Last year in May when I was fishing in Tokara with Konishi-san, Sami, Fukui-san and the rest of the group we did a lot of discussing on tackle and tackle testing along with the differences in techniques between various circles of the popping fraternity and regions. At this stage Konishi-san asked if I would consider doing some field testing of Carpenter rods. Bit of a no brainer! Of course was my answer! This was a great honour and I was very happy to be asked. With our season coming to an end in May there was not a great rush to get the rods. Then coming closer to our season in October Konishi-san said the rods were ready and then in November when Fukui-san and Tanaka-san came to fish with us in Hallaniyat Islands Tanaka-san presented me the rods and they were real pieces of art! It is one thing to discuss tackle and testing but it is totally different to get 2 prototype rods in hand that you now have never been seen or used before! There was no information on the rods except to put them through their paces and give the feedback on the rods!!
The two prototype 7.9ft rods. I put on Stella 18000 one with PE10 and one PE8
This rod I nicknamed the Red Reaper
Bowshack Cup in the car on the way to Shuwaymiyah, for another good competition!
With not long to wait the day came way to quickly and we ran around making final plans and packing. I packed the prototype rods along with a lot of gammas and some big poppers to test on the rods. We met up at our place in Dubai and Jon dropped us off at the airport for the start of a great adventure and fishing.
We flew via Muscat and then onto Salalah where we stayed at the new Juweira Hotel. Fantastic place and really enjoyed some good hostitality. The following morning we headed to Shuwaymiyah and out to the island. It is always great taking out the long run from Shuwaymiyah to the islands on a calm day and the excitement building with the possibilities of the coming fishing days. We arrived at our lodge on the island and were greeted by our friendly staff, all the bags got carried through to our rooms and we quickly worked to set up our equipment. An awesome part of being on the island although we arrived at midday we could still get a session in the afternoon for GTs.
Arriving at Salalah Airport
Shack and myself leaving Juweira Hotel
No trip is complete to Southern Oman without seeing a few camels
Packing our gear onto the boat for the long run out to the islands! Shacks very excited by this stage!!
Arriving at our marina on the island
A quick bite to eat and setting up the fishing tackle on the terrace.
Our small shop on the island for the last minute items we forgot!! Amzing to think you have so much gear and still don;t have something you need!!
The fishing for the last few weeks had been tough with water temperature going up and down along with bad weather so we new we had our work cut out for us. Also most of the fish had been coming out very early or very late in the afternoon, so I had decided we would fish late into the night and see what happened. With all the gear packed and ready we headed out for an afternoon session.
Heading out for the afternoon session. Shacks is now fizzing over by this stage!
We fished a couple of places and did not have to much luck, I did manage to catch a bonnie on a gamma 160H, so at least we had a bit of sashimi and also we were on the board. It was a start. We fished around the islands and as the sun was going down we got to one of the reefs and there was good current pulling and a bit of bait in the area that was very nervous and being harassed. It was perfect with the sun going down, no wind, good friends and the chance to hook a monster on a new rod! Casting the first rod that I had chosen to use which I had nicknamed the Red Reaper as it had all red binding on the guides was proving to be really easy and loading the rod was not difficult and for a 7.9ft rod it got very good distance.
Sashimi!!!!!
We did a couple of drifts with no luck and then Cameron who was captaining for us changed the drift a bit to run deeper along the drop off at the back of the current and on one of the casts I was working the black and silver gamma 160H trying to get as much movement and flash as possible, a big fish came up from directly under the lure with no warning, bang big hit and I managed to put in a good strike and the fish was on, a few more hits and the fish started to peel line under a heavy drag. We were shallow water with the boat so after some nifty boat manouvering Cameron got me into deeper water. This was the first time I had a chance to put the rod to the test and really tested the backbone and I was very impressed. The rod had a huge amount of power but was very easy on the body and you could easily hold the fish at the boat without feeling like your back was going to break or that you were going to be pulled out the boat. Really amazing what technology and design of rods in the last few years has managed to achieve. Sheer poetry!
Fish on!! Bending on the Red Reaper at sunset! Nothing better!
The fish gave a very good fight and I sat on the rod putting all my weight holding the fish and let the rod do the work. It was almost to easy, big fish, big current and we had the fish to the boat in a couple of minutes. When the fish came up I thought it was much smaller and all of a sudden a monster came out of the gloomy water. Very happy with the first GT for the trip and had the lead on the Bowshack Cup. We got a good few pictures and released a healthy fish to harass another fisherman. Shacks jaw was almost on the floor and he was now starting to get a bit nervous of catching one of the Hallaniyat Mosnters but within about 2 seconds he had his rod back into the water.
Big mama!
The Prototype rod did the trick, big fish and everything worked very well.
Team Bowshack Cup picture!
The sun had gone down by this stage and darkness was starting to creep in but we decided to stay and fish a while longer and see if fishing in the dark would work. I carried on with the same rig and lure and after another drift with sight fishing almost impossible I made out just in the gloom the hit from another good fish, I struck the fish a good few times and again could feel it was a big fish with huge head shakes, boom boom boom. Again I let the rod do the work and take all the pressure and a few minutes later another huge fish lay on the surface ready to be boated! Really amazing day and evening with great fish along with good friends. We took a few more pictures and released the big fish.
Fighting in the gloom!
Letting the rod do the work!
Another monster GT for the Red Reaper! Really big healthy fish.
After a another drift or two we headed back to the lodge and tried a few more places but without light it proved to be quite difficult working the lures and also safety concerns so we headed back to the lodge for a good meal and sleep.
Fishing in the dark, was good fun just waiting for the electric shock through the arms of a fish hitting the lure! Almost like Russian roulette!
The first impression of the prototype rod was excellent. I have been using slightly longer GTs rods in the 8ft range and so it took a bit of adjustment to use a bit of a shorter rod with my leader set up which is a short leader outside of the top guide, but once I tried a few different casts I got it right and found that you really had to load the rod to get the distance. But fighting wise is were the rod came into its own, really easy and the rod does all the work. For big fish this is definitely a good option. It is not as faster taper as the something like the Monster Hunter 79XH but it is a lot easier to control and use and fighting wise is very comfortable and I think most anglers will be able to handle the power.
But with a few more days to go there would be a lot more chance to test out the two rods with a few more good GTs! Day 2 to follow!
