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Nick Bowles

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I did a trip to Tokara Japan in May this year to fish with Capt Fukui-san on the famous Big Dipper. So it was fantastic when Fukui-san asked if he could come and fish with myself in Oman, plus most of the same group were going to come along on the trip. But also it was a bit nerve racking as I had a excellent trip to Tokara catching 4 GTs for the trip with the biggest weighing in at 46kgs. So hopefully I could repay the compliment to Fukui-san and his group and give them a great trip showing off the best Oman has to offer.

I arrived on the Hallaniyat Island at our lodge the day before to catch up with Cameron, Ashraf, Kareem and the team. Always love staying on the island it is a whole different pace of life and the local Omani fisherman are really old school and gives you a taste of a by gone era. The fish had been a bit slow the last couple of weeks but when the fish did come up they were all monster fish so I was very excited that the Japanese group could have a few shots at big trophy fish and is why they were coming to Oman. Everything was ready for the trip. The guys arrived late in the afternoon at Salalah so they stayed in our lodge in Salalah for the night and then came through to Shuwaymiyah early in the morning where we picked up the guys at the marina and headed out to the island for 5 days for adventure filled fishing! The group consisted of Fukui-san, Ajiti-san, Tanaka-san (Yoshifumi), Sassa-san and Tanaka-san (Takahisa).


The group at Hallaniyat Island.

The first day we got to the island still early in the morning, had a good breakfast and set up the tackle and headed out for the day. The tackle that came out was jaw dropping, all Carpenter and a lot of prototype rods. I have been talking to Konishi-san about field testing heavier rods for Carpenter and Tanaka-san brought over two 7.9ft rods for me to test in Oman, Tanzania and a couple of other destinations we have planned. This was a very special moment for me and a great honour. Then Fukui-san presented me with two amazing GT Gyotaku Prints from Tokara. The first one was of a GT that Fukui-san himself caught 17 years ago and had in his fishing room and then the second one was one of a big 150cm GT. Really amazing gifts and will be treasured for the rest of my days! Now the pressure was really on to produce some good fish!!


Gyotaku Prints

Ajiti-san setting up his arsenal!

We were going to stay out for the whole day as we were starting late so we took packed lunches and we were going to cover as much water as possible to try and find where the fish were holding. The weather was amazing with flat sea and the water was the cleanest I have ever seen in Southern Oman. It was like floating on gin, we could see small fish swimming on the bottom at 20ms! Very idyllic setting if you want to lie on the beach and drink ****tails but for GTs not the greatest conditions. But as fisherman we always have a complaint or reasoning either it is to calm or to rough, water to clean or to dirty, to much wind or not enough wind etc etc. But I have come to learn to accept your conditions no matter what and make the best of the situation and fish as hard as possible and the rest is up to luck!

We headed to a few spots close to the lodge to get warmed up and on the first drift Tanaka-san (Yoshifumi) had a good fish hit his popper which turned out to be a nice sized yellow dot and a good start to the trip. We fished a couple more spots and then Ajiti-san had a hit and turned out to be a big bluefin! For the rest of the day we explored around and fished a few of the tried and tested spots but we had no luck Finally late in the afternoon Fukui-san got up and had a turn as he was letting his clients fish. I have seen a lot of GT fisherman but none are quite the same as Fukui-san and I can see why he is the legend he is in Japan. He uses a very light set up a Carpenter Endless Passion 90/37 rod, Stella 10000XG, PE6 and a light leader with a Kevlar cord bite leader and an extremely light drag to the extent that the reel drag would let line off while popping. It goes against most of what we tell clients and how we fish, so I was very interested to see how this was going to work out, but when I saw the first cast go out the lure came down with ice and I think it landed close to Socotra Yemen, I new he had a solid game plan! Amazing distance and action on the lures. He was fishing with a Carpenter 120 Popper and most probably was getting 100-120m distance! But you can see he reads the water before putting in a cast and after a few casts he raised the first big GT of the trip, the fish came from under the popper and the sea erupted but the fish did not hook up and left a massive swirl that we just stared at with open mouths and what could have been, then all the guys just burst out laughing!! Classic! Unfortunately this was the only fish we raised for the day. As the sun was setting we called it a day and headed back for the marina and to enjoy a great dinner up on the open terrace over looking the sea and marina.


Tanaka-san with the first fish of the trip, a nice yellow dot

Ajiti-san with e big bluefin

Last couple of casts before heading back to the marina, awesome been so close to the fishing spots.

The next morning we were all up early and after breakfast headed out the marina as it was getting light and headed back to where we raised the fish the day before. We got to the spot and set up the first drift and started fishing, not to much was happening and we did a few drifts and then started to move around looking for bait and a bit of current. Tanaka-san (Yoshifumi) was fishing off the stern of the boat with a new prototype Endless Passion 82/42 rod, awesome looking rod and great for casting and has a good bit of power. Tanaka-san is one of the Field Testers for Carpenter. I was watching his popper when a huge fish came in and tried to smash the popper but missed and turned back again and hit the popper half out the water, absolute picture perfect in the flat water. Tanaka-san hit the fish several times and the fish started pealing off line, he held on and crouched down with the high drag settings and managed to stop the fish and then gain a bit of line and then loose the line again. Epic battle and finally we had the fish under the boat and a tug of war ensued for a few minutes before Tanaka-san put in the last effort and got an awesome fish to the surface! We landed the fish and the boat erupted the guys were all ecstatic for Tanaka-san! Really great to see everyone genuinely happy for him. We measured the fish at 146cm and Fukui-san had brought a weighing scale and set up from Tokara with him. It was great having the guys on the boat as everyone helped with flushing the fishes gills with water, measuring, weighing, putting the fish on the laps, so everything ran like clockwork! The fish weighed in at 56kgs. Fantastic first fish of the trip and was Tanaka-sans biggest GT to date! The fish was released and swam away strong ready to dominate the reef again!


We fished some amazing looking water over the 5 days

Tanaka-san putting in a cast

My favourite lure Gamma 160H Black and silver!

Tanaka-san bending on the prototype Ep 82/42

56kg 146cm beast

Fukui-san and Tanaka-san

After a good few minutes of talking and going through the fight and fish, we had some water something to eat and the guys were ready to get back in action. We did a few more drifts but had no more luck, so we moved a couple of times and then Fukui-san was standing on the stern seat of the boat and putting out his long casts when he had a fish come up behind his popper and chase the lure down and engulf it! Fukui-san hit the fish a few times and the fish took off like a rocket! Fukui-san moved up to the bow of the boat and just lent on the fish and waited for the fish to stop and then fought the fish back to the boat. He asked for the boat to be left still to fight the fish from a dead boat. The 9ft rod he was using was bent double and took all the pressure and he had the fish up to the surface in no time to be landed and weighed in at 38kgs. We fished the rest of the day around but had no more luck, but the guys were extremely happy with the 2 big fish. But the great thing about the guys were that they did not sit down once and they kept on casting everyday for the whole day even when there was no current and most probably no fish around but the guys carried on casting and basically made their own luck and raised fish!


Fukui-san putting in a cast with the EP90/37

The legend in action

Fukui-san loving his first Omani GT!

Tanaka-san bending on the 8ft prototype

Tanaka-san with his 48kg GT

Group photo!

Sassa-san in action

Tanaka-san fighting his fish with some help and coaching from Fukui-san

Great fish taken on a white Gamma 160

Tanaka-san holding on with all his power!

Ajiti-san and Tanaka-san on the bow into the big fish.

Ajiti-san with his fish under the boat just before it broke off.

Tanaka-sans 57kg monster

Tanaka-sans 65kg beast, the fish was so wide that he could not see over the back of the fish and had to look around the side!!

Tanaka-san and Fukui-san with the biggest weighed GT in Oman! Awesome!

After a few snacks and drinks we got back into the action and after a couple of drifts and fish been broken off, Sassa-san hooked into another good fish and by now the guys had found their stride and the guys were fishing very well and everyone on the boat was working well together and we got another big fish to the boat and landed. A few pictures and the fish was released. By now everyone on the boat was loving life, laughing, telling jokes amazing what a high you can get from GT adrenalin. Then again Sassa-san was in action, he was on fire and a big fish hit his popper and he landed another good sized fish! Finally the current slowed down and we did not raise anymore fish so we headed back to the lodge for a well deserved lunch break and a bit of relaxation! The guys were happy with the day but I managed to convince them to do an afternoon session and we headed for a new area but unfortunately we did not raise anymore fish but it was a great afternoon relaxing and enjoying the weather.


Sassa-san in action

Another big Oman GT

Bending again!

Sassa-san with another good GT

Lunch on the terrace of the lodge overlooking the sea.

Happy and tired group!

Heading back out for the afternoon session after a bit of a rest!

Last Edit: November 26, 2012, 12:44:23 AM by Nick Bowles

Nick Bowles

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The forth day we decided to head out to some new areas and show the guys a few new places and see if we could find some new fish, but after putting in a lot of casts and covering a lot of reef we did not manage to raise anymore fish and headed back for lunch and then back out to the in the afternoon. But we only had one fish come up and unfortunately missed the hook up, so from one day of shear delight to the next with no fish, GT fishing is something I still don't understand but the highs are really high and the lows not so great but you always now that the fish can come up at anytime!

The last and final day arrived and we headed out for the whole day and took packed lunches to fish and cover as much ground as possible, we headed for our first location and after a few drifts we moved and moved and moved. Finally the guys were getting tied of all the casting and had a drinks break and Fukui-san picked up his rod and put out one of his long casts and raised a big fish but the fish missed the hooks, a few more casts and another big fish came up and hit the Carpenter Bluefish 120 and Fukui-san set the hooks with his trade mark one handed strike and the game was on, he wanted the boat to be left again and set to work with no belt or gloves, just plain simple fishing, man against fish. The fish gave him a hard time and had him moving around the boat, on the bow back to the stern and finally after a good fight we could see a big number plate way down in the water, Fukui-san worked the fish back to the surface and we landed a good 46kg GT. But for me it was the perfect fish as the fish I caught in Tokara was also 46kgs so it was very satisfying for Fukui-san to catch the same size fish and there was a mutual appreciation!


Fukui-san in action

GT landed with a bluefish 120. Fukui-san uses 2 single hooks, when he hooks up it stays well hooked.

Fukui-san weighing his fish with the scale and plank set up. Worked very well and accurate.

Fukui-sans 46kg GT

The fishing had slowed and there was flat calm seas but the guys new there were big fish in the area and carried on casting and casting, finally as it seemed all hope was lost Tanaka-san (Yoshifumi) was casting out a bluefish 120 and I heard something like a gun shot behind the boat, I turned around to see Tanaka-sans rod bent flat and a huge swirl left on the flat surface! The fish screamed off and finally Tanaka-san got the fish under control and fought the fish to the boat and we landed a good 42kg GT. All the fish were massive and very healthy!


Tanaka-san and Fukui-san

Another big GT

Getting in the action!

The rest of the afternoon we tried various spots but we did not have any luck and finally as the day was drawing to a close Sassa-san put on a Gamma250 to try and get a fish and it worked but the fish turned out to be a huge jobfish which took the Gamma. After the last cast of the trip we all shook hands for a very successful and memorable trip had come to an end. We packed the gear away and started heading back to the lodge. I was coming around the side of one of the islands and in the distance I could see what I thought was some dolphins about 3 kms away, as we got closer I could see they were not dolphin and thought they were big tuna, I started shouting to the guys to get their rods ready, when I pulled up to the blitz I saw that they were not YFT but massive GTs smashing baitfish on the surface miles away from any structure and in open sea! An awesome sight and the fish were going crazy, three of the guys cast in and within 2 seconds all three lures got taken, Tanaka-san (Takahisa), Ajiti-san and Sassa-san all went tight, but unfortunately Ajiti-sans fish came off and left Tanaka-san and Sassa-san fighting their fish. We hooked the fish in open water in 50ms so there was no worries about getting reefed and the guys were enjoying an extra bonus Gt for the trip. Sassa-san had his fish under the boat when suddenly his line went slack and the fish had bitten through his leader and swam away. Tanaka-san carried on with the fight and brought a great fish to the boat and we landed the fish and got a few group pictures and released the fish.


Sassa-sans jobfish on the Gamma 250

Sassa-san bending

Tanaka-san bending

Big blitzing GT

Great team picture!

This action had got the adrenalin going so we headed for the closest island and point hoping these fish might be in the area but after a few drifts we raised no fish and then decided to head for one last spot. We set up a drift in very shallow water and as we were drifting between 2-3ms Ajiti-san had a big hit right at the boat, I put the boat in full reverse and Ajiti-san poured on the drag and pressure. He was using the Endless Passion 36/40 and locked the drag, Fukui-san was standing behind him incase the line parted and I was still trying to reverse the fish out of the shallow water, we almost had the fish but he managed to get to a 1m ledge and reefed Ajiti-san! Luckily Fukui-san caught him from injuring himself but the rod was almost bent flat! We measured the drag afterwards and it measured 21kgs! Not much more we could have done but was an action packed few seconds! We set up the final drift of the trip and Tanaka-san (Takahisa) had a fish hit his lure and we again reversed the boat and the fish turned out to be a nice size blacktip trevally but was still a fantastic way to end the trip! As the sun was setting we headed back to the marina and arrived as it was getting dark to end an amazing trip!


Blacktip trevally

I really enjoyed this trip as I learnt a few new things and got to see some great fisherman in action, also it proved to me no matter what, it is important to have as many lures in the water at all the time! GT fishing is not easy and is a lot of hard work but hard work will be rewarded! The tackle set ups were a lot lighter than we normally use and also proves that lighter drags work well and less harmful to fish, equipment and angler but also with lighter gear the guys could cast further and fish longer. But a big but, I would only suggest lighter tackle for experienced anglers that now the limits of their tackle and can palm the reel and put the required pressure and the required time!

The last evening we had a great dinner and packed up to head back to the mainland early in the morning, but it was a very enjoyable trip and I was very happy to finally weigh one of the monster Oman GTs and have it come in at officially the biggest GT caught in Oman so there are no questions or doubts about the true size of this monster. But as a trip it was good to have weighed and measured all the fish. The average weight for the trip was 45kgs for 12 GTs and Tanaka-sans average for the 4 GTs he caught was 52kgs. Truly amazing fish and will be very hard to beat but we will carry on trying every trip! I look forward to having Fukui-san and his group back next November for round 2!


Team picture on the lodge terrace

Taking all the gear to the boat to leave the island.

Cheers,
Nick






Jon Li

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Bravo !

Never give up , keep on casting !

Jon .
It's not what you don't know that gets you into trouble , it's what you know for sure that ain't so . Mark Twain .

Trevor Skinner

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Just when you don't think that place can get any better...it does!!

Congratulations to all and skillfully written up Nick.

Wilbur who?

Regards,


Trevor   

Halezan Hassan

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Nice report Nick. I'm envy to the strikes and fish they got during their trip  :o

**Itchy hands now and I hope i'm in Hallaniyat now**  ;D ;D

Craig Maree

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Truelly amazing fishing and as always superbly written report.
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Wan Izhan

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Nice report Nick.....amazing fish!!!
Hopefully got we got the spot in April 2014!!!!
Excellent services from Saud, Cameron, Ashraf, Kareem, Nabil, Muhammad, Aladdin and the team.
Never before in GT Charter,  i got 2 scoops of ice-cream after dinner!!!! Heaven!!!!
cheers!!!

Luke Wyrsta

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Incredible! Fukui-San never disappoints!  8) 8) 8)

Mark Harris

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Very well written report Nick.

Amazing stuff from Fukui-san and co. It must be a huge privilege fishing with such gifted professional anglers.  PE6, a 9 foot rod and drag which sounds distinctly sub 10 kgs!  About as different to the "normal" set up in Southern Oman as you could imagine. Fantastic stuff.

John Cahill

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Oh...... wow!!!!!! :o :D ;D
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Chanin Puntawong

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Congrat! Finally GT over 148cm.. haha See you next year Nick!  ;D
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Nick Bowles

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Hi Jon, 100% the guys used the motto and never did stop casting!! Very impressive.

Hi Trev, The place still amazes me every trip! Been fishing a few new areas and keep finding new water.

Hi Halezan!Hope you're well! We were very lucky with the stikes and did have a few more fish that broke off but you always need a bit of luck on your side, hopefully next time a few more strikes............

Hi Craig, Many thanks!

Hi Wan! Many thanks looks good for April 14 got a slot towards the end of the month, same time as the 150 and 151cm fish got caught this last season. Will send you the details asap. Got to love Kareem and the guys running the lodge, the ice cream is always my favourite, sometimes even get a little chocolate stick with it......

Howzit Luke! As you said to me from the beginning when you fished with him Fukui-san is a GT machine, I thought I new a thing or two about GT and popping, but very humbling experience seen him in action and working on the boat etc. Really enjoyed my time with him and we have another few trips planned together which I'm really looking forward too!

Hi Mark! Many thanks, It was a big privilege having the guys on the boat and guiding them. Really enjoyed it and learnt a lot, but the 9ft rod and PE6 was something I raised an eyebrow at but Fukui-san put 2 good fish on the boat from a dead boat so clearly he nows something we don;t! I measured his drag and was dead on 10kgs! He never tightened up once and just palmed the spool a bit but let the rod and reel do the work. I;ve already order my custom 90/37 from Konishi-san!

Hi Topper! 100% agree with you! I think we had about 6 x 148cm GTs! Good to get a 149cm and 155cm. At least now you now there is a chance to better your best.........

Cheers,
Nick

Corey Howell

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Very well written report Nick.

Amazing stuff from Fukui-san and co. It must be a huge privilege fishing with such gifted professional anglers.  PE6, a 9 foot rod and drag which sounds distinctly sub 10 kgs!  About as different to the "normal" set up in Southern Oman as you could imagine. Fantastic stuff.

x2. all those 100lb+ GTs on PE6. that is class not arse. great fishing!!!


Lou arellano

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Nick

Another awesome trip....

Some massive fish ... and great angling skills...

cheers

Lou

Alex Jordan

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Absolutely gobsmacking! So glad I have the privelege of re-visiting next October ... only problem being its so so so far away!!!!

Food for thought re the long casts - better start hitting the gym now!!!