With calm winds and gentle southerly surf, my friend Makani has been doing a lot of bottom-fishing lately. I have joined him a couple of times and we have caught plenty of fish: snapper, goatfish, triggerfish, Hawaiian bigeye, queenfish, and, on our last outing, some large needlefish. . The "needlefish" usually served in sushi restaurants … Continue reading Needlefish Sashimi
Author: Adam
Adam has a master’s degree in mathematics, a black belt in aikido, and has worked enough jobs to fill a book—sushi chef, Peace Corps volunteer, and police detective among them. His writing and photos have shown up in The Drake, Tenkara USA, Hawaii Fishing News, and Sporting Classics Magazine. In 2023 he traded a badge in Honolulu for a skiff on the Columbia, where he now spends his days chasing carp with a fly rod and pretending it’s a retirement plan.
Trevally Fishing in Tahiti
Our trip to French Polynesia this Summer was especially interesting because I had a chance to explore the differences between one tropical Pacific island chain and another. In doing my pre-trip research, I realized that the Leeward Islands of French Polynesia had extensive barrier reefs and relatively small tidal fluctuations. This got me very excited … Continue reading Trevally Fishing in Tahiti
Sea Monsters
In my last post I mentioned bottom-fishing. Day or night, it is one of the easiest and most productive styles of fishing from a boat. Just rig your line with a weight and a baited hook, drop it to the bottom, and wait for something to bite. a night-biting snapper . In Tahiti, we would … Continue reading Sea Monsters
Fishing from a Sailboat
We spent two weeks in May sailing through the Leeward Islands of French Polynesia. Our shipmates were two good friends, who actually know how to sail! Together we chartered a bare boat (meaning without crew), the 43 foot Utrillo. This is our second sailing adventure. Two years ago we joined the same friends for an … Continue reading Fishing from a Sailboat
Another May
Looking back I realized that I started this blog eleven years ago this month. . During that time, many of my favorite blogs have disappeared. Their authors have gotten busy or moved on to more current social media platforms, but about once a month I still sit down and post something. I don't use "hashtags" … Continue reading Another May
Fish Art
This is a birthday card I received from my family last Fall. The painting was done by my father, Terry McIlrath. He has been a professional artist since before I was born, and has been drawing, painting and sculpting fish images for just as long. Fish and art have long been parallel themes in my … Continue reading Fish Art
Winter Fishing Blues
I used to get a bad case of the Winter fishing blues every year. I could usually make it to February without going too crazy but eventually I'd bundle up and go looking for something to catch, which was usually nothing at all. For many fishers (especially the carp on the fly variety) Winter is … Continue reading Winter Fishing Blues
Sunset Smallmouth
What do you do after a long day of fly fishing for carp on the Columbia, after dinner has been eaten and the dishes have been washed? Go fishing for smallmouth bass! sunset smallie carp fishing at dusk Here in the tropics, the seasonal shift in daylight hours is pretty minimal, from about 12 hours … Continue reading Sunset Smallmouth
Flats Fishing by Boat
Flats fishing on foot and flats fishing from a boat are fairly different experiences. Like most things, each comes with it's own advantages and disadvantages. I have spent quite a bit of time fishing solo from an inflatable boat or SUP board, but this was the first year I have spent any meaningful time fishing … Continue reading Flats Fishing by Boat
Oregon 2018 Part 3: How to Catch a Sturgeon on the Fly
The demise of our inflatable boat changed my fishing strategy. I had planned on using the boat to fish for carp on a number of backwaters and lakes connected to the Columbia River. Instead, I had to focus on places with shoreline access. Despite this turn of events, the fishing only got better and the fish … Continue reading Oregon 2018 Part 3: How to Catch a Sturgeon on the Fly
The Fishing Dojo 