The other side of paradise!

I´m the luckiest man in the whole world. My job sends me to some of the greatest fishing locations known to man. It is a task I undertake for the benefit of our readers. My traveling is not just for the fun of it but to find new and interesting tours which every one can book through our easy step-by-step system. Every now and then we stumble across the perfect trip..........

What can I say but I´ve done it again!

A so called baby weighing in at 80 kg!

PRICKERLY GERNARD never is this fish to be handled. BE CAREFULL!

First fish of the day a skipjack tuna-- what a fight!

A common sight to all trout fishermen: the Finnish Rapala

Lanzarote has a long history for all the wrong reasons. Yes: the sun shines all year, the shopping is dirt cheap and most of all: the dark Norwegian winters give reason to seek out these package holidays. What these tour operators don´t tell us fishermen is that Lanzarote is the be all and end all of deep sea fishing on the plant earth!!!!!!! Fish such as bluefin- and skipjack tuna, marlin, mako- and hammerhead shark just to name a few can be found here in abundance.

As with all couples the world over my girl friend and I needed a romantic holiday in the sun. I always cut a deal that included sunset meals in fine cafes, long walks along the white sandy beaches and not least one day off so I could catch one of those mind-blowing fish.

I discovered planning such a fishing trip is not that easy. Fist the endless phone calls to charter companies that have no english communication skills or don´t seem to be interested in taking bookings over the phone from stangers. Plan B was the constant Internet searches that leave you wondering why the hell you bothered in the first place. Finally I tried what I call "the fly by the seat off your pants" aproach. This often leads to no fish, no romance and no money left for that all important tax- free shopping on the way home.

I must admit I´ve got mojo and with my super powers I always find what I want in the end. To find the entire package with one simple click whould be the break my girl needed. I don´t know about you but I hate all the bullshit and stress of running around
trying to find people, places and boats that never live up to the promisses of their glossy leaflets. As my grandma used to say: "Paper is patient, my boy!".

So there I was the last week in November, walking through customs full of anticipation and ready to sink my teeth into some hard-core fishing. After seeing reports on the storm of the century on the Canary Islands on the local news here in Bergen I was geared for tropical rains and winds of the kind no one likes. What a pleasant shock to find a blue sky shining with all the promise of a perfect week ahead.

One of the things I grew to love about Lanzarote is the simple way of life. Unlike its more famous neighbours, Lanzarote is not plagued by pushy salesmen selling junk you will never need or monster high-rise hotels that blot the sky line. In accordance to its founding father´s laws all development is limitted to four stories. To add to its charm all houses are based on a colour scheme of white with blue, green or brown trimmings. This leaves you with the impression that you are on a tiny Greek hideaway and not on one of those ugly tourist traps we all love to hate.

Time seemed to stand still as we worked on our tans and spent our days swimming and getting to know each other again, but I was starting to wonder if my chance of catching a tuna would ever come. By pure chance I ran into someone who gave me the name of the owner of a boat called "ANA SECUNDO". Hey presto: ten seconds later I was booked on one of the few boats sailing on thursday. All was organised: I was teamed up with five other fishermen of various nationalities. All I had to do was stand outside my apartment block 8 AM sharp and they would do the rest. Food and beer, tackle and transportation where all included in the price.

Before I go any further I must say one thing about the guys that run the charter: they´re true pros. Nothing was left to chance, safety was their first priority. The only problem they can´t remedy is the oldest one in the book: sea-sickness! What I can say is that by the end of the tour few of us were still standing. I think my choise of a cold brew at the worst of the swell didn´t help matter one bit! But that´s the kind of nut I am!!!!!!

Now where was I? Yes: fishing. Trawling for our prey was a relatively simple operation. It is standard to use Finnish-made Rapalas lures with plastic squid imitations on the outriggers. I was told this gave the impression of a school of fish cruising the deep blue with nothing better to do than be eaten by the many agressive species that roam the tropical seas. The one small alteration made was the inclusion of two "Møre Sild" lures flapping in the wake of the boat

My gift of "NORSK" lures to the captain was a challenge to the locals on my part. The crew and I were now involved in a contest of egos. One I was certain to win? Marlin and tuna fishing is 90% boredom and 10% in your face action at best, but when they finally strike the boat turns into something more like a warzone that a fishing boat.
It took no time before the first rod began to scream and before I could lay my hands on it the next one started.
Suddenly all of our rods started singing. Of the five people on board I was the only one one to land a small skipjack. This was fuel to our fire and the entire boat was abuzz with anticipation. This set the rythm for the day: fish hitting our rods and people running around screaming at all quarters.
As with all warzones the weak began to fall and by the time we lowered the anchor to try our luck with baits on the bottom there were few left standing. To tell the truth the seas were angry and totally out of character for that time of year but details like that never stop a true fisherman from his task. Again I must stress the strong northerly was totally out of season.

It was not until we started a new run in shore that my "Møre Sild" showed its qualities. Our first-timer "Babes", representing England, had the fortune of having a face to face encounter with something large. The next half hour was an adventure she will never forget. bHer rod seemed to take control of her which is always a bad start. Both her and the fish seemed to be on the opposite wavelength. Neither one wanted to give an inch but as often happens something had to give and to my shame it was the "Møre Sild" that ended her day. I can not begin to tell you how bad I felt. How was I ever to repay her. History showed that she dropped all the fish that came her way that day. But I can´t take anything away from her: despite her inexperence and lack of sealegs she gave it all.

On a serious note: there is one hazard that must be avoided at all costs. That is a spiny creature we in Australia call a PRICKLY GERNARD. It´s a bottom fish that spends most of its days in the sandy zones around offshore reefs and close to land. This is one of God´s creatures that is not to be messed with. One prick from this critter and the next few days (if you are lucky to find a hospital in the middle of the ocean) will be your personal hell on earth. PLEASE study this photograph and if in doubt ASK!!!!!!!!!!! I would hate to hear of anyone getting spiked. I have seen the results first hand and it is not a laughing matter.

If you and/or your family need a little sun and you feel the pull of the deep blue sea
we can provide tailor-made packages ranging from budget to exclusive.
We can design the tours for either individuals or groups. The boat however has a maximum capacity of 6 persons
All you need do is contact us at FISHBOOKING.COM and we will take the effort out of travelling. It is a holiday after all!