Back in the United Arab Emirates for my Fly Fishing Academy

Its certainly been a hectic time, after returning home from Belize I was off to Fujairah in less than 24 hours to run a fly fishing academy at the Le Meridien Al Aqah hotel on the east coast of the United Arab Emirates situated on a dramatic stretch of coastline washed by the Indian Ocean adjacent to the rugged Hajar Mountains. I flew as usual with Emirate airlines where the staff ensures you enjoy the experience. After clearing Emigration and Customs just after1o’clock in the morning, I was met by my chauffer who would drive me down to the east coast a journey of about two hours through the mountains.

It’s always nice arriving at the Le Meridien Al Aqah if only for the very warm welcome as everyone rushes out to welcome me back shake my hand and take care of my entire luggage. Having checked in I requested some tea and toast to be delivered to my room. Within minutes the waiter was at the door with tea and toast. Sitting on the balcony hearing the waves crashing on the shore I thought about the tuna, sailfish, marlin, dorado and other fish swimming in the warm waters. Offshore I could see dozens and dozens of ships from super tankers to small coasters riding at anchor. This area is the second largest bunkering area in the world after Singapore.

I suppose it was around five in the morning when I crawled into bed where I quickly went off to sleep waking up at around ten thirty in the morning. After a shower I went off to the gym where I covered three miles on the treadmill then it was off for a walk around the hotel complex before lunch. Following an hour long lunch I went of to the masseur for an invigorating massage. An hour and half with the guy and I felt great, I can certainly recommend the treatment. In the class room I set up all my teaching aids ready for the first pupils which would arrive the next afternoon. Back in my room I sorted out some tackle for an early morning session with Wayne De Jager of East Coast charters. After an hour on the balcony reading a novel it was time o get ready for dinner. I chose the Thai restaurant. The food was excellent, I have never had better and I can certainly recommend the crispy duck.

My First Session on the Ocean

My first fishing trip was with general manager Patrick Antaki and his son Sebastian and three other guests, my day started with a telephone call at 5 0’clock from a young lady on the front desk saying “Good morning Mr James this is your early morning call” After a quick shower, breakfast arrived. At 6 0’clock I was in the lobby picking up my lunch bag before heading for a waiting car. I suppose it was a half hour journey to the marina. After sorting out nine and ten weight Thomas and Thomas rods, Gilmore and Abel reels, with intermediate lines, we moved away from the dockside, having left the harbour, the twin 150 horse motor were opened up within seconds we were skimming across the water heading for one of the berthed tankers in the hope of finding some bonito. The fish were hard to tempt but on my first cast I hooked up to a bonito. The weather wasn’t good with quite a chop on the water. In the next hour I had a couple more bonito.

Usually I target the dorado but in three hours of searching we couldn’t find a single fish alongside any of the big oil or gas tankers. One fish was spotted well out in the open water chasing small bonito, but we didn’t see another fish. I reckon it was down to the choppy water and cold conditions. We moved inshore in the hope of finding fish, but with a cold front moving through I didn’t feel our chances were good. About 1o’clock with heavy black clouds coming over the mountains with an increasing wind strength we called it a day and headed back to the marina. Driving back to the hotel the rain sheeted down for a few minutes. Back at the hotel I just had time to grab and sandwich and a mug of tea before I met Chris one of my pupils in the hotel lobby.

The Mechanics of Casting and Tying Knots

After meeting Chris who had never fly fished before, we went out on the casting court where after an hour I had him making some nice casts. In the classroom I had Chris tying knots for attaching line to hooks and swivels, I then taught him how to use the tie-fast tool for making leaders. Finally he practised attaching a leader to the fly line. After a coffee break, it was back to the mechanics of casting. With darkness enveloping us we called it a day, arranging to meet for dinner in the lobby at 7-30pm.

Over dinner we discussed the following days fishing, explaining we would target bonito and queen fish. I arranged a packed lunch, an alarm call for 5am with breakfast to be delivered to Chris’s room at 5-30 am. We chatted about the various aspects of saltwater fly fishing, the various types of lines from floating to fast sinkers. After dinner we sat and discussed the various models of rods in the Thomas and Thomas brochure, I also suggested the best model to start with would be the nine foot nine weight Helix. After discussing various types of flies and poppers, we left the dining room for an early night.

Hooked up to a Tuna

Next morning I met with Chris in the lobby at 6 o’clock then it was out into the darkness for a half hour drive to the Marina, Wayne was already to go, after the usual introductions we got aboard, stowed the gear then sat back for a half hour ride to the tankers. Wayne suggested we fish off the stern of Marlene which had been anchored offshore for about six years. Its barnacle encrusted hull a great attraction to fish and other marine life. As we moved in close to the tanker I could see bonito everywhere. I decided that Chris should start off fishing a Clouser minnow on an intermediate line, it was the right choice. Soon Chris was hooked up to his first ever fish on a fly. Two hours later we moved in close to the shore.

As we sat having a sandwich my eyes scanned the ocean for signs of feeding fish, after some fifteen minutes I noticed a lot of sea birds heading off towards another big group of birds three hundreds yards or more off the port bow. I drew Wayne’s attention, suddenly it was action stations as we got ready to move. Soon we were skimming over the ocean in the directions of the birds. As we got closer I could see some five six hundred sea birds diving and squealing as they fought over the bait fish being driven to the surface by a school of tuna. The noise was deafening, even more birds were homing in on the killing zone. Bits of dead fish littered the surface you could smell death in the air.

Adrenalin pumped through our veins; soon Chris was hooked up to a tough fighter that wasn’t going to give in without a struggle. As I coaxed Chris on how to play this ocean predator I noticed the birds, bait fish and tuna had disappeared over the horizon. With the sound of screaming birds and swirling fish gone, all we had was the gentle lapping of waves again the hull you could have heard a pin drop. Meanwhile Chris continued to fight his monster of the deep. Under my instructions he would slowly lower the rod taking in line, and then slowly lift the rod to shoulder level, making sure he didn’t jerk the line as he lifted the rod before once again lowering the rod then gaining more line. All the time I kept saying "Take it gently don’t snatch" I had no fear of the leader breaking or knot unravelling, I had made sure Chris had tied the knot correctly, also I had carefully adjusted the clutch on the reel so line could be given should a fish suddenly dive.

I suppose fifteen minutes had gone by since the hook up but Chris was winning the struggle to subdue one of the hardest fighting fish of the ocean. With most of the fly line back on the reel he was reaching a critical point in winning the fight. Once the fish was near the surface it would make on last bid for freedom. It’s when many anglers lose their dream fish. I didn’t want Chris to have a lively fish on the surface with just a few feet of leader. I said “Take it easy Chris that’s a big fish and when it get close to the surface it will make one last effort for freedom, let the reel give line if the fish dives” With the fish swimming from the stern to the bows just under the surface Wayne was ready with the net, he doesn’t need a second chance and it was quickly netted. After a couple of pictures it was released to grow bigger and give another angler the chance of catching such a fine fish. (See picture)

Lots of Action with Queen Fish

My next two pupils were engineer Ian Millington from Cheshire and senior quantity surveyor Elton Justin from Cape Town South Africa both guys were working in the United Arab Emirates. After the classroom session, it was offshore to put it all into practise what they had learnt. Conditions were excellent with a lat calm ocean; I suppose we went seven to eight miles offshore and Pete our skipper who was from South Africa chose the right area. Within minutes they were both playing nice fish, on many occasions Ian and Elton had double hook ups. I reckon Ian and Elton had fifty plus fish between them, with many good size queen fish all caught on Clouser minnows fishing with Thomas and Thomas nine weight rods with intermediate line. Over the next few days all my pupils caught fish, apart from Ian and Elton all the other pupils were complete beginners. If you’re visiting Dubai on business or pleasure and you want to have some fishing action on the ocean then the Le Meridien Al Aqah hotel is the place to stay. You can book your fishing trip through the hotel. If your partner doesn’t fish she will find plenty to do at this great hotel where all the rooms face the ocean.

From the warmth of the Emirates to the cold frosty weather of Lancashire

Having left Fujairah I then spent my last day in Dubai with my daughter Sharon who was expecting her first child on Christmas Eve. Usually I leave on the early morning flight but this time I got the early afternoon flight from Dubai to Manchester arriving at 6-30pm. A change in the temperature of about 30 degrees F. Next day I was up and of to the studio at 5 o’clock in the morning here I spent some time putting together a New Years day programme, it was then off to the banks of the Ribble for a couple of hours. The following Day Martin Salisbury of Leyland and Brendan Ince of Blackburn joined me on the Edisford Hall water on the Ribble. Martin caught two nice chub on bread flake and missed a few bites. I didn’t fish, I spent the time with Brendan pointing out various swims, how to read the river the correct way to put meat on the hook and how to fish bread baits. Brendan then put into practise what I had shown him ending his session with 4 good chub averaging about 4lb. Arriving home I was ready for a mug of tea before going off to bed. Just after breakfast on Christmas Eve morning I got a text to say Sharon had given birth to Jessica Holly who weighed in at 3.25Kg Mum and baby were doing well as was Dad. I then spent the morning doing some last minute shopping. After lunch I packed my car with all equipment I would need for a few days on the River Kennet.