Scotland is widely regarded as a premier destination for Atlantic salmon fishing. And it’s easy to see why, with its multitude of rivers and lochs (lakes) to choose from when chasing this anadromous fish. From the intimate, small streams of the Scottish Highlands to the larger rivers like the Tay, Tweed and Spey farther south, there’s a body of water for everyone. Scotland is also the birthplace of the famous double-handed Spey cast, originating as the name suggests, on the River Spey.

Scottish Salmon Fishing Seasons

The salmon fishing season in Scotland runs from January until November. During the early part of the season, anglers target “spring” salmon. These fish are known for their size and fighting qualities, ranging from 10 and 30 pounds. Most anglers fish for spring salmon with fly tackle. During the summer months — especially June, July and August — Atlantic salmon are more plentiful, but smaller in size. Toward the end of the season, larger fish show again when the autumn run starts, although fall numbers have diminished in recent years.

Fly Fishing Tackle for Scottish Rivers

In terms of angling, the vast majority of Atlantic salmon fishing in Scotland is fly fishing with a double-handed rod. However, some rivers do allow spinning gear. Each river has its own set of rules. On rivers like the Spey, Tay and Tweed, fishing from a boat is a popular and practical option.

Fly fishing tackle often starts with a 13- to 15-foot double-handed salmon rod. Smaller rivers with shallow water are where anglers can utilize single-handed fly rods. The fly rods are paired with floating or intermediate fly lines, terminating with a 10- to 15-pound-test leader.

For fly selection, anglers have a host of options. A few famous salmon flies in Scotland include the Willie Gunn, Cascade and Stoats Tail. These flies are usually tied on a double or treble hook, or even in a tube fly style. Fly choice and size depends on the water depth, temperature and time of year.

Spin Fishing for Salmon in Scotland

However, fly fishing is not the only option for anglers targeting Scottish silver. Some rivers, mainly located in central and southern Scotland, allow spinning gear. When it comes to spin fishing, a 10- or 11-foot spinning rod is a favorite. For lures, cast a spoon weighing 18 to 30 grams. The weight of the lure depends on the water depth and current strength. Other popular lures for salmon include lipped crankbaits like those from Rapala or Megabass.

Fishing from a Boat in Scotland

Angler can fish from a boat — not just land — on Scotland’s larger rivers. On the River Tay, there’s a specific method of fishing called “harling.” This tactic involves having three or four rods out at ounce with lures behind the boat. The boat then moves from side to side across the river whilst gently floating downstream. Harling is effective, especially when trying to cover expanses of water. There’s also available loch fishing for salmon in Scotland. On many lakes, anglers drift in a boat while fly fishing. On some of the larger lochs, anglers troll along the banks to effectively find fish.

For plenty more about salmon fishing in Scotland, check out a resource and fishing provider such as Salmon Fishing Holidays Scotland. Anglers and tourists traveling to Scotland can really shorten the learning curve by setting up a guided trip.

The post Chasing Scottish Silver appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

The Start Point Lighthouse sits out on a craggy peninsula flanked by the purple moor grasses and rush pastures of South Devon. On the hillside, a trio of sheep have sky blue circles painted on their backs to denote their ownership. It’s an elevated perch where each of the 360 degrees offers a spectacular view. But at the moment, the tourists and locals along the walking path are only looking down to the water, where giant bluefin tuna are smashing mackerel, creating explosions that get closer and closer to shore. 

Did that bluefin just bust 50 yards from the beach? And as long as we’re italicizing questions, What is going on with the incredible resurgence of bluefin tuna in the United Kingdom?

The Start Point Lighthouse’s beacon can be seen in nearby Plymouth, one of the most storied maritime communities in the Western Hemisphere. After all, it is that Plymouth, the Mayflower Plymouth, the Plymouth that gave the rock in Massachusetts its name. Today, the coastal city in southwest England, which celebrated its 400th birthday in 2020, is the gateway to a growing bluefin fishery. Similar to the bluefin revival in Southern California, the numbers of Atlantic bluefin tuna in the waters off Europe, and the United Kingdom in particular, have increased significantly in recent years. It has inspired a recreational catch-and-release fishery where captains are tagging fish and serving as citizen scientists. 

In 2021, the Centre for Environmental Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas) initiated the Catch and Release Tagging (CHART) program where a limited number of charter vessels are approved to tag-and-release bluefin to learn more about their movements and behavior. In 2022, the CHART program recorded 631 charter trips, 1,755 participating anglers, and 1,090 tagged fish. 

Twenty-four charters were licensed tag-and-release vessels in 2023, one of which is Fortuna Charters, owned and operated by Capt. Mark Jury. His boat, Fortuna II, is a 41-foot fishing catamaran built for the sporty seas that the English Channel often serves up. But to the daring salt goes the spoils: In October 2022, Jury caught and released 94 fish in one 14-day stretch, including one day where he landed 17. That said, blue migrations are a mystery, so this phenomenon isn’t guaranteed to last.

Planning a Trip

When to Go: While details for the 2024 season have not been announced yet, as a general rule, the season runs from mid-August to mid-December. 

Where to Go and How to Get There: Unless one has patience for purgatory, it’s best to avoid Heathrow and opt to fly into Gatwick instead. For our recent trip in October 2023, we flew direct from Orlando to London on American: an eight-hour flight. It’s a four-hour road trip through rolling hillsides to Plymouth. Don’t be surprised when in Hour Two you look out the car window and ask, “Isn’t that Stonehenge?” (Yes, it was Stonehenge. And the $30 ticket is worth it.) As you get closer to Plymouth, the streets get increasingly narrow until it’s just one-lane country roads bordered by hedgerows and stone walls, creating the most charming traffic jams you’ll ever experience. 

Skip the hotels and inns if possible. Plymouth and the nearby towns of Noss Mayo and Newton Ferrers have surprisingly affordable Airbnb and VRBO rentals. While Plymouth is bigger and more industrial (dockyards, naval base, a population of 265,000), Noss Mayo and Newton Ferrers are quaint seaside villages straight out of a snow globe, both only 20 minutes from Plymouth Yacht Haven. 

What to Expect: It’s downright gobsmacking to watch a man protected only by leather fishing gloves wire a 700-pound bluefin. “Ninety-nine inches!” Jury exclaims as he hangs over the gunwale to measure the giant. The tag—a thin, yellow tube—is placed below the base of the second dorsal fin. This would be the biggest of the 17 bluefin caught-and-released over four days. 

Fortuna II is quite the comfy cat. Its 16-foot beam allows for a sizable salon with more perks than most charter boats. “Should I put a kettle on?” asks Andy, the mate. Everyone politely declines on Day One. By Day Four, the whole crew is enjoying tea, and sure I’ll have another biscuit, thank you very much.

While the trademark English gloom and fog took over some days, the weather was mostly beautiful, the seas bouncy but not uncomfortable. It’s stand-up fishing with 80- and 130-pound conventional reels clipped into a harness, with one eyelet clipped to the transom should a giant send you overboard. The CHART program forbids live bait, so it’s all artificials fished with spreader bars. Aside from bluefin, wildlife abounds in these waters. Shearwaters glide above the whitecaps following schools of mackerel. Minke, pilot and fin whales are common sights. Porpoise cruise and leap between the cat’s hulls while underway. 

It’s all cool breezes and hot tea until—zzzzzzzzz!—the left long goes off. Then it’s choreographed chaos. Andy hastily clears the spreader bar. Jury descends from the bridge, belting joyful obscenities, acting as if it’s his first fish of season.  

Helpful Links

• Visit Plymouth: visitplymouth.co.uk
• Cefas CHART program: cefas.co.uk/impact/programmes/chart
• Fortuna Charters: fortunacharters.com

The post British Blues appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Limited numbers of anglers experienced a resurgent Atlantic bluefin tuna fishery in United Kingdom waters as part of an experimental scientific Catch and Release Tagging (CHART) program over the last two years. Now, Mark Spencer, minister of state at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), is considering a licensed recreational fishery for bluefins. That’s great news for anglers and coastal fishing communities in the UK, such as Cornwall in southwest England.

“The return of Atlantic bluefin tuna to UK waters is an exciting opportunity which could benefit our fishing communities and tourism industry,” said Spencer, to the Financial Times. One of Spencer’s primary roles is as the UK’s fisheries minister.

The current roadblocks seem to be related to confirming that available scientific data shows current bluefin tuna stocks are in good shape, and are being given sufficient protection. Creating a recreational bluefin tuna season would also require a legal change.

The Angling Trust, along with the UK Bluefin Tuna Association, met with Spencer to make the case for a recreational bluefin tuna fishery in 2023. Jamie Cook, CEO of Angling Trust, explained the success of the CHART program over the last two years, detailed the economic benefits, and floated the idea of moving to a full, licensed recreational catch-and-release fishery.

“We acknowledge some of the current legal barriers to this and will continue to push DEFRA to make the removal of those barriers a priority,” said the Angling Trust, in a post online.

Spencer indicated his preferred option was a licensed recreational catch-and-release fishery, according to the UK Bluefin Tuna Association, but he also supported a backup plan of continuing the CHART program for a third year.

“We had a very constructive introductory meeting where we discussed a range of issues,” said Spencer. “I continue to be interested in recreational angling and see the significant value in it. I reaffirmed DEFRA’s commitment to continue to work with the Angling Trust on a range of matters including bluefin tuna.”

For 2023, the UK was granted an additional 15 tonnes of bluefin quota by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) for a total of 63 tonnes. Some anglers believe that’s enough quota for recreational sport fishermen to keep a limited number of bluefin tuna too, even if recreational take is not expected to happen in 2023.

A Short History: CHART Program Success in 2021 and 2022

In 2021, UK’s Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) spearheaded the CHART pilot program. This allowed 15 charter captains to participate in bluefin tuna fishing from August 16 to Nov. 14. Skippers were trained in angling, handling, and tagging techniques for bluefins, and vessels were monitored by a combination of observer coverage and universal camera installation, according to CEFAS. Recreational anglers booked trips with these captains to catch and release bluefin tuna.

The scientific tag-and-release program was a success, resulting in 704 tagged fish from 421 trips over the 13-week season. Data were collected on length, location, condition following the fight and any incidental mortality. Most fish were tagged using coded FLOY tags, while 19 fish were tagged using PSAT tags to monitor post-release behavior. Mortality was significantly lower than expected, with 10 incidental fish mortalities remaining well within the limits of the 10-tonne quota set for the fishery in 2021.

In 2022, more than 1,000 bluefin tuna were caught and released. A total of 25 trained captains participated in the second year of the CEFAS CHART program, fishing from Aug. 15 to Dec. 11. According to CEFAS, the boats spent more than 4,000 hours fishing for tuna, with 1,755 anglers participating. The total number of bluefin tuna measured was 1,113, with 1,090 tuna tagged successfully.

Of note, all bluefin tuna caught from 2021 to 2022 were revived and released, unless one died before it could be released. And very few died, according to reporting data. Captains could not keep or sell dead bluefin tuna, but had to bring them back to the Marine Management Organization. Dead bluefins were used for scientific purposes and data contribution to international research through ICCAT. 

The post Is a Licensed Recreational Bluefin Tuna Fishery Coming to the UK? appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

The Azores, about 850 miles west of Portugal, are considered an autonomous region of that country. A flight from Boston to the island of Sao Miguel is about five hours.

RELATED: 10 Top Places to Catch Monster Marlin

The post Stunning Photos of Giant Marlin and Tuna in the Azores appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Mention fishing the Atlantic off Norway, and heavy rods with heavy metal pilk jigs are likely to come to mind for many anglers. Effective? Yes, it still is. But fun? That’s all relative. I would say fishing up there using rubber shad tails and much lighter tackle is both far more fun and much more effective. That’s true for the famed oversized Atlantic cod of these water but also the many other interesting game fish to be caught in the extremely fish-rich waters of Norway.

March and April are famous months for producing huge numbers of big skrei cod, those coming down from the Barents Sea to spawn in the fertile waters of northern Norway. As you might expect, this attracts thousands of anglers each year. Find the right spot and you can haul aboard one big cod after another. Fat 50 – to 70-pound fish are no exception during this period.

But a big downside is that fishing is done quite often in rough (and cold) conditions, the days are still short, and apart from (very) big cod there isn’t much else to catch.

By the end of May, the last skrei cod returned to the north, but this is the start of my favorite fishing season in Norway. From June into August, you have nearly 24 hours of daylight and can fish pretty much anytime, but you can also expect to catch many species: cod of course, but also coalfish, pollack, haddock and halibut. Andy you can catch them on light spinning tackle of the sort you’d normally use for fishing fresh water.

With a medium, high-quality spinning outfit spooled with 30-pound braid or so, you can catch the biggest cod and coalfish and even large halibut if you’re patient and have good line capacity. You can fish even lighter, down to 12- to 20-pound test, to have even more fun. But doing so will depends how deep you have to fish and how strong the current runs. The big advantage light braids offer is the use of much, much lighter metal or lead-head jigs, which help offer a natural presentation.

Many anglers still think that fishing for cod and halibut has to be done close to the bottom, but often the opposite is the case in Norway’s deepwater fjords and off its rugged coast. Most fish here prey on schools of herring or small sei (coalfish) at varying depths over the entire water column. This can be very close to surface (and often is late in the day). Find the baitfish and you will find the predators that hang around these sometimes-huge schools. If you only fish near bottom, as a lot of people using heavy jigs still do), you’ll miss not only the majority of fish, but most likely the bigger ones.

A great advantage of fishing with shad tails and swimbaits is that you can fish much more slowly, and heavy currents are not needed to present your bait in an attractive way. Also, in addition to fishing vertically, you can also cast out a shad tail and fish it back to the boat at an angle, covering more water while presenting your bait in a much more natural way. The tail of shad will swing enticingly in even a modest current. Even with a rod in a holder, many times a tail will have enough wiggle to get bitten.

A reel-and-pause retrieve is often a deadly effective way of enticing strikes. When it stops swimming, a swimbait looks like a wounded fish. Suddenly speeding up, as well as suddenly slowing the retrieve, can also be very effective.

While big tides help make fish feed more actively, they can cause too fast a drift, leaving you with very little control over your lure and reducing your time in the right area. To control and slow the drift, a large drogue (or sea anchor) is essential. Rental fishing boats along the Norway coast are usually fine fishing machines and well equipped but don’t come with drogues, so bring one yourself; it’s one of the most important keys to success.

A good fish-finder/chart-plotter unit is something no successful angler here can do without to reveal schools of baitfish and interesting features like underwater plateaus or steep ledges, as well as indicating direction and velocity of one’s drift.

For most anglers, Atlantic cod represent the prime target, and the teeming waters of Norway hold them in unbelievable numbers. Cod of 20 to 50 pounds are not at all unusual anytime of the year for those who know where/how to fish them, as noted, often in midwater around baitfish schools. Look for underwater plateaus in 150 to 300 feet and surrounded by deeper water; most likely you’ll find the bigger cod there.

For larger cod, anglers will want to fish big tails, 10 inches or even larger in bright colors. I do well with these when simply reeling in slowly and stopping the retrieve once in a while. On a typical big-cod bite, you’ll feel a good tap followed by a slack line, when the fish inhales the shad in an upward motion. A cod of 35 or more pounds can bend a light rod to its limit, making an angler think he might have hooked a halibut!

Coalfish (Pollachius virens) are also very abundant along the coast. While you’ll find these small *sei *of 2 to 7 pounds pretty much anywhere, the bigger fish of 10 to 35 pounds or more can be harder to find, as they often stay farther offshore. But they migrate into coastal waters from June into September and offer unbelievable sport on spinning tackle! They’re as streamlined as tuna and fight similarly, never giving up until the very last. Hence, they’re often called the “tuna of the north.”

Fast predators, coalfish hunt in huge schools anywhere from the bottom to the surface. Speed-jigging with metal jigs can be very effective, but again, so is fishing with plastics — especially sand-eel imitators on a jig head of 30 to 80 grams (1 to 3 ounces). Work them much faster than you would for cod with some sudden stops after a couple turns of the handle. When hooked near the surface, coalfish may take off with lightning speed, making the reel scream.

For many anglers, the Atlantic halibut represents the holy grail in these waters. Not only do they fight extremely hard, but halibut can grow to huge sizes, topping 450 pounds. Although with medium spinning tackle you can land surprisingly large halibut, if targeting the real monsters, I would advise heavier tackle.

Perhaps 20 years ago, catching a big halibut was often a matter of luck. But over the last two decades, specialized fishing for the species has become very popular, not only because numbers have grown the last decades (thanks to tighter restrictions on commercial fishing), but also because much more is known now of the behavior of halibut.

Although they spend much of their time in really deep water (especially in the colder months), from late May into October, they feed in much shallower water, sometimes no more than 30 feet deep. They like sandy bottoms which, devoid of significant structure, may be ignored by anglers watching the fish finder. But such areas, especially between 65 and 165 feet deep, surrounded by deep water, offer a good shot at big halibut.

Most people think these huge flounder spend most of their time on the bottom, but the opposite it true. Halibut are very active hunters, using the whole water column to feed, sometimes even at the surface. Fishing soft plastics in such areas can be very effective. More often than not, they’ll first follow your shad tail; you might feel some small taps when they bite the tail of the shad. In that case, it often pays to stop the retrieve for a few seconds. But sometimes they keep on attacking the tail, and adding a stinger hook can lead to more hook-ups.

One essential when halibut fishing: current. No current (no tide), and your chances for a hook-up will be slim. But once the tide starts running, it can be as if a switch has been turned on and you may hook several.

Even smaller halibut of 25 pounds can rip line off your spool in its initial run, so you can imagine what a bigger fish 60 pounds or more will do. Steady pressure usually wins the game, but patience is a virtue. Big halibut are often landed in Norway with a sturdy gaff and a rope slipped around the tail. Be extremely careful bringing into a boat any good-sized halibut; they’re likely to go berserk and can destroy rods and gear. But being so tough, they can as a rule readily be released unharmed.

Pollack (Pollachius pollachius) is an often-overlooked species, which is a shame, as this fish offers great opportunities for the light-tackle enthusiasts. A good bet is too look for shallow water near rocky islands or submerged rocky areas in 30 to 60 feet, with kelp nearby, with a good current. Cast a sand-eel tail on a 1- to 1 ½-ounce jig head to the rocks and work it very slowly.

If you are a fly-fishing fanatic, you can even fish for them with streamers. One of my most memorable fishing days in Norway was a cold October day on the island of Hitra, fishing the outermost islands. We caught more than 100 pollack on light spinning tackle, many of them 10 to 20 pounds. Great fun amidst stunning scenery!

The wind can at times make it dangerous to go out to the open sea in small boats. But the thousands of islands and sheltered fjords along Norway’s 1,500 miles of coastline offer not only protection from the wind but also excellent fishing options. During my last trip, in June, to the beautiful island of Senja — also known as “little Norway” — we found the best fishing far inside the fjord, only a 10-minute ride from our vacation house. Two weeks of heavy westerly winds had pushed the baitfish deep inside the fjords, and they were followed by huge schools of coalfish, cod and halibut.

We discovered that out on the ocean there were hardly any baitfish to be seen over the big underwater plateaus, surrounded by deep water, which are normally a guarantee for big fish. So we fished inside the fjord, where baitfish often filled the sounder screen. We hooked one big coalfish and cod after the other, all on spinning tackle which we would normally use to fish for freshwater pike. It was so addicting that we went out fishing again after dinner, to come came back at 2 a.m. — with the sun still shining on the snow-covered mountain peaks surrounding the fjord.

All the species mentioned here are very good to eat, and of course it doesn’t do any harm to take some fish back for the evening meal, or some to freeze (up to 15 kilograms to take home by law) and take home. But killing all fish you catch is a waste when you catch so many. Fishing from a small boat you can often land fish by hand, without using a gaff, and releasing them unharmed is easy. Releasing coalfish and halibut presents little problem, even when they have been hooked in deep water.

About the Author

Arnout Terlouw is a Dutch sport-fishing journalist with articles published in many leading magazines across Europe, the United States, South America, Australia and Malaysia, and is a contributor to sportfishingmag.com. As a fishing-travel consultant, Terlouw works with specialized international fishing-travel companies. While he has traveled the world to amazing and remote places like West Papua in Indonesia, he still loves fishing in Norway, which he has done annually for nearly two decades — fishing the Atlantic but also the deep fjord lakes, casting for giant northern pike. Casting with lures is Terlou’s passion, something he can do 24 hours a day. You can contact him by email at arnout.terlouw@kpnplanet.nl.

The post Wide-Open Light-Tackle Fishing in the North Atlantic appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Longtime Sport Fishing contributor Johnny Jensen recently showed us some amazing photos from an adventure to fish the wild coast of Greenland. He’s allowing us to share those here with SF enthusiasts.

“This Greenland trip was centered around a Discover Channel documentary series of the world’s largest sharks,” Jensen explains. Danish clothier Geoff Anderson sponsored clothing and fishing tackle. “We stayed at the famous Hotel Arctic in Illulissat, where the food was absolutely world class.” Jensen said with lots of local assistance, “We made sure we had plenty of fish guts, dead seals and so on. It was all very disgusting but apparently irresistible to Greenland sleeper sharks.”

While a majority of viewers probably won’t be rushing out to book a similar trip, you’ll find the images compelling, fascinating and unlike anything within your frame of reference.

AT THE ARCTIC’S EDGE

A graveyard near Illulisat, with an ice-strewn fjord and Disko Island in the background.

The rocky, snow-covered, austere coast of Greenland near Maniitsoq greets us on approach to our destination.

Local fishermen show us on a map where we should find Greenland sharks.

One of the initial steps to fish for Greenland sharks calls for drilling holes through the sea ice.

One of our first catches wasn’t a shark but a spotted wolfish, flashing an awe-inspiring, tough-guy grin as we hauled up into the ice hole.

The powerful jaws of the wolffish demand caution. This one weighed about 25 pounds.

Ice fishing on the edge — and only to be attempted when wearing a survival suit, as here.

I was able to join the Discovery Channel film crew to film Greenland sharks underwater.

Another large wolffish (known as catfish around much of Greenland). These are a superb-eating fish.

Anglers on a calm morning headed to the shark-hunting grounds. These sharks are taken both through the ice and from boats when the waters are open.

In some areas, smaller pieces of ice bergs and ice fields drift about in lower Davis Strait, making travel by boat hazardous.

It was eerie to see huge Greenland sharks rising near the boat from cold, deep waters of the Arctic Ocean.

A local fisherman shows the tackle he uses to catch Greenland sharks.

Whole, rotten seals like this are used to get the attention of Greenland sharks. Also, we typically we chummed an area with fish intestines and putrid seal meat.

Greenland sharks are one of the largest species of shark, approaching the size of great whites. While they eat mostly fish, they’re known to prey widely on seals as well.

The rugged coastal landforms here are home to great numbers of Arctic seabirds. These are blacklegged kittiwakes.

We stayed in this hotel, perched atop a rocky headland.

A coast guard vessel slowly makes its way through the icy morning mist off Illulissat.

I don’t know about the Greenland Shark Challenge guys, but they’re on the internet and appear to offer the chance to do what we did for anyone brave enough to try.

For general information about Greenland, see Visit Greenland.

The beauty of Greenland can be breathtaking. In addition to the gargantuan sleeper sharks, these waters offer anglers the chance to catch wolffish, Greenland halibut, redfish (similar to the rockfishes of the Pacific) and, for fly-rodders, sea-run Arctic char in good numbers.

About the Photographer

The post An Arctic Fishing Adventure for Monster Greenland Sharks appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

It finally happened on Sunday, August 30, aboard Full Monty, a private Arvor 250 that is owned and skippered by Graham Bevan. ‘Bev’, as he is widely known, is a passionate shark angler who has caught many sharks fishing off the coast of Wales. He had sailed from Milford Haven along with crewmen Mike Steer and Clive Jenkins, and set up a drift 20 to 30 miles offshore in the Celtic Deeps This is the area which in recent years has produced truly phenomenal numbers of blue and porbeagle shark, along with the first mako and thresher shark ever recorded from Welsh waters.

Fishing a spread consisting of five rods in 400 feet of water, already they enjoyed a great days fishing with 10 blues boated. Then, around 10 in the morning, the ratchet on the reel fishing the farthest bait from the boat screamed out. “It was Mike’s turn to take the rod, and the fish took several hundreds of yards on its first run,” explained Bev. “Immediately it became apparent he was hooked up to something special, and at first we thought it was a very big porbeagle. Luckily, it was hooked on a strong outfit, consisting of a Shimano Antares 30- to 50-pound-class boat rod matched with a Shimano TLD 50 2-speed, loaded with 70-pound BS line and rigged with a 16/0 Mustad circle hook. Bait was a whole mackerel.”

“The fight lasted lasted around three and a half hours, but it wasn’t until I grabbed the leader that we realized it was a big tuna,” continued Bev. “Toward the end of the fight Mike was pretty much exhausted and later admitted he could not have continued for much longer, but he stuck at it and eventually we managed to boat the fish, unhook it, take a few photographs and successfully release it.”

The fish was estimated to weigh 250 to 300 pounds, and is the first bluefin tuna caught off the coast of Wales. If it did indeed weigh more than 300 pounds, then it is the largest fish ever caught from the Principality. A few days later a second fish estimated at 500 pounds, also hooked on a shark bait, was lost at the side of White Water, another boat fishing off south-west Wales.

The post A Bluefin First! Giant Tuna Caught off Wales appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

Update: Lewis has just published a gorgeous 268-page book entitled Destination Angler. The 26 chapters cover the globe, including flats, reefs and blue water fishing. You can find out more by visiting his web site.

The post Iceland Fishing Excursions appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

bluefin release 2007

Fishing Washington Canyon off Virginia on July 18, 2007, Ken Neill and friends had a good day, catching yellowfin and bluefin. They kept one of the latter and tagged a second.

In June, 2014, fishermen recaptured that tagged fish — near Malta, in the Mediterranean, a straight-line distance of nearly 5,000 miles, according to information Neill just received from The Billfish Foundation.

The tuna was then kept in a pen until it was fattened and harvested in November of that year (2014). In seven and a half years, Neill’s tuna grew from about 40 pounds to approximately 616 pounds.

Neill, an IGFA rep from Virginia Beach and avid angler, works closely with Dr. John Graves, a professor at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science. In fact, the primary impetus of Neill’s July 18 visit to the canyon was the hope of tagging small bluefin for VIMS.

The bluefin’s trans-Atlantic crossing is yet another instance of what scientists have come to realize — the free mixing of eastern and western bluefin tuna stocks. Graves says the tuna caught off Virginia was likely spawned in the Mediterranean, to which it had returned.

The post Bluefin Tagged Off Virginia is Recaptured near Spain appeared first on Sport Fishing Mag.

There we’d face cold so bitter that salt water would freeze quickly to our clothing, braided line, reels, rods, boat and just about anything else the salt spray touched. Even the fish would freeze if we removed them from the water for long.

But the biggest obstacles are the massive waves and turbulent seas miles offshore. Smaller cod are available closer to the harbors, but giant females require a run far out to sea. Winter winds are reliably strong and constant, yet can still double in intensity without notice. If you were ever to fall into the water, hope that your flotation suit allows enough time for your friends to find you among the waves.

These are some of the most extreme sport‑fishing ­conditions one can experience. Check out the gallery above to experience this incredible wintertime fishery!

The Colossal Cod of Sørøya

Getting There

The Colossal Cod of Sørøya

The Colossal Cod of Sørøya

The Colossal Cod of Sørøya

The Colossal Cod of Sørøya

The Colossal Cod of Sørøya

The Colossal Cod of Sørøya

The Colossal Cod of Sørøya

Sign of the Aurora

The Colossal Cod of Sørøya

The Colossal Cod of Sørøya

The Colossal Cod of Sørøya

Prepare for Sørøya

About Skrei

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