Pacific Bluefin on the West Coast
Many years ago I planned a trip out to the Hokitika Trench targeting Bluefin tuna. The editor of Fishing News at the time was a guy by the name of Steve Snedden and Steve had learned of the unique nature of the fishery from a couple of commercial fishermen.
The commercial boys described the massive beasts that swirled at the back of the net when the bag was lifted. It all sounded wonderful but on two occasions we were beaten by the weather and it would be twenty years before I would find myself out among the giants in the Hokitika Trench.
During the mid 1980’s I had shares in a charter boat based out of Milford Sound. We fished, dived and hunted what must surely be the most spectacular playground in the world. Some of the old time fishermen that I met told their own stories of bluefin tuna.
“At times they were so thick,” said George Burnby, “that there were massive schools of southern bluefin inside the Fiords.”
We caught albacore by the tonne off the Western Explorer and every now and then something would grab a bungy and just smash it off. I feel sure they were southern bluefin but we never stopped one.
I finally caught up with the Fiordland bluefin when we took two Ramco trailer boats over the Wilmot Pass and down in to Doubtful Sound. The few days we spent at a base in Blanket Bay would rate as some of the most spectacular footage we ever filmed. It was amazing and with the help of local angler Mark Harris we wound up hooking tuna a stones throw off the mouth of Nancy Sound.
This year I have enjoyed our most successful trip target Pacific bluefin and I still rate them as one of the most exciting denizens to target. We joined Tony Roach on Cova Rose and caught three great fish, the biggest of which would be over 300kilos.
Forty eight hours of perfect flat calm weather makes the wild West Coast seem like some benign being but you are only ever a stones throw from the next storm.
Previously our approach had been to track down the big joint venture trawlers, wait until a net was hauled and sling a bait over the side, at the end of the bag. If the fish were there it almost became a turkey shoot. This year we hooked our first fish this way but after that we didn’t worry about the trawlers. Tony hunted the tuna marks on the sounder, started chumming and bingo huge pacific bluefin would materialize in the berley trail.
It made me realize how little we know about this incredible sport fishery. I guess you could say that “everyone is flying by the seat of their pants,” and is in effect learning on the job.
From my own experience around Fiordland and during the past four years out off Greymouth and Westport it is clear that there is more to this fishery than meets the eye.
The whole focus has shifted to August and early September out off the South Islands West Coast.
We started targeting southern blue fin tuna out off Nancy Sound in April.
I am sure that during May, June and July there are good populations of southern and possibly pacific blue fin spread between Fiordland and Westport.
Southern bluefin don’t grow to the same size as Pacifics but most certainly top 150kilos.
Southern bluefin are also simply delicious.
Targeting southern bluefin with the mountains of Fiordland as a backdrop is mind blowing!
Slipping in to the neighbouring fiords to dive, hunt and fish is incredible.
Fiords also mean calm, quiet anchorages and immersing yourself in paradise.
I would love to see someone kicking off the bluefin season by chartering out of Fiordland starting in April. I love the place and would be the first to book a charter.
Bluefin tuna are opening the door to something incredibly special and beginning the season in Fiordland would help us to learn more about these amazing fish.
It would also open up another great adventure for Kiwi anglers.
How long is the season? I don’t know!
How wide is their distribution? I don’t know!
What about the West Coast broadbill fishery?
We have so much on our doorstep that is yet to be explored, so much in this incredible place that was once described as the Anglers Eldorado.