Bluefin tuna spotted feeding off a Wellington wharf is hooked by land-based angling mates - video sent by Fletcher Tornquist via contributor Jason Grimmett.
My name is Fletcher Tornquist. I've lived in Eastbourne for over nine years and have been fishing on and off for several years, both from the wharf and on a boat. Recently, a mate of mine, a keen fisherman, moved to Wellington from Australia.
I decided to show him the local fishing scene. To our astonishment, a massive shadow appeared near our line. Initially, we thought it was a large shark, something I'd never seen in Wellington. We continued fishing, catching kahawai along the way. About an hour later, the shadow reappeared. This time, I immediately recognised it as a tuna, specifically a Bluefin, by its shape and size.
We cast our live bait, and in our video, you can see the tuna interacting with the kahawai. When it got loose, my mate Tom quickly tied on a lure, and we cast it towards the tuna. Within five seconds, we hooked it. The fish pulled like a ton of bricks and fought even harder. It was an absolutely incredible experience, almost unheard of to see a Bluefin in the bays of Wellington, New Zealand.
