11/06/2016 - Return to Gran Canaria, part two

Over a few beers on the terrace, Stuart suggested that we have a fishing competition - one hour with same bait and method (Angleworm on the dropshot) for most fish and most species, me against him and Rob - so the next morning saw us heading over to Puerto Mogan again. As soon as the tide allowed we scrambled out onto the breakwater with the crabs. 

The competition was a "roving" competition within the confines of the rock, which in practice meant we were often fishing within a foot of each other depending on where the fish were! 

The action was fast and furious right from the off, with hordes of damsels and ornate wrasse attacking the bait as soon as it hit the water. At the end of the hour I'd edged it on numbers 49 to 47, whilst we'd both had three species - me a parrot fish and the others a small puffer. With it being Saturday, there were also quite a few locals on the main breakwater, all float fishing bread or prawns, in the deeper water beyond the drop off. However, apart from one unfortunate parrot fish that was dispatched into a bucket, we saw nothing else caught! 

Next day we drove into the interior via one million hairpins (certainly felt like it!) and walked up to Roque Nublo, a basalt needle in the centre of the island and what's left of the original volcano that formed it. On the way back we stopped off at the beach at Taurito for some food and a couple of beers. Leaving the others at the bar I ventured onto the rocks up the right hand side of the beach and made my way around the corner to a spot I'd had some success the year before.

However, apart from getting smashed up a couple of times by what were probably big parrot fish, I only managed a few damsels and ornate wrasse before the tide forced me back up the rocks. Stuart had snorkelled around at this stage and mentioned that he'd seen a big shoal of small barracuda in the vicinity of one the hotel discharges, so I switched to small metal lures in the hope of snagging one. Didn't have to wait long before I had a couple of bumps and then a fish on. Unfortunately, despite carrying on casting to the same area, that was the only 'cuda I could manage and a couple of lost jigs brought the session to a close. Monday morning saw us back at "sex" beach. Stu had ear problems, so it was just me, Rob and Duncan that scrambled down the valley. Upon arrival we found we had the beach all to ourselves. Unlike the previous visit, there was a visible line of debris at high tide level, presumably blown in by the onshore wind. Unfortunately, upon closer inspection, it was obvious that it was mostly fragments of plastic, an all too common sign of what we are doing to our oceans!

The tide was still in, so I started off casting from the beach over the sand, slowing bumping the rig back over the ridges and feeling for bites. 

After a few casts I had firm rattle and hooked into a small fish. As it got in closer I could see it was a flatfish, similar to the one I'd lost on the previous visit. When I swung it into my hand I confirmed that it was specifically a perfectly camouflaged (and perfectly named), wide eyed flounder - another new species. Had three more of these of various sizes before handing the rod over to Rob, who'd been hovering around behind me. After a bit of tuition he managed to catch a flounder and a couple of Atlantic lizardfish, which seemed to satisfy his curiosity and get me my rod back!  A few casts later I was bringing in another small fish when the rod tip slammed over as something suddenly made a beeline for the rocks. My suspicions about what had happened were founded a couple of minutes later when I dragged a large Atlantic lizardfish up the beach clutching the cleaver wrasse I'd originally hooked. The wrasse was successfully rescued and returned apparently none the worse for wear before I had a closer look at the lizardfish. I certainly wouldn't want to be a small fish faced with that huge mouth filled with needle sharp teeth! 

Had one more flounder and a couple of small lizardfish before it went quiet, so had a break and sat in the sun with the others for a bit. However, once the tide had gone down sufficiently I started to make my way over the rocks to fish the drop off. I'd just passed a dustbin sized rockpool when I spotted a big blenny-like head poking out of hole. Whatever it was hastily retreated upon seeing me, so I quickly tied up a split shot rig with a #16 to nylon baited with a fragment of Angleworm and dropped it in. Felt a tug and unceremoniously hoiked what I later identified as a pretty little rockpool blenny out of his hideaway!

Popped him back from where he came and headed to the edge of the rock platform where I reverted to the dropshot rig again. Had loads of nibbles from the off, but converting them into fish was difficult. I suspected that pufferfish were to blame as they tend to chomp their way up the Angleworm leaving it looking like beaded necklace! Managed a few Canary damselfish and ornate wrasse and a single, female parrotfish that had two horrible looking lice on her head, which I carefully removed before popping her back. Wasn't too long before I was getting "hurry up" gesture from the others on the beach, so called it a day. 

Had one last session at Puerto Mogan before we left for home but, to be honest, I was feeling a bit fished out. However, overall we had a great time and I would certainly recommend sneaking a few bits of fishing tackle in your luggage if ever you head to the island, or one of its neighbours.

Final scores on the doors

94 canary damselfish

45 ornate wrasse

5 wide eyed flounder

4 Atlantic lizardfish

4 cleaver wrasse

4 European parrotfish

2 Madeira rockfish

1 derbio

1 European barracuda

1 Macronesian sharp nose pufferfish

1 rockpool blenny

Cheers Gran Canaria!

14/06/2015 - Gran Canaria LRF, Part II

Decided to stay local to the hotel this time and headed down to the beach at Taurito. From our balcony I could see that the left hand side of the beach was fringed with rocks that extended around the corner of the bay. When we got down there I noticed a local fishing off them, chucking out what looked like big lumps of bread under a float. Saw him catch what looked to be a small bream, so settled in a diplomatic distance away from him. The rocks didn't make dropshotting a viable option this time, so I also set up with a float with sections of Markyu Isome and Angleworm on the hook. Cast out as far as I could into the onshore breeze and let the float drift back towards me over the rocks. Wasn't long before the float was dipping and bobbing under as fish attacked the bait. However, I failed to contact anything with the hook coming back baitless. Eventually sorted this out by keeping the line tight by very slowly retrieving the float and feeling the bites through the braid. Initially found that the usual culprits, the wrasse and the damselfish, were responsible. However, had a take on the drop from something that shot around all over the place. Turned out to be a small Derbio.

Slab of silver.

A few casts later and something grabbed the bait as it was coming in over the rocks. This was also a different species - a Lizardfish.

Red eyes and needle sharp teeth.

Had another one of these along with more wrasse and damsels before heading back to join the others for cocktail hour. Stu had been out snorkelling and reported seeing several, decent bass right close in to the beach. However, due to another local law - no fishing off the beach - these were also out of bounds!

Next day Stu and Dunc were booked in for a watersports package, so after waving them off to their potential doom on the parascending boat, I again headed off across the rocks. This time I headed further around the corner and found some deep water close in suitable for dropshotting -  next to a sewage outlet pipe from one of the hotels! This really turned out to be damselfish corner. I must have had two dozen of them, including the biggest of the trip. 

Damsel PB!

Rob came snorkelling over at one point to see how I was getting on. He was doing some underwater filming on the GoPro, so I promptly caught a damsel for the camera! I also had a cracking example of an Ornate Wrasse with claret and blue bands behind its head - a true Villa fan!

Real Villain.

Had been snagging up in the rocks, so was trying to limit lead loss by gently feeling the rig down to the bottom and then lifting up 6 inches as soon as I felt the lead hit bottom. Had done this a couple of times when the bait was taken with a real thump. The fish charged around under my feet for a bit before popping up onto the surface. Was pleased to see that it was a different species - a European Parrotfish.

Pretty Polly.

Got back to the others to find that Dunc had been hand-feeding the bass with bits of frankfurter sausage out of his potato salad! Tempting as it was, I didn't have a go for them. Rules are rules! I also understand that these European bass aren't indigenous anyway and are escapees from the various fish farms ringing the island.

Our penultimate day was also spent down on the beach at Taurito. While the others went swimming and snorkelling again, I headed off to try for something a bit different. Found a platform where I could again access deep water and put on a small paddletail. However, I couldn't get the required distance against the onshore breeze, so swapped it fairly quickly for a 7g silver Snapper Zapper casting wedge. Something slashed behind it on only the second retrieve. Next cast it was taken by something that shot off like a startled rabbit. Saw a long silver shape twisting in the clear water and its identity was confirmed when it went airborne. After a bit of a tussle I had a decent Garfish on the rock next to me.

Acrobat.

Took a quick snap and popped him back hoping that there were some more about. A few casts later I felt something bump the lure a couple of times before it was taken properly. Didn't feel a big fish, but I was more than happy when it turned out to be a small barracuda.

Predator in miniature.

Popped him back in and cast over the same area. In the next ten minutes I had another eight around the same size. Each time I would feel the lure getting bumped and knocked as it came through a particular area. Stu happened to come snorkelling around the corner as I caught what turned out to be the last one. When he swam over he said that he reckoned there was a shoal of at least 200 of them in front of me. However, as quickly as they arrived they were gone and, apart from a small Lizardfish, that was the end of the action. Headed back to the hotel for the last time only really having scratched the surface over the few days I'd been fishing (on one snorkelling session alone I counted 16 different species of fish). However, I'd had a great time and a few beers were consumed that night. Anyway, who knows...my licence is valid for three years?!

 Thanks Gran Canaria!