In both videos, we had what is locally known as the "rixa tat-tumbrell ta' b'hafna".
It is a method which has been locally developed in Malta over a long number of years and which is still presently undergoing substantial refinements. It mainly consists of a main line of around 0.70 or 0.80mm, with several branches with a line of between 0.30 and 0.45mm (according to the fish you're targeting & the time of the year), to which a small hook is attached using feather type lures which we make ourselves. Spread through the line, we put in a number of weights. I have 24 branches on my line - which I find just right and enough to handle, but I have met guys who use 30 and even more.
The line is mainly intended for tumbrell and kavalli, however it is also quite common to catch kubrit and plamti with it. At the moment there are biggish lampuki going round and they do attack these lines, but since they are typically in the 4 - 15kg range, they tend to snap the branches. My rarest catch on the line was a denci which attacked the furthest lure when I let the line sink too much.
In the kavalli video we hooked 10 at one go. Sometimes you get a fish on each lure, but this is quite a rare occasion. Last Sunday I was fishing with my wife, and whilst she was holding the line, she got a good strike - 7 good sized tumbrell at one go - she was pulling the line in herself, whilst I was placing the retrieved hooks in the crate which we use to avoid entanglements. The fish were pulling so much that they were pulling the line out from her hands - quite an exciting experience but also dangerous as the cuts which we now have on our hands from the "slipping hooks" can vouch for! Fishing with this method is not easy work as you have to be really careful to avoid entanglements, to avoid hurting yourself, and to prevent the line from snapping when under load. However it is great fun and really effective when fish are around in schools.
If your boat is in the water, we can pick a day and I'll gladly bring all d required stuff along to show you this fishing method. Then if you like it, I can show you how to set-up for this system yourself.
