It was a sunny day in Tasmania, and conditions were nothing to complain about. Calm seas and 19oc water was looking great for where we were headed.
Pedra Branca lies south west of Hobart off the coast of Tasmania. Better known for its big wave surfing, birdlife and seal colonies, it is possibly the most southern point of Australia where you can dive. Due to its isolation and high exposure to the elements, travelling to this rock islet made of sandstone and dolerite is not for the faint hearted. To head where we were going, it was important to have a good crew who were mindful of the conditions we could face.
Jason Wetmore, my partner Bryson Sheehy, our labrador Charlotte and I, decided today would be the day to try for some tuna. Before we left the boat ramp, we were in our suits; our open trailer-boat and the chance of swell meant we were probably going to get wet. After arriving at our destination and some time spent sounding around, Bryson and I jumped in for a look.
Small bait fish were there, which meant hopefully the tuna weren't far away! We tried a few different pressure points until we hit the spot.
I did countless inspection dives to about 10 metres, and I couldn't tell you when exactly I began to see the faint yellow of the tail knuckles disappearing in the distance, but it was then I knew we were in the right area.
The tuna were extremely wary and large New Zealand fur seals were not helping my confidence in the sub 8 metre visibility. To get close enough to shoot one of these fast tuna, I was going to have to time my dive right. I had to gauge when was long enough for them to regain confidence and come back, because they were absolutely out of site unless I was submerged. Many attempts abled me to hone in on the perfect wait time, and it was then I had to manoeuvre the gun very quickly around to take my shot. My shaft entered the fish but tore out soon after.
My heart was racing - had I lost my chance? Adrenaline pumping, I quickly reloaded my breakaway-setup 1100 inverted rollergun in the water. It seemed the first shot left the tuna scared. I was gutted. A large seal had clued on to what
I was trying to do, and was getting closer and more confident than I had liked.
It felt like an eternity, but the tuna began to return. Each inspection dive was nerve racking thanks to a 150kg plus seal that was popping in and out of my peripheral; this was the home of the infamous Great White shark, although I am yet to see one face to face in the water.
My timing on the next dive was perfect. I had my choice of about four fish that were in range, and I could see others behind. All moving so quickly, I took my shot on the closest one. I speared the fish from slightly above and behind, which meant I could drive the shaft along and through a good portion of the body. I could tell it went all the way through, thankfully, however now I had to
retrieve it quickly so the seal wouldn't get a hold.
I used a 20m rigid rig line, a 5m bungee, and my trusty Tommy Botha float. This setup allowed me to bring the fish up fairly quickly and still have a soft resistance, although the tuna still gave quite a fight. I loaded my secondary reel gun, and descended to about 10 metres to take the final shot. The spear broke the tuna's backbone and I was able to carry the fish to the surface. Success!
