There is nowhere I would rather be fishing in the world than Cornwall. Its gnawed, broken coastline and its small harbour’s provide for almost all our fishing endeavours. However when Will James invited me to spend a week testing out our LRFing kit on an island off of Africa, I could not decline!
We flew over on Friday morning to 32 degrees and cloudless sky’s. We agreed ‘t’was a little too hot for us Cornish folk!’
Never-the-less after a short taxi journey and a change of clothes we were by the water gawping at the large shoals of small Barracuda and Mullet swimming in the Los Cristianos boatyard. We threw soft plastics of all shapes, sizes and colours, Jig heads, Wedges, Plugs and poppers at them but they were not interested. So with our spirits low we headed to fish from the pier with small SP’s.
Will cast his Power Isome on size 10 jig head into a shoal of jacks. Within 3 seconds he was onto a nice little fighter. It dived straight down into the volcanic rock but Will put on the pressure just in time. He landed the beauty on the bottom right…
I was also eager to hook into one of these mini beasts but my braid was in a serious tangle (Just due to using mono all my life) so I had to switch to my spare spool.
By the time I was ready to fish, Will had hooked into something bigger it was a dead weight. Then when it realized it was hooked it dived right down like the last one. After a while of playing the fish he landed it. A nice Jack bigger than the previous only by and inch or two but still a decent fish. (Unfortunately no picture for this one)
The sun became too much and so we headed back to the apartment.
Day Two
Saturday came and we headed down early in the morning when the air was still cool. This time we fished the boatyard in Los Cristianos. I was using a size 20 hook, a 1g split shot and a pink power Isome, Will the same but Green.
I was quick to hook into a Lizard fish which hit hard then came in fairly easily. Then an Ornate Wrasse inhaled my lure and dived for cover but with a few twists of my reel it was in my hand. The colours of this fish were spectacular! Similar to our very own ‘Cuckoo Wrasse’ but much more vibrant.
Next I was into a little thing similar to a smelt. Known to the locals as ‘Booga’ it is often used for live bait for barracuda. They fight a bit like little mackerel darting all over the place and making short energetic runs.
Will took a little Ornate Wrasse a few moments later. By this point we had drunk all our water and headed back for the day.
Day Three
Sunday had arrived!
As i’m more of the ‘early bird’ of the two, I decided to sneak in a little session down by the rock pools before Will had awoken.
I was using the same kit as the day before small hooks and split shots appeared to be the way to go. The rock pools were large and you could cast into them but not very deep. I was not expecting so many fish. Rock Pool Benny’s and Mediterranean Black Goby’s were on the agenda… and in numbers. I was getting nibbled by several fish at a time but failing to hook up with any. Frustrated I changed to Pink rather than Brown Isome and moved to a different pool. A Large Black Goby gobbled up my Isome and was plucked from the water.
Later Will came and joined me down at a different pool again. We caught around 15 each! And had a good days Rock Pool Fishing, With two new species under our belts.
Day four
Monday morning was spent targeting mullet with Bread and Power Isome. After a long, dull session, I decided Mullet fishing might not be my thing!
Monday afternoon was a different matter entirely… Whilst fishing in the boat yard we plucked out fish after fish. One new species arrived, the ‘Dream Fish’ named because it is well known for making you hallucinate after eating it! Will was hooking hundreds Ornate Wrasse one after one.
But then my Power Isome was engulfed by a decent fish. I put on the pressure straight away but still nearly lost it to three different snags. After some hustle and bustle it was in my hands. And what a beauty with a Large mouth nasty Teeth and greeny yellow spots it was a spectacular catch. This was also the only fish that the locals took any interest in. They told me it was “A very special fish” when we got back I discovered its called a ‘Dusky Grouper’.
Final Day
Only one fish for the last day of fishing a ‘Red Scorpion Fish’ caught by me but spotted by Will. We were walking back from a fish-less session when will spotted a red lump on a rock on the bottom. Will was plugging, so couldn't have caught it but I had on a pink power Isome and caught it almost instantly. It bashed my lure and I fowl hooked it through the fore head. Good job I was careful they're poisinous
Never-the-less after a short taxi journey and a change of clothes we were by the water gawping at the large shoals of small Barracuda and Mullet swimming in the Los Cristianos boatyard. We threw soft plastics of all shapes, sizes and colours, Jig heads, Wedges, Plugs and poppers at them but they were not interested. So with our spirits low we headed to fish from the pier with small SP’s.
Will cast his Power Isome on size 10 jig head into a shoal of jacks. Within 3 seconds he was onto a nice little fighter. It dived straight down into the volcanic rock but Will put on the pressure just in time. He landed the beauty on the bottom right…
I was also eager to hook into one of these mini beasts but my braid was in a serious tangle (Just due to using mono all my life) so I had to switch to my spare spool.
By the time I was ready to fish, Will had hooked into something bigger it was a dead weight. Then when it realized it was hooked it dived right down like the last one. After a while of playing the fish he landed it. A nice Jack bigger than the previous only by and inch or two but still a decent fish. (Unfortunately no picture for this one)
The sun became too much and so we headed back to the apartment.
Day Two
Saturday came and we headed down early in the morning when the air was still cool. This time we fished the boatyard in Los Cristianos. I was using a size 20 hook, a 1g split shot and a pink power Isome, Will the same but Green.
I was quick to hook into a Lizard fish which hit hard then came in fairly easily. Then an Ornate Wrasse inhaled my lure and dived for cover but with a few twists of my reel it was in my hand. The colours of this fish were spectacular! Similar to our very own ‘Cuckoo Wrasse’ but much more vibrant.
Next I was into a little thing similar to a smelt. Known to the locals as ‘Booga’ it is often used for live bait for barracuda. They fight a bit like little mackerel darting all over the place and making short energetic runs.
Will took a little Ornate Wrasse a few moments later. By this point we had drunk all our water and headed back for the day.
Day Three
Sunday had arrived!
As i’m more of the ‘early bird’ of the two, I decided to sneak in a little session down by the rock pools before Will had awoken.
I was using the same kit as the day before small hooks and split shots appeared to be the way to go. The rock pools were large and you could cast into them but not very deep. I was not expecting so many fish. Rock Pool Benny’s and Mediterranean Black Goby’s were on the agenda… and in numbers. I was getting nibbled by several fish at a time but failing to hook up with any. Frustrated I changed to Pink rather than Brown Isome and moved to a different pool. A Large Black Goby gobbled up my Isome and was plucked from the water.
Later Will came and joined me down at a different pool again. We caught around 15 each! And had a good days Rock Pool Fishing, With two new species under our belts.
Day four
Monday morning was spent targeting mullet with Bread and Power Isome. After a long, dull session, I decided Mullet fishing might not be my thing!
Monday afternoon was a different matter entirely… Whilst fishing in the boat yard we plucked out fish after fish. One new species arrived, the ‘Dream Fish’ named because it is well known for making you hallucinate after eating it! Will was hooking hundreds Ornate Wrasse one after one.
But then my Power Isome was engulfed by a decent fish. I put on the pressure straight away but still nearly lost it to three different snags. After some hustle and bustle it was in my hands. And what a beauty with a Large mouth nasty Teeth and greeny yellow spots it was a spectacular catch. This was also the only fish that the locals took any interest in. They told me it was “A very special fish” when we got back I discovered its called a ‘Dusky Grouper’.
Final Day
Only one fish for the last day of fishing a ‘Red Scorpion Fish’ caught by me but spotted by Will. We were walking back from a fish-less session when will spotted a red lump on a rock on the bottom. Will was plugging, so couldn't have caught it but I had on a pink power Isome and caught it almost instantly. It bashed my lure and I fowl hooked it through the fore head. Good job I was careful they're poisinous
