Kim Z and I ran out toward the Hidden bank Yesterday looking for kelps and YT. We found only a few kelps that were noy holding fish. In spots there was a lot of life with huge schools of porpoise on bait but no tuna in the mix out there. The weather was projected to be nice with a small south swell and the usual 2-3 ft NW swell. The wind was suppose to be under 8 knts. This was the case for the first part of the day then the wind picked up and soon there whitecaps and a wind slop to contend with. We scooted back to south island to fish for YT cuda and Calicos. We ran into a panga fleet of lobster divers harvesting the south kelp section. The San Diego 3/4 day fleet soon met us at the spot and we began to pick off some nice calicos and a few cuda. The cuda were easy using a megabait but we only caught a couple on flies if I remember correctly. We saw a few spots of YT but they were up and down quickly. There was a lot less action than previous trips mostly due to the weather change and generally poor conditions. The highlight of the trip was an encounter with a huge bluefin Tuna. We were fishing the outside of South Kelp Ridge where it transitions into the flats and we spotted a bird school that was goind carzy. The 3/4 boat San Diego also spotted it as the same time we did and ran on it along side of us. They cut us off from the boils running over them and putting the fish down. Then on the other side of our boat the boils erupt again. At this point we are not sure what they are, I'm thinking YT. Then right in front of Kim and I a huge Bluefin comes out of the water chasing bait. A perfect broadside view. It looked like a Trident missile being launched from a submarine. The beast was 40-50 whatever pounds and was going mach speed. I was able to get one long cast with a megabait on my conventional rod close to the action but it was over just that quick and there was no love. We were completely stoked. What a sight. You know how certain fishing experiences are burned in your memory and they become sort of a persoanl favorites slide show in your head at times? Well this puppy just moved up toward the top of my list. This experince is why I fish and was completly worth the entire day. One day i hope to catch one of these amazing beasts on a fly (Pacific Bluefin) before they are extinct. Great day with Kim Z who is very easy to fish with and enjoyable company. It's always interesting to find the the bond found in the love of the sport and the outdoors almost always assures that your fishing partners are compatible. I think this especially applies to fly fishing where this bound is tested by the steep learning curve and committment to understanding the environment. It looks like another week or so before the tuna are in range. It's going to blow for the next 5-6 days then the fish should be at a fishable range. Needless to say, I'm ready for this thing to kick off.
Randy
