The weather continues calm, with some rain, and the wind tending to the east which has resulted in the sailfish coming up better, though they are still hard to catch. But most boats are coming home with a couple of red flags, and the fish seem plentiful with the skippers seeing them finning and free jumping, so it can only get better when the wind finally changes.

At Malindi, a party of doctors from South Africa who have been up here annually for eight years fished two boats, spending one day deep jigging on the North Kenya Banks and catching a variety of bottom fish, snappers, groupers and a fine 32kg amberjack on Eclare, while Neptune tagged a pair of striped marlin out there as well. Coming in to anchor at Ngomeni, both boats ran north the next two days, where they found the sail more prolific than around the Malindi waters and they tagged a dozen in the two days between the two boats to send the doctors home happy!

Neptune then had an exceptional day with Gordon and Cam Elder fishing, finding twelve sail, fourteen yellowfin, a wahoo and a kingfish. Gordon's two elder sons on Eclare were not quite as lucky, with three sail, five wahoo, three tuna and three kingfish but a very successful family outing nevertheless.

November 1st was the start of the 16th Driftwood Extravaganza, with seventeen anglers from South Africa fishing as teams on five boats. The first day was quiet with only six sail caught, but with subsequent days totalling 13, 25, and 31 the fishing improved daily, and the final score of 75 sailfish left last years winners, the Gaffers team, in the lead with every angler catching at least one sail. Neptune and Tina both had days with nine sail for a very successful tournament, but it showed the ironies of angling when the day after this competition, the five boats could only find three sail between them!

Watamu boats have been busier this last week, with those fishing Malindi waters averaging about two sail a day, although White Bear with Ron and Pam Davies fishing found five sail one day and Ol Jogi scored four for the Wassenaar family. B's Nest was having a quiet day when suddenly a pack of sail came up, leaving five fish on the rods jumping all over the ocean, but they  eventually all shook the hooks, leaving the anglers with wry faces but an intriguing story!

Black Widow ran up to Lamu on a two day trip with Batian and Melissa Craig and came back with eleven sailfish, while skipper Rob Hellier in his Unreel had an exciting experience  when chasing a sailfish seen jumping, as a huge marlin appeared and tossing a dorado it was chasing up in the air , swallowed it whole and disappeared - what a sight!

Alleycat had been live baiting for marlin near the Banks, and had a good strike after a unproductive day, only to haul in a 100kg tiger shark, which was duly released by the disappointed crew. Another nearby angler, who had been looking for just such a shark, hooked up with a 42 kg rock cod (grouper) instead, going to show one never knows what one might catch in this area! One has to keep at it for success in fishing.