In 2016, there were thousands of black trevallies, which we call kalho haandhi, all over my island, Fuvahmulah. Every day, fishermen go out to catch black trevally. Black trevally are caught by troll fishing with several hooks on a line.
I normally go to Neregando beach with 40g and 60g lead lures to catch trevallies. It was full of black trevallies one day as I walked along the reef flat to get closer to the reef front to cast my lure. The depth of the water was around three feet. I cast the bait and caught 13 black trevallies that day. But I knew there had to be a better way to catch more of these delicious and tasty fish since they were in plenty.
I went to the home of Ahamadhukalo, my favorite fisherman in Fuvahmulah. I told him there were a lot of black trevallies on the reef flat and in the water around it. I advised him to make two loops on my monofilament fishing line before introducing the lead lure at the end. He put a normal hook, I think a No. 16 or 14 hook, through a special loop knot. With two hooks, he told me to fix the hook with bait cut from the belly of a tuna or any other fish.
I used an unbranded reel with a 40-pound monofilament line. The lead lure I used weighed 60 g. It was a pink jig.
The following day, around 7:30 am, I headed to Neregando Beach. My fishing group consisted of elderly retired fishermen. “Go quickly; there are many fish in the area,” the fanatical men urged me. I set up both my reel and my Banx telescopic rod. I strung the two hooks with little tuna belly bait, creating a total of three lures—two with bait and a lead lure at the end. I dashed for the reef front.
I cast the lure. Three lures were struck as the lead lure dropped in less than ten seconds. Curving the strong banx rod, the three fish produced exceptionally forceful runs, forcing me to walk close to the reef’s edge.
The sea was choppy, with waves slamming. I didn’t give up. And I tried to reel as much as possible. On the beach, my companions were screaming. They cheered, pushing me to keep going and hold on to the line. I never let go of the line as I reeled it in. I maintained the line taut and pulled in the three fish, bringing them close enough for me to lift and carry them.
I walked out onto the beach, took the fish off their hooks, and put them close by. Then I baited the hooks with fresh bait and approached the reef front. I cast the bait again and caught three black trevallies on a single line. In just one hour, 36 black trevallies were caught that day. The fishing stopped when the black trevellies went deeper and there were no more strikes.
I shared the catch with my elderly friends and took some fish home. Black trevally is a really tasty fish. When cooked, it has no odor. It is a very healthy fish.
