Captain Anibal Fernandes of Balancal was recently honoured by receiving a lifetime achievement award for his services to big game fishing in Madeira.  It was an emotional night for Anibal as shortly after receiving his award he was given another award for best captain of the competition!
The tournament was held at Marina da Calheta – Madeira – 11th to 13th June 2010

Foreword: The second Madeira Blue Marlin tournament is organised by the Big Game Clube de Portugal and Marina da Calheta in order to honour and perpetuate the name of the physician and surgeon Dr. António Ribeiro that is actually 96 years old, probably the oldest living legend of all blue marlin fishermen. 
Due to the great success of the first tournament, this year about 20 boats are expected to enter the competition with teams from Madeira, Azores, Portugal Continental, England, Germany, Luxemburg, Spain and Canary Islands, South Africa and USA.

General information: This trophy is exclusively a Blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) “ALL RELEASE” tournament. It is qualifying for IGFA – Offshore World Championship and is also integrated in the BGCP – Big Game Fishing Circuit whose winner will represent the BGCP in the HIBT – Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament in Hawaii.

Madeira Island is considered one of the best spots in the world for blue marlin fishing. 

Be welcome in this beautiful Marlin Paradise.

Visit Madeira Marlin - Balancal here.

A charity golf tournament in aid of victims of the recent floods in Madeira was held at the Palheiro Golf course on 6 March 2010.

The event was organised by the Palheiro Estate holding company, Palheiro Estate SGPS SA, with all proceeds going to the Cruz Vermelha (Red Cross).
The tournament was held in good weather and was very well supported, with approximately 100 players taking part. The format for the golf was Texas Scramble, with players in teams of two.

The winning team were Jonathan Fletcher & Michael Blandy, with 61 net; followed by John Holt & Peter Jacques, 66 net; and Peter Booth & Philippe Moreau, also with 66 net.

The prize for the “longest drive” was won by Jonathan Fletcher, with Rubina Laranja winning the “closest to the hole” competition.
After the tournament, the players assembled in the Clubhouse for a buffet lunch, followed by the prize giving ceremony. The prizes were given out by Patrícia Rodrigues of Palheiro Golf and Edgar Rodrigues, the Palheiro Golf Professional.
The original announcement of the charity event had brought a surge of support from all those associated with the Palheiro Estate – both companies and private individuals. This support not only took the form of turning up on the day to be part of the event, but also the donation of a large number of tombola prizes and items to be auctioned. The items donated included works of art; a cruise; various holidays – an array of valuables which gave an indication of the degree of support this worthwhile cause has attracted.

The “Palheiro Estate for Madeira” event ended with the announcement that approximately €9000 had been raised, all of which is destined to help the victims of the flooding which struck the island on 20 February 2010.

The “Palheiro Estate for Madeira” appeal continues until the end of March, at which time all funds collected will be handed over to Cruz Vermelha Portuguesa da Madeira.

Donations can be made to the following account:

• Account nº: 000836892624

• NIB: 0007 0000 0083 6892 62423

• IBAN: PT50 0007 0000 0083 6892 6242 3

The MY Balancal featured in the prestigious Financial Times’ How to Spend It magazine, after a visit by correspondent Sebastian Hope. Sebastian spent two days fishing in Madeira, and was unfortunately one of the few unlucky ones in that he just missed out on catching a marlin. Very unlucky in fact, as the next day the biggest fish of the season was caught on MY Balancal – a whopper at more than 1000 lbs.

Read about it for yourself at: http://www.howtospendit.com

Just back from three days in Madeira, fishing for specimen blue marlin. I’d never been out before apart from a short trip in Antigua)so was not too optimistic, given that you can go days without a bite in this kind of fishing.

As a fly fisher I had always assumed that the real skill in this kind of fishing belonged to the boatmen and that’s true; but it’s a real team affair and the one in the chair has to do his part too. It’s easy to fluff things taking the rod to the chair and, when the people around you are working so hard for your enjoyment,you need to listen to what they’re saying.

In the event we didn’t have to wait long, the boat was barely out of Funchal when a dorado snatched at the furthest lure. There was a bit of a commotion but it didn’t seize
the big squid-like artificial bait which is a bit big for these fish.

But the commotion was obviously enough to interest something else as barely 30 seconds later I could see a fin moving up on one of the starboard lures. I don’t have the combination of letters to describe the boatman’s scream. There was a lunge and the fish dropped back but Nick Bayntun, who runs the back of the boat, was already working the lure and when the fish came again he let loose the drag momentarily, popping the bait in to its face and I could see it all, the take, the turn, the
run, everything.

My task was to lift the rod out of its side-holster and position it in the seating in front of the chair, while settling myself and clipping the seat chains on to the reel. Then up with the feet on to the board and ready to go, all as the fish is running out. When all this is happening it’s as if time has slowed down as your senses capture every detail of the moment.

The line was dipping down about 20 yards behind the boat, so it was surprising to
see the fish break the surface some 200 yards behind the boat. Then it was pumping and winding, but not pumping the handle. You don’t hold the rod at all, just work the chair with your body, winding with the right hand and guiding the line with your left hand on the spool. Meanwhile the skipper is making life easier by reversing the boat.

It didn’t take too long, maybe 15 to 20 minutes to bring a beautiful blue marlin (pictured above)to the boat. How big? The skipper thought 400lb. Nick thought maybe 350lb. Naturally I went with the skipper! Oh, the joy of catch and release!

Ten yards from the boat the action wasn’t over. A fish like this isn’t caught until someone has touched the leader or “grabbed the wire”. You need to be really careful
grabbing that wire as Stewart Campbell, one of the world’s most experienced marlin fishers discovered here.

Those last few yards had the boys on deck sweating a bit but they held on and she was ours. What a beautiful fish she was too and very healthy, quickly released to grow, hopefully, in to one of those “granders”, the 1000lb+ blue marlin for which Madeira is famed. How did I know she was female? All the blue marlins caught here are female.

There was so much of the day ahead and we felt optimistic for another as I handed over the chair to my host, Jonathan Fletcher, part of the Blandy Madeira family, and owner of the boat, Balancal.
But it wasn’t to be. We saw fin back whales, we saw dolphins, we even saw a huge leatherback turtle, and what a sight that was, but no more takes.

Mission accomplished, we dropped plans for a second day out but I had the chance to go along with a second boat where an 11-year-old boy, Curtis de Silva, was trying to capture the “small fry” IGFA Blue Marlin record that today stands at 448lb. The day I caught my fish he had lost one in the 800lb class. It helps that his dad, an experienced Trinidadian skipper “Frothy” de Silva, is at the helm.

Frothy pulled the baits three times through surface-feeding big eyed tuna, but didn’t get a bite. The conditions looked great with plenty of mackerel shoals (or bait balls) near the surface, showing up on the fish-finder, but the bites weren’t coming. As we made for the harbour in calm water at the end of the day I was staring down in to the depths from the platform and saw what I thought was a dolphin just ahead of the boat.
But no, there was the bill and the fin. We were moving up on a cruising blue marlin. With a kick of its tail it was gone before I could take a picture, but that image of this most majestic of fish at one with its environment will stay with me for the rest of my life.

It was real privilege to meet some of the world’s best known big game fishers and skippers - people like James Roberts, Peter Bristow and Anibal Fernandes. Bristow probably has more 1000lb+ black marlin to his name than any other skipper, once coming across a shoal of maybe 50 fish north of Cairns in the 1990s. “We got among them and hooked 30 fish, caught 20 that day. I’ve never seen anything like it before or
since,” he says. Watch out for my full report on this in a forthcoming (October 2009) issue of The Field.

This article from Richard Donkin, UK - http://www.richarddonkin.com

Bill and Christina from the United States were our guests for a few days in the third week of July.  We were delighted to hear that Christina had booked this charter as a 40th birthday gift for her husband!

Like most of the anglers fishing with us at this time of the year, our guests were hoping to see a big Madeiran blue marlin.  This isn’t always an easy task - most blue marlin caught and released in Madeira are the result of much hard work by the skipper and crew in selecting and working the right grounds, preparing the gear beforehand and coaching the angler during the fight.  Even within prime season, we will experience fluctuations in the fishing as marlin move into and away from the grounds following suitable oceanic conditions, schools of baitfish and their own migratory routes. Fortunately the week that Bill and Christina arrived saw some very good fishing.  The first couple of days were quiet but on the 22nd June, as Captain Anibal was trolling the Ribeira Brava grounds, Bill’s first Madeiran blue marlin came into the pattern, taking the lure on the left short positioned close to the boat.  The hookup was a good one and the fish was successfully released after a short battle.  This was a fish estimated by Captain Anibal at around 700 lbs - a splendid first marlin for any angler and a wonderful 40th birthday present!

Hooked up on the first fish of the trip, with Bill angling the fish on the 130 lb class tackle.

Bill’s first Madeiran blue marlin on the wire.  Incidentally, the leader length we use on most marlin lures is close to the International Game Fish Association maximum, 30 feet.

Bill’s fish on the snooter by the boat.

Smiles all round from our angler and deck crew: Nick (with the snooter) and Anibal’s son Horacio.

Bill angled a 600 lb fish the next day, his last fishing day, to leave Madeira with some great photos and unforgettable memories.

Bill’s second blue marlin by the boat, showing the very high, pointed dorsal fin characteristic of these large Atlantic blues.

Almost ready for release.  The small gaff is placed in the dorsal fin to keep the fish upright during the revival, preventing a tired fish from rolling over.  The small hook is harmless to the fish.

The Balancal team would like to thank Bill and Christina for fishing with us and for sending us the photos that we have included on this blog.  It was a pleasure fishing with you and it was great to be able to make your trip a memorable one.  We all look forward to your next visit.

O Financial Times: How to Spend It é um suplemento mensal de referência do Jornal Financial Times  (circulação: 448.241 exemplares) que aborda habitualmente temas como moda, beleza, decoração, arte, gastronomia, vinhos, saúde e viagens. O valor estimado de uma página de publicidade neste jornal ronda os 61,500 £.

A Associação de Promoção da Madeira, em parceria com a sua Agência de Relações Públicas no Reino Unido, a ZFL,apoiou a vinda à Madeira, de 16 a 18 de Junho, do jornalista freelancer Sebastian Hope que irá escrever um artigo de 2 páginas sobre deepsea fishing na costa da Madeira.

On reflection I can now look back and say what happened in Madeira was either a strange collective of coincidences or some real magic actually happened

It was with great excitement when I stepped off the plane and set foot on the island, I intentionally took my first long deep breath of fresh Atlantic air and thought “ please let this be my lucky year” I had spent the last 12 months mentally recalling the events from my first visit to Madeira last summer.

To cut the first part of this story short:
In 2008 I was invited by my friend Oliver king to try my hand at Blue marlin fishing, well let me tell you that the first thing that went through my mind was “cost”. I had always been under the impression that this was a sport that only the rich and famous could afford, a misconception on my behalf.
Our charter of M.Y BALANCAL for some reason deemed unfruitful for me as my  first Marlin  was lost. leaving me sat in the chair wondering what the hell did I do wrong?

This is where the Magic starts:
I had to time everything right, my children were going to join me this year and Ollie was yet to arrive.
On the morning of june 14th  with everyone onboard Balancal we all set off, with my hopes dashed and my expectations not so high as we had previously experienced some heavy un-seasonal rain. It was at this point that Ollie told me he had cleared it with Anibal our captain, that he could wire his first Marlin if we were to be lucky.

I looked at the dirty water and turned to Ollie with a frown, he said “don’t worry, It may be a good sign”
Ten minutes later I was in the galley when some almighty foot stomping and shouting came from the bridge, we had raised a marlin which I missed, “typical” I thought, so I sat to eat my lunch. Five minutes later all hell broke lose as a bigger fish this time was on.

Like a well rehearsed play, all actors took their place on stage,” this was it” I thought as I sat in the chair with my first Marlin hooked, little did I know that my battle had just began.
With cameras clicking and advice from crew (Ollie and Mathew) and our guest (jody a.k.a Albatross from Kenya)  I swore, toiled and eventually came to realize,  this fish had strength I could not have comprehended. After around fifty minutes we eventually see the size of the fish for the first time as she comes up within a 15 meters off the boat, All I remember are some choice words from behind me as all realize just how big she is.

After another forty  minutes with Ollie wiring his first Marlin and me being told I had caught my First Marlin estimated to be over 1000lbs (A Grander) and all on board to witness it, I paused and thought
“ THAT WAS MAGICAL”

Heres the story.

I gave a days fishing to a friend last year, we put him on a fish that pulled hooks after a few minutes. This year he asked me to go out to Madeira with him so he could repay the day. I said yes, but would have quite liked to wire his fish for him rather than fish myself. He said OK, Jonathan said OK as did Capt. Anibal. (Needed his blessing!)

On our first day out, maybe about lunch time, I see a fish swim between the white headed pro range Andy on the short left, and the purple pro soft that we ran as a teaser one wave behind. Anibal shouts fish on the left, and no sooner than everyone jumps into action, she fades away. 12 minutes later we pass over the same area again and get a crash bite on the short left - the white Andy!

Ian jumps into the chair as the crew (including me!) clear the rest of the rods. A couple of minutes later Capt. Jose on the Our Mary reports he is hooked up. He is less than 200mtrs away from us and we see his fish put on a dispaly at the back of the boat.

Ian on his first fish!

We get on with the job in hand - Ians first marlin - after about 30 mins the fish comes to the surface about 200 yards away and makes a couple of jumps. We put our estimates in the 600 - 700 class.

After about 45 mins the fish is stripping line of the reel that is now at 45lb of drag, and we are starting to think that we have a tail wrapped fish. 57 mins and 50lb of drag I get sight of the wind on, and am able to take a wrap. IAn backs off the drag and I can see the fish is not wrapped and she is heading for the surface…. I shout that she is going to jump and dump the leader as her massive bulk breaks the surface.

There were some very blue words on that boat at that point! We now knew we were dealing with a fish in the 950+ class. The fish is off again and we bump up the drag back to the button (45lb) and then over to about 50lb again. It’s not long before I get another shot on the wire, this time the fish is all lit up, those blue bars glowing down her side.

Second shot on the wire.

Still full of beans, I have to let go and duck.

One hour and 20 later, she is ours! We get the snooter on the fish and Ian can get out the chair to take a look. He takes the snooter rope as we drag the fish up the cockpit to take the short measurement.

Jody shouts up to Anibal that she cracked the 11 foot mark!

Ian and Capt Anibal with the release flag!

We call her 1000++ as she is a very fat fish and held all he size down her length. Ian is stoked at his first blue marlin, and me, well I got to wire a Madeirian grander for my mate, the first marlin I have ever wired!

Oliver King

Our Big Game season began in earnest in the last week of May when the first big eye tuna and Atlantic blue marlin showed up on the Madeira fishing grounds. The first week of June saw some good-sized blues popping up, with the fleet reporting at least three fish estimated at 800 lbs or better. At the moment we are seeing a mix of smaller fish in the 250 to 300 lb class alongside the large blue marlin that Madeira is known for. Some other gamefish are also being encountered. The last few days have seen the occasional blind strike from large bigeye tuna and there have been some nice dorado lurking around along with a scattering of small billfish. On the 10th June, in addition to a blue marlin release, Captain Anibal and Nick Bayntun found a longbill spearfish that weighed in at 31 kgs. This fish comfortably beats the European record for 80 lb line class.

At press time conditions look to be settling into our normal summer trade wind pattern after a little spell of wind from the W/NW. Ocean temperatures are close to perfect. With abundant bait on the grounds, along with other ocean life such as turtles, dolphins and Corey shearwaters, we hope that our summer big game season will continue in the same vein as what has been a pretty good start. Visit Madeira Marlin here!