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05/12/13

fly fishing hawaii:

fish for those who fish it.

 

the weather has still been a little shifty lately.  there seems to be an awful lot of south (kona) wind these days.  i would say it is strange but with global warming and the changing of earth’s climate and all i’m always a bit hesitant to say anything is strange when it comes to weather.  i always think that maybe whatever we are experiencing is now the new normal.  i’m no meteorologist and maybe the weather is not changing.  i’m just going by my forty four years living here, most of that time on the water.  something is telling me that, especially in the last five years or so, something just ain’t right.  but i have never been one to question that which i do no know all that much about.  rather i tend to just follow the ways of my fellow creatures of this planet and (for better or for worse) just trust my instinct and try to survive.

 

whatever the weather situation is, the fishing has been quite good of late especially for bonefish.  reports of bones (through the coconut wireless) at all locales around the island are good.  they may not all be aggro-biters but if you go out anywhere around the island, chances are good that you will encounter quite a few of them.  i went out this past wednesday and saw over a hundred fish.  doug, who fished a different area than i did, reported the same.  doug seeing over a hundred is no big deal the guy has eyes like an eagle, but when i see over a hundred that is a lot of fish.  you see i’m more of a “casual” looker when i sight fish.  i spent many years blowing my eyes out looking for every fish on a flat when i fished on my own and while guiding.  now, in my “retirement years” of bonefishing, i usually just try to hook whatever i happen to see without putting too much effort into the looking part which has never been that much fun to me.

 

i fished my sage 691-4 tcx, abel classic reel, and 6wt scientific anglers textured line.  no reason for the choice of rod except that i hadn’t used it yet.  though not my first choice when it comes to sight fishing bones, a six weight definitely has its advantages.  it is light and usually (not always) not as stiff as most eight weights these days making it great for close in shots.  the draw back is that it is not good in really heavy reef areas and do not handle big or heavy flies as well as an eight.  the fish on wednesday were a bit tricky for whatever reason.  i missed a few eats... oops my bad, but i got a few as well as a little awa a’ua (ladyfish) that went ballistic when hooked and cart wheeled all around me before finally giving up.  an awesome fish to hook especially on a six weight.  a bit rarer around here than its atlantic cousin (unfortunately), it was a welcome treat for another great day on hawaiian waters.

 

on friday i went out to the lake with craig to play with bamboo rods and devils.  i have been going to the lake one day a week for the last month or so and every time i have gone the water level has been higher than the last time.  not surprisingly the fishing also became increasingly tougher than the previous time as the fish don’t have time to get acclimated to the “new” surroundings before another five feet of water is dumped on them.  on friday, there were some fish around but noticeably less than last week.  sight fishing red devils was just challenging enough to keep me at it the whole time out there.  craig spent some time pounding "good wood" for peacocks and got a couple but it took quite a bit of pounding and we were not able to find an "on" school.  craig is like me and just loves to fish and loves the gear to fish with so he always has a blast.  that day on the lake was the first time craig had fished a bamboo rod and i think there just may be yet another lover of the cane.  he left the lake trying to figure out what he could sell to buy a bamboo rod... i’ll see you on the water.

 

the little lady.

 

and of course some of these guys.

 

 

don't i know you?

 

craig with a klingon devil.  this brute looked like a napoleon wrasse!

 

casual lake day... doesn't get any better.

 

craig pounded some wood with his g loomis nrx 5wt (which also happens to be one of my favorite rods for the lake).  the peacocks that day were hard to come by as peacocks sometimes are, but craig persisted and got these two little eaters to play.

 

as for me, i'm just a man adrift on a dark and stormy lake with only a split cane rod, a red devil, and heaps of good times.

 

clay.


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"Nervous Water Fly Fishers- your guide to fly fishing in Hawaii"