Well were to start! It has been a long few months during summer waiting for the Khareef (monsoon) to stop blowing in Southern Oman so we can start the season. We ended off the season on a big high with 2 absolute monster GTs of 152cm and 151 cm so we have been polishing the hooks and wondering what we would find after the 5 months summer period were no one can fish the waters around Hallaniyat Islands. But the team has been busy getting our Lodge on Hallaniyat Islands ready for the season along with fitting out 2 x 37ft Center consoles with new canopies, rod holders, servicing engines etc. Finally the weather started breaking towards the end of September and we had high hopes that we could start the season early but this was a teaser and the weather turned sour again and we had to unfortunately cancel our first trip of the season but luckily we had an opening on one of the boats in Northern Oman and the guys fished the Musandam and will be back later this season. But finally the real deal came and the weather started to calm down a bit and we could finally start the season and WOW what a start!! Absolute carnage!
The lodge from across our marina with a fresh paint job. The villa is about 30m from the water.
We now have the first shop, restaurant, laundry and barber on the island next to the lodge
View from the gate
View of the stairs leading to the upper deck
Upstairs terrace where we have meals and relax for lunch and in the evening.
One of the 37ft Center Consoles with new canopy and rod holders.
The team consisted of Wayne De Jager a good friend and ex owner of East Coast Charters in UAE, Trevor Skinner a good friend and client from Dubai that fishes with us often in Musandam and Alex Jordan from the UK who I have been speaking to over the forums, emails and phone for most probably the last 3 years, so it was great t finally meet Alex and get him on one of our trips and lastly but not least Capt Damon who is one of our Captains from the Musandam who will be skippering and guiding in Southern Oman this season.
I met up with Trevor and Alex at our shop in Dubai where Alex picked up his new Carpenter Monster Hunter and a few other bits and pieces. We put the final logistics together and we were all going to meet at the shop at 04.30am the following morning and travel down in convoy. It is one of my favourite things driving through the desert and wide open spaces! The following morning we all met up a little late because of myself and Capt Damon. But after a quick coffee we were on the road and heading for the start of the season. We had a great drive through the desert and stopped along the way for fuel and to stretch our legs along with admiring our surroundings!
Alex and Trev at one of the petrol stops.
Nothing but wide open spaces
We finally after a 10 hour drive came over the escapement and Shuwaymiyah and the blue sea lay in front of us. The sea looked flat and the excitement levels went through the roof. Although it is always a bit misleading as normally the weather and wind start about 8-10 miles offshore were the wind comes around the Hasik Point, but looked a lot better than expected. We arrived in the Marina and Capt Mohammed was waiting for us with one of the boats. I have never seen 3 grown men unpack a car and truck quite so quickly!! But we loaded the gear onto the boat and set of for a 5 day adventure out on the Hallaniyat islands that none of us will forget in a hurry!!
The guys starting to unpack the cars
Leaving the small marina on the way to the island
The guys super excited
Loading the gear
My room looking like a tackle bomb has hit it!
Trev getting ready
Damon and Wayno setting up in the tackle room.
After a restless sleep waiting for the alarm to go off all the guys were up and ready for the start of what was to be an amazing trip. A quick breakie and we headed out as the sun was coming up. We headed for one of the close reefs and were fishing within about 10 minutes. On one of the first casts Alex had a big GT swirl behind his lure but not commit, by this time everyone was shaking with GT fever and the trip had truly started. Wayne then put a long cast out with a Hammerhead Popper and a huge GT climbed out of the water all over the popper and headed straight for the shallow water and after a very short fight reefed him!! "Welcome to Hallaniyat Islands Mr Wayne we hope you enjoy your stay!!" This all happening in the first few minutes! After a few more casts we started getting a lot of smaller blacktip and yellowdot trevally come up and the guys started hooking up and having plenty of chases. Then Wayne hooked up to a decent fish that gave him a bit of trouble and out came a nice AJ on a Halco Rooster Popper!! Great start to the trip all the guys putting fish in the boat in the first hour. Something great to build on!
Team picture at the start before everyone took a beating from the Hallaniyat Monsters. Still looked fresh!
Sunrise on the first day over Hallaniyat Island
Alex bending with the first fish of the trip!
Wayne and Alex bending, double trouble!
Damon leadering a fish
Alex with a blacktip trevally
Wayne with the first AJ on top water for the trip. Really amazing catching AJs on top water!!
Trev bending on the Monster Hunter 80H
Trev with a nice blacktip
Wayne with a yellowdot.
After catching a lot of smaller trevally we decided it was time to carry on the search for the first GT of the season. We headed for the next point and arrived to see nice current, white water and a lot of fusiliers. Perfect conditions. The guys started putting in a few casting and then Wayne put in a cast next to the shallow rock and popped his popper twice and the sea erupted as a black monster came out and smashed his popper! The Race Point 200 almost got ripped out of his hands and after setting the hook the fish took off luckily along the reef and not over it! The fish must have taken close to 100m of line on the first run! We maneuvered the boat out of the shallows and the fight was on trying to keep up the fishes head!! Wayne started working the fish towards the boat but the fish was not coming easy plus giving Wayne a few arm wrenching head shakes! After a good 15 minutes Wayne was in total pain and kept putting on the pressure and finally we got a huge number plate and could see that this was a true monster GT!! Wayne worked the fish up to the surface and Damon and Mohammed landed the fish! The first of the season and an absolute monster of 143cm!!! Everyone in the boat went crazy, no one could quite believe that the first GT of the trip and season was a massive fish well over 50kgs! After a few pictures and many high fives this beauty was put back in the water to terrorise someone else another day! Wayne had his first monster GT after trying for many years with me in Musandam, Seychelles and Maldives so it was an emotional fish for Wayne and why you come to Southern Oman!! Simply put priceless!
The fish putting the hurt on Wayne with Damon looking on.
Feeling the deep burn!! Bending on the RP 200!
Absolute Monster 143cm GT to start the season!
Amazing fish!
After all the excitement of the morning we tried a few more spots but nothing much was happening so we headed back towards the lodge for lunch and to try a few spots close to the marina. We stopped off at one of our points about 2kms from the lodge to give a few casts and Trev on the first drift cast into a shoal of fusiliers and had a big fish come from under his OA Cubera Popper and smash it and head straight back down to the reef. Trevor managed to stop the fish and we slowly pulled the fish out of the shallows and Trev was in for an epic battle. After a great battle Trev got his first big GT to the side of the boat and we landed a great 127cm GT. A great fish and hard fought battle and Trev had his fish he had been looking for the last season in Musamdam and Southern Oman! A few pictures and she was released.
Trev in action on the Monster Hunter 80H
Trev very happy with his first big GT with Damon
Trev vowed not to do the thumbs up thing, but on the first day we already had 2 thumbs up!!
The next drift Alex put out a good cast and on the same spot had a good fish come up and smoke his popper. Alex had been waiting a long time for this GT and we have discussed this for the last few years so it was great to see him hook up and in action. Alex put on the pressure and has a great fighting technique with a wide stance and got the fish to the boat in style on his Race Point 250 custom that he built himself! We landed the fish and Alex had his biggest GT. A few pictures and the fish was released! On the next drift it was Waynes turn again and he hooked into a decent fish that gave him a good tussle. We landed the fish got a few pictures and released. A really great mornings fishing. All the guys had caught their best GTs ever and all before lunch on the first day! We headed back to the lodge for lunch, a shower and a quick cat nap before the afternoon session!
Alex in action on his Custom Race Point 250
Great fish and caught 2kms from the lodge.
Wayno with number 2 for the morning.
Love this picture shows the emotion!!
We headed back to the lodge for a relaxed lunch on the terrace followed by a shower and short afternoon sleep. Really great to have the island lodge up and running properly and been able to fish early morning and late afternoon with a break during the day. We caught most of our fish at sunrise and sunset when the fish start to move into the shallows to feed. We also used the morning and afternoon session to change gear and tactics to give ourselves the best chance at fish from seeing the conditions and changing tactics.
Having lunch on the terrace overlooking the sea. Kareem Ashrafs son is now helping us on the island and showing his Arabian Hospitality!
Wayne having an afternoon sleep before and evening session.
Trev back on the boat for round 2!
For the afternoon session we decided that we had a good morning with the GTs so we would try some jigging on one of the points off the deep side of the island. We headed out to the marks and on the first drop Trev went tight on the way down! After a great battle Trev got his first AJ jigging! For the rest of the afternoon we caught a good few AJs with Alex catching some nice fish on his own custom built Synit. Everyone got their first AJs of the trip which was great and we headed back to the marina at sunset after a fantastic first day!! I think the voltaren tablets were already been used on day 1!!
Capt Damon getting used to skippering in Southern Oman, did a fantastic job and put us on the fish with Mohammed.
Trev bending on his Hots 56XH, great rod for the AJs
Trev with his first fish jigging on a pink Drift Tune 330gr
Alex in action on his conventional gear.
Good first AJ for Alex
Me getting into the action on the Saltywater OBX 500, great rod with plenty of stopping power!
My first AJ of the season on a Blue Drift Tune 330gr
Trev with another AJ
Wayne in action on the OBX500
Waynes first AJ in Southern Oman!
