Fishing in Fujairah—Encounter With a Sailfish

With the annual fishing competition commencing in Fujairah on Friday (26 November 2010), here is a wonderful story to get you inspired by South African expat in the UAE, Chris Brand.

This report illustrates the way fishing can be a fun, family/friendship experience:

“It was 6 o’clock sharp when we left the Fujairah Marina. The fathers on board the fishing boat of Barracuda Dive Centre each had his own expectations of what the day would offer. Sons were chatting excitedly, bragging about how big a fish each would catch. I knew how much fun they would have, but little did I realize what lay in store for me.”

“Very soon we saw shoals of small Tuna breaking the surface and the fun started. First the fathers took their turns in reeling in these little speedsters. Then they stepped aside to give their sons the opportunity of catching their first real fish. When each person on the boat had a fair share of fun, and teaching the young ones that you should only take from the sea what you need, I changed the lures to target the young Dorado which at this time of year seem to flock to the Fujairah waters in vast numbers.”

“Almost immediately the action started. A number of Dorado came from the side and homed in on the lures at great speed. Three of the reels were screaming and excited fathers stepped up to the rods for their first battles of the day. This situation always calls for a little intervention as each fisherman wants to land his fish as soon as possible. I usually ask the most experienced one to leave his fish far out so that we can bring the fish in one by one. If there is the remotest chance of releasing the fish, I do so. Unfortunately some fish are hooked badly and those are the ones we keep for the table. The Dorado kept us busy for the next hour or two, allowing even the youngest son to catch his first one.”

“And then we saw the Sailfish feeding a little distance away. As our lures passed the area where we saw it feeding, one of our reels started squealing. This was my battle. In its first run, the beast peeled off more than half the line and then it started jumping and twisting, trying every trick in the book to get rid of the lure. In awe we watched as it did several tail walks re-entering the water with a huge splash. I have been fishing all my life, but never before was I called to pit all my skills against such a magnificent predator. The Sailfish gyrated, came straight at the boat, just to turn suddenly and run away again in a dual of endurance which it had to lose eventually. We gently took it out of the water with our hands for a few seconds, just to take pictures before we just as gently put it back in the water.”

“That sense of release, that moment when you set a phenomenal fish like this free, is indescribable. To see the great tail fin flick from side to side as if to wave us good bye…”

“I salute you O’ Great Sword Fighter of the open ocean. You put up a valiant fight. May you live for many years and spawn many offspring for future generations.”

Thanks to Chris for this terrific fishing story from the Fujairah waters.

Geoff Pound

This article is also posted on the Fujairah in Focus Facebook Page.

Image: This isn’t a photo of the actual sailfish that Chris hooked but one from the files.