Tuna 2022, let the games begin!

[SilverFly]

Hadn’t really considered that as I am hoping with the 13wt for a striped marlin or a blue fin, and generally just use what I would for tarpon. I also would love to fight and land a mola mola someday, but I agree that 20-25lb might be more appropriate—especially for the peanuts that have made up the majority of the tuna I’ve caught. I’ll try some next tuna trip.

I'm with ya on the big exotics. It's very unlikely, but just barely within the realm of possibility that it doesn't hurt to be prepared. When trolling, I fish the 14wt with the Tibor Pacific and never go under 30# tippet for that reason. I also tend to fish larger flies much further back.

That said, I actually I did hook a large "exotic" on Thursday. One I NEVER would have expected, and must be a first on fly, or possibly any gear that far offshore. Pretty sure I now have the dubious distinction of being the only person to (unintentionally) hook a pelagic seal on fly gear.

WTF a seal is doing 50 miles offshore is a mystery to me, but this unfortunate little fucker wouldn't let me clear my line before he ate my squid fly 30' from the boat. I reiterate this was UNINTENIONAL. I simply couldn't get the fly out of the water fast enough. He was not happy and took at least 100' of backing before I could stop him. Didn't want to risk breaking the backing knot so had to get a few wraps of fly line on the reel. Selfishly didn't want to lose the line but also didn't want him dragging a 150' fly line around.

Not how I had envisioned Nick backing down on something large I had hooked, but finally got a few wraps and popped the leader. Sickening but I thought seals were at least smarter than the tuna that didn't eat that fly that day.

 

[SilverFly]

I heard some excitement about one of these popper hookups!

Thank you for the crew referral. She was awesome. Super-stoked, great fly fisher, and just a smart, cool person to talk to!

 

[alpinetrout]

WTF a seal is doing 50 miles offshore is a mystery to me

Northern Fur Seal

Northern fur seals are members of the "eared seal" family. They primarily use the open ocean for foraging and rocky beaches for resting, molting, and reproduction. Historically, northern fur seals were hunted for their fur on land and at sea.

www.fisheries.noaa.gov

 

[Evan B]

Had a proper albacore party last night

 

[SilverFly]

View attachment 30535

Northern Fur Seal

Northern fur seals are members of the "eared seal" family. They primarily use the open ocean for foraging and rocky beaches for resting, molting, and reproduction. Historically, northern fur seals were hunted for their fur on land and at sea.

www.fisheries.noaa.gov

Thanks. That would be the perp. Too small for a seal lion, was uniform brown (not mottled gray like a harbor seal), too slender/small for a juvenile elephant seal.

 

[Pink Nighty]

Had a proper albacore party last night
View attachment 30537
View attachment 30538View attachment 30539

Dude. Hell of a spread. I'd be stoked to pay monies to be one of those fuckers you fed.

 

[SilverFly]

That is before the bar. Once you cross it, this is the typical water conditions you face:

View attachment 30280

Well, that blue is excellent for albacore water.

 

[Matt B]

I just don't find anything special is needed for albacore fishing when it comes to knots. A standard nail knot for backing to fly line is just fine.

Pretty much all my reels have big giant loops in the backing to make changing fly lines much easier. For 10 weight and up I make a doubled loop of backing so there’s two strands of backing looped to back of the fly line. Mostly because those have skinny braid for backing and I don’t want to risk the backing cutting into the line, even though that junction doesn’t get near the force applied as the line to leader junction.

 

[Matt B]

I do a short butt section of 40# FC on all the rods. Then uni-to-uni knot 30, 25 or 20 off that. Doubt it matters on the troll but once on the slide, or casting it can make a difference.

I'll do an at length report for Thurs and Sat when I get a chance later but dropping down to 20# FC definitely helped. This was clear on the awesome stop first thing in morning yesterday that was extremely visual. It felt like we were fishing in a giant aquarium ... with a wave machine.

My buddy Kyle was being tortured with drive-by refusals up front. He'd strip the fly and they would zoom by out of nowhere, then disappear as soon as it stopped. They also got pickier with fewer eats the longer we were there. Fly pattern and retrieve were absolutely key to getting eaten. We had a couple of popper hookups with one landed, and one broken off. I am now convinced poppers are NOT a "special occasion" tactic. What we saw yesterday was a clear demonstration a slider type fly fished correctly can actually be a trigger to stimulate strikes. But I digress, more on that later ...

Details and digression have plenty of precedence in this thread.

 

[wanderingrichard]

Details and digression have plenty of precedence in this thread.

Sure, but its entertaining and informative for those of us who can't get out for it ourselves.

 

[SilverFly]

Had a proper albacore party last night
View attachment 30537
View attachment 30538View attachment 30539

Seriously, that is restaurant grade.

This was waiting for me when I arrived at camp Wednesday night courtesy of Al, aka @Bagman. Not nearly as fancy but damn solid work for camp "grub".

 

[Bagman]

I do a short butt section of 40# FC on all the rods. Then uni-to-uni knot 30, 25 or 20 off that. Doubt it matters on the troll but once on the slide, or casting it can make a difference.

I'll do an at length report for Thurs and Sat when I get a chance later but dropping down to 20# FC definitely helped. This was clear on the awesome stop first thing in morning yesterday that was extremely visual. It felt like we were fishing in a giant aquarium ... with a wave machine.

My buddy Kyle was being tortured with drive-by refusals up front. He'd strip the fly and they would zoom by out of nowhere, then disappear as soon as it stopped. They also got pickier with fewer eats the longer we were there. Fly pattern and retrieve were absolutely key to getting eaten. We had a couple of popper hookups with one landed, and one broken off. I am now convinced poppers are NOT a "special occasion" tactic. What we saw yesterday was a clear demonstration a slider type fly fished correctly can actually be a trigger to stimulate strikes. But I digress, more on that later ...

Was this trip on Saturday the one with the lady on board?

 

[SilverFly]

Was this trip on Saturday the one with the lady on board?

Yup. Safe to say we have a new regular to our little group. She's fully hooked on albacore fly fishing!

 

[Bagman]

Seriously, that is restaurant grade.

This was waiting for me when I arrived at camp Wednesday night courtesy of Al, aka @Bagman. Not nearly as fancy but damn solid work for camp "grub".

View attachment 30551

I got my first batch of albacore in the pressure cooker right now.

 

[Nick Clayton]

I heard some excitement about one of these popper hookups!

I'm not sure who was more excited to watch that fish explode on her popper, her or I! I was so bummed the hook ended up pulling, but the level of stoked was so high overall that it really didn't matter that the fish never fully made it to the boat.

Abigail was rad and a ton of fun. Glad she was able to get out!

 

[Bagman]

Yup. Safe to say we have a new regular to our little group. She's fully hooked on albacore fly fishing!

That just too cool any pics?

 

[SilverFly]

I'm not sure who was more excited to watch that fish explode on her popper, her or I! I was so bummed the hook ended up pulling, but the level of stoked was so high overall that it really didn't matter that the fish never fully made it to the boat.

Abigail was rad and a ton of fun. Glad she was able to get out!

I went up front to stay clear of that action but listening to the commentary was entertaining as hell.

Based on how non-committal the tuna were being, yet hanging with us and responding to the poppers - you've now fully convinced me it's an important tool in the FF shed.

 

[SilverFly]

As usual I didn't take many pics on the water. But did get these shots on the run out, and back in on Thursday. Nice ocean. Not so nice Saturday.

 

[Matt B]

Sure, but its entertaining and informative for those of us who can't get out for it ourselves.

‘Twas meant to encourage plenty more of both!

 

[Jim F.]

‘Twas meant to encourage plenty more of both!

If only I could shave off a decade or so of years . . . it would be worth the "chumming" I'd undoubtedly do . . .