To the British gentleman who dropped off a fishing kite at Capt. Harry’s Fishing Supply in Miami, Florida: If you’re reading this, please contact me!
I’ll explain this cryptic plea in just a bit. But first, let’s briefly cover some kite fishing background. These airborne angling tools have roots dating back to the early Polynesians. Experimentation in the United States goes way back to the turn of the 1900s in Southern California and the birth of big-game fishing off Santa Catalina Island. This was well before kites became a mainstay for live baiting for sailfish off South Florida. Credit there goes to Tommy Gifford and Bob Lewis.
In its most basic concept, a fishing kite presents a live bait in a totally different fashion, with the bait’s dorsal flitting about the ocean’s surface while telegraphing distress vibrations throughout the water. Hook and leader remain at and above the surface, respectively, and out of sight for fish. Fishing kites also enable the orchestration of an impressive number of live baits.
Balloon/Kite Combo
Today, fishing kites continue to evolve, with different fabrics and design tweaks aimed at enhancing performance in nearly all wind conditions—or lack thereof. Techniques for attaching helium balloons to kites assist with the latter. Fine-tuning and deploying multiple kites require the precise placements of split shot weights to steer them in desired directions. One kite dangling three or four live baits can be weighted to steer off to port, whereas a second kite with three or four baits can be weighted to fly off to starboard. With one kite spread positioned behind the initial spread, an army of live baits can be staggered over a large area of water.
Alright, now let’s talk about the cryptic note. According to Harry Vernon, well-known owner of Capt. Harry’s Fishing Supply, a British gentleman with a high-level position within the UK’s Royal Navy stopped by the store en route to boarding a cruise ship leaving from the Port of Miami for a vacation. “He explained a bit about his background, but not too much, understandably, and how he designed a fishing kite like no other,” says Vernon. “He asked me to try it and let other kite-fishing pros use it.
“He’s planning on marketing them and wanted feedback,” Vernon adds. “Ironically, that was the last I’ve heard from him. He left no contact information, just said he’ll check back upon his return from vacation. That must be one hell of a long cruise he’s on because this was three months ago! He’s still AWOL!”
I had the privilege of testing the new type of fishing kite that was dropped off at Capt. Harry’s. And, yes, I made up a name for it—the British Extraterrestrial Kite (BEK for short).
Test Flight
Vernon, Rob “The Swede” Greene, Jim Hanrahan and I set out to put the BEK to a test. Dark and early one morning aboard my boat, MARC VI, Vernon unfurled what appeared like an elongated, triangle-shaped shroud. This shroud would, in turn, cradle a special helium balloon capable of remaining inflated for several weeks. It’s basically reusable and designed to store fully inflated within boat consoles and cabins.
Vernon and Green filled the balloon with helium and affixed the kite to it. According to Vernon, there are three sizes of these balloons/kites, of which we had the smallest. This one fit easily in MARC VI’s center console during our runs to and from the fishing grounds. “That’s supposedly one of its biggest advantages,” Vernon explains, “the balloon remains inflated and can be used over and over again.”
Easy to Fly
With a breeze between 10 and 15 knots, we shut down and deployed goggle-eye baits off flat lines and the kite. “There’s far less stress on this kite than with a traditional one,” claims Vernon during its deployment. “It reels in with hardly any pressure. It’d be perfect for a non-electric kite reel.”
The kite ascended in perfect fashion, free of wobbling. Fully deployed, and holding perfectly still and straight, three live baits were reeled into position underneath it. On this day, the BEK performed remarkably well and was impressively easy to use. We released three sailfish, with two coming off the kite. When winding tight to a sailfish, the kite held steady. Its release clip opened minus the kite sagging or being pulled downward; ditto when clearing other baits to prevent a hooked sail from tangling in the mix.
Eerie Looking
As good as the BEK performed on this particular day, I couldn’t help but notice its eerie resemblance to an extraterrestrial. My thoughts swayed from those proclaimed sightings of “Chinese spy balloons” to a version of ET wearing a tux. It’s common to see kites flying offshore in various colors and sizes and even designs shaped as bats. But I wondered what anglers aboard other boats were thinking of our highly reflective space alien clone.
Capt. Dean Panos also had an opportunity to fish the same kite we field-tested. An accomplished live-baiting pro, Panos’ take was a bit different. “It’s OK with a little wind, but with no wind, the kite had difficulty holding steady when there was a hook up,” Panos says. “The hook up and clearing lines put a lot of pressure on the balloon.”
Panos believes the next size or two up would likely have proven much better in low- to no-wind conditions. However, he really liked the compact size for stowage, as well as the ability to reuse the balloon.
Read Next: How to Rig Flying Fish for Kite Fishing
Sky-High Price
According to Vernon, the kite developer said the small version of the BEK would sell for around $600. “I told him he’s not going to sell many at that price,” Vernon says. “But let’s give him the benefit of the doubt—he is just now testing the three sizes and obviously looking for serious input. If he ever comes back to the shop, we’ll happily give our opinions.”
I see the user-friendliness of the new kite as a “door opener” for those wanting to get into kite fishing. It also presents those very same anglers with the choice of drifting and kite fishing for dolphin, tunas and other pelagics in depths beyond typical sailfish highways. Of course, slow trolling is also an option.
The fact that the balloon only has to be filled once—not to mention its ease of use and storage—make it inviting to those with minimal kite fishing experience. A bonus advantage of the BEK, as I see it, is it can double as Halloween décor flying high above one’s front yard. I just hope a paranoid neighbor doesn’t shoot it down!
In a way, I’m hoping the gentleman doesn’t reconnect and that Vernon gifts me that British Extraterrestrial Kite. I’ll catch a lot of fish with it and turn even more heads.
