A report from SteveL
I went out at daybreak on Saturday to fish the falling tide so I headed for the deepest spots. I saw one fish tailing in the shallows so I knew there would be more in the area.
I was casting my newest fly design - using the bag of striped feathers I picked up at the fly fishing expo in New Jersey. This is the same pattern I used last week to catch my four Oio (bonefish) and a bunch of other fish. I first tried the pattern when Jin came to Hawaii last month -- that's the big hit I got that broke off as the fish headed for Blue Hole.
Around 7:30am I hooked up. This one took me into my backing at least five times and after about a ten minute fight I landed the fish. It measured 20-inches at 3.25 pounds then I tagged and released it. And speaking of tagging -- Kimberlee Harding of the Oceanic Institute/ Hawaii Pacific University Oio Tagging Program contacted me and said that someone had recently reported catching one of my tagged fish. It was 24-inches and 6.9 pounds. It didn't grow much as it was the same size five month earlier when I caught it in the same area.
I quit early as the tide bottomed out at zero. There was no water left on the flats as I headed back to attend an afternoon filming. I am an extra in a short film being produced by Brent Anbe. The scene was shot at the Honolulu Internationall Airport and depicted the arrival of a superstar Korean actor named Michael Park and his entourage. I was playing his business manager. We exit customs to a waiting crowd of screaming adoring fans -- mostly middle aged women -- Korean soap opera addicts. This film comedy should be completed in time for a premier showing at this years Hawaii International Film Festival in October. It's been fun. I also was part of the poster shoot last month.
I fished again on Sunday hoping for similar success. This time I took my spey rod (Cabelas 14' 9/10wt). It started off windless and the flats looked like a mirror, but as I got to the point a west wind started to blow. I had to put the wind at my back and ended up on the windward side of the reef pass as it was a rare opportunity to fish it from that side. But there was nothing going in or out. I caught one lizard fish but that's all. My spey casting needs improvement and may be better with the right combo of lines. I was using an Orvis line but I think my Rio spey line with shooting heads would be better. I was getting 80 to 100 foot casts but my goal is to get longer casts.
Sunday and good weather is not a good combination -- by 10am everyone's cousin, brother and uncle was out on the water. There were at least 20 kayakers, 10 divers, 6 paddle boarders, a dozen surfers and a throw net fisherman.
So that was fishing -- another weekend in paradise.
