ASCENSION - 2013

[Seventenths]

So Guys, my next big Trip for 2013  is planed, booked and paid, ASCENSION Island 7 56"898' S and 14  22"609' W. Reports from mates had me really excited to visit with reports of 200kg YFT and 1000lbs Blue Marlin and much much more mouth watering stories  I had bumped it up my bucket list. The seal on the deal was when a mate (Steve from  Fibrelab) told me the guy running operations there was a good mate of his - Colin.  We got our Team together, farmers Piet and Miles, boat maker Steve and his mate Karl and myself - Sorted, next step....

   

Photo credit: Ascension Administrator

  We found out the best time of year(May) and booked it then and ther paid the deposits late last year but that was not the end of organising... the deposit was just for the boat and accommodation! Getting there is another storey; there are only two routes  - sea - RMS ST Helena and military air transport. Both posed problems.
 
  The ship has a 12 day transit time each way with stop over’s in ST Helena on  the way there and back, thus 24 days of travel - No way I could do this as  inviting as 24 days of chilling would be I could not afford the time and neither could the other guys. Second option - fly with military charter (They would not let us charter a private aircraft to the military base!) 

   

Map Image  Credit : by Jean-Pierre Langer.

This poses a whole new set of challenges, the flights are from Brize Norton in  the UK and they only confirm them 2 months before the trip if you on and it is not cheap! But we are on (not to say they won't bump us off as military personnel get  preference). Then permits, visitors permits are necessary for all visitors -  we applied for us all and done, the Ascension government are really very organised  and VERY good.
 
We then were advised by Colin to get sards, ha easier said than done!!! We had  to buy 500kg of frozen sards in CT and arrange to ship them to ASCENSION on the RMS ST Helena;  in a brain wave we decided to ship some of our kit too so we don’t have to fly with 5 tons of equipment. This was another whole logistical operation on it's  own - I just hope it's all there when we arrive.
 
  Now we could book our flights to the UK and we are ready to go, Steve and Karl  will go ahead on the 8 May and we will follow on the 12th May for 10 days of  one of the best and most isolated locations in the world. We plan to fish,  spearfish and film some awesome creatures of the deep and UA members will be  the first to see if I can help it.
 
  I have been informed there is good Internet available there and have specially  got myself a Canon 5D complete with Ikelite Underwater housing with 2 Gopros  for the trip. I have tested them all and only time will tell if you will get to  share in some of the excitement.... I will post here a test of the video on the 5D as soon as I can get it downloaded...
 
 

[Shaun17]

Geez boet, that little report has me chomping at the bit!!!! Really hoping the effort pays off BIG time!!!! 
 

[CASTSA]

Hi Bud, I know Colin well............I have also been looking at this one very carefully

Catching Ambers off the beach really does excite me!!

[Seventenths]

Hi Bud, I know Colin well............I have also been looking at this one very carefully

Catching Ambers off the beach really does excite me!!

I am really going to have a problem there as I Love spinning,poping,jigging,filming/shooting and spearing and will have limited time... what to do will be a big conumdrum..... but if I get some good pics, video and a great story, I will be happy.

I may have to go back later in the year if it turns out to be as good as people say.

7/10

[Abaddon]

This will prove to be an EPIC trip. Really looking forward to the results. Hope you get stretched big time.

Would seriously give my "pair" to make a trip out there!
Fell in love with the place when seeing Robson Green taking us there in his series Ends Of The Earth.

Here a link to the ep.

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  - THAT SIX GILL !!!!
  - The wardrobe failure

[FishStyx]

Sounds pretty awesome, even if a logistical nightmare. Watching this space closely.

[Happy Dog]

   what a brilliant trip you have planned. Look forward to the updates

[Prego]

Droooooooooool  , sounds epic 7/10's wish  and calm seas

[lebaka]

ok my levels of jealousy just hit a all time high 7 enjoy every second of it

[Seventenths]

Short update....

We have packed our kit and had it crated and ready to go with RMS ST Helena on Voyage 189.

500kg of frozen bait sards,
Dive gear,
Fishing rods and reels,
Tackle and lures,
Spearguns and float systems
and lots of general paraphenalia....

Chatted to Colin Today, (some of you know him) and he said

"Nice to hear from you again we have been having some great fishing and   diving here over the last 3 months and its getting better each day, had a   900lb Blue 2 days ago it died so i brought it in"

900lbs!!!!! I will ask him for pics!!

53 days 10 hours and 45mins.... not that I am counting.

7/10

[Seventenths]

Part 2


Karl and Steve went on ahead and have already been making me regret not  have gone with them with reports of massive rockcod and sending a few  pics….grrrr





Photos – Karl and Steve.
Well the day has arrived, on Thursday 9 May, I flew to London the on to  my Gran for a 105th birthday party. On Sunday morning I packed and  repacked all my camera kit and checked a re checked. Feels like going on a  military operation, check it twice then check again. The last thing you want is a failure or piece of vital kit missing when you need it. Tonight the flight from Brize Norton Airforce base in Oxfordshire, to the middle of the Atlantic, hope I can get some sleep! We arrive a 6 in the morning and I intend to get the  most out of the day.

Photo – card from the queen – 105th

 
Photo - Packing up and ready to go all  there according to my checklist – hope I put everything on the checklist!



Photo - More fishing gear, TA… despite having sent my fishing and  spearing kit with the RMS st Helena… I had to pick up a few more bits I did not  need….but definitely wanted!

Photo - The English countryside around Creslow –  killing time






Day 1 to follow

[Seventenths]

Thank Shaun... day 1

Day 1
Arrived later than expected, packed out all our stuff from that had  arrived on the RMS st Helena and kitted up for a quick mid day shore dive, we  went down to PanAm Bay (near the US air force base) and despite a large ground  swell jumped in for a shore dive and swam along the rocks. I was stunned at the  amount of black triggers and little else.
After scratching around in the shallows I bagged a few rock cod of which  I got the most amazing footage on my go pro as the Black trigger swamp and  attack the wounded rockcod like piranhas

Video – Triggers - Having a prob with this.... will try add later.

Image rockcod



After a short modelling shoot at the PanAm restaurant we went to have  some rest and tend to our kit.


PanAm photo

 

We had an tuna steak for supper at the local hotel

In the evening Colin got back with the marlin boat with 5 large tuna and  some ruffia and other fish, I decided to have a go at the black jacks around  the pier for some fun…. Got 1 on the fly and 2 on the spinning rod and was  great fun… they were sent off to live another day… I will be back there!!


Black Jack Photo


   

After a few in the pub we hit the sack…..

Days info:
Wind  moderate north
Viz 40-60m
Air temp  32deg
Water Temp  Max 27deg min 27 deg
Swell 7ft  13s
Dives 37
Max depth  13,8m


... Day 2 to follow

[Seventenths]

Day 2

Boat dive for the Whoooooo’s, things seem to start late here with a 9 am  launch. I was a bit frustrated but after the slow start we went to a deep area  on the west of the island and chummed and dive like mad…nothing. 37 dives and  nada. The skipper Craig wanted us to move to the shallows just before lunch so  with no better suggestions we did.

First drop from the boat…. Wahoo and a big one. I could not get my gun  loaded fast enough but it was too late! The fish moved off and Piet plugged it  in the tail only to lose it. We did several drifts on the same line of 60m to  over 100m. I bagged two whoo’s but neither as large as the first one we saw. I  lost another and Miles got a nice YFT of about 50kg….


Miles with Tuna



Tony with 2 Wahoo





Piet eventually pinned a nice YFT of over a 100kg but the gun line broke  at the notch!! Disappointed Piet climbed in the boat to find another spear.  Whilst under the water I heard a shot go off and turned around to see Piet’s  fish with 2 spears in it. I was close enough for me to drill it again but I  decided that with three spears in it, it would now be a hedgehog so left it  only for Miles’ spear to pull out. Miles told me later he shot it whilst eating  the chum with Piet’s spear still right through it!

We headed home to clean up and had an awesome diner of grilled Wahoo  cutlets on butternut with a hot island sauce, at the hotel… Arnie the chef was  starting to become our best friend!

The rods had the day off….. but not for long.
Days info:
Wind moderate  north
Viz 60m plus
Air temp  36deg
Water Temp  Max 27deg min 27 deg
Swell 8ft  14s
Dives 46
Max depth  19,8m

Day 3 to follow....

[Shaun17]

The stuff dreams are made of... AWESOME!!! Love the pic with the    shirt!!! 

[Seventenths]

Day 3
After another slow start this time due to kit maintenance we are off to  bird Island on the wild side of Ascension, after a 2 hour boat ride in rough  seas I am doubting the wisdom of this call but we are pleasantly surprised when  we get there. The shelter offered but the island is calm with huge drop offs  into deep crystal clear water with the customary huge shoals of black  triggers.

After an hour of  photographing the scenery and multitude of fish, I jump in with my gun and drop  a large YFT. I saw several others after that but it was not to be. At the end  of the day out came my fly rod, which rewarded me with 3 black Jacks and 3 nice  sangoras (tropical yellow tail) in quick succession of which one become our  supper. Arnold the chef, again out did himself with mixed veg and Cajun style  sauce on the grilled fish with a bit of pesto and chips on the side… I am going  to have to take a pic of tomorrows offerings.

Bird Island




Black jack in the water

   
Fly on Sangora

   



Fly on Black Jack

   

Piet bagged a nice horse eyed king fish on the spear which was also on  the menu with the Sangora.

Pic of Piet with Kingy

   

The Last sangora we opened up for supper had 5 turtles in his stomach.

Sangora with Turtles inside.

   

Days info:
Wind Fresh  north
Viz 60m plus
Air temp  35deg
Water Temp  Max 27deg min 27 deg
Swell 8ft  12s with wind chop
Dives 68
Max depth 28,5m

[Seventenths]

Sorry day 4 will have to wait till I get back to work sitting on plane waiting for take off back to WORK!

[BETTYS]

 
Tony,thanks for sharing sorry you could not hook one of the Marlins but it seemed you had great fun diving.
 

[CLS]

  now that's a  place one needs to visit.

[Seventenths]

    :the best is yet to come!!

[Shaun17]

    :the best is yet to come!!

You've added a trip to Ascension as a UA Raffle Prize???   
 
We're waiting