Simms Ambassador, Jako Lucas recounts his most memorable the one that got away memory.
With all the time Simms Ambassador, Jako Lucas spends guiding in the world’s best and most remote fishing destinations, it’s no wonder he has his fair share of the one that got away stories. Guiding in Norway affords him the opportunity to put his clients on the highly sought after Atlantic salmon while his season in Mongolia is spent chasing the elusive taimen. Hearts break when a trophy of either species comes unglued but in Lucas’ salt water world, there’s one fish powerful enough to break your heart and rod in the same instant. Lucas spends a healthy portion of his year guiding in the Seychelles, a destination offering options aplenty. But of all the species he encounters on a daily basis while fishing islands such as Astove and Cosmeledo, giant trevally get his blood pumping more than any other. With all the fish he’s caught, lost and encountered in his many tours of duties, it was a giant trevally that never came to hand that still haunts him. Here’s how it all happened…
As told by Jako Lucas:
In 2012, we had a phenomenal season in the Seychelles. It was a sunny, clear day on the 13th of November at about 11:45 am. We had already lost five monster GTs and landed another 15. We were just getting ready to have lunch when I spotted an industrial size GT out of the corner of my eye next to a small coral bomie. After some choice words, my client managed to get the fly some 30 feet in front of the fish and like with most big GTs, it very slowly made its approach in a calculated and curious manner. With adrenalin pumping, my client began stripping the fly as fast as he could, resulting in the GT smashing the fly three feet from our feet. Of course “smashing” is an understatement, this fish was vicious in every sense of the word. It’s head came out of the water when it ate — it happened so quickly that the only confirmation that the fish ate the fly was the rooster tail shooting up and away from as the fish headed for the horizon. This fish absolutely smoked us before I could get to the boat to give chase. Plain and simple, this fish was just too big, to fast and too strong — we didn’t have enough backing for a fish of this proportion.
Even though I knew the chances of landing this fish were slim to none, when the line went slack, we were left with an empty feeling of devastation. I know that when things like this happen on the water, many say “well, it wasn’t meant to be” but I’m different. To this day, I still wonder what could I have done differently.
Nothing can prepare you for an encounter with a monster GT. I kid you not — on multiple occasions, I’ve seen rods yanked out of my clients’ hands and have even had numerous clients completely freeze up at the sight of a big GT. When the big one eats, the excitement is so high, I’m more than willing to do what ever it takes to land “the one” for my clients. I can’t count the number of times, I’ve swam through shark infested waters to grab a big GT. To date, my biggest GT stands at 145 pounds — I have no doubt in my mind, the one we lost on November 13, 2012 was a much larger fish.
Get a small taste of fishing the Seychelles with Simms Ambassador, Jako Lucas below:
I wish I could do a better job describing what it’s like to spot a big GT, make the right cast, watch the fish track the fly and crush it right at your feet. It’s ecstasy that gets your adrenaline going like nothing else. It’s a shocking, nervous, respectful, astonishing moment all in one that you just have to experience for yourself to truly understand.
If you see GTs or other tropically located fish in your future, come home with a fish story of your own — not a sunburn. Shop Simms extensive line of sun protective gear here.