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Nick Bowles

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Re: Socotra Island Yemen - The Last Frontier
October 24, 2012, 05:34:53 PM
I think Sami you getting to the stage now that if you stop fishing you can take up photography professionally! Got some awesome pics from this trip with your gear!!

Dafin Dafin Dafin! Nice one Barry! Put a big smile on my face!! Good memories!

Nick Bowles

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Re: Socotra Island Yemen - The Last Frontier
October 24, 2012, 06:26:01 PM

Taking a pit stop along the way to our camp

Big sand dunes running into the sea

Freshwater streams running into the sea

We turned off the dirt track onto a sand track and around the last bend and in front of us lay our tented home for the next few days. Pure paradise! We arrived and got a royal welcome with white tents, people carrying our bags, sweet tea being offered etc. But this was quick lived as the guides and captains wanted to get out and fish, we came to realize that the captains are as eager as us to get out on the water and show us the spots and legendary GTs of Socotra.


Barry at the camp with our posse

Awesome tents

Luke with his sail caught on a Gamma 160

We did a few more drifts and decided to head out and do a bit of exploring and jigging to let the GT area rest a bit. We headed out and tried a few good looking spots with current lines and up wellings, but quite difficult with no depth finder. We had a few hits but nothing to serious. Barry and Luke were out a bit wider and they found a FAD which was made up of old nets, floats etc. They arrived and had a huge number of fish around the boat. Barry got a small wahoo on jig plus dorado and had another sail around the boat. The fishing was red hot for a while and then slowly calmed down!!

We moved back into the GT area to do one last quick session before heading for lunch. We got back in position and did another drift down the back of the current and virtually in the same place with the same lure I had another if not same GT come up and hit the lure, again I missed the fish!! By this time I was starting to doubt my own skill to some extent! New place and not been able to hook up fish! The current had died down a bit so we set up a drift at the top of the current to drift over the shallow reef, I changed to a Gamma 200 and on the first drift put in a cas into some green breaking water and on the third twitch had a big dark shape come from the rock and smash my lure but again missed, I put the rod flat and started to wind like a wild man, the fish turned and gave chase and totally inhaled the Gamma 200! I hit the fish several times and hooked the fish and finally had a connection. We were shouting to move the boat but the new captain was not to familiar with what to do so it was a bit of a training on the job process but he quickly got the idea of what we wanted and watched our hand signals and we managed to get a great fish to the boat! A few pictures and the fish was released! Much happier, the GT mojo was back! We headed back to the camp to have lunch and a relax before the afternoon session.


Fighting the fish on the small boats you have to sometimes jump around a bit, standing on the bench trying to get angle

Big girl coming to the boat

Awesome GT on the Gamma

Back at the camp we were greeted by one of the best lunches I have ever had. We arrived and sat down under the awning of one of our tents and Dar the cook brought out some massive rock lobster for lunch with rice and local bread. Lour eyes almost fell out of our heads. Awesome! The lobster were flatted with sweet tea to round of an excellent morning. Sitting on the beach one of the local fisherman came walking along with some huge painted lobster, one must have weighed 5kgs!


Lobster lunch!

One of my favorite pictures of the trip, local fisherman with some lobster he caught by hand!

A Change of clothes and we got back on the boats to head out for the afternoon session. We arrived back at the shallow reef and were greeted by a pumping current. Fishing the current with standing waves and breaking water was a bit of a challenge in a small boat with a 40hp engine, this is true fishing with adverse danger everywhere! Felt like a scene out of the Bearing Sea with relation to boat sizes!


Sami giving his endorsement that this is a fine fishing boat!! I think Sami would fish off drift wood!

Luke was starting to hit his stride with the fishing and hook into a god fish on the first drift. Great to see the action from the second boat, the fish was giving him a good work out and the guys drifted down the current with Luke pouring on all the pressure possible. Luke got a good fish to the boat and got a few pictures and released the fish!


Luke in action leaning on his fish!

Luke with a good GT on the Gamma 160

We set up for another drift and we had now worked out the drifts and were the fish were holding and next Sami got a good hit and set the hooks using a Craft Bait Popper and the RP200. We started to pull the fish out and although we could see it was not a massive fish with the 5-6 knot current ripping one way and the boat pulling out the opposite direction the fish pulled off a lot of line but Sami slowed the fish and worked it back to the boat and landed a good fish in the conditions.


Sami with his fighting pose!

Good fish in the current on a Craft Bait!

We did a couple more drifts and then we were fishing were I had the 2 hits earlier in the day and as luck would have it I had a big fish come up and hit the Hammerhead popper on the top of a wave and miss and then disappear then about 10m later he came up like a steam train and hit the popper from straight under the lure and bang I hooked the fish finally! We could see it was a good fish and we moved the boat out across the current and got the fish under control quite quickly using the Wild Violence 80XH, beast of a rod!! We got the fish under the boat and then the fight really started, we had no angle on the fish and she would not budge from under the boat not matter what we did with the boat or rod, so there were a few choice words coming out my mouth and it had nothing to do with the great scenery! I put all my weight behind the rod and finally the fish circled out and came to the surface a great 136cm fish! A few good pictures and as I was about to release the fish she started to kick in my arms and I had a second battle with her trying to stand up and get her back into the water! By the time she was back in the water I felt like I had just been in a proper battle! Great day with a good fish at sunset!


Getting dragged around the boat at sunset!

Awesome 136cm fish on a Hammerhead G Cup

After a battle with the GT in the water was a battle to stand up with her to release, shouting match with the fish but got her under control and released!

We headed back to camp as it was getting dark and arrived at last light on our beach. We stepped off the boat and straight into our camp with limited fuss! We had a good fresh water shower set up and after a quick shower had our second lobster meal for the day! Could not ask for anything more from a near perfect day from weather to fishing to meals and company! This is why we fish for those rare days when everything falls into place, it is not always about catching loads of fish but just the setting and experience!


Awesome lobster dinner

Luke and the monster lobster

Only time I have seen Sami concentrate more is trying to hook a locked jawed bluefin!!

The tempo was now starting to pick up as we started to understand the fishing area and worked out how to land these big fish in shallow water with big current so Day 4-6 will follow with some epci fishing! Hit it!!
Last Edit: October 24, 2012, 08:43:30 PM by Nick Bowles

Peter Olesen

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Re: Socotra Island Yemen - The Last Frontier
October 24, 2012, 06:30:59 PM
Hi Nick
If there is no luck regarding the parasites and your friends in SA, send some pictures for me. My other half is a parasitologist, and would be very interested to help. peter.ole[a]gmail.com

Regards

"If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter." Mark Twain

Trevor Skinner

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Re: Socotra Island Yemen - The Last Frontier
October 24, 2012, 06:58:30 PM
Nick,

What an adventure!

I was thinking about that picture of you having trouble trying to release that fish.

You know how dog owners start to look like their dogs?...........................


Regards,


Trevor

P.S You're not holding that fish right. Left hand should be around the tail wrist, right hand out of the way..not obscuring the shot. Sit forward, knees up... bloody glove as well....... poor form really
Last Edit: October 24, 2012, 07:04:19 PM by Trevor Skinner

Andy Rowe

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Re: Socotra Island Yemen - The Last Frontier
October 24, 2012, 07:09:05 PM
This part of the Indian ocean is truly a unique GT and everything else fishery. Well done Nic and team.
Set the ray to GeeT

Matt Born

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Re: Socotra Island Yemen - The Last Frontier
October 24, 2012, 07:26:31 PM
well when you're old and unable to fish - you'll have to go into writing.... this is awesome!!

and Trevor is Bang on... just need to get a couple more 'wisdom' streaks in your hair and you'll look like your favourite 'pet'...
hahahaha


Alex Jordan

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Re: Socotra Island Yemen - The Last Frontier
October 24, 2012, 08:36:16 PM
Awesome pics - makes me wish I was there!

No gloves!!!!?!?1 tsk!
(spot on Trevor!)

Great report Nick - keep it coming!!!

Luke Wyrsta

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Re: Socotra Island Yemen - The Last Frontier
October 24, 2012, 09:32:30 PM
Sami: "I endorse this boat"!!!!!!! Hahah

Nick Bowles

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Re: Socotra Island Yemen - The Last Frontier
October 24, 2012, 09:52:40 PM
Hi Peter, Thats great, thanks, I'll send them across in high res maybe be able to get a close look, very interested in seeing what it is.

Hi Trev, Was a good time! Wish I had a pet GT!! It is good to see that all the shouting and training paid off but a good case of do what I say not what I do.......... ;D

Hi Andy, totally agree, there is still a lot of water unexplored. It is good to now that there are still places waiting to be fished!

Hi Matt! Hope the day wont come for a long time............Been putting down stories and funny events from our operation for the last few years so hopefully one day can put a few short stories together! Most involve FC........blowing up engines, picking up local woman claiming to be under cover agents, people driving their cars through our wall in Musandam, wheels coming off trailers and of course the time he poisoned himself with under cooked chicken and caught his first big GT hanging over the side of the boat throwing up! Plus a few fishing stories.... But I've been chasing Luke, Sami and Barry for their sides of the stories so good to get perspectives from 3 other guys making the story a bit better!

Got the white steaks starting to happen!

Hi Alex, will talk next time we meet! Going to keep you and Trev apart I see a mutiny starting!


Nick Bowles

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Re: Socotra Island Yemen - The Last Frontier
October 24, 2012, 09:54:27 PM
Luke, was checking out the pictures and totally forgot about this one! Had a good laugh!

Charles Cintron

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Re: Socotra Island Yemen - The Last Frontier
October 25, 2012, 10:10:03 AM
I keep checking back to read the rest of it ;D What an expedition! kind of inspires me to find new grounds. Those tents look like they came out of a movie set, please tell me theres a DVD coming out showing this trip, hahaha!
GT FIGHT CLUB

Sami Ghandour

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Re: Socotra Island Yemen - The Last Frontier
October 25, 2012, 11:14:53 AM
I keep checking back to read the rest of it ;D What an expedition! kind of inspires me to find new grounds. Those tents look like they came out of a movie set, please tell me theres a DVD coming out showing this trip, hahaha!

Hey Charles,

Hope you are well, can't agree more with you on the tents, you are absolutely right they felt as if we are exploring Africa in the 18th century for a second :)
Will have the DVD ready in another month or so :)

Nick Bowles

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Re: Socotra Island Yemen - The Last Frontier
October 25, 2012, 04:32:27 PM
The tents were awesome felt like David Livingston exploring Africa or Socotra! But best part was I got to share the tent with Sami!! Hey big guy!!

Charles when you coming to visit??

Nick Bowles

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Re: Socotra Island Yemen - The Last Frontier
October 25, 2012, 05:09:16 PM
Day 4

By now we had settled into our new camp home and had caught some good fish so anything extra was a bonus. I was really enjoying that this was not on an exploratory trip but a holiday and we took things a bit easier and enjoyed ourselves and the company of the group and guys helping us. We woke up after a somewhat disturbed night with massive ghost crabs trying to break into our tent, but they did succeed with Luke and Barrys tent and the guys got woken up in the middle of the night with a crab crawling over them!! Can imagine quite a fright and hell of a funny story!!

We enjoyed our morning coffee as the sun was coming up over the horizon followed by a quick swim in the sea to wake us up and then it was back on the boats heading out for the GT area. We had found that most of the GT bite was in the afternoon when the current was pushing hardest, so the plan was only to fish a few drifts for the GTs and then head out to do a bit of jigging and try find some deep water beasts.


Packing the boats in the morning in the small shorebreak always causes a bit of fun!

Heading out

We arrived at the same time at the GT area and before we could even get our rods out Luke was into the first GT. This was going to be named Luke Day! He started off early on fire and ended it like a raging fire!! Luke made short work of the first GT as it was a small fish as a loosener for the morning. After a couple of pics the fish was released. I had a big fish come up and look at the lure but not commit. We moved inshore to some ship wrecks to try a new area with lots of baitfish and looked really great but did not find any GTs but Barry and Luke found a nice shallow area with structure and current and managed to catch some nice Bluefin! Awesome to add to the species list! With the current dying off totally we headed out for the deeper water.


Luke with a loosener in the morning!

Barry with a nice bluefin on a FCL

Luke asking the bluefin where his grandparents are???

Now jigging 350gr jigs after throwing poppers and stickbaits for 4 days is something that hurts a bit! But after a few moans and groans we got into the jigging. We moved around the place testing depths with our lines and had a couple of hits and then I had a massive hit that cut through double 700lbs Kevlar cord! After a few more drifts we moved back towards our camp to an area where there are troughs and peaks. Quite amazing you will be fishing in 60m of water and drifting towards the shore about 1km away and then on your next drop you cannot hit the bottom or it will be 200m deep. With proper equipment I think you would find some big monsters!

Barry and Luke found a nice ledge which the captain with no electronics put them right on the top! On the first drop Barry had a big hit and was into a good fish, after a great fight Barry brought a nice AJ to the surface, very happy with the fish after fishing for them in Fujiarah for practice for the last few months!!


Barry with his AJ

We did one last drift in front of the camp and Sami had a good hit and landed his biggest jobfish of the trip. He was fast becoming the Jobfish King! By mid morning all the current had died down and the fishing was slow so we decided to head back to camp and enjoy a long swim, lunch and afternoon swim to get ready for the afternoon session!


Sami bending on the OBX500

Bus Jobie

The afternoon session would be one of our best session of the trip. We got onto the GT spot and the current was ripping and there were standing waves as the current was running one direction and the wind blowing in the opposite direction. I took a look at this and initially thought the current was to strong and from passed experience that the GTs would hang off the side of a really strong current but I was very wrong and as we arrived again Lucky Luke let rip with a cast and was straight into a fish. For most of the afternoon evertime we looked over Luke was into another fish! I really thought he was becoming a commercial GT fisherman with the number of fish he was hooking!! It was great to watch and a few of the fish the guys pulled the fish out far into open water and the battles took a very long time and we later came to find out that 2 of these beasts were hooked badly with back hook in the mouth and front hook in the side, really great fishing to be able to get these big fish to the boat in this current!! Great fishing!


Heading out of the bay for the afternoon session

Luke ended up with 5 GT for the afternoon session with several other fish raised plus one in the morning for a total of 6 for the day which in Socotra is no easy feat! Luke was using a Gamma 160 Blue, and FCL Labo 81 EXT which made it even more impressive as it is a PE8 rod!


Luke bending after pulling the fish out into calmer water

Luke bending and getting some help to stay in the boat!

One of the many!

Bus GT!!

Black mamma! Hard to pull this fish sideways in a strong current! Great skills!

And Luke continued to put fish late into the evening.......

On our boat Sami also found a bit of a winning streak and hooked into several fish landing 4 big fish and using a few new techniques to land the fish to try and get leverage. We also had a double hook up and got both fish to the boat. Sami hooked into a monster that we could not stop, even with the RP300, 130lbs Power Pro hollow and Stella 18k the fish almost stripped off half the spool in no time and pulled the line into the spool. I felt the spool afterwards along with the drag and it was rock hard not sure how it even got the line to cut into the spool! Some fish are just not supposed to be stopped and give us fuel for telling some good stories f the one that got away! But Sami got his revenge and caught several great fish on a range of lures from the Siren to Craft baits.


Sami and myself bending on a double

Sami fighting on the RP300, max pressure!

Big fat mamma!

Another great fish

Sami putting all his effort in!

Awesome fish on Samis favourite Siren, fusilier colour!

With low gunnels Sami found a new way to put max pressure and get the fish out of the current, Sami always pushing the boundries!

Old bucket mouth! Caught on a Craft Bait Black GT3

I managed to sneak in the back door and hooked and landed three good fish and my first decent fish on the Siren Bad Mon. Sami and I have hooked so many big GTs on the Siren Bad Mon but always managed to loose the fish for some reason so was great for both of us to hook and land big fish!


Bending on the WV80XH

Another nice black GT caught on a Hammerhead G Cup

Awesome strong rod gave me a good work out!

Great GT and the second decent fish of the day on Sirens

Finally the sun strated to dip behind the mountains and it was an end to a great day cruising back with sore muscles and a lot of big fish landed in tough conditions, we had finally worked out Socotra properly and ended the day with 12 GTs which with the small boats and strong currents I thought was a great achievement that we all enjoyed and made our trip a success and all of the planning and stressing worth it and we still had 2 days to go!


Sunset on the beach with the rods stacked in the rod rack ready for action!

The last 2 days to follow!

Trevor Skinner

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Re: Socotra Island Yemen - The Last Frontier
October 25, 2012, 05:32:55 PM
Absolutely breathtaking guys. What a trip!

It's about the fishing but it's also about the experience.

Regards,


Trevor


PS Nick, notice I did not mention one word about Barry and crabs. Must be getting some self control in my old age (finally)   
Last Edit: October 25, 2012, 05:35:19 PM by Trevor Skinner