The Giant Bluefin Tuna Of North Lake Harbour

Part 1 of 2 What a remarkable experience – fishing for the ultimate game fish, staying in an exclusive little harbour town and making friends abroad. What started off as a mere dream around a campfire became a reality, a reality that would remain with us for the rest of our lives. We were sitting around the campfire at Marius Vermaak’s campsite at the Mapelane Billfish Tournament during March 2012, comparing the game fish species on our individual bucket lists. It so happened that catching bluefin tuna, the ultimate fighting game fish, was at the top of each of our lists. We all agreed that catching these elusive giants would be the experience of a lifetime. Later that evening Marius Vermaak, an experienced Protea angler, Jan Hofman, his wife Fiona Hofman and I were seriously discussing the possibility of targeting this species – the sooner the better as foreign legislation could soon put an end to the catching of this magnificent fish. Before the night was over, the four of us had made a pact - we would travel to a bluefin tuna destination during 2012, ticking off the number one game fish species on our wish list. Since we all knew that bluefin tuna stocks were critically low and strictly controlled by the authorities in waters where this species still occurs (i.e. Canada and New Zealand), we thought it wise not to delay the trip. Charter secured A week later, I made contact with Byron Ashington, a friend of ours, who suggested that we contact Bruce Bros Charters, operating as a Bluefin Tuna Charter from North Lake Harbour, Prince Edward Island (PEI) in Canada. During tuna season these boats are customised to become proper game-fishing sport fishers. We were fortunate enough, due to a cancellation, to get a booking with Troy and Jamie Bruce from Bruce Bros Charters for the period 18 to 21 September - fishing four days and staying four nights. The charter fees were U$1 250 per day, including soft drinks, local beer and food on board. We just had to take our own flasks of coffee or hot chocolate to brave the cold. Safe and trusted design The Bruce brothers have fishing in their blood and learned all about catching the PEI bluefin tuna from their father. You could say that they grew up on the water. Jamie and Troy have a combined 37 years’ experience as captains of their own vessels. The fishing boats were typical of the safe and trusted design used by thousands of island fishermen who make their daily living from catching the lobster, crab, mackerel, cod and tuna that thrive in the cold, clean waters surrounding North Lake Harbour. During tuna season these boats are customised to become proper game fishing sport fishers, fully equipped with a complement of the finest fishing gear, including fighting chairs, stand-up harnesses, customised rods and the best quality 130-pound reels. These boats are also equipped with a full range of facilities for one’s comfort, including bathroom facilities and a diesel heater. North Lake Harbour from the bridge over the lake. The secret is out Our mission was to search, find, catch and release the giant bluefin tuna entering the shallow waters of North Lake Harbour during August to October each year. During these months, the bluefin tuna follow herring and mackerel to the shallow waters, with depths varying between 30ft and 120ft. This is the secret to bringing these giants to the boat. If these waters were similar to the depths we encounter in South African waters, namely 500m and more, the tuna would peel the line from your spool without you being able to stop it on its first run. A bluefin tuna can weigh anything from 350lbs upwards and it is at this little harbour town of North Lake Harbour where the I.G.F.A.All Tackle World Record Holder, Ken Fraser, caught his record bluefin tuna weighing in at 1 496 lbs. On our way We departed on 14 September and travelled with Delta Airlines from OR Tambo via Atlanta to New York where we spent two days before embarking on our flight to Charlottetown, PEI (Canada). In Charlottetown we rented a car and travelled north-east, via Souris, towards North Lake Harbour. On the way we stopped at Souris (a 30-minute drive from North Lake Harbour) to stock up on supplies since North Lake Harbour has no shopping facilities, pubs or restaurants. Tuna capital of the world PEI is a province of Canada and is situated on the east coast, north of Nova Scotia Province with a populationn of some 146 000. The capital is Charlottetown, a one-and-a-half-hour drive from North Lake Harbour. It has an airport and car hire facilities and flights from South Africa are via the USA or Britain. North Lake Harbour is situated on the Island. This small fishing village is known as the “tuna capital of the world” and it plays host to the International Canada Tuna Cup Fishing Tournament held in September each year. Our beach cottage We stayed at the Cape Side Beach House, owned by Valerie Flannery (Queen Valerie III), who charged us U$200 per day. This little cottage is situated on the beach, literally 50 metres away from the harbour entrance. It is one of four houses in this little harbour town and during the winter months, when the harbour is frozen over and everyone has left town, Valerie is the only resident staying behind, all by herself, year after year. Our beach cottage. During wintertime, Valerie moves back into the cottage – it has four rooms, two bathrooms, and a laundry and can sleep up to 10 people. It has an entertainment area on the upper level, with a balcony overlooking the beach, the fishing grounds and North Lake Harbour itself. This certainly is the best-situated accommodation in North Lake Harbour and will be our first choice when we return there. Other accommodation is available but is on the outskirts, around North Lake Harbour and in Souris itself. When booking your fishing trip, we suggest you arrange with the charter company to book you in at Valerie’s cottage. Alternatively, you can stay close to the harbour, unless you don’t mind travelling about 25km from Souris and back every morning and afternoon. Waterproof clothing During the autumn months of August, September and October, the weather can be notoriously fickle – cold and rainy the one day and warm and sunny the next. The temperature can be anything between 12°C and 18°C. The water temperature averages 16 degrees and raindrops can feel like ice cubes on your face. Our fishing gear therefore had to be 100% waterproof, from top to bottom. Gumboots, waders or waterproof pants and a jacket are a must. A change of dry clothing is also advisable, and you may even want to take shorts and T-shirts, just in case the weather allows for it. North Lake oysters and mussels are served for lunch on board Tuna Clipper. Searching for heat in the heated cabin – Marius, Cor and Fiona. Canadian legislation Every Canadian summer and autumn, North Lake Harbour is the place where anglers from around the world congregate to test themselves against the giant bluefin tuna. Fortunately for the survival of the species, Canadian legislation regulates that a tuna charter company is allowed to catch and release only two bluefin tuna per day. Furthermore, after every tuna released, the charter boat must return to the harbour and all on board have to disembark and stand on the side of the pier. Thereafter one can either get back on the boat for the second tuna of the day, or alternatively, as we did, go back to the cottage, enjoy brunch and then go out fishing at about 13:00 in the afternoon. This “back to the harbour scenario” must sound horrifying to any angler unfamiliar with fishing in Canada. However, it is nothing to worry about since the fishing grounds at North Lake Harbour are between 3 and 5 nautical miles from the harbour entrance. On the other hand, when fishing from Ballantyne’s Cove in Nova Scotia, the fishing grounds can be anything more than 20 nautical miles away. In fact, many boats from Nova Scotia Province in Canada travel around PEI to fish right in front of North Lake Harbour. Travelling far to the fishing grounds consumes valuable time and much more fuel, the reason being that charter companies operating from Nova Scotia charge rates starting at U$2 000 per day, compared to U$1 250 per day charged by charter companies operating from North Lake Harbour. Another aspect anglers need to consider in order to comply with Canadian legislation is that operating from North Lake Harbour in PEI is more convenient than from Ballantyne’s Cove in Nova Scotia. Every year, each bluefin tuna charter boat is allowed to catch only one bluefin tuna in the period 1 August to 30 September, in terms of Canadian legislation. This tuna is then sold to buyers waiting at the harbour. A tuna of ± 800lb can reach a price of U$30 000, depending on the quality of the fish. The two granders (grander = a fish weighing in excess of 1 000 pounds) that we caught could easily have reached prices of U$40 000 and more each, if sold. They are coming up When fishing from North Lake Harbour, you literally travel between 3 and 5 nautical miles from the harbour entrance, stop, catch live bait (mackerel or herring) and then start chumming for the giants. Within 5 to 10 minutes, day after day, for four days in a row, we heard our skippers – first Captain Mark Jenkins on day 1 and then Captain Jamie Bruce on days 2, 3 and 4 – shouting, “Fifty feet, they are coming up!” They are here When looked at the captain’s fish finder, there was no doubt that the giants were there – the fish finder clearly displayed all the yellow and red images, indicating that the giants were below and all around is. Fish finder showing giants at 50 feet under the boat. The next moment the captain would shout “Thirty feet!” and the water would start to “boil” around the boat. They were here! Ten to fifteen bluefin tuna, weighing from 350lbs to more than 1 200lbs would suddenly show from the depths and put up a show that no one can describe – one has to see to experience it! At this moment one could not help but get goose bumps and maybe utter a word or two that would not be fit for publishing. Anyway, at this point I thought to myself, if this is it, if we don’t catch any of these giants, then my trip has been made – only experiencing this display was worth it! The beauty and elegance with which these giants move and feed in the water, literally an arm’s length away from you, is just incredible! This is a fishing experience to be treasured for a lifetime . . . *Tomorrow: Check out Part 2 in which Cor van Niekerk recounts their four days of fishing ecstasy, with detailed discussions of each day’s catches – a read not to be missed!