Tony Buzolich
11-03-2016, 09:15 AM
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/aitutaki%20cover%20pic_zpsf6r5hzfj.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/buzolich/media/aitutaki%20cover%20pic_zpsf6r5hzfj.jpg.html)
Several years ago I read an article in Saltwater Fly Fishing magazine about a remote atoll in the South pacific called Aitutaki and the large bonefish that lived there. Its been in the back of my mind tugging at me ever since. Finally after a lot of research I planned my first trip there for the last week of October 2016.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/025a_zpskeorgdk3.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/buzolich/media/025a_zpskeorgdk3.jpg.html)
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/066a_zps8buptvre.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/buzolich/media/066a_zps8buptvre.jpg.html)
Aitutaki is located in the Cook Islands north of Rarotonga and New Zealand. Fortunately Air New Zealand was having a special on a direct flight from Los Angeles to Rarotonga. We would then take a small plane north to the Aitutaki.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/south%20pacific%20map_zpsjgcv0frl.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/buzolich/media/south%20pacific%20map_zpsjgcv0frl.jpg.html)
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/010a_zpsywlvimln.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/buzolich/media/010a_zpsywlvimln.jpg.html)
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/011a_zpsrzmxvlet.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/buzolich/media/011a_zpsrzmxvlet.jpg.html)
My fishing partner for this trip was Jim Cramer whom I'd never met except on Dan Blanton's bulletin board. We met up in Los Angeles and got acquainted quickly with stories of previous fishing trips elsewhere.
We arrived at Aitutaki airport in the afternoon and were prompty greeted with leis and hugs by Frieda our Polynesian driver who took us to the Boat Shed Villas where we met Allan Mills. Allan is the owner of the Boat Shed restaurant and villas, and did all the booking for us for fishing.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/005a_zpshwexlrmb.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/buzolich/media/005a_zpshwexlrmb.jpg.html)
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/006a_zpszlh6fr2i.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/buzolich/media/006a_zpszlh6fr2i.jpg.html)
The following morning we walk to an adjoining lodge where we have breakfast and meet up with our guide for the week, Butch Leone. Butch is an ex-pate from Newport Beach and has been living and guiding on Aitutaki for the last fifteen years. We gather our lunches and head out to our first flat looking for some of these giant bones we'd heard so much about., a short ride barely a hundred yards from where we had breakfast. Butch assured us there were fish here all the time.
We anchor the boat and start wading along a drop off crisscrossing back and forth spotting fish as we go. Finally Jim gets a good shot at one and the fish takes his fly. Yahoo, game on, and we'd only been in the water maybe an hour. Jim gets his first Aitutaki bonefish of around ten pounds. A real trophy fish taken anywhere in the world.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/016a_zpsymua4k2j.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/buzolich/media/016a_zpsymua4k2j.jpg.html)
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/014a_zpsdqnsd8jz.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/buzolich/media/014a_zpsdqnsd8jz.jpg.html)
Now go to Part 2, below
Several years ago I read an article in Saltwater Fly Fishing magazine about a remote atoll in the South pacific called Aitutaki and the large bonefish that lived there. Its been in the back of my mind tugging at me ever since. Finally after a lot of research I planned my first trip there for the last week of October 2016.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/025a_zpskeorgdk3.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/buzolich/media/025a_zpskeorgdk3.jpg.html)
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/066a_zps8buptvre.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/buzolich/media/066a_zps8buptvre.jpg.html)
Aitutaki is located in the Cook Islands north of Rarotonga and New Zealand. Fortunately Air New Zealand was having a special on a direct flight from Los Angeles to Rarotonga. We would then take a small plane north to the Aitutaki.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/south%20pacific%20map_zpsjgcv0frl.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/buzolich/media/south%20pacific%20map_zpsjgcv0frl.jpg.html)
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/010a_zpsywlvimln.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/buzolich/media/010a_zpsywlvimln.jpg.html)
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/011a_zpsrzmxvlet.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/buzolich/media/011a_zpsrzmxvlet.jpg.html)
My fishing partner for this trip was Jim Cramer whom I'd never met except on Dan Blanton's bulletin board. We met up in Los Angeles and got acquainted quickly with stories of previous fishing trips elsewhere.
We arrived at Aitutaki airport in the afternoon and were prompty greeted with leis and hugs by Frieda our Polynesian driver who took us to the Boat Shed Villas where we met Allan Mills. Allan is the owner of the Boat Shed restaurant and villas, and did all the booking for us for fishing.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/005a_zpshwexlrmb.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/buzolich/media/005a_zpshwexlrmb.jpg.html)
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/006a_zpszlh6fr2i.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/buzolich/media/006a_zpszlh6fr2i.jpg.html)
The following morning we walk to an adjoining lodge where we have breakfast and meet up with our guide for the week, Butch Leone. Butch is an ex-pate from Newport Beach and has been living and guiding on Aitutaki for the last fifteen years. We gather our lunches and head out to our first flat looking for some of these giant bones we'd heard so much about., a short ride barely a hundred yards from where we had breakfast. Butch assured us there were fish here all the time.
We anchor the boat and start wading along a drop off crisscrossing back and forth spotting fish as we go. Finally Jim gets a good shot at one and the fish takes his fly. Yahoo, game on, and we'd only been in the water maybe an hour. Jim gets his first Aitutaki bonefish of around ten pounds. A real trophy fish taken anywhere in the world.
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/016a_zpsymua4k2j.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/buzolich/media/016a_zpsymua4k2j.jpg.html)
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/buzolich/014a_zpsdqnsd8jz.jpg (http://s22.photobucket.com/user/buzolich/media/014a_zpsdqnsd8jz.jpg.html)
Now go to Part 2, below