted by email at geoffpound(at)gmail.com on Facebook and Twitter.

Image: Fresh mahimahi served with Cajun spices at the Fujairah Harbour Club.