We're here again. Where else but the magical place that is the Maldives. For us it is the perfect place to get fresh anglers initiated to the game, and for others it has become almost second home.
After the bad weather that beset our previous trip, we got what we hoped for this time round. Sunny days were interspersed by some wet and cloudy sessions but it was pleasant overall. The fishing though, was anything but.
Angling is always a game of chance and a sprinkling of luck. We were short on both on this trip, but that's the way it is. The new guys had it etched in their minds that the fishing was a given, based on reading earlier catch reports. But it was the furthest thing from the truth, even more so when the bite had shut right down.
Hard work was the name of the game, any where in the world. On this trip it was many casts but few responses. But again using the right lures paid dividends and being sensitive to the bite pattern and surface conditions made the difference. At the end the catches mounted up in totality and everyone ended the trip on a high with plenty tales to tell when they got home.
Here it is in pictures...
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| Not the usual vessel but a nice and comfy one none the less... |
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| Bright and early, it was all hands on deck with the rigging of gear and the checking and rechecking of knots... |
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| Yet again we have new toys courtesy of the FCL Labo factory. CSP in fresh new livery and spanking new DIQS stickbait wait rigged and ready to be cast on the pair of EXT popping rods, also by FCL Labo... |
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| The first GT hits the deck once we get underway. For the FCL Labo EXT rod, fishes of this size are despatched swiftly... |
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| The Maggy Gara Short Popper has always been a go-to lure for us here. Here it is explained why... |
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| Another FCL Labo EXT rod gets loaded. This is the 81MH model, for lures up to 190g... |
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| A nice GT to start the day's tally... |
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| It fell for the FCL Labo Ebipop, another must have on these trips... |
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| Playing around with a not-so-common lure we hook up a decent little fella on the FCL EXT 81MH rod... |
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| That lure is the HRTM 200, fashioned like your typical shallow running Seabass lure... |
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| It was a tough first day despite a few good fish. We ended with this GT on a Fisherman S-Pop chugger worked on the lighter FCL EXT 81M pop rod... |
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| As we anchored in a sheltered bay the dark clouds moved in from the right. Fingers crossed we'd have brighter days ahead... |
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| Didn't deter most from a soak after the long day's toil in the sun... |
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| Mucking around with the ultralight Evergreen Temujin 'Spider' rod we hit this fancy Cod on the IMA Spin Gulf lure... |
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| Not the fish we were after, but you can't keep 'Cudas away. This one was courteous not to snip off the little DUO Bivi vibe... |
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| Small Trevs are super fun on the ultralight gear. Jackall Mametai jigs are dynamite in these shallows... |
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| Meanwhile the Spin Gulf continues to rack up the species list with this Snapper... |
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| Next morning we hit the reefs again and score straight away with this nice Bluefin Trevally which took a prototype sinking pencil... |
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| Try out the new Melon-Ya Spirits stickbait for the first time was a revelation. It worked! |
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| The Melon-Ya Spirits continues to score with another GT on the FCL 81MH rod... |
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| GTs a tough customers when hooked any where but the mouth. This belly hooked one took some effort... |
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| The slinky flashing of the Melon-Ya Spirits continues to entice. Another GT falls prey... |
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| The Fisherman Andaman draws first blood on the jigging front with this beautiful Tomato Cod... |
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| Grass Emperors are aggressive customers and wouldn't hesitate to take jigs almost as big as themselves. But of course they were of no match to the Evergreen Poseidon Spin Jerker rod, which was used to work the Sevenseas Hooker jig... |
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| The Andaman scores again, this time with a Green Jobfish... |
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| Demersals just love the Sevenseas Hooker jig around here, and all over... |
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| The beaut Yellowfin Grouper is always a gem to look at... |
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| Back to casting and we find GT straightaway courtesy of the FCL Labo Squid Pencil... |
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| We get more than satisfactory results with the testing of a radical new stickbait which we hope to bring to the shelves in the near future. This big Bluefin falls prey... |
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| The FCL Ebipop strikes again. This lure would eventually be lost when a huge Reef Shark decided he wanted it more after a pummelling fight... |
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| On jig we hit the jackpot with a nice Coral Trout. It had to be pried from its lair with the help of the powerful Evergreen Poseidon Spin Jerker. One for the table definitely... |
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| The FCL Labo SL jig pays dividends... |
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| A handsome deep sea dwelling Bream took a liking to the Fisherman Andaman... |
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| So does a Black Jack. In fact we can't think of any fish that would say no to the Andaman... |
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| Another Black Jack is wrestled aboard coustesy of the FCL Labo SL jig... |
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| Rosy Jobfish is the Andaman's latest victim... |
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| Meanwhile a perfect bait-sized Mack Tuna gets greedy and is pinned by the large Shout! Width jig... |
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| Another Black Jack on the Fisherman Andaman yet again... |
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| Greed gets you. This massive FCL HR jig was meant for much larger predators but this Coronation Trout otherwise... |
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| Here the FCL HR jig gets a more credible Greasy Grouper... |
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| Going deep means you would probably encounter one of these Nassau Groupers, and this Andaman does... |
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| Working the upper columns of the water can be rewarding. This Poseidon Spin Jerker bears the grunt of a good fish... |
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| A nice Yellowfin Tuna hits the deck after an intense fight... |
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| Damage courtesy of the Shout! Width jig... |
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| The new FCL Labo Yoko jig gets a Sea Bream on the Poseidon High Pitch Jerker rod... |
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| Here's a beauty. The aggro Paddle Tail Snapper gets territorial on a Fisherman Andaman jig... |
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| Nicely done. Another rare Yellowfin Grouper comes aboard after a few tense moments... |
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| The radical FCL FT jig scores this one... |
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| It was a tough tough fight which resulted in this angry Reef Shark at boatside... |
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| Victorious angler and worthy opponent which fell for a Shout! Twin Chip jig... |
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| Rock Cod from the depths on a Fisherman Crazy Long 64 jig... |
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| We had bouts of bad weather on this day but the heroic prototype pencil does its job with another GT... |
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| It was followed by a nice GT on the Maggy Gara popper... |
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| And another smaller one... |
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| As the prototype pencil strikes again... |
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| Maggy Gara Jerkbait in the gob! |
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| Stickbaited Gee... |
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| Enthusiastic GT fouled by the sinking El Nadador pencil... |
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| This GT makes a mess after whacking the big FCL CSP 200 pencil... |
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| A nice fish indeed! Great fight on the FCL Labo EXT 81MH too... |
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| The sinking El Nadador with a great capture... |
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| High speed spinning the Fisherman Long Pen mimics fleeing bait and doesn't fail to find a taker... |
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| Few casts later and another angry GT plucks the fleeing Fisherman Long Pen from the surface... |
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| Perfect display of greed on an FCL SL jig... |
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| This fight was epic, with the Evergreen Poseidon Spin Jerker maxed out most of the time. The suspected Shark eventually busted through and won its freedom... |
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| Shout! Twin Chip with a Nassau from the deep... |
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| GTs love jigs too. The short and stout Evergreen Poseidon High Pitch Jerker is great for these speedsters... |
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| Spanking new FCL Yoko jig scores... |
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| FCL Labo FT jig with a Rock Cod... |
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| Another Nassau from the depths... |
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| More Rock Cod action with the Shout! Shab Shab scoring... |
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| GTs are pretty common on jigs in the Maldives, but not on this trip. This was a welcome catch... |
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| It fell for a Shout! Flash jig... |
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| The Shab Shab with another GT... |
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| Coronation Trout are getting harder to come by so we were happy with this one on the Fisherman Andaman jig... |
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| Meanwhie another Andaman gets into the act with this nice Coral Trout... |
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| Triggerfish are super territorial and certainly over-enthusiastic... |
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| Slow jerked Evergreen Caprice jig gets a GT as well... |
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| The second beautiful Paddle Tail Snapper for the trip, on the Andaman this one... |
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| Followed by a Rosy Jobbie on the same Andaman... |
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| The CSP 175 is a weapon extraordinaire over in these parts. The FCL Labo creation was made for these kind of work... |
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| Another victim of the FCL CSP 175. Like the above they were worked best with the EXT rod also by FCL Labo... |
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| Now this is a nice GT! Quite a fight too... |
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| The FCL SPP Slim delivers the usual blow... |
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| Dusk beckons so we get a few last casts in and find this GT on the Maggy Gara Short Popper... |
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| Every sunset is spectacular. Every one to savour. |
Look out for Part Two very soon!
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