It’s Fun In The Sun at The Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort in Fujairah Part 2

The telephone screamed its strident notes; I struggled from a deep sleep, and then picked up the receiver. Saying “Hello” a sweet female voice said “Its 3-30 Mr. Martin this is your wake up call” I thanked the young lady; then remembered I was going fishing. Throwing back the covers I staggered into the bathroom as I did so I switched on the kettle. If the day didn’t start with a fresh brew it wouldn’t be a good one. After a cold shower and breakfast, I felt alive and ready to battle with anything I might hook up with in the Indian Ocean; I was staying for a few days at the Le Meridien Al Aqah beach resort at Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates.
Through the hotel I had booked several fishing trips with Wayne De-Jager and Roger Ledeboer of East Coast Sports fishers. Both were experienced boatmen. I had a 30-minute drive in the pre-dawn darkness along deserted roads, to the marina I was quickly out of the car with my tackle bag and 2-rod cases. Thanking the driver, I said, “Please pick me up at 6-30 tonight” then I headed for the ramp down to the boat dock. Roger and Wayne were waiting ready to go. Stowing the gear, the ignition key was turned immediately the two engines purred into life. The sound of outboard motors in the light of a false dawn is music to the ears of a fly fisher going out on the ocean. Removing the bowline I stored it safely in the centre console.


The boat moved slowly away from the dock heading towards the marina entrance and the ocean, a heron stood motionless as it peered intently into the water. No doubt looking for an early breakfast. Once clear of the marina, Wayne opened up the twin motors which roared and throbbed as we accelerated, the bow lifted, soon we were skimming across the glass like surface of the ocean leaving a rooster tail in our wake. We headed for the world’s second largest bunkering area about 12 miles offshore, only the Singapore bunkering area is bigger. Three miles out an escort of dolphins joined us, these big beautiful and powerful creatures looked magnificent in the early morning light. In the east a huge red ball had slowly emerged from the ocean, to the west I could just make out the Hajar Mountains through the haze. All to quickly we were within a mile of our first location where we hoped to find some bonito or albacore as they call them in the United States. I could see flying fish skipping across the ocean.

Into The Killing Zone

I had with me 4 Thomas &Thomas rods, 2 Helix models in 9 and 10 weights, and 2 Horizon models in 11 and 12 weights I had the latter 2 rods in case we found some big tuna, perhaps big dorado, these latter 2 rods I stowed away until needed. On the 9 weight Helix I had a Tibor Riptide reel with a 350 grain Teeny line, My 10 weight carried a Tibor Gulfstream; this time I chose a 450-grain shooting head. Out target fish were going to be the bonito where I would use the nine weight, should I find some extra big bonito I could easily switch to the 10 weight.
I would suggest if you are going to fish these waters and you only have one rod make it a 10 weight, but make sure your fly lines are designed for tropic waters. 45 minutes after leaving port we found a group of diving screaming gulls, bait fish were on the surface trying to escape from what can only be described as a killing zone. The bonito were tearing the baitfish apart; bits of dead fish littered the surface. You could smell death in the air. Wayne throttled back the twin motors, we slowly moved within casting range, then the engines were cut. We had just the sound of ocean birds and flapping bait fish. On my fifth or sixth cast I had a hit, line was quickly taken off the reel, the fish dived deep. Having fished for these tuna for several years I new I had a scrap on my hands. This one lasted for several minutes. Albacore or bonito certainly give you a work out. It was tug of war, first the fish would take some line then I would get it back, if the fish took ten feet I would win back fifteen. Eventually the fish was netted. Slipping out the barbless hook, we shot a quick picture then plunged the fish head first into the ocean from about five or six feet. Do not’ hold these fish by the tail then wait for them to swim off. They will die.

In the next 2 hours we had a dozen or more fish, this was then followed by a quiet spell. Though we did have the pleasure of seeing a rather large green turtle close up. After a sandwich and cold drink, we cruised the ocean looking for diving birds, occasionally spotting small groups of tuna on the surface, but we couldn’t get close enough to get in cast. I do find it difficult at times to approach these small groups of tuna, I reckon its because they are feeding on a small school of bait fish, by the time we are within casting distance the bait fish have split up leaving the tuna to go off hunting.

Sight Casting To Dorado

I suppose it was around 12 noon, I was up in the bows of the boat on lookout, when I spotted a single dorado about ten pounds heading off the port bow at about 10 o’clock. I called “Single dorado heading towards the small tanker anchored fifty yards away”, twenty yards from the tanker I could see several more Dorado. They were not big fish, but well worth chucking flies at, hopefully they would want to eat. I chose to use a 9 weight, replacing the size 2/0 Clouser with a size 3/0 red and white Deceiver. While I sorted out the business end of the tackle, Wayne lined me up for a drift, then switched off the ignition. It was that quiet you could have heard a pin drop. I stood poised up in the bow, line coiled neatly on the deck, the rod in my right hand, the fly between thumb and finger of my left hand ready to shoot should I see a fish. I peered intently into the clear water, beads of perspiration on my brow; I was like a coiled spring. We drifted some thirty feet, and then as we were coming out of the shadows into the sunlight I spotted a cruising fish. With one false cast I shot the line. Some twelve feet in front of the cruising fish the fly landed with a quiet plop. I watched it sink down 3 feet then made two; one foot long fast strips, the fish moved towards the fly, its pectoral fins changing to an electric blue colour. In the next instance the fish savaged the fly. With a firm strip strike, I set the hook. The fish dashed off at a fast rate of knots, fifty yards away, it leapt clear of the water. These fish are certainly the greyhounds of the ocean. It then dived, I cramped on the pressure, two or three minutes later it three times in quick succession. Then cart wheeled across the ocean. This was blue water fly-fishing at its best. It couldn’t really get better. Five more jumps and ten minutes later the fish was ready for netting. What a great fighting fish these are. If you should be lucky to hook up to one of these fish, please return them to the water. They are too beautiful to kill for the table and the fighting quality is second to non. In the next three hours I reckon I had a dozen follows, eight or nine hook ups and landed six fish the best at about 25lbs. It had certainly been a great day. In fact this dorado fishing is as good as anywhere in the world and better than most locations.

More Fun On Day Two With A Great South African

On my second day of blue water fly fishing in the Indian Ocean I had as my companion AJ an air traffic controller who lives in Dubai with his delightful wife Janine and two children. A J is an avid and knowledgeable fly fisher in both salt and freshwater. I certainly enjoy our time together. We left the marina at dawn heading in a north-easterly direction towards a small coaster, which had been anchored up for a few days, where Wayne had seen dorado. Both AJ and me tackled up with ten weight outfits and fast sink lines. I suggested using these lines after my experience of the previous day when I had seen some good fish down deep. Should the fish be near the surface we would start to retrieve a bit quicker. As we got within casting range of the coaster Wayne set us up for a nice drift then cut the motors, A J on his first cast hooked up to a fast moving fish, it jumped twice then threw the hook. We both agreed the power of these fish was awesome. Ten minutes later AJ was down to his backing, a good fish moved off fast. Seven times it leapt clear of the ocean. A super aerial display this was ‘Fun In The Sun’ After a fifteen minute tussle with one of the great sports fish of the ocean Wayne was able to net AJ’s first dorado. The fish was returned to fight another day, grow bigger and offer another sports fisher the delight AJ had just experienced. We certainly had an exciting couple of hours with the dorado You don’t get the excitement of sight casting to a fish when you’re trolling. In fact when you’re trolling it’s the skipper who does the work. The fish hook themselves, you just wind them in, usually on equipment designed to bring in a two hundred pound shark. Change your life. Take up fly-fishing.

Hooked up to a Tuna

With about thirty minutes left before we headed back to the marina, I changed to a size 3/0 white Clouser with some red tinsel tied in at the throat, then making a long cast I let the line sink well below the surface. Twenty-five perhaps thirty feet down, on my second strip I felt a hit. Strip striking I set the hook, angry fish dived for the bottom. The reel screeched like a scolded cat, line peeled off the spool. I was well into my backing before the fish stopped on its first run. Every now and again the rod tip stabbed below the surface, I could feel a lot of head shaking. All I could do was hold on and increase the pressure, hoping all the knots would hold. This wasn’t a dorado. I reckoned it was a tuna, from the power of this fish I new it was going to be a long work out. Ten minutes into the fight, I slowly started got some line back on the reel. It was just inches, then a couple of feet, every now and again just as I though I was winning, the fish would take it all back. With temperature in the low 90’s Fahrenheit it was hot, tough work. Perspiration poured off my brow, I gulped down ice-cold water at every opportunity. Slowly I was winning I got more line back on the reel than the fish would take. I could feel it was a tuna from the action of the fish. There was a distinct throbbing through the taught line. I had my first glimpse of the fish when it was about fifteen feet down. I cramped on all the pressure I dare. Lowering the rod tip I gained some line, I then lifted the rod tip in a smooth movement. Again I lowered the rod tip taking in line. Never ever jerk the line make sure all your movements are smooth. Soon the fish was wallowing on the surface where it was quickly netted. I punched the air with delight. It probably weighed some fifteen sixteen pounds. A quick picture then it was returned to grow into a thirty pounder, I hope I am around when it reaches that weight. Hopefully AJ will be hooked up to it and I can watch him have a tough work out See pictures