Posted on May 07 2015
Hawaiian Challenge
I had been anticipating this trip to Hawaii for years, but
with one good push, the boat drifted away from the dock in Oahu and we were off
to the flats. Only two weeks before I had been in the Bahamas chasing bonefish,
but the differences in scenery and fish were polarizing. The panorama of
desert like flats I experience in the Caribbean were exchanged with jagged
green mountains that seemingly emerged from the turquoise water beneath. The
peaks of these towering landmasses were enrobed in a misty haze that evoked a
humbling, small feeling.
As the day’s first rays of sunshine begun to
illuminate the flats, I widened may gaze and began scanning for signs of
movement. My optimism and confidence were teeming thanks to a very
fruitful trip to Abaco and I fully expected to see a few of the handsomely plus
sized Hawaiian bonefish I had heard so much about. Moments into our first
drift, my guide, pointed the push pole over my right shoulder and said “ Ok
Drew, coming at you at one O’clock and sixty feet. Having been witnessed
to thousands of bohemian bonefish, I began to scour the area for the
familiar shape or shadow of the typical three to four pounder…what was
lurking under the surface was something very different.
After recovering
from the mild cardiac incident, I wiped the vacant stare from my face, and came
to the sobering realization that I must have passed through a portal to another
dimension somewhere over the pacific. The bonefish torpedoing the boat was
north of ten pounds and it’s head looked like an electric blue Nerf football
with olive stripes. My cast was right where I wanted it, but he sneered
at my fly and rejected it. After another dozen or so refusals, it was
obvious to me that not all bonefish are created equally.It took about an hour of recalibrating, and some much needed
insight from Hawaiian Bonefish Jedi, Mike Hennessey before I started to get
dialed in. The combination of a longer, lighter leader and
extending my lead on the fish to 15 ft. was the game changer.
I finally
got one of the double-digit fish to ambush my fly, but was stupefied when
I came tight and my leader exploded! The heavyweight’s raw power left no
room for a prolonged strip-strike or hook set. Over the next few hours I continued to sponge pointers and
fine-tune my presentation, and both Mike and I let out a thunderous eureka when
I finally closed the deal on my first Hawaiian bone. Hennessy wasn’t kidding when he described these fish as
“varsity”, and if you want to lock horns with these oceanic bruisers, you are
going to need some serious intel. In an effort to stack the odds in your favor,
here are a few pearls of wisdom I came home with that will hopefully help you
stick a couple.
Flies: Your bugs should be moderately weighted with small black
brass dumbbells or medium black bead-chains. Tan or olive crab or mantis shrimp
patterns, tied very sparse on black Gamakatsu L11S-3h size 6 & 8’s, seem to
be the most productive. The fly needs to get down quick, so the fish does
not see it sinking, however it cannot impact the water with a
“splat”. Like always, it’s a good idea to carry the same fly weighted
with a few different size eyes.
Presentation: From the boat you may have to make some 70-foot to 80-foot
casts, but if you are wading, it’s a much different story. First and foremost,
don’t ever take a shot at a fish going away. These fish are way too smart for
that, and it’s better to stalk them for 20 min if need be to reposition for a
better shot. The longest cast you are going to make to these fish is 40 ft. so
you will need to be strategic about your position. The casual la-tee-da approach does not work here, and no
movement is above suspicion. You will need to walk very slowly with a
heightened level of awareness so not to push a wake. Be aware of your
shadow and mud trail or “Oark Trail” as Hennessy calls it. If any of these
three; wake, shadow, or cloudy water come in contact with a tailer you are
busted!
As soon as you see a tail or fish, quietly get in to position
to where the fish seems to be headed and crouch down. Try to keep your
arms low and close to your body when you are making your cast. Your fly
will need to land at least 15ft. in front of the fish in his path… and when I
say a soft presentation, I mean like a mothers touch! You will only get
one or two strips when the fish is approximately 1 to 2 feet a way. Once the
fish rushes the fly, DON’T MOVE IT! When he waggles his tail and tips up, strip
strike immediately. You will not feel the take. These behemoth fish suck
in and blowout the fly very quickly, and will not hold the fly in there mouth
or crushers for long like a Bahamian fish, so your timing will have to be precise
to hook up.
The Strip: Look down at the tiny holes 3 to 4 inches apart in the mud.
The distance between the holes are a good gauge at how long your strips should
be. A shrimp trying to take cover will only be moving from one hole to the
next. A crab will try to bury itself, and will not move more than once
or twice, so your fly needs to emulate these abrupt movements.
The Hook Set: Once you come tight on one of these jumbos, it is very
important that you do not hesitate slipping line through your fingers, and
certainly don’t pinch the line against the cork. A Hawaiian bonefish is
accustomed to fleeing form apex predators like sharks and giant trevally so
their acceleration speed is off the charts. Even a slight pause and you
will be rebuilding your leader. Let him run, and get him on the reel as quickly
as possible.
The Release: The most important part of this dance is making sure these
Polynesian treasures swim away unscathed. Removing the hook without handling
the fish is best, but if that is not possible or you are going to take photos,
you need to handle the fish with reverence. Wet your hands and try your best to
keep them in the water, gills covered.
It’s inevitable that you will blow a few of opportunities (if
not dozens like I did), but don’t consider them failures. These fish are
very different than the bumper sticker bones you have caught in the past.
Getting the hang of the timing and techniques needed to hoodwink one of these
Hawaiian hogs will take a fair amount patience, practice and persistence, but
trust me, the pearl is worth the dive!
original content Drew Chicone
photo Mike Hennessey