MALINDI MADNESS - KENYA

11TH TO 18TH OCTOBER, 2003

The four of us Chris, Trevor, Sue and myself Rae have just been to Kenya for a weeks fishing. We left Johannesburg Airport at 00.30 am. on Saturday arriving in Nairobi around about 5.30 a.m. We had to spend a 3 hour delayed to 6 hours, waiting for our connecting flight to Malindi, which was out of the ordinary. No trouble to the four of us, we sat on the curb of the street outside the Airport Entrance eating biltong, deciding what we were going to do with ourselves for 6 hours.

We got hold of a taxi and after some negotiation, off to the Nairobi Museum. Surprisingly the museum was very interesting, we saw the most beautiful collection of stuffed birds that I have ever seen in one place. Every kind you can imagine. After a cup of tea at the New Stanley we got back to the Airport, only to find that our plane was delayed for another two hours so we trotted off to a restaurant for something to eat. Eventually we then caught our connecting flight to Malindi and arrived there at 4.30 p.m.

We were collected by the hotel staff who safely delivered us to our place of stay which was the Malindi Beach Hotel. The place was absolutely gorgeous, we could not wait to get our bags unpacked, run our feet through that beautiful white sand and then into the lounge to select a drink of our choice, they have a large variety of drinks and made up any combination you desired. The hotel is run by an Italian syndicate and our hosts Daniela and Bruno could not do enough for us. The food was too die for. There was various shows laid on for the guests every night for you to enjoy, i.e. if you had the energy to go to the show after a 10 hour day fishing!

The Kenyan people are the most polite, helpful and pleasant people I have had the pleasure of mixing with. They could not do enough for us. We met up with another group of people on the same Kingfisher trip we were on and we soon became one happy crowd. Our Skipper Baiton called on us at 5.30p.m. on the day of our arrival and advised that we would be fishing the following day and that he would collect us at 5.15a.m. He advised us that our lunchpacks and drinks for the boat would all be on the boat when we arrived. Our hotel receptionist made sure that we were woken up every day in sufficient time to have a light breakfast and be ready for Baiton when he arrived to fetch us.

NOW THE FISHING! Our group was surprised to find one of these beautiful big 30ft Marlin Boats you see on the movies at our disposal for the next 4 days. Of the 4 days we fished, we caught between 3 of us in our group the following species, 19 Sailfish, 21 Yellowfin Tuna, 19 Mackerel King Fish, 2 Bonita, 1 Wahoo, 1 Dorado, 1 Shark. I was a very lucky lady being the only one to catch a Wahoo of 18 Kgs, a Dordao of 12 Kgs, a Black Tipped Shark of 60 Kgs. Chris caught the biggest Yellowfin Tuna of 30Kgs and Trevor caught the biggest Sailfish of 40 Kgs. and the biggest Mackerel King Fish of 13 Kgs . All the Sailfish and the Shark were tagged and released, my 35 Kg Sailfish had to come out because he was injured and would not have survived if we put him back in the water. I was very unhappy about that but what could we do, I gained a lovely photo of me standing next to him. The 13 kg Mackerel King Fish Trevor caught was also brought back to be sold as he had also been hurt.

The Dorado I brought back to the hotel and the Chef cooked him for our crowd, it is the best fish you can eat out of the sea. It was divine. I even took a photo of the Chef who cooked my fish and sent him the picture when I got back, which he duly received. The two boats we fished off were named the "Eclare" and "Neptune".

We alternated each day on the two boats and I must say the Skippers Baiton and Angus knew what they were doing. The boats were on the move all the time and only stopped when we were into the fish. You caught them, tagged them, released them, some you took photos of, then the rest was left to the Kingfisher Crew, whilst we sat back having a cold drink relaxing and looking out at the most beautiful blue sea and waiting for the next strike.

WHAT A WAY TO FISH! This was the 'ULTIMATE PEA" for us. We would be out fishing till 4p.m. then we would pack up and head back getting to the club at 5p.m. where we would have a few drinks in the clubhouse and watch the edible fish we caught each day being auctioned off to the local Fishmongers. On our day off we negotiated with the local taxi and off we went into town to buy T Shirts, belts, beaded work and whatever else we fancied to take home to our families in South Africa. Next we were off to the famous Hemingway's just down the road from us about 10 kilometer's. There we spent the rest of the day having a lovely lunch, taking a lot of photos. Then back to our hotel to swim in their lovely swimming pools.

Oh yes, we have memories that will stay with us forever. It was sad to say farewell, we left Malindi Airport at 4p.m. flew to Nairobi Airport there we spent a couple of hours (no delays when you want them) going mad in the duty free shops spending up all the Shillings we had left as they would be of no use to us in South Africa, buying the famous Kenya Teas and Coffees, Kenya Gold Liqueur, and lots of other bits and pieces. Then on to our flight via Kenya Airlines and arrived back at Johannesburg Airport at 11.30p.m. Then home. We found the trip most enjoyable and look forward to going back to Kenya and those beautiful and famous Billfish waters again in the not too distant future. - RAE

"THE WHOLE TRIP WAS MAGIC"

and even a Lady can talk about "the one that got away!!"