The Fall Run

The chinook moved up the Columbia this month. For several weeks every river mouth was packed with boats from dawn to dusk. Launch ramps were crowded with trucks and trailers, and the filleted remains of salmon littered the shoreline. Now, the steelhead have started pushing up the tributaries and anglers are fishing shoulder to shoulder … Continue reading The Fall Run →

Caribbean Mountain Mullet

Spring in our bit of the Eastern Caribbean usually brings stiff sea breezes and an end to the wet season, but not this year. This year it has just kept on raining, and raining, and raining. I have been wanting to try some stream fishing, but heavy rains bring flash floods, and flash floods here … Continue reading Caribbean Mountain Mullet →

Off My Rocker

Self portrait with rainbow runner Several days a week before school my alarm would go off in the dark and I would sleepily descend the dangerously steep hill into the village, make my way along the beach at Corner Bay and then, with the aid of a headlamp, clamber through the jungle to a rocky … Continue reading Off My Rocker →

Everything Eats Crabs

Tara with 3.5 pounds of crab-eating o'io Poor crabs. Everything likes to eat them. I'm pretty sure even crabs eat crabs. If you ever really need to catch a fish in saltwater, try throwing a live crab at it. It's probably the simplest but most effective saltwater fishing technique there is. Just spool up a … Continue reading Everything Eats Crabs →

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner

My motivation for fishing is manifold. I enjoy the physical and mental challenge, the aspect of exploration, and developing a relationship with my natural surroundings: the weather, the winds, the water, and the fish themselves. While I am usually a catch-and-release type of person, once in a while I am also motivated to catch fish … Continue reading Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner →

Feels Like Summer

Big O'io There are some places on the flats where big fish regularly feed, but they are crazy-difficult to catch. When I see these fish I go directly into stealth mode, with lots of crouching low to the water and slow-motion steps. Most of the time, no matter how stealthy I am, the fish turn … Continue reading Feels Like Summer →

Pow Pow!

Ed picked me up early and we marveled at the clear sky and calm conditions on the ride to the boat ramp. The weather was ideal. "Why can't every day be like this" we kept asking each other. The marina parking lot was mostly empty and we rigged up the fly rods and launched the … Continue reading Pow Pow! →

Needlefish Sashimi

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 →

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 →