Heavy setup needed

[will101]

Thanks guys and thanks Ben! Ben is bringing me a Scottish built Alba in 14wt. Very nice looking rod, and soliiid. Now I still need a reel to match this - the bigger the better. Anyone know of anything pls let me know! shot
w

[firephish]

Thanks guys and thanks Ben! Ben is bringing me a Scottish built Alba in 14wt. Very nice looking rod, and soliiid. Now I still need a reel to match this - the bigger the better. Anyone know of anything pls let me know! shot
w

I have a Scierra XDP Fly Reel 10/11 surplus to my requirements if you're interested.

[petercoetzee]

get yourself a Ross Saltwater 5 and load it with 50lb gelspun or braid... Its not LA but with Yellowfin you dont have to worry about cranking fast, just cranking up . Or an old Penn 4.

I dont understand the need for going all the way up to 15wt although if you really want to overkill it go for something like a CAPE FEAR 17 or 19WT. Ive had some huge fish on 12Wt and on my 14wt and everytime I fight a fish on the 14 i always think that it was unecessary. people underestimate the drag caused by heavy dense fly lines. Ive been on decent mako's and they arent as strong as you think.... you could easily lank a 200lb class fish on a 10wt i reckon as you dont have to crank them up, they fight on the surface full time and if you put enough bend in the butt section you'll never have an issue.

When are you going out for yellowfin? need someone to split the bill with?

[Kevin James]

Jeez Peter,

I'll gladly give you a ring if you have easy mako's.

I've been chasing the IGFA record now for near 4 years.
Hooked plenty......come close to about 10 or so and lost heaps.

Ok, some have been monsters.
Longest has been 3hr40 on a fish estimated at 275kg plus.....ironically, it's been the one we've been closest to getting.

Some photo's of some BIG fish we've had up.









They are tough fish........

[chris williams]

Wait till you see our barbel! Seriously, those are fantastic pics, especially the shark jack-knifing in mid-air, thanks! Must be really extreme on your body fighting one of those monsters - I struggle with a 3kg muddie...

[damage]

Kev lovely photos amazing fish !!


what do you do when they jump ??

In my short (5-6) Mako career
I struggle when they jump ive tried "bowing" to the fish even getting my rod tip under water
Ive even tried going high up on the fly deck with no success

so far if they jump I either suffer a hook pull or Get chafed off on the leader?(igfa) at the test knot

any advise would be greatly apriciated

/d

[Kevin James]

Honestly mate, when they jump there is very little you can do.

I have tried getting small angles on them initially after hooking up, and that has helped quite a bit. The small shock tippet is our biggest problem.
A lot of the big fish chafe us off after the first 40-50 minutes providing we survive the jump sequences.......

We have definitely found each fish is different and just when you think you have the situation sussed they do something else. Drive you nuts, but that's why we keep going back for them <grin>

I love catching mako's - we've had some huge ones on conventional gear.
My best is 297kg on 15kg........one of the boys got the whole thing on video / some serious carnage at the end of the fight!

Unfortunately this season was a bit of a let down -

I travelled to the Himalaya's for two months and was in South Africa during August, so missed most of the winter season.

Good luck on the bities mate -
They are much better than marlin in my opinion.

[damage]

Thanks for the advice Kev Greatly appriciated

In the Cape we have a SURE FIRE way of hooking Makos or Blues all you have to do is wait until a nice Yellowfin is is in the slick and throw at it and garenteed a Johnny will take and interest in your fly !!!


now landing them is next on the list

/d

[petercoetzee]

dave trimble from bowman has landed a 700lb mako on fly... now THAT is something else. On a T&T 16wt, earlier this year those guys were landing 6 fish in a day, and now they're on to hammerheads

They also caught a 120lb Great White on fly-MAD

[Kevin James]

Yes mate.....not IGFA though.

Great effort, but having a meter of wire plus versus 12 inch plus the bits between hooks, it opens a whole new can of worms.

Hammers would be a great target.
That's still on the wish list, but from experience they lock mostly to live baits unless you know differently.

Hey Damage,

How many 'fin do you guys get up?
We fish quite a bit for them off Sydney during the winter and get some good ones.
Mostly target the mako's and then 'fin turn up as a by catch.

Might have to make a trip out there and catch up.