Triple Slam Rewards the First Billfish Hunt

All sea anglers must have some ambition when they first put baits into the ocean. For a four year old on a trip to the coast with Dad, it is to catch a fish - any fish, and my grandson with his first, about the size of a small cigar, is a picture he will never forget!

But as the angler progresses, the ambition soon becomes to catch a billfish, if he is lucky enough to be able to fish in the warmer waters round the world where sailfish and marlin can be found.
Thus when three anglers from South Africa came up to Kenya, having fished the north-eastern coast of their native country for many years without ever achieving a billfish catch, it was to do just that.

Coene Roux, Piet du Toit and Boesmann Bubb chose to try an overnight trip, and with skipper Rob Hellier and crewmen Peter, Anthony and Tabu in Ol Jogi, they set off from Hemingways Resort in Watamu on the Kenya north coast on the 50 mile ride to the North Kenya Bank.

This offshore ledge rises from the depths of the Indian Ocean to only a few hundred feet beneath the surface, and the steep dropoffs where the azure blue waters swirl across the canyons and ledges must be one of the world's great fishing spots.

Arriving in the afternoon, the 33ft Bertram sportfisherman slows down and puts out the lines, with small lures sweetened with belly strip baits for sail and some bigger lures for marlin, as noone knows what might appear behind the lines. Between 4pm and 6pm they soon found out, as first one angler, then the next and finally the third of the trio all hooked into sailfish, and all three tagged and released their first billfish.

Mission accomplished - but there was much more to come. Resuming the trolling pattern, a reel soon screamed and a much bigger fish was greyhounding across the surface as Coene Roux struck the rod and proceeded to play the fish to the boat, where it was seen to be a black marlin estimated around 120 kgs, which was duly tagged and sent swimming on it's way, with the anglers elated by their good fortune.

But as the crew were putting the lines back into the water, with only two lines out and ready, again a reel screamed off and this time it was Boesman's rod, with another marlin on the end! It was dark by the time this second one, another black of 83 kgs came beside the boat, and had to be boated as it had been damaged.

Nightime now, and with the moon almost full not the best conditions for swordfish, which tend to come near the surface on the dark, moonless nights, but the baits were put out for broadbill, special lures with lightsticks attached to the leaders, some on the surface and others on the downrigger. An hour passed without action, then suddenly a strike and the fish was on - indeed a broadbill swordfish, the most difficult species of billfish to catch and every angler' dreams. This was released, and action slowed for most of the rest of the night, but in the early hours clouds built up and obscured the moon, triggering a rash of strikes. four more broadbill tagged, as dawn rose, with two anglers already notching up a grand slam of three different billfish!

Lines were set again for marlin, as the boat prepared to head for home, with Piet watching all the rods like a hawk, and the gods were with him when he was rewarded with the last strike, a striped marlin eventually tagged around 55kgs!

A marlin, a sail and a broadbill swordfish for each of the three anglers on a trip, a triple grand slam for the team and the boat - has this ever been done before anywhere in the world?