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 →

Bahamas Bonefishing (Part 3 of 3)

Boxing Day, the day after Christmas, was our last real fishing day in The Bahamas. (The following day we went scuba diving instead!) So far we had been very successful in finding at least some fish in every place we looked, so I was very excited to go explore the Inner White Sound of Green … Continue reading Bahamas Bonefishing (Part 3 of 3) →

Two New Friends

Shoreline Fishing in The Caribbean Most of the fishing opportunities around our Peace Corps post are from shore and best suited to spin-fishing with lures. Some of the fishing has been productive, some not so much. I am still learning what to expect when I go fishing, and trying to develop a method that maximizes … Continue reading Two New Friends →

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 →

Sudden Estuary

Majestic mountains of French Polynesia "Middle-aged" volcanic islands in the tropics are often capped by dramatic mountains. (Younger mountains are taller and smoother, like Maunakea on the Island of Hawaii; older islands have sunk, leaving low, flat islands like Kiritimati.) Although they are not actually that tall, for example Mount Kaala, the tallest point on … Continue reading Sudden Estuary →

Navigating a Crowd

I like getting away from the crowd when I fish, but it's not always possible. Crowded spots are often crowded for a reason. If there are a lot of people fishing somewhere it's often because the fishing is good there! The flip side of this coin is that the fish in these areas can get … Continue reading Navigating a Crowd →

Superfly Variation

This past season, Makani Christensen over at Fly Fishing Hawaii / Keawe Adventures has been developing his "Superfly" pattern. It has proven effective on the Winter and Spring bonefish, which can be frustratingly selective in what they will and won't eat on any given day. Personally, my go-to fly when the bonefish are being picky … Continue reading Superfly Variation →

Adventures in Bonefishing

Last year I wrote about my first bonefish of 2022. The story was published in the March issue of Hawaii Fishing News. For those that missed it, I have now made the article available on my blog: I have been fortunate to spend the past several years fishing with some of Hawaii’s bonefish royalty, including … Continue reading Adventures in Bonefishing →

First Fish of the New (Lunar) Year

A small weke pueo The first fish I landed in 2023 was a goatfish, a weke pueo (here is another, better photo of one). The common name for the species is "nightmare weke," so I didn't necessarily feel super good about that as a starting point for the year. I did land a couple of … Continue reading First Fish of the New (Lunar) Year →

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 →