26 facebook.com/BlueWatermagazine
NEWSLINESThe NSW South Coast delivered staggering numbers
of striped marlin throughout late summer and autumn
this year. Understandably, this increased the crowds at
hotspots like Bermagui, so for the last fishing day of
our holiday we decided on a different plan of attack.
Hoping for fewer boats, we headed to the 12 Mile Reef
on the edge of the continental shelf.
Brian Muscat, Richard Bonavia and I left Bermagui
just before sun-up, and watched the ocean come to life
as soon as we reached the edge of the drop-off. Our
sounder showed schools of bait stacked high, and we
soon filled our livebait tank and then set about putting
them to work.
The outrigger clip pinged open not more than 20
minutes after we started trolling. That striped marlin
won its freedom when the hook pulled out, but a short
time later we were onto a double. Frustratingly, theRegularBlueWatercontributor Al McGlashan has hit the big time
with his acclaimed TV seriesFish’n With Matesbecoming the first
ever Aussie fishing show to be aired on Netflix around the world.
“A large part of the success is moving away from the traditional
infomercial-style fishing program to a factual documentary-based
series, says Postop CEO Richard White Smith.
The highlight of the series is the spectacular tuna fishing around
the incredibly remote Ascension Island. Tucked away in the South
Atlantic it is home to some of the biggest yellowfin in the world,
and Al even jumps in to film them underwater. The footage is
absolutely spectacular!
A clever blend of adventure, big fish and amazing footage,Fish’n
With Matescaptures all the highs and lows of fishing as Al teams up
with some of the best in the business to fish his way across the USA.Series one is expected to air in Australia later this year. For
the latest updates, follow Al McGlashan on social media.Al McGlashan’s on Netflix
Robert’s big day
off Bermagui
first of these two also won its freedom, and not long
after that the second broke free. But there were marlin
all around us and it didn’t take long before we were
hooked-up again. With great excitement, we released
our first marlin of the day 45 minutes later.
Once back around the bait schools it took only 30
minutes before we were again hooked-up to a double-
header of striped marlin. What an incredible sight to
see both fish tail-walking across the ocean at the same
time. It was a tense battle, but we eventually got both
fish alongside for release.
By that afternoon we’d had eight marlin strikes, six
hook-ups and released three beautiful stripies. It was a
day we will never forget.- Robert Caruana
During a hot late-summer marlin bite
off Bermagui, three buddies made
the right call on the final day of their
holiday and struck it rich.
Photo: Brian Muscat