The Way To Waimea

Recently Tara and I took advantage of a long weekend to spend a few nights on the Big Island of Hawaii.  We stayed at one of the many mega resorts along the Kohala coast,  the north-west facing shore of the island.  We perused our guidebook each morning over breakfast and picked a new area to explore that day.

Much of the Kohala coast is steep, rocky shoreline which looks good for papio fishing.  Back in May I broke my 'ulua rod' but before the trip I picked up a replacement from my friend Kirk.  I was able to carry my new 10' two-piece rod onto the plane and spent a few hours each day whipping for papio.

Summertime often brings calm conditions to the North facing shores of Hawaii and this weekend was no exception.  The ocean was flat and the water was crystal clear.  So clear that I could see fish streak out of the depths to attack my lure.  This unusually visual aspect to papio fishing was thrilling but after watching several fish, including two big barracudas give chase and fail to bite I started to wonder if the conditions were so clear that the fish were able to recognize my lure as a fraud just in time not to get hooked.

I did fool a few fish, landing one papio each day.  In retrospect these fish also supported my theory that the clear conditions were putting the fish off.  The first fish I caught in the late afternoon when the light was changing and visibility was poor.  The second fish hit along the shallow edge of a submerged reef where there was much more surface disturbance than the surrounding deeper water.  The last fish I caught on a south-west facing area where the southerly surf was just big enough to ruin the otherwise great visibility.

A Shark Named Iselle

I went fishing on the heels of Hurricanes Iselle and Julio, two storms which didn't seem to affect our neighbourhood even slightly.  The water was murky with run-off from rain in the mountains and there was quite a bit of debris washed up on the sand.  I spent about an hour casting for bonefish along the flat without a bite, or even seeing any signs of fish.  Strolling through the shallows back to shore I caught movement out of the corner of my eye and spotted a black-tipped shark fin in the water.  I have spent some quality time with blacktip reef sharks, enough to say with confidence that this was a big fish!  The gap between fin and tail definitely put it in the 6 foot plus range.  The shark was cruising very slowly away from shore, no more than 40 feet from me.  Now, I should probably have gone for my camera but instead I did what any self-respecting flats fisherman would do.  I made a cast!  I dropped my 3/16 ounce shrimp jig about six feet in front of the shark and gave it a couple of quick jerks but the shark showed absolutely no response and continued placidly into deeper water until it's fin finally disappeared under the surface.

Two days later I got up at dawn and went out to the same area.  After about 15 minutes I found a dozen tails in thigh deep water and hooked a nice bonefish.  It made three long runs and I got it within about 15 feet of me before it came unhooked and swam to freedom.  I fished for another hour or so until the sun was away from the horizon and called it a day.  Just as I turned around I glimpsed, not more than 200 feet from me, a black tipped fin followed by a black tipped tail slip under the surface.  I waited for a few minutes but the shark had gone.  Though I didn't get a good look, it may have been the same one I spotted two days earlier ... is Iselle here to stay?

Snail Hunting

Towards the end of our trip to Vietnam, Tara and I visited a "homestay" in the Mekong Delta.  When I expressed an interest in fishing, our hostess was happy to oblige.  After seeing only a couple of fishing poles in the entire country I knew that sportfishing was a luxury so I wasn't sure what form our "fishing" would take.  I did not expect what happened next...

Tenkara Plus

Tara and I took a trip to Oregon in the end of June, our first visit since moving back to Honolulu three years ago.  It was wonderful to visit with all of my brothers, to catch up with some dear friends and to reconnect with some old friends too.
Of course I brought along my tenkara rod and managed to fit in some quality trout fishing too.  After returning home I put together a short article which Daniel Galhardo, the founder of Tenkara USA, was generous enough to post on the Tenkara USA website.  You can read the article here.

Interlude

On the way to Vietnam we had a six hour layover in Japan's Narita Airport.  While Tokyo is about an hour away by train, Narita town is only one stop away.  Though small, Narita boasts a surprisingly large temple and garden complex which is free to visit and within walking distance of the train station.  Before taking a stroll through the gardens, Tara and I stopped for a lunch of grilled freshwater eel, a summertime favorite in Japan.  While perusing the menu I was very interested to see koi arashi, a carp sashimi dish.  I had heard of carp sashimi but never tried it.  In fact, I have only eaten carp once before, and never raw.
The thinly sliced fish came with a few crisp vegetables, served on top of ice to keep it cool in the summer heat.  Alongside was a tangy ginger and sesame dipping sauce.  The meat was firm with a mild flavor and overall quite delicious.  I asked the old man who prepared the fish if it had been caught nearby but he did not think so, "from the mountains" he replied.  Wherever it was from, I certainly enjoyed it.

The Kracken

Tara and I just got home from a trip to Vietnam.  It was my first proper vacation since visiting Korea last year.  We landed in Hanoi and drove north to beautiful Ha Long Bay for a two night cruise aboard the Paradise Luxury 4.

After dinner activities involved (more) drinking, a movie screening, sleep, or ... squid fishing!!!  I don't know why no one else found the last option irresistible but among the dozen or so passengers Tara and I were the only takers.  After dark the crew plugged in a large spotlight on the aft deck.  The bright light presumably attracted zooplankton which in turn attracted numerous small fish, including some very active flying fish.

The small fish attracted pods of elusive squid that would periodically dart through the glow of the light and then disappear again in the darkness.  There were several handpoles available, each with a bright-colored, weighted jig about two inches long.  Instead of hooks, the jigs had a dozen bent wire prongs on the bottom.  We stood on the deck and rhythmically jigged the lures up and down.  The squid hit just like fish but when removed from the water they sprayed ink everywhere.  The trick was to keep them at rods length while they expended the black goo without letting them wiggle free and escape back into the depths.

The unlucky cephalapods that were brought to hand were placed in a bucket with the rest of the nights catch (while all the guests were occupied with dinner it appeared that the crew had taken the opportunity to relax and catch some squid themselves).  I was disappointed that fresh squid did not appear on our menu the next day but I am certain that the crew must have enjoyed them thoroughly.

A squid boat at anchor. Note the row of large light bulbs hanging over the cabin. The bulbs are lit at night to attract squid.

Justified

I finally made it back onto the water with Chris.  This time we were better prepared and both the weather and the fish were cooperative.  Together, we scouted a couple of new reefs and rocks, including "monster rock" where I hooked up to a big fish that peeled line off my reel for a few thrilling seconds before I lost it (and all of my tackle with it).

Unfortunately, that lost fish was not the only casualty of the day.  Upon returning to dry land I noticed that my rod had a six inch crack where the two pieces join together.  For the $20 or $30 I paid, it has been, dollar for fish, one of the best rods I've ever owned.  I don't usually believe in spending top dollar for fishing equipment, but I do firmly believe that when I break or ruin something through proper use then an upgrade is justified.  I guess it's time to do some shopping...

The Secret of Chan's Reef

I have been fishing with my friend Kirk for more than a decade.  During that time we have fished all over Oahu; on sandbars, reefs, flats, docks, streams, lakes, bays and islands.  We have caught everything from tiny native gobies to hammerhead sharks.  Just before New Year's I had a chance to join Kirk for an afternoon of papio fishing.

Papio are an ultra-popular game fish in Hawaii but Kirk has his own method for catching them.  It is hard fishing but the rewards are commensurate.  The scenery is spectacular and the experience of fighting a strong apex-predator fish over a jagged and pitted reef in the pounding surf is a truly unique thrill.

Kirk picked up the first fish and narrowly missed a second, much bigger one.  I caught the next two fish, with each successive fish a bit larger than the last.  The second fish was so strong I had a moment of panic as I felt the plastic reel-seat on my rod bend nearly to the breaking point. 

Eating sashimi on New Year's day is something of a tradition in Hawaii so we kept most of the fish to share with friends and family.
I don't keep fish very often so I had dust off the sushi knives and try to remember how to cut fish. You can see the results of my effort below...