Tuna were caught out of Westport yesterday. Mark and some of our crew ran out and took a look. What they found was very encouraging.
Tuna 2024
- Thread starter SilverFly
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Yeah, seems like early season is when those get caught the most. I am noticing a pattern that we hear of bluefins happening in July/early August, then the reports of them go quiet. That been your observation too, @Nick Clayton ?
Wonder if someone went out in like, May, there'd be more out there before the albacore show up? While I don't speculate as much as @SilverFly on such matters, it does make me wonder.
Exactly. But Silverfly will go in to much more detail in his speculation. Mine is merely surface-level.
That's about as much tuna as my gear can handle. I'd be ok with one or two though.
I really haven't seen any pattern to bluefin. Most bluefin I've heard of being caught in a single day, along with a good number of yellowtail, was a day in late September. Of course I've seen plenty caught in July/August as well. Just haven't seen any real pattern either way.
Seems like with these pelagic fish that are just following the water they prefer and the food, it's really tough to predict anything with timing as every year the conditions are different.
SilverFly
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Yup. The sight of garbage can tuna busting might have me vibrating like your Kermit gif, but I'd rather hook one that size or smaller. The 14wt should at least have a chance.
Actually just had a half-baked idea on that note. I wonder if a lanyard connecting the tip section at the ferrule could be a easy way to effectively "shorten" the rod if lightning did strike. At some point during the fight, pop the tip free and let it hang loose without sliding down the line? Prolly a dumb idea, but fighting something that size on a 7' vs 9' rod sounds a little less painful.
BTW Nick, I'm putting in an order for one just like that in September.
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One of the reasons the fly rod rarely comes out for me is my dislike of fighting albacore on a 9 foot rod. So that's definitely a hard pass on a bluefin. Your solution just might work.Yup. The sight of garbage can tuna busting might have me vibrating like your Kermit gif, but I'd rather hook one that size or smaller. The 14wt should at least have a chance.
Actually just had a half-baked idea on that note. I wonder if a lanyard connecting the tip section at the ferrule could be a easy way to effectively "shorten" the rod if lightening did strike. At some point during the fight, pop the tip free and let it hang loose without sliding down the line? Prolly a dumb idea, but fighting something that size on a 7' vs 9' rod sounds a little less painful.
BTW Nick, I'm putting in an order for one just like that in September.
I've been working on finding me a shorter tuna fly rod. Steffen brothers seems to be it so far. Gonna try out @clarkman 's to see what I think.
To be clear, I'm not letting you take my Steffen heavyweight out. But I AM gonna let you play with my Seele (Mike McFarland designed and rolled 12+ wt) glass heavyweight. completely different animal. in a good way for bigger fish, should you run into any....
No, YOU are going to take your Steffen out and I'm going to help myself to it while we're there. Try telling me no when we're 50mi out.
I picked up a 9 foot 12 weight Fenwick build in 67 68 time frame. I’m the first person to fish it which was last year, Nick said to me after I had landed a few albacore “ boy that rod has a lot of back bone”.
Just putting this out there:
Albacore Steaks:
1. Cut your tuna loins into 1” steaks.
2. Season both sides with salt.
3. Crush 3 tbsp each of coriander, fennel seeds, and black pepper corns (I prefer long pepper, but few do) in a mortar and pestle.
4. Spread spices on a plate and press each side of the tuna steaks into the spices.
5. Sear both sides in olive oil on high.
6. Mix 1:1 crème fraiche with yuzo kosho (I prefer red) and drizzle over seared steaks.
Albacore Steaks:
1. Cut your tuna loins into 1” steaks.
2. Season both sides with salt.
3. Crush 3 tbsp each of coriander, fennel seeds, and black pepper corns (I prefer long pepper, but few do) in a mortar and pestle.
4. Spread spices on a plate and press each side of the tuna steaks into the spices.
5. Sear both sides in olive oil on high.
6. Mix 1:1 crème fraiche with yuzo kosho (I prefer red) and drizzle over seared steaks.
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Sounds like a way to overcook em.
Hmm never heard of long pepper, sounds good. Never really met a spice I didn’t like and so I’ll have to try it.
Dave
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