July marked the beginning of the second half of my quest to catch a blue marlin from Cayman Island waters during each month of the year. A single failure during the first half of the year would have put a halt to my pursuit, but I had been “lucky” enough to catch a blue marlin each calendar month from January through June. Any doubts that I had about being successful had less to do with a confidence in my ability to consistently catch fish, and more to do with my busy work schedule, limiting me, for the most part, to fishing on weekends, and only those where I wasn’t traveling and fishing conditions looked favorable. As mid-summer arrived, those concerns were fully realized. Travel and family commitments severely restricted my fishing time, but I was able to “release” that all-important single blue marlin on July 13 to keep my streak alive.
A spirited blue marlin churns the surface of Grand Cayman's western Caribbean waters before being brought boatside and released
I’m reminded that my goal is not to just prove I can catch a blue marlin from the waters around the Cayman Islands each month of the year, but that such an accomplishment helps demonstrate that a Grand Cayman marlin fishery is stronger than previously thought. Diving is the featured watersport attraction around the Cayman Islands, while sport fishing has yet to reach it’s full potential. That being said, the means to accommodate an influx of bluewater fishermen on a year-round basis are in place.
First of all, getting to Grand Cayman is very easy. Cayman Airways, the national flag carrier of the Cayman Islands, schedules daily flights from Miami, just 65 minutes away, as well as regularly scheduled direct flights from Tampa and New York. American Airlines, Continental Airlines, US Airways and Delta Air also schedule direct flights from major airports throughout the eastern half of the U.S. Once you’ve arrived, you’ll find an abundance of first-class resorts and hotels in the Cayman Islands, with the Ritz-Carlton and the Westin Casuarina heading an ever-expanding list. For family travelers, there are also many condos available for weekly stays. Visit: www.caymanislands.ky for complete information about accommodations — and fishing opportunities. Though the best time for blue marlin fishing around Grand Cayman is generally from March through June, I’m on my way to proving that you can catch them year-round. Tournament dates and fishing news are available from the Cayman Islands Angling Association’s website at www.fishcayman.com. A number of other Cayman websites offer information about fishing charters, including www.divecayman.ky . If you’re bringing your own boat from the States, the old Cayman Yacht Club, Morgan’s Harbour, and a newer marina at The Barcadere, in North Sound, have berths available, as does Harbour House Marina, which also offers a haul-out service.
The Guy Harvey Gallery & Shoppe in the heart of George Town, fully stocked with Guy Harvey artwork, sportswear and gifts, is a must-see destination for anglers visiting Grand Cayman Island
A great family vacation destination, Grand Cayman offers something for everyone, with amazing waterfront shopping and sightseeing in a safe, clean, English-speaking environment. And of course, if you and your family enjoy both diving and fishing, you’ve come to the right place.
As a reminder, when you schedule your next trip, plan on visiting my 4,000 square-foot retail Guy Harvey Gallery & Shoppe in the heart of George Town, stocked with original works of art, limited edition prints, a complete selection of Guy Harvey Sportswear, plus many other gifts and souvenirs. Also worth a stop in George Town is Guy Harvey’s Island Grill, a combination restaurant and gift shop, featuring a specialty menu, a casual decor and a selection of Guy Harvey Sportswear and gift items. For more information, visit www.harveysgrill.com/
My July ended with having spent little time on the water and catching that single — but important — blue marlin. Unfortunately, in looking forward, I could see that my prospects for getting out to fish would not be much better during August. In addition, mid to late summer often marks the beginning of hurricane season, which can unpredictably further complicate things. Though there should be plenty of blue marlin around, getting to them could prove problematic.
— Guy Harvey
For a complete list of our other featured blog posts and to see the full line of Guy Harvey Sportswear, please visit: www.guyharveysportswear.com
It has taken a while to execute this latest project, but I have released three new designs to raise funds for research work on marine life affected by the Gulf oil spill. Two of these custom images are appearing on t-shirts under the appropriate title of “GULF LIFE ” and one as a unique poster. Delivery of the shirts will begin next week with $10.00 of the $20.00 retail price going toward the GHOF (Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation) Gulf Fund. Fifty percent of the poster price will go to the same fund. In initiating this project I am enabling people who want to participate in the clean up and research effort to do so by purchasing a unique design and supporting my cause. These items will be available through all the usual retail channels and outlets, such as Bealls Dept Stores in Florida, Bass Pro Shops, Academy Sports, Hibbett Sports as well as many independent stores around the south-eastern U.S. Additionally, south Florida’s biggest newspaper “The Sun Sentinel” is featuring my art and these designs in a special editorial on Sunday to increase awareness and encourage people to participate in this project. The funds will be collected and administered by the GHOF and then distributed to organizations currently conducting marine research work in the affected area, such as the University of Florida, Mote Marine Lab, University of Alabama and the CCA, just to name a few.
While the “bottom kill” procedure is scheduled to end the leak of oil by July 30 there is still a huge volume of oil floating around the gulf, some of which will make its way into the Atlantic Ocean. We need to find out which marine creatures have been worst affected, which have survived by tolerance or evasion and to gather information on mortality, particularly of larval and juvenile stages of so many marine species that spend long periods near the surface. This knowledge will assist in predicting recruitment of species important in recreational and commercial fisheries for several years to come. These studies will greatly assist us in preparing mitigating measures against any future spills. There are many other worthwhile projects happening. Just yesterday the government of the Cayman Islands, where I live, announced its intention to assist with hosting turtle eggs and hatchlings that are being relocated from affected beaches on the gulf coast. The CI turtle farm is the only commercial turtle farm in the world and has the capacity and ability to assist in this effort. This initiative is being sponsored by the Tortuga Rum Company and by Cayman Airways. Agencies responsible for such action would do well in accepting such a generous offer. I look forward to your comments and your assistance in raising $ for this worthwhile initiative. Take action now and get involved.
Meanwhile, fish responsibly and dive safely.
— Guy Harvey
For a complete list of our other featured blog posts and to see the full line of Guy Harvey Sportswear, please visist: www.guyharveysportswear.com
Guy Harvey and wife Gillian were rewarded on Father's Day with a double hookup. With lure in tow, this blue marlin takes into the air
Besides being perhaps the best month of the year for blue marlin fishing around Grand Cayman, June holds some special memories for me of times past. With all of the years I spent fishing around my home island of Jamaica, both as a youth and during adulthood, it was ironic that, while participating in a Cayman Islands Angling Club event in June of 1984, I recorded my first ever blue marlin release. Back in 1983, the newly-formed Cayman club, under the leadership of the late James Bodden, began to promote a month-long fishing extravaganza, offering $1 million in prize money to the angler breaking the Cayman blue marlin record of 584 pounds. Club organizer Bill Rewalt ran the event through all of June each year and attracted participation from anglers worldwide, putting the Cayman Islands on the Caribbean sportfishing map. In the years to come, only two blues over 500 pounds were taken during the June contests, but none matched the record, so no one ever collected the $1 million prize. The event was replaced in 1998 by the Cayman Islands International Tournament, a five-day catch-and release competition that’s held annually in late April. (See my April blog about the first blue marlin caught from a sailboat during a Cayman Islands tournament.)
The highlight for me in June of 2008 was being joined on the boat by my wife Gillian on Father’s Day. Supporting me before and during our 21 years of marriage, Gillian has provided much encouragement, guidance and assistance with all of my endeavors. She enables me to spend long hours in my art studio, helping with all of the administration, has put up with weeks of separation while I am on expeditions or attending art exhibitions, boat shows, and making public appearances — and she has been the wonderful mother of our two children. She’s also my dearest of part-time fishing partners. For the two of us, this was to be a memorable Father’s Day that began with a planned hour of trolling for marlin before joining a group of friends for a beach party at Rum Point.
Guy Harvey completes a painting of a blue marlin in his studio, just one of many such dynamic illustrations featured on Guy Harvey T-shirts and sportswear
With perfect June weather, I worked close to the drop-off near Rum Point, and after 45 minutes of trolling, the right short lure blew up with a big strike. Immediately, the blue marlin started smoothly peeling line as I slowed the boat and helped Gillian bring in the other lines. Just then, the short left rigger was slammed by another marlin, this fish using a different tact by jumping toward the horizon. Gillian grabbed that rod and kept the second fish tight while I stayed busy working on the first one. From that point on, it got a little crazy with a lot of running around the boat and switching rods each time either of the fish would change directions. At last, we brought both marlin to the boat, where Gillian photographed the blues as I prepared to unbutton them. Five minutes later, we were tying up to the other boats at Rum Point with two marlin release flags flying. Moral of the story — take the wife fishing more often! On the following day, fishing with friend and angler John Dinan, I released another blue marlin following a hookup off Northwest Point.
With the end of June, I had successfully completed “half” of my mission of catching a blue marlin from Grand Cayman waters during each month of the year. Throughout the first six months, the challenges had been many, and though overcoming them gave me a great deal of satisfaction, I was mindful that completing my goal during the second half of the year could prove to be an even more daunting task. Summer on into fall can offer some of the year’s best fishing conditions in the Caribbean, but this is also a time of severe summer storms, even hurricanes. Then, of course, comes early winter with windy and rough water periods. Factor in my busy work and travel schedule, and the last six months of the year could prove to be very interesting.
— Guy Harvey
For a complete list of our other featured blog posts and to see the full line of Guy Harvey Sportswear, please visit; www.guyharveysportswear.com
Guests relaxing in the pool after a day on the water
The Big Game Is On! Memorial Day, 2010 marked the reopening of the legendary Bimini Big Game Club as a Guy Harvey Outpost Resort. Fifty one rooms and cottages, seventy five slips, Historic Alice Town and Bimini outside the front gate. Fifty miles east of Miami, perched at the edge of the mighty Gulfstream. Under brilliant blue skies, with the dazzling “Bimini blue” water as a backdrop, the opening was a picture perfect start to the launch of the new Guy Harvey Outpost system.
It wasn’t much later than 7:30 a.m. on opening morning, when the club received word that one of its guests had caught a 350 pound Blue Marlin just offshore. Certainly a good omen for the future of the Bimini Big Game Club! Before the weekend was over, there was a lot of fish dancing going on up and down the docks.
The Guy Harvey Outpost system has been created for adventure travelers and water sport enthusiasts who share Guy’s vision of respecting the oceans, land and cultures that together create the fabric of our blue planet. Unfortunately, we’re all too aware that the popularity of water-sports activities has increasingly pressured all theaters of marine biodiversity. Fortunately, the sportsman’s passion for his pursuits has brought, in fact, deepening appreciation for the stewardship each of us has in protecting the marine environment for current and future generations. That is the core mission of Guy Harvey Outpost–to create a memorable vacation experience for the entire family, and ensure each guest goes home with a greater appreciation of marine education and conservation.
From the Oceans Comes Life. The motto behind the Guy Harvey Outpost system tells the story, simply. While Ernest Hemingway may have beaten a path to Bimini before us, it inspired him to write, the now famous magazine stories and the award wining, “Islands in the Stream”. The Guy Harvey Outpost Bimini stands poised to write some new dispatches from the epicenter of sportfishing, from the very site where the first conversations about forming the IGFA were had between Hemingway and legendary angler, Michael Lerner.
Friends sharing stories and a cool one on the deck
This summer the Bimini Big Game Club, a Guy Harvey Outpost Resort & Marina takes center stage in the South Florida boating/fishing community, as it reopens after having been closed for two years. With the support of a private Los Angeles based investor, the property has been reconstructed and improved with new guestrooms, marina slips, the all new Bimini Big Game Bar & Grill (we call it the BGBG) and the stunning new Outfitter Shop, featuring Guy Harvey sportswear and a full complement of boating supplies and gear.
Always at the top of every diver’s Top-10 list, Bimini sits perched on a 2,000 ft. underwater cliff, just two miles from the docks. The Club’s full service dive shop will open in July, and the Club is excited to announce that scuba-dive legend Neal Watson has joined the Outpost team to ensure the best-in-class recreational diving service and programs.
This fall brings even more improvements, including a new spa/fitness center, new lobby and arrival experience, a lounge devoted to Hemingway and the history of Alice Town, and a Guy Harvey Theater, for enjoying the viewing of your HD videos and photographs, while also serving as a venue for guest appearances and seminars.
If you’re in or headed to South Florida or the Bahamas anytime soon, be sure to visit us. Mark the weekend of July 24th for our grand reopening party. Regardless, make a point to check in at the Bimini Big Game Club, and check us out. Help us write a new chapter in the history of Bimini that would make Hemingway proud. Become a character in our 2010 chapter and while your there, write some new history with old friends. The Big Game is On!
For reservations contact:
Bimini Big Game Club, Alice Town, North Bimini
Toll Free: (800) 867-4764
US Office: (954) 763-6025
On Island (242) 347-3391
For a complete list of our other featured blog posts and to see the full line of Guy Harvey Sportswear, please visit: www.guyharveysportswear.com
Yellowfin tuna are prized by anglers for both their challenging fight and good taste
We are fortunate in the Cayman Islands to have several tuna species here, available all year round, but it is the yellowfin tuna that is preferred by anglers and commercial fisherman alike. Our preferred method of fishing them is to drift with cut bait gently sinking in the current accompanied by a lot of chum in the water. The smell of the chum brings the tuna and other game fish closer to the surface. Trolling using lures or rigged ballyhoo works well where tunas are not concentrated in one spot.
The yellowfin tend to congregate near undersea ridges. Here in the Cayman Islands this means they are found at East End, NW and SW points, and around 12-mile Bank. They are found further offshore around other oceanic seamounts such as 60-mile Bank, and Pickle Bank as well as the Sister Islands. Preferring the deep water, they linger where the current meets these obstructions and wait for baitfish to be pushed past them. Hence when fishing for yellowfin tuna, the fishermen are generally spread out on the up-current side of the bank. To see the tunas chase flying fish at the surface, frigate birds over head, will get any angler’s pulse racing.
The yellowfin tuna is the most brilliantly coloured of all the tunas with a broad stripe of golden yellow on its flanks, and bright yellow on all of its fins and finlets. The lower sides have vivid white spots and vertical streaks. I love to paint yellowfins, because of their bright colours, and wide eyed look in predator/prey interactions.
The Atlantic and Pacific forms of yellowfin have been called separate species, but all yellowfins are now considered to be a single species, found in tropical and subtropical waters around the world. Large individuals with exceptionally long second dorsal and anal fins have been called Allison tuna — but these are just variations.
Yellowfin tuna grow to a fairly large size reaching 400 lbs., with most here being in the 20-120 lbs. size range. The Cayman record is a respectable 189 lbs. fish caught back in 1989. The IGFA all tackle record is 388 lbs. My daughter Jessica, has a current IGFA Junior Angler (girls) record of 198 lbs., caught in Panama in 2002.
The Yellowfin tuna is the tuna of choice in the Caymen Islands
I have spent a lot of time in Panama working on yellowfins, as some of the greatest concentrations of this species are found in the productive waters of the eastern tropical Pacific. There is a marine lab in southern Panama at Achotines, where most of the research work on yellowfins has been conducted. Adults are kept in captivity, and have been found to spawn daily as long as the water temperature is above 24°C. The production of eggs and larvae in captivity have allowed for extensive research on early life history and growth rates. This knowledge is very important when it comes to managing the fishery, particularly as the tunas migrate through the EEZ of many countries, and are fished offshore in international waters by fleets from many more countries.
Yellowfin tuna and big-eye tuna readily associate with spotted dolphins and spinner dolphins, in a unique relationship between a fish and a mammal. It has been suggested that the tunas take advantage of the dolphin’s food finding capabilities and tag along for the hunt. Once the bait schools are located the tunas and dolphin corral the bait, and then plunder the masses of fish. I have been fortunate enough to film these feeding episodes under water for my TV series, “Portraits from the Deep”.
Unfortunately many dolphins got killed in the purse seines set around them for the tuna swimming below. Purse seining was a very effective way of catching large numbers of adult tuna, with no bycatch, apart from the dolphins. Following the outrage of published numbers of dolphins dying using this method, two things happened. Firstly, those boats setting on the dolphin schools, had to free the dolphins, alive, and often used divers to accomplish this, successfully reducing dolphin mortality to almost zero.
Secondly, but tragically, the tuna boats would set purse seines on floating objects (natural and man-made) as tuna were known to associate with flotsam. As it turned out, this “flotsam fishery” caused an ecological disaster. But because it was carried on far offshore, and did not involve dolphins, the news of this destruction did not reach the consuming public’s attention. Being “dolphin safe” caused problems infinitely more serious for other species living in the open ocean.
Flotsam provides an oasis in the vast ocean under which juvenile tunas congregate, some adults, but also thousands of tons of other non-targeted fish such as mahi-mahi, many species of sharks, billfish, wahoo, jacks, sunfish, triple tails, turtles, manta rays, and juveniles of many reef species. All these, plus the juvenile tuna, ended up as bycatch and were unusable in this fishery. Thousands of tons were shoveled overboard, resulting in the unnecessary destruction of important game fish species, and the annihilation of the juvenile tunas that would in a few years have been the adults and the brood stock for the future.
It is our collective responsibility to be concerned with the resource issues facing the marine creature we target as seafood, and ensure the continued biodiversity of marine ecosystems and the survival of all marine creatures.
— Guy Harvey
For a complete list of our other featured blog posts and to see the full line of Guy Harvey Sportswear, please visit: www.guyharveysportswear.com
Highlighting Guy's fishing in May was a blue marlin that staged an aerial display reminiscent of the featured on a number of Guy Harvey T-shirt designs
The month of May is bordering prime time for blue marlin fishing in the waters around Grand Cayman Island, my home for the last decade. In 2008, this was a month when continuing my quest to catch a blue marlin from my home waters during each month of the year would have seemed like a given — had it not been for my busy work schedule. Of course, I had anticipated these kinds of challenges and more before I even began this pursuit. For the most part, I would be limited throughout the year to fishing on weekends, and only those where I wasn’t traveling and when conditions appeared favorable. My goal was attainable, but over the course of an entire year, it was going to be a tough one to achieve.
Complicating matters further was the fact that, more often than not, I would be fishing by myself or with just one other person (sometimes experienced and at other times not) aboard my relatively small 28-foot Scout center console. I don’t have the bodies to work a typical bait and switch scenario; otherwise, I would. My best chance, then, is to troll lures. The blue marlin in the western Caribbean are generally small (120 to 160 pounds) but very aggressive, so the lures work well. My lures of choice are most often Mold Craft Soft Heads — especially the Wide Range. I seem to get most of my bites on the right short rigger where I run a black-and-red combination. On the left short I usually run a black-and-red Super Chugger. Completing the spread, I tend to run either a purple-and-black or a pink-and-white skirted combination on the long riggers, and on the stinger I troll a Junior Wide Range/ballyhoo combo.
I’ve had good success with single hook lure rigs, particularly since switching to Mustad 7691S hooks in 9/0 and 10/0 sizes. This hook, sometimes called a tuna hook, has more of a curve than the regular J hook and sticks a lot better. In 2007, I was only 4 for 16 in hooking up marlin that took my lures — a poor score. Following the suggestion of Capt. O.B. O’Bryan, I changed to the Mustad hooks and my hookup ratio increased dramatically, as evidenced by my success during the first four months of my pursuit — and a trend that would continue throughout the remainder of the year.
Testing the on-the water advantages of the newest additions to his fishing sportswear line, Guy Harvey prepares to deploy a favorite blue marlin trolling lure
Though finding time to fish in May was pretty tough, all efforts proved successful. With fishing partner Jim Sedgley on board, we caught the biggest blue marlin of the year, to date, on the northeast corner of Twelve Mile Bank. Estimated at 375 pounds, the big fish staged one of the most remarkable aerial displays I have ever witnessed from a blue marlin. Perhaps part of the reason was that Sedgley made quick work of the big fish, bringing it in quickly, where it jumped repeatedly right next to the boat. This was another one of those instances where I wished I had a video crew on board to capture the sensational action. It was a mere 30 minutes between hookup and release of that amazing marlin, after which we hooked another big blue at the other end of the bank later in the day. It too made some great jumps, but came unbuttoned in the process.
I was relieved to have been able to continue my streak of catching a marlin each of the first five months of the year, given my concerns going into May. Adding to the satisfaction was the visions burned into my mind of one of the most memorable battles with a blue marlin that I had ever witnessed. That had me eagerly anticipating June fishing, typically one of the very best times of the year to catch marlin around Grand Cayman Island, and a month where I hoped to pursue my quest in a more flexible and relaxed fashion.
— Guy Harvey
Check this blog next month for my adventures in June, 2008, as I continue my quest to catch a blue marlin every month of the year.
For a complete list of our other featured blog posts and to see the full line of Guy Harvey Sportswear, please visit: www.guyharveysportswear.com
His quick-dry Performance fishing shirt, new to the Guy Harvey Sportswear line, gets a good soaking from Guy's release of another blue marlin at boat-side
April through June is generally considered the best time of the year to catch blue marlin in the waters around Grand Cayman. This is tournament season, and April of 2008 offered a measure of added intrigue because new blue marlin records had been set early in the month at nearby Barbados (505 pounds) and Trinidad (824 pounds). That had me eager with anticipation that big fish might move through our area, and a feeling that this could prove to be the opportune time for someone to break the Cayman Island blue marlin record of 584 pounds set back in 1984. That fish serves as a benchmark for establishing the minimum qualifying weight for those who participate each April in the annual Cayman Islands International Tournament. During the competition, any marlin caught that’s under 584 pounds must be released. I’m proud to say that catch-and-release is alive and well in the Cayman Islands.
My opportunity to fish the four-day tournament, which took place from April 17 to 20, was at the invite of owner Fu Liem and Capt. David Carmichael aboard their 50-foot “sailboat” Java Knight. It was a bit of an unconventional approach, but nevertheless, on April 19, our team made history by becoming the first to catch a blue marlin from a sailboat while fishing in a Cayman Islands tournament. While under sail, we caught and released a 140-pound blue at the south end of Twelve Mile Bank, plus managed two other bites that day, one of which I estimated to be a marlin of about 350 pounds.
One of a number of Guy Harvey's paintings of a blue marlin intending to feed on dolphin fish, the same species Guy caught in April just prior to a marlin hookup
On the Thursday following the tournament, I boarded Makaira II after a day’s work to see if I could once again catch a marlin by myself. With just a couple hours of fishing time to work with, I trolled up a big dolphinfish off Papagallo, then after a few circles in the same area, had a fine blue marlin inhale my shotgun. The fish pulled hard then jumped where I could see it was bigger than the usual. It was a 45-minute battle of maneuvering the boat and fighting the fish before I could get the marlin close enough to grab the leader. As I tried to hold her close and reach for my camera, the 300-pound class fish made a quick move and broke the leader. Not bad, though, for a two-hour jaunt. I had left at 3 p.m. and returned home by 5 — and I had extended my streak of catching a blue marlin from my boat for each of the first four months of the year.
A couple of days later, the really big blues that I was hoping, if not expecting to see migrate through Cayman waters finally did arrive. During a charter trip aboard Hit ‘N’ Run, captained by Derrin Ebanks, the crew teamed up to catch a monster blue marlin that weighed 610 pounds, making it the largest fish of the species ever caught on rod and reel in the Cayman Islands. It was an epic five-hour battle to subdue the record-size blue, but because several anglers took turns fighting the fish, it did not qualify as an official Cayman Islands line-class record.
—Guy Harvey
Check this blog next month for my adventures in May, 2008, as I continue my quest to catch a blue marlin every month of the year
Fresh from my success in catching a blue marlin during the last week of January, I was anxious to continue my quest to catch at least one of these magnificent creatures each month from my home waters around Grand Cayman. As February arrived, also “fresh” was my memory of last month’s dual hookups on blues at Twelve Mile Bank. It should be no surprise then that I chose the bank as our destination when I fished with my brother-in-law Jonathan Collier, who made a February visit from Australia. The day was relatively uneventful up until we finally hooked up with a blue marlin while trolling back from the bank. During the lengthy battle, the jumping fish got wrapped up in the leader, but we were able to successfully release the 140-pounder at boat-side.
Guy finds the Performance fishing shirt and visor, recent additions to his line of Guy Harvey Sportswear, to be boat-worthy while trolling for marlin
Next to visit, was friend and renowned English wildlife artist Ian Coleman. Ian dives a lot but he had never caught a blue marlin. On February 25, after enjoying a fantastic morning dive at Tarpon Alley, we boarded my 26-foot center console, and once again I headed for the Twelve Mile Bank. Our fishing activities were delayed when we encountered a broken-down boat that we towed back to West Bay, so we didn’t make it out to the bank until about noon. Even at that, we were pleasantly greeted with an abundance of surface activity as frigatebirds worked over schools of feeding skipjack tunas.
It wasn’t long before we trolled up a marlin in our spread, but this first one embarrassed me — inspecting our offerings but then passing up all four lures! Feeling the frustration, I continued to circle the area until the left short rigger went down hard — blue marlin! As Coleman was settling in his harness to prepare for his first-ever battle with a blue, the right rigger got bit — two on! I left that rod in the holder while scrambling to retrieve the left flat when yet another blue marlin pounced on that lure. Wow! This was starting to feel like familiar territory.
The triple hook-up was short-lived, as the first marlin shook off quickly. After another 10 minutes or so, the second fish came off, so Coleman was left to fight the third fish while I steered the boat. It was a tough battle, but Ian got his first blue marlin, a fish I judged to be 170-plus pounds. After a successful release, out went the lures again, and within 15 minutes, another marlin crashed the right long rigger and jumped going away. Coleman was cooked, so I grabbed the rod and worked the fish to the boat, a blue that was smaller then our first at about 125 pounds. That concluded 90 minutes of seemingly non-stop action where we scored five blue marlin bites and released two.
BLUE TANGO: Guy's painting portrays a blue marlin feeding on skipjack tunas, which was the case when he fished Twelve Mile Bank in February
Two days later, on February 27, I snuck in my last blue marlin of the month while fishing with visiting angler Jim Armour. We hooked up just off the area known as Papagallo on North West Point. I was particularly excited because this was the first fish and the first marlin caught from my new 28-foot Scout Makaira II. With a cold front approaching, we decide to squeeze the trip in before what would almost certainly be several days of rough seas. Around Grand Cayman, the trick to fishing during the winter months is to carefully choose good weather days, as it does get very rough on the water with fronts bringing strong northwest then northeast winds.
— Guy Harvey
Check this blog next month for my adventures in March, 2008, as I continue my quest to catch a blue marlin every month of the year.
On February 2nd, Guy Harvey and Wyland met up in Guy’s home country the Cayman Islands to collaborate on a mural in front of the Guy Harvey Gallery & Shoppe. Proceeds from the sale of the mural will be donated to the Cayman Island Turtle Farm’s release program that is helping to replenish the Green Sea Turtle stock. During the event Wyland and Guy also worked together to help teach local island kids some of the finer points of marine art.
Wyland painting with the kids
Guy Harvey and Wyland are the world’s most famous marine artists, but their similarities don’t stop there. They share a passion for the ocean and for educating the world about important ocean issues through their art, their foundations (Wyland Foundation and Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation) and through their many business and personal activities.
Guy and Wyland working on the mural, with Wyland sporting his Guy Harvey t-shirt
Both are world class divers and Wyland was inducted into the SCUBA Diving Hall of Fame last week. Guy is also a world-renowned angler and was inducted into the IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame last fall.
I am blessed to call each of them my friend. They both possess many wonderful talents and traits, but the fact that they admire each other’s work, are friends and speak highly of each other is unique.
In this competitive “me first” world of “I am better than you”, it is a beautiful thing to see the world’s two most talented marine artists working together so closely for the benefit of the world’s oceans and the creatures who call it home.
I would like to invite you to meet me at the 69th annual Miami International Boat Show & Strictly Sail in the Guy Harvey Artist Pavilion, room 2700 (the west side of the Miami Convention Center). The Boat Show runs Thursday, February 11th through Monday, February 15th. You can expect the largest collection of my marine wildlife artwork in many forms. View my latest originals and reproduced artwork depicting a variety of species such as marlin, sailfish, tuna and other offshore fish. If you’re not in the market for one of my paintings, no worries, because there will be other Guy Harvey merchandise such as Guy Harvey T-Shirts for the entire family, fishing apparel for men and women, my latest books and much more. Of course, you can pre-purchase your Guy Harvey clothing at the dealer nearest you or right here at www.GuyHarveySportswear.com before the boat show and then I will sign it at my booth.
I will be at the show during the times listed below in the new Guy Harvey Artist Pavilion, room 2700. Stop by to say hello.
Thursday (2/11) from noon–5:00pm
Friday (2/12) from 10:00am–5:00pm
Saturday (2/13) from 10:00am–5:00pm
Sunday (2/14) from 10:00am–4:00pm
I would like to welcome you to the Guy Harvey Sportswear web site. Here we will feature my blog where I will report on expeditions, adventures, and various marine conservation efforts. We will also include various guest bloggers, videos and photos that I believe you will find interesting, whether you are a serious fishing or diving enthusiast, or simply someone who cares about the marine resource, loves living the coastal lifestyle, or just wants to learn more about Guy Harvey sportswear.
I would like to welcome you to the Guy Harvey Sportswear web site. Here we will feature my blog where I will report on expeditions, adventures, and various marine conservation efforts. We will also include various guest bloggers, videos and photos that I believe you will find interesting, whether you are a serious fishing or diving enthusiast, or simply someone who cares about the marine resource, loves living the coastal lifestyle, or just wants to learn more about Guy Harvey sportswear.
