HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Hamad Al Sharqi, Crown Prince of Fujairah, attended the recent F2 race organized by Fujairah International Marine Club in December 2009.
Major Ahmed Ibrahim Darak, Managing Director, FIMC, expressed his appreciation of His Highness’s on-going support of the international event and the Marine club events in general.
The F2 race was a huge challenge in a short time frame for Fujairah International Marine Club but the event was very successful and well organized by FIMC and UIM

Fujairah Traditional Dhow Sailing Race

Event: Fujairah Traditional Dhow Sailing Race (22ft)
When:12th Feb. 2010
Where: Marine Club
The Dhows are only sailed by crews from the region who are very proud of their roots and culture and want to keep it safe. Match racing tests two boats against each other around a triangular course, not an easy task on a boat with a fairly basic design. Needless to say modifications and new materials are gradually being introduced to enhance the boats performance, but guidelines set by the UAE Marine Sports Association must be followed.

Fujairah International Marine Club Fishing Competition

The Fujairah Fishing Competition has become a regular event on FIMC calendar and attracts participants from all over the emirates and occasionally some tourist visitors.

With weather conditions absolutely perfect at this time of the year, there was a good attendance and most people caught something.
There are usually some wonderful competition prizes to be won after the weighing and judging the fish.

Look out for the next competition soon.

Quote of the month: All the romance of trout fishing exists in the mind of the angler and is in no way shared by the fish. ~ Harold F. Blaisdell, The Philosophical Fisherman, 1969

9th January - "Will we catch fish today?" I wonder how many times I have been asked that question. I also wonder if a weather man gets asked the question, "Will it rain today?" as often. My answer is simple. It's easier to predict what a woman is thinking than to know if the fish are feeding. The thing is, there are so many factors that influence the desire for fish to feed - atmospheric pressure changes, state of the tides, water colour, time of the day… and then whether they are hungry or not.
This tale relates to a day off Fujairah on a perfectly calm sea. It looked like a pond with a huge fire-ball rising up over the ocean. The guys all burning to hook up to a fish. Birds were diving, hitting the bait in an area just outside the port. We headed over and started casting into the area where the boil was on. Within minutes, Matt hooked up a 10 kg kingfish (king mackerel), and the fight was on. It was a good scrap and the photo shows his satisfaction. We stayed in the area for another hour casting at the diving birds, as well as to fish rising to the surface, but got nothing more. Frustration set in and we decided to go find some dorado (mahi mahi), patience being a virtue some fisherman seem to lack…
Eventually we came across a tanker with a huge school of mahi mahi cruising down the side. The guys grabbed spinning rods and scrambled to cast at the fish. Bang! Bang! Two fish on and as soon as they were hooked, they came off, both of them. That, however, did not stop the guys from casting again. It signalled a change to the day, and we threw everything at them that I had in the tackle box. Spoons, jigs, drop shots, poppers, the lot. We saw the fish but could not hook them. Then I suggested the fly, so we put one together and tried it with a variety of flies only to be refused again by the fish. Finally we tried trolling and found one fish that was confused enough to hit the plastic surface lures.
6 hours into the trip and I got asked the dreaded question: "Why are the fish not feeding?" Well, what can I say, that they already had breakfast and are trying to burn off the excess fat?
The thing about fishing, is exactly that: it’s called FISHING. If it were any easier, it would be called CATCHING. There is skill, patience and luck involved, and all three need to be there on the same day at the same time. But most importantly, fishing’s there to be enjoyed. It’s a privilege that very few get to experience. Relish the time spent doing it because after that comes work and the real world. Tight lines!

Wayne de Jager

Wayne de Jager operates East Coast Fishing charters out of Fujairah International Marine Club.

For fishing enquires call (+971) 50 4849970, email: waywil@emirates.net.ae or visit www.eastcoastfishing.ae