After waiting in Malta for strong winds to subside, we got our weather window to head out and decide to make for Sardinia before the wind started again. This meant having to forego our intended trip to the Egadi Islands and Pantelleria but we were worried about getting trapped there too.

It was always going to be an experience for my brother David, who is with us at the moment, as the 300 mile journey meant 2 nights at sea but he was up for it and off we went.

David is a keen pleasure fisherman and has never sea fished before. He went through all of our kit and put together a dummy lure and lure to see how he got on. On the morning of day 2, just as he and I started our 6am watch, he put out the lures and, within 20 minutes, the reel started paying out and we had something on the end of it!

Action plan - we were motoring at the time so we slowed the boat down to 3.8kts, then got out bucket, gaff (thank goodness we bought one last year!), gloves, bin bag, alcohol (to kill the fish, not to drink). After an hour, he was able to get the fish to the back of the boat and I gaffed it and put the alcohol into its gills. Chris then gutted and filleted it and we now have about 8kg of beautiful albacore tuna in the fridge.

Upon arrival in Villasimius Bay, SE Sardinia, we had the freshest and most delicious tuna fillets that you could wish for.

After 8 years of fishing in the Med, we have finally caught something to be proud of (well, David did!) and are full members of the Tuna Club.