Back from Angola

[purple5ive]

Those Garrick look a little like a queen fish.

Thats exactly what i thought when i seen it too, just missing the spots and a bit different in colour

[Bayrock]

This is what I mean by violent takes!

https://imgur.com/a/tYtTzqJ

[Sebb]

This is what I mean by violent takes!

https://imgur.com/a/tYtTzqJ

Holy cow, that's the rod holder???! Dayumn!
Reckon my heart could stop for few seconds on that kinda hit.

[Lightningx]

This is what I mean by violent takes!

https://imgur.com/a/tYtTzqJ

Wow!!!

[smile0784]

If that's the rod holder what happened to the fisherman lol

[Bayrock]

lol he had to hang on for dear life.. the rod was well on it's way to the water when he got to it

[Bayrock]

Next day we all emerged from bed a bit later. Same procedure, breakfast and pile in the vehicles. It's very foggy, but not that cold.. almost no wind. We head the other way (south) and emerge on a long flat beach. The guide is looking for mullet. No luck, the sea is up and he is struggling. We tun around and head north again. He stops at some protruding rocks with a conga (long steel pole) and goes about waist deep into the water at the rocks. Using the donga he gets some oysters off the rock for dinner. Not any oysters !!



We head over to the river mouth and set up the Garrick rods. Guide struggles to get mullet, he gets 5. About an hour later small hammerhead. Bad news.. one will mean more. 20min later, small hammerhead for me. Both hammerheads are unceremoniously chucked in garbage bags in the bait box. More of that later.
Another hour passes.. rods up. We head further north, stopping at likely looking spots to throw artificials. Turns out to be a slowish day. 4 tailor and 3 small to medium garrick landed.

[

Lunch is served along the way, bbq every day. Awesome!



The scene.. spinning for garrick, shad is (tailor) and kob (mulloway) Had to pinch myself, the desert background was amazing.





We head home around 5pm. Shower, oysters (bloody amazing), tailor on the barbie, beers and loud laughter



9pm and the camp falls quiet. Next day 7am up. The other blokes are slow to get going.. aches and pains from spinning a lot yesterday lol.
We head north again, the sea is moodier than yesterday.. not good. We start the day spinning again. Around 10am the boys are hungry. A barbie gets going. My mate, myself and the head guide head north to keep spinning. I'm working a shallow bay with a spoon when it happens. First Garrick on spoon! Just a small one so the fight was short. Well-chuffed!



Photos, release. Load up, cast. Bang on almost as soon as it touched the water! much better fish. Nice fight on the 20Ib Tasline braid.



What a thrill that was.. now if only I could get a 10kg plus model on spin! We head back south to camp. Meet the other guys on the way back and have some leftover bbq. Again we stop and cast several times on the way back. Donuts all afternoon.
The sun is hanging low. We are driving past another area, not paying much attention. The guide slams on brakes. Holy *#* check this out he yells. In the waves next to the car an amazing scene is unfolding.

Mullet are flying as something is chasing them. Some are only metres from the shore. Seconds later, chaos. Lures are flying and drags are screaming. Now follows some of the most incredible fishing I've ever experienced. It was mayhem. Tailor! HUGE Tailor!
Initially we got them on spoons. Then as the light started to fade we switched to white and fluoro plugs. 2 hours of non-stop action. And friggin massive tailor. ALL of them. Lures were cast off, tailor were shaking lures out of their mouths in the surf, mullet were flying. Just unbelievable One of those moments etched forever into your mind. We caught 52 massive tailor in one frenzied manic rapid session. Angola you beauty!
And then.. most of the guys are done. It's dark, the cars have their lights on while myself and my mate each make one last cast. I have a 3.5oz flour yellow plug on my outfit. Cast, retrieve, work the plug. BANGGG! Fish on.. It feels huge! I battle this thing as the minutes pass by.. and then the characteristic head shakes and jumps. Finally it's out and photo is taken in the headlights of the car. 5kg of angry tailor!



We kept around 4 for dinner and head off back to camp. Amazing tailor was fried up and served with camp-baked bread and Garrick sushi. Went to bed early, and contented.

[Sebb]

Wow, detailed report there. Sounds like you had an awesome trip!
A lot of people here are jealous I bet (me included).

[Lightningx]

Wow just wow!!!
Man the size of those oysters! Never ever have I seen ones that’s size before.
And those tailor are monsters!
What a place!....a fisherman’s dream!!!
Cheers :thumbsup:

[smile0784]

Next day we all emerged from bed a bit later. Same procedure, breakfast and pile in the vehicles. It's very foggy, but not that cold.. almost no wind. We head the other way (south) and emerge on a long flat beach. The guide is looking for mullet. No luck, the sea is up and we can't find any.

We turn around and head north again. He stops at some protruding rocks with a donga (long steel pole) and goes about waist deep into the water at the rocks. Using the donga he gets some oysters off the rock for dinner. Not any oysters !!



We head over to the river mouth and set up the Garrick rods. Guide struggles to get mullet, he gets 5. About an hour later small hammerhead. Bad news.. one will mean more. 20min later, small hammerhead for me. Both hammerheads are unceremoniously chucked in garbage bags in the bait box. More of that later.

Another hour passes.. rods up. We head further north, stopping at likely looking spots to throw artificials. Turns out to be a slowish day. 4 tailor and 3 small to medium garrick landed.



Lunch is served along the way, bbq every day. Awesome!



The scene.. spinning for garrick, shad (tailor) and kob (mulloway).
Had to pinch myself, the desert background was amazing.





We head home around 5pm. Shower, oysters (bloody amazing), tailor on the barbie, beers and loud laughter



9pm and the camp falls quiet. Next day 7am up. The other blokes are slow to get going.. aches and pains from spinning a lot yesterday lol.
We head north again, the sea is moodier than yesterday.. not good. We start the day spinning again. Around 10am the boys are hungry. A barbie gets going. My mate, myself and the head guide head north to keep spinning. I'm working a shallow bay with a spoon when it happens. First garrick on spoon! Just a small one so the fight was short. Well-chuffed!



Photos, release. Load up, cast. Bang on almost as soon as it touched the water! much better fish. Nice fight on the 20Ib Tasline braid.



Notice the lateral line of the garrick. Individual to each fish, and the long lateral line is the reason they are such effective hunters - they use that line to sense distress and vibration in the water.

What a thrill that was.. now if only I could get a 10kg plus model on spin! We head back south. Meet the other guys on the way back and have some leftover bbq. Again we stop and cast several times on the way back. Donuts all afternoon.
The sun is hanging low. We are driving past another area, not paying much attention. The guide slams on brakes. "Holy *#* check this out"' he yells. In the waves next to the car an amazing scene is unfolding.

Mullet are flying as something is chasing them. Some are only metres from the shore. Seconds later, chaos. Lures are flying and drags are screaming. Now follows some of the most incredible fishing I've ever experienced. It was mayhem. Tailor! HUGE Tailor!
Initially we got them on spoons. Then as the light started to fade we switched to white and fluoro plugs. 2 hours of non-stop action. And friggin massive tailor. ALL of them. Lures were cast off, tailor were shaking lures out of their mouths in the surf, mullet were flying.
Just unbelievable. One of those moments etched forever into your mind. We caught 52 tailor in one frenzied manic rapid session. Angola you beauty!
And then.. most of the guys are done. It's dark, the cars have their lights on while myself and my mate each make one last cast. I have a 3.5oz flour yellow plug on my outfit. Cast, retrieve, work the plug. BANGGG! Fish on.. It feels huge! I battle this thing as the minutes pass by.. and then the characteristic head shakes and jumps. BUS tailor!
Finally it's out and the photo is taken in the headlights of the car. 5kg of angry tailor!



We kept around 4 for dinner and head off back to camp. Amazing tailor was fried up and served with camp-baked bread and Garrick sushi. Went to bed early, and contented.

All I can say is OMG
You little ripper
I need to start saving