Did a 5 day trip to Musandam end September, with my wife Marg and Dave Sharples -
Day 1 - Blow-out in every way.
Day 2 - Still windy but not disastrously so. A few small GT for Dave and me on a variety of poppers (130g GT Mania reliable as ever) until I boat a 33kg GT on a 150g Wahoo stickbait. Marg still waiting for her first GT but fishing really well in her first attempt at popping and she does catch a 12kg King on a 125g Cubera popper.
Day 3 - Marg breaks a rod on her first GT! The fish takes right at the boat and dives, breaking her Shimano Lesath 240GTH first above the reel seat, then at the first joint. We know the fish weighs only 10kg because Marg, with a little help, hand-lines it in - it is after all her first GT!! No problem with the drag setting on the Stella, so down to the rod and the power of Musandam GT. Dave and me get a few small GT before the Kings take over the party. Marg has a good King and a 100g Wahoo eaten by a shark - much laughter from Dave and me (Marg, surprisingly, finds it funny too). Dave has a couple of bite-offs from Kings and the pain of losing favourite lures shows. Marg is using my rod by now, Dave has been persuaded by the skipper to use a big popper on his power stick and I catch a 38kg King on a 125g Wahoo - set up on one of Dave's smaller rods! I am a lucky so and so - I think that's what Dave said.
Day 4 - Marg catches her first GT with rod and line intact. Oceanactive had lent her one of their Smiths Offshore Sticks and she boats a 10kg GT on her Cubera popper - so now I have to buy her the same rod as I use! Dave and me catch a few smaller GT but I do get one of 20kg, again on the 150g Wahoo. Dave and Marg suggest that I stop fishing for the rest of the day and Dave persuades me to hand over my 150g Wahoo.
Day 5 - Hard work and only small GT for Dave and me before I hook into another fish on the 150g Wahoo (yes I've taken it back by now). We all assume I have hooked a massive GT as I rush/get dragged to the back of the boat, crushing my wrist as I keep my precious Offshore Stick clear of the guardrail while falling headlong. I manage to stand up (amidst laughter from Marg and Dave) and prepare to dog it out. There follows a muscle wrenching fight with the fish making full use of the strong current we are fishing. The skipper keeps telling me I am winning but it dosen't feel like it as I stagger round and round the boat, feeling all of my 59 years and sweating and swearing, to the barely controlled glee of my wife and friend. Eventually I get the fish to the surface and it's a ******* shark weighing anything from 150-200 pounds! I repeat the word **** about 5 times and the shark obliges by tearing off on another screaming run down-current. I do get the shark to the surface by the side of the boat one more time before my 200 pound twisted leader gives up the ghost. The skipper tells me it was a fun fight and a great tackle test and maybe it was. But I'm not sure I want to hook a big shark in strong current, on popping gear, in 40 degree heat ever again. On the other hand ...........
All in all we had great fun in tough conditions. And however much pain we felt fishing hard in the heat and humidity we just know we are going to do it all again!
