NO HOLDS BARRED
I don’t remember ever fighting a fish on fly like the way it all went down with this big triggerfish. I’ve caught some big fish and even a couple of triggerfish before. But this is one I will not forget anytime soon.
It feels like a violent brawl on the flats, in a setting with rock corals and reefs that triggers like to take shelter in, and the surf just a short distance away, the staging just makes it a no-holds barred affair.
I have to add that I’m very happy the Rio saltwater tapered leader held and the rod-reel combo of Winston Boron III Plus – Nautilus X performed beautifully throughout not just this battle but the whole week in the salt.
SO THIS IS HOW IT WENT DOWN…
I tell you… today I had a brawl on the flats. First was with a little &$@# sucker. This pretty boy has spirit but did not stand a chance with me haha.
Then out came a bigger, uglier fellow and he fought dirty and used the rock corals catching me off guard by diving into a crevice right in front of me. I was left feeling deflated, but carried on ever the optimist.
Then i spot this brute, I’ll name him Tyson. He was cocky. I see him with his big brown dark backside up in the air sticking out of the thigh-deep water. Mouth blowing into the bottom, kicking up silt and searching for helpless prey.
Related: Find out more about triggerfish
Sneaking up to him I notice he has two big blue-finned bodyguards and I quietly told god please keep those blues out of the way. I want Tyson, and I tie on a new disco crab.
The first two casts did not catch their attention. The third cast clearly did. As the fly landed about four feet away near a large piece of coral, the trigger lifted its head off the bottom.
The disco crab worked wonders and Tyson dives for it like a bloody fool. When Tyson hit, he hit hard and without hesitation, I gave it all. It was brutal. Very violent tussle.
Trigger Tyson heads straight for the surf, fly line skids through my fingers and shoots into the air. The Boron III Plus lunges forward and I suddenly realise the fly line is looped around the reel’s knob. I take some steps forward to loosen the tension a little so I can free the line from the knob – the drag on the reel protested and line shoots out.
I palm the Nautilus X hard before Tyson can reach the reef and surf. Relief, as he turns left back into the flats.
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There are still many rock corals all around and losing the last trigger in one has me ready for their dirty tricks.
I lift the rod, I pulled left and pulled right to apply side pressure, line peels from the reel, I palm the reel tight at times not giving an inch and other times taking some step forward, it is all furious and totally mental.
Near the end of the fight he even knock me down once (all caught on video!). I fall backwards into the balls-deeps water. Soaking wet but I never give up I tell you… and still win the fight. Finally, Tyson gives up and I grab his tail and lifted him out of the water. He is HUGE! and ugly with a face only a mother can love, but is beautiful to me all the same. I tell you.
I could not believe how big this triggerfish is, even Martyn White aka flickinfeathers who came to help says he’s never seen a triggerfish that size. The pictures and video doesn’t quite do it justice.
Oh, what a morning. Three consecutive triggers… ohh yea.
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