Advice required on luures for Kenya

[Snatcher]

Anyone out there done much sea fishing in Kenya??? A mate of mine is going out there shortly and I have offered to tie some lures up for him. He said that tuna and dolphin fish will be some of the target species. Any advice on patterns and hook size will be appreciated. Cheers team :)

[PanamaJack]

Hi Snatcher
Dorado (Dolphinfish or Mahi Mahi) are particularly voracious and even a fish around 20/25lbs will attack and hook up on a Blue Marlin sized lure. In terms of fly fishing for them there're really several different senarios to consider and accordingly different fly patterns.

They're often encountered around floating debris out deep - this acts as a magnet for shoals of small fish and pelagic crabs - and this can be anything from a drifting longliners float, an uprooted tree or a weed line. Anything that's been in the water for more than a few days will have its own 'resident population'. And crews will always troll around such 'structure'. The Dorado, if they're there and normally they're in small schools a dominant male and one or more females, can be holding deep - you can often spot the electric Blue and Yellow flashes - or anything up to 100 yards away.

If your friend's trolling he may well find that the first strike will be the male on one of the lures but as it's played the females will stay around him, looking for food. When they're right at the back of the boat the male should be left in the water and the crew throw small chunks of fish in to get the females feeding. Then you just need to pop a fly - something dressed in red and white with a little bit of flash on a size 3/0 to simulate the chum - will work and just dead drift it. (If he's fishing to IGFA rules of course - All African or Kenyan records are always a possibility - the engines need to be out of gear.) Providing one hooked fish is always left in the water you can often catch several from the school before they become wary.

So the other way around floating structure, if you can see them, is to cast something simulating a small baitfish - tied 'Deceiver' style and retrieve relatively fast. Poppers will also work. He won't have to necessarily cast at the fish - they have incredible eyesight and I've seen them 'zero in' on lures or baits from 200' away. If they want it they'll nail it. And popper heads they'll take when 'dead' in the water. Literally any lure up to 5 or 6" long, with some flash in the dressing can and will work. I guess the key thing is what weight tippet and fly rod he'll want to use.

I've also caught Dorado when they follow hookless teasers deployed for Sailfish in. They're much quicker than Sails and keeping them from grabbing the lure, with or without bait, isn't easy. Once the teaser that it's honed in on is close to the boat 25 to 30' it's then a case of jerking the teaser out of the water and, at the same time, casting the big popper behind it and to one side and one pop. They'll spin round searching for their 'lost meal' and nail it. Again there the popper headed fly need to match the basic colour of the teaser.

Tuna are a different kettle of fish! It will either be a case of getting close to them when they're 'blitzing' bait shoals on the surface, casting a Deceiver pattern into the mayhem and letting it dead drift down. Individuals will be looking for stunned fish or bits of bait drifting down. Again there the dressing just needs some flash with white and blue/green to simulate a baitfish's profile.

Alternatively, and I don't know whether this will work in Kenya - your friend would need to find a drop off to anchor on that the tuna 'migrate' along. Then you feed small chunks of bait into the water until you have fish zooming up and taking the chunks. Again it's then a case of dead drifting down a red and white dressed fly containing a bit of flash. This method will also work if you find an anchored trawler sorting its catch. Occasionally they'll have a shoal under them. Your friend has them just got to feed chum and drift away from the trawler groundbaiting as he goes. Once you're a couple of hundred yards away it them just dead drifting down the fly with the chunks - the fish will be very competitive.

Once hooked though they're a different matter - they'll just power straight down often taking the rest of the shoal with them. And it's HARD work! I'm sure I've got some pictures of a friend playing a Yellowfin which I'll post separately.

Also I'll have a look through your current patterns on that web page link to see what I'll think will work.
Dave

[PanamaJack]

Here's that link from an Ascension Island trip -

http://www.scbi.org.uk/pages/News_WhatsNewNfc200403.asp - where we were fly fishing for Yellowfin. The photographs are on a hot link on that page.

As to the Deceiver patterns something like your Tutti Fruiti - http://www.alba-rods.co.uk/rod_subs/lures.htm
tied on a larger, say 3/0, hook will work, or the Sea Habit on here - http://members.ij.net/danscustomflys/Offshoreflies.htm, or this one - http://www.saltwatersuperflies.com/flypages/bunker_page.htm

I’ve struggled to find any appropriate ‘tuna’ flies on the ‘Net but effectively it’s just sparse red and white artificial material with that important flashabou to create a baitfish profile. Tried Doug’s Bugs but they don’t seem to make that Snook fly any more. Any rate I will keep looking.

Just one final point Snatcher Tuna can occasionally be leader shy I always use flurocarbon leaders for them when fishing flies or bait.

[Snatcher]

Thanks for the advice. I do not think he is using any fly gear so I can make up heavier lures. Will tie them on 3/0 up to 8/0 probably.Can post up some pictures of the finished articles in a couple of weeks if you want :)

[PanamaJack]

Hi Snatcher
Certainly would be interested in seeing the 'finished articles'.
Thanks
Dave

[Snatcher]

I love a lure tying challenge PJ :) Need to go to Boots to get some nail varnish :unsure: A few different glitter bottles and a "hard as nails" to finish the coating.

Did you check out the "Mr Miller" special I tied up for Stan Massey on a 14/0 circle hook.Now that was a challenge!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As promised PJ will post up a few pics of the finished articles for some constructive criticism :)

[Snatcher]

Here you go then PJ this is the first installment,4 needlefish in varying colours.
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k38/snatcherphoto/Kenya1.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k38/snatcherphoto/Kenya2.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k38/snatcherphoto/Kenya3.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k38/snatcherphoto/Kenya4.jpg

Do you think they will work in Kenya Jack? All tied on 3/0 Aberdeens. I will be going up in hook sike for the next lot.Just after some honest comments.

[Snatcher]

Feeling mellow and having a few beers and still lure tying :)

Two more for your edification tied on 4/0
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k38/snatcherphoto/Kenya5.jpg
Green squid
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k38/snatcherphoto/Kenya6.jpg
Gold squid

Still in tying mode and not too drunk so upping the hook size again :)

[Snatcher]

Still on the ale and tying lures :)

A Stan Massey baitfish on a 6/0
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k38/snatcherphoto/StanMasseybaitfish.jpg

[Snatcher]

Snatchers mackerel tied on a 7/0
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k38/snatcherphoto/Snatchermackerel.jpg
Snatchers big baitfish.Not sure about the hook size but got these "large" hooks off Stan Massey a couple of years ago. They will certainly handle anything out there
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k38/snatcherphoto/Snatchersbigbaitfish.jpg

[PanamaJack]

Hi Snatcher
The smaller Needlefish flies should certainly work inshore for the smaller Jacks - either on a fly rod or slow, light tackle trolling with a spin rod. In terms of the bigger (longer) flies though I would have thought you probably need a 2nd hook - wire rig the two together - located further back in the dressing otherwise your friend's going to get a lot of abortive strikes at the tail end.
Dave

[Snatcher]

Hi Snatcher
The smaller Needlefish flies should certainly work inshore for the smaller Jacks - either on a fly rod or slow, light tackle trolling with a spin rod. In terms of the bigger (longer) flies though I would have thought you probably need a 2nd hook - wire rig the two together - located further back in the dressing otherwise your friend's going to get a lot of abortive strikes at the tail end.
Dave


Cheers PJ :)

[Snatcher]

Here you go Panama Jack,heeded your advice and added a flying hook to the last 4 lures of the batch. Used 44kg nylon coated wire which was then doubled over.Used epoxy resin to make an unmovable fix and put shrink wrap tubing on the connection.

I am not used to having a flying hook on lures when tying and the hooks "done" me twice :notworthy
Here they are mate
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k38/snatcherphoto/Kenya1-1.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k38/snatcherphoto/Kenya2-1.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k38/snatcherphoto/Kenya3-1.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k38/snatcherphoto/Kenya4-1.jpg