A big thank you to all the anglers that entered and sent in photos. A lot of anglers that weren't successful in landing a tuna still had the opportunity to win a prize, you'll see below... 

We've had plenty of tuna schools in the bay this last month and we've had about 20 fishable days in our competition time. Everyone that got on the water, found fish. It was a little difficult at times due to the tuna feeding on small bait and in the middle of the comp we had a low pressure system come past which gave us a huge ground swell and dirtied up the water for a period, which meant the tuna changed their position regularly. Therefor no one really knew where the fish would be every day and most people had to spend some time finding the schools. This makes for a competetive tuna comp and due to this competition's success, we will be holding it again next year! (We'll have new tags tags next year Bretzy so stop taking photos with your tinned tuna, also, how did you release that tuna?)

We listed all TAGS on a list which gave each entry a number, then used RANDOM.ORG to generate random numbers and the first 5 numbers were the winners of the Tie 'n' Fly Outffiters Tuna Derby 2015! 

Prizes
Up for grabs are the following prizes:
1st Prize - Temple Fork Outfitters Mangrove Fly Rod
- Rob Yunnie

2nd Prize - Greys GX900 8/9/10 Fly Reel
- Brenton Mansfield

3rd Prize - Rio General Purpose Intermediate Line of Choice
- Cliff Booth

4th Prize - Scientific Anglers Streamer Express Clear Line of Choice
- Walter Mastenbroek

5th Prize - TNF Store Voucher $25
- Lou Hatton

Brenton Mansfield wins the prize for the most Tags entered! For this Brenton will be getting a $25 Gift Voucher!

Benn Hardy wins the "Trout Strike Award" by throwing his brand new rod and reel (Custom Scott rod and Harfin fly reel) overboard in preparation for a new outfit... he wins a $10 Gift Voucher to help him on his way to his next setup! 

Shane Bretz, for your "Dogtooth Tuna" picture, the committee ruled it was in fact canine, not piscatorial in nature. Then you protested that "the Tuna was in the tin and the dog threw it too you and you had to catch it..." thereby making it a legal capture. The committee sat down again and ruled that in the spirit of the event, you qualify for a prize... a $10 Gift Voucher!

Thank you to the sponsors of the Tie 'n' Fly Tuna Derby 2015
 
Send in your photos with a short description to flyshop@tienfly.com with the subject "Tie 'n' Fly Tuna Derby 2015"

Our CXI trips will commence in June and we are very excited to be hosting these trips. 
The CXI trips have been our annual bonefish and GT fishing location for the last few years and we've taken quite a few people with us now. 
Now is the time to get yourself sorted for the trip. There are a few must haves and we'll guide you through them.
1. Clothing
You do not need your whole closet. Quick drying Long Sleeve fishing shirts are a must. The Patagonia Sol Patrol shirts are a very good option. Going for a week, you will need around 2-3 good fishing shirts. Maybe add a t-shirt or two to wear at night. 
Some long, quick drying pants are great on the flats. You need to get some that are very light or you may like the zip-off kind. Two pants in one! Both available in the shop.
Boots are an investment you will not regret. The sharp coral and spiny sea creatures can rip up your unprotected feet. For a trip where you do quite a bit of walking, this can mean a very bad trip. The Simms Oceantek Boots, Sneakers and Zipit Booties have been proven very useful on the flats. 
Sunglasses, and backup sunglasses are a great idea. If you don't have any, we currently have Tonic Sunglasses in Eyewear.
Buffs, caps and other sun protection is definitely recommended. 

2. Packs 
It's a big help to have a good waterproof sling or waterproof bum pack. If you don't wade the deep with all your gear often, then a more universal pack may work well. 

3. Lines
You need a floating line for every setup you are taking. We recommend a GT or Tarpon line. Keep a spare close by too.

4. Rod/Spare
You are taking your best rod on the trip; maybe take a spare or a similar rod as a backup. GTs and other reef fish are tough fighters. TFO and Greys have entry level priced rods that pack a punch.

3. Reel/Spare
Same as with the rod, worst place to not have a reel, is when the fish are in front of you and you can't get line stripped off for the cast. We have plenty of Hardy and Greys reels that may suit your budget and style. 

4. Leaders
If you are going to make your own or buy tapered ones, give our store a look. We have plenty of tapered leaders in stock and we are tying up GT leaders on request. 

5. Gloves
Might not seem like the most important fly fishing tool but at times, it sure feels like it. Look after your hands and you can keep fishing for longer. We have some Buff and Simms Gloves for you to try.

Anything else you may have questions about, send us a quick email. We will get you the advice you are after and into the gear you need.

Gav

There is one week left in the Tuna Derby 2015!! Get on the water when you can. We still have bookings available for the last week, so book now on flyshop@tienfly.com or (07) 5444061 if you'd like to get out there!

Dan was on the boat again today and was puffing a celebratory cigar by 8am! He managed a large 14-15kg Longtail Tuna in the early hours of the morning. The boat was surrounded by tuna and baitfish the whole morning (video coming soon). Marné got a few Mactuna on his TFO Axiom 8wt for the morning and lost a large Longtail Tuna to a shark far out from the boat.