Claude Guala and I headed out about 6:30am to put the boat in at Port Kembla near the Five Islands. We first anchored off Pig Island where we managed to raise a small rat kingfish each. My kingie fell to a size 1 green and white Clouser, and Claude managed to pick one up down deep on a surf candy. The kingfish then decided not to play any more so we headed to find some more action.
We found several pods of striped tuna working in close to Port Kembla Beach. These fish were not tightly packed and were moving extremely fast. Our first assault on the school saw Claude hook and eventually land a stripey of about 3kg, and as usual the fight was very strong. After we landed the fish we then tracked a larger school trying to hook one. The job was made especially difficult as another boat persisted on trolling lures directly through the school of fish. This stopped the fish from coming up for any length of time and made them especially wary. We then performed the ‘T’ manoeuvre on the school enabling us to get in front of them and get a shot. The fly was immediately seized by another stripey of about 3kg. The fight lasted again about 15 minutes and the fish was released after a few quick photo’s.
We then manoeuvred further along Port Beach where we were able to target a school without any boat traffic. After getting ahead of the school, we would use the wind to drift back onto them. The trick was to wait until the school was about 50 ft away and fire out a short, accurate cast. We managed to hook several more fish only to have tippets bust, hooks fall out or running line tangle. I then hooked a freight train that peeled about 300m of backing on the first run. The fight was long and tough lasting about 45 minutes, after which Claude netted a 6kg striped tuna. I was one very happy angler, especially after landing such a fish on an 8wt rod.
By the time we had landed this fish, the wind was quite strong and we decided to call it a day.
Rod - 8wt Loomis GL3 MEGA
Reel - Ross Canyon No 5
Line - Airflo Intermediate shooting head
Andrew Wheeler