Tracy&James | Wednesday, 7 May 2025
Yesterday I finally caught and landed a barracuda. Not a particularly big one, but it made some spectacular leaps out of the water while I was playing it. I also hooked and played two sharks of about 40 lb-size, but lost them in the 'fight'. This was the first day where I have actually had success with these predators – every other predator 'hook-up' this holiday has been whilst using the 'wrong' tackle. (I should note that since James' injury, he is unable to cast the 10wt outfit, so I have been carrying mine everywhere. Or rather I have since the day I didn't and we saw several sharks and cudas acting in an aggressive manner! Carrying the rod though adds weight to my backpack and gives me back pain, but I am determined to catch something. James often carries it for me so that helps.)
On James' birthday, we went out on a guided boat and during the day I was using the 10wt to cast from the boat into a deep channel on the advice of the guide. I had takes from tarpon and he advised there were big jacks here too. I hooked a jack and then immediately we saw something big and grey appear, take the jack and disappear into the deep. I was now attached to a solid fish that took some line and then stayed deep under the boat. As we had been casting for tarpon and jacks, there was no wire on the leader, so we were expecting to be broken at some point as I clearly was now attached to a shark. After a bit of a stand-off, where I couldn't move this fish much for fear of breaking the rod, James started hand-lining the fly line. The fish appeared, jumped and span three times on the surface, then broke the leader. I had hooked and played a beautiful Spinner shark – I've never had one of these before.
I have had a shark attack a jack I was playing whilst I was wading. I reckon the jack had been swimming with the shark, as they do, and then when I hooked it, the shark decided it was now prey. I let the jack run and thought it had outrun the shark, so I pulled it into the shore quickly, stripping my fly line as this is quicker than reeling. My fly line was lying by my feet in the shallow water. I then stepped onto the shore as I pulled the jack into the water's edge. It must have been in no more than an inch of water when I was about to lean forward to grab the leader to unhook the fish. Then the shark reappeared and launched itself from the deep channel into the shallows and grabbed the jack. It realised it had 'beached' itself, so the shark twisted to turn to get back into the deeper water, but sadly straight into my loose fly line. It bolted away, taking the line and then it all went slack and I was left holding only half a fly line! I was visibly shaking, when James appeared to find out what I was shouting about – annoyingly I hadn't thought to put my video camera on.
I have also had a shark attack a bonefish I was playing, taking the poor creature's tail, so I was left to unhook the head and then throw it as far as I could away from me so the shark could come back and mop up the remnants of this 4lb fish. As it had eaten, it just ignored my attempts to cast the 10wt fly at it.
One of the most annoying takes from a predator was on a day where James had found a shoal of lady-fish and hooked several, before calling me to join him. He had seen a big cuda nearby too, so thought I should cast the 10wt to see if I could entice a take from it. Before casting the big rod, I thought it would be fun to catch a lady-fish as it's been a while since I have. The set up we used was the 7wt rod with a Clouser and a thin wire as these fish have abrasive mouths. On my first hook-up, the cuda appeared and took the fish, and bit through the wire. Then it disappeared, happy with its meal. Sadly I now wonder if I had just cast the 10wt, would I have had a take and then a chance at catching a 20lb+ cuda.
Hopefully I will catch something big in the last few days of our holiday.
Cheers,
Tracy