OUR ARRIVAL in Las Palmas airport was like most package holidays - the usual hustle and bustle of identifying baggage on the carousel, the insistent passport check and the chaotic search for coach A201 amid a maze of buses resembling Donnybrook garage.
Except this holiday was different. For a start we were a group of 21 from Howth Sea Angling Club and our destination was Puerto Rico for a week of game fishing, with blue eyed tuna our main target.
Two state of the art Boston Whaler boats were prebooked with Liam Dennehy (a native of Cork), out from Puerto Mogan for Monday and Thursday with a third day optional. The telescopic rods we brought along were for harbour fishing in our "free time".
On Sunday we travelled by pleasure craft the short journey from our base to Puerto Mogan to complete boat hire details. The coastal scenery along this stretch of coastline is breathtaking. Gran Canaria is, of course, a volcanic island, its steep rock cliffs clearly visible from a seaward viewpoint.
Needless to say, some of our time in Mogan was spent sampling the harbour fishing. In crystal clear water we enjoyed catching small barracuda, mullet and a host of tropical fish. Unfortunately, we were moved on by the harbour master. There was simply too many of us, he said.
Tuna sighted
Monday could not come quick enough and the word was out - tuna were about. Several boats had reported sightings and two 100kg plus fish had actually been landed.
A 7 a.m. dash to Port Mogan, a quick breakfast, and all aboard for our fishing extravaganza. Trevor, our boatman, soon set about assembling the rods: outriggers on the starboard, port and midships and three small rods at the stern, each equipped with 140lb class rods, International Penn II reels and 120lb nylon line.
Six massive muppets (each costing £50) were now skimming across the water as we cruised at a steady seven knots. A quick briefing on procedures should a fish "take" and we were ready for the elusive tuna to strike.
Drowned our sorrows
The hours ticked by. Six hours to be exact. And no tuna.
At £50 per person this really was disappointing. However, with pride and aspirations somewhat dented, we drowned our sorrows late into the night and spoke of what might have been and, more important, what lay ahead.
On Wednesday, by majority vote, we decided to try for the many varieties of smaller fish out from Puerto Rico on the evening tide - yes, even though our scheduled boat, the Blue Marlin, had encountered and successfully landed a magnificent tuna of 127kg on its day time outing.
A point I must make at this stage game angling in the Canaries is geared solely for the tourist. Six, eight, 10 people out for a day's fishing. Maybe, just maybe, a tuna may strike but even then only one person actually gets to "play" the fish.
As we considered ourselves qualified boat anglers, the thought of returning home without catching a fish was preposterous. Happily, we were not disappointed. In deep water of 60 fathoms we encountered puffer fish, red snapper, scad and spurdog. None of any great size, but at least we all caught fish. Now we had something to tell the folks back home!
One last attempt
Thursday, and back to Puerto Mogan and Liam Dennehy with night fishing the preferred option. With two hours left of sunlight we made one last attempt for tuna, based on the fact that six had been caught during the day and there were reports of sightings everywhere.
Muppets back out. Soon we observed gulls feeding and, bingo, we were into the middle of tuna. Five boats joined in as Trevor was hastily dispatched to the "crows nest" deck to give directions to skipper Pepe, as we circled this carnival of boats, gulls, sprat and tuna.
Darkness came too quickly and to our bitter disappointment we failed to connect before Pepe called it a day (we learnt later that four of the boats had caught six tuna in the frenzy).
Adrenalin still flowing, we steamed to within 1,000 yards of the coast, outside Port Mogan, for a grand finale of night fishing, anchored in 12 fathoms. We had a plan. The three heavy tuna gears to be deployed for bottom fishing for sting ray and moray eels; the light gears to drift in the tide.
Straight away the drifting gears hooked into bonito. This silvery fish, a member of the mackerel family and about 4lb in weight, can fight like a tiger and provide great sport. We caught at least 10.
Simultaneously, the heavy gears landed two sting ray, one of about 40lb. In addition, a number of moray eels were boated. By midnight, well pleased with our lot, we decided to call it a day.
Saturday came too quickly as we packed our bags and headed home.
It is true the holiday failed to live up to expectations in terms of fish caught, but this disappointment was outweighed against the cameraderie, friendship and socialising we experienced.