Aitutaki - Fly Fishing in Paradise, Part 3

[Tony Buzolich]

As planned, we meet up with our new guides the following morning. Actually we get TWO new guides on the boat at the same time. Rua and Tia Davey are twin brothers to their better known older brother Itu. This is great. Younger eyes that know the water their whole life and have eyes like eagles as their shirts say. Not crowded either as they have a bigger boat with a deeper draft. These guys are real pros and have their act together like clock work. One would pole and call out the distance and numbers while the other would hold the GT rod at ready should we spot one. Whoever was on the bow looking for bonefish always had a second set of eyes right with him to help place the cast.

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Jim hooks again with another nice bone and we trade off spots every thirty minutes taking turns. I'm up next and we move toward a sandy flat in deeper water when Rua yells out “GT”. Tia hands me my big rod as I pass my 9 wt. to him. Rua again calls out, “cast 9:00 o'clock, 20 meters” and I see the group of GT's coming across the sand bottom approaching the boat. I make my cast and the smaller lead fish charges ahead of the others and grabs the fly. Set, set set!, I've got a solid hook up and off we go. One hundred, then two hundred yards and still going. I hold the rod high to clear the line above the coral as Rua starts the engine. We move the boat slowly ahead allowing me to regain backing and line. Another short run and my fish begins to slow. I have to pump to gain line and slowly get my trophy coming to the boat. One of guides grabs the fish at the base of the tail and brings it aboard. Yahoo and high fives all around as I land my biggest GT to date. A few quick pictures and back in the water he goes swimming off like nothing ever happened. My new 12 wt. BVK rod just got Christened. 6/0 hook and 100 lb. test leader was not too much for this kind of fishing.

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With my arms still quivering from the fight I tell Jim he can have the bow for the rest of the day :) NOT! What a thrill.

We do move on looking for more bonefish but anything else the rest of the day would seem anti-climatic after this.

Our last day starts with dark clouds and blowing wind and I suspect our new guide will call the trip. Fortunately he shows up and says the wind will die down once the sun comes up,,,,,,, and it does. We hit some new flats and areas that we hadn't touched before, and Jim gets another nice bonefish. After lunch again at One Foot Island, and after playing with those giant pet GT's, Tia asks if we'd like to go after some bluefin trevally? “ You bet we would!” I say. And off we go again this time heading toward the outer reef. Still inside the barrier the water is a bit deeper and Tia says to strip off some line as he slow trolls through the coral heads. We immediately get slammed on Jim's popper, then we get a double, then a peacock grouper (roi) grabs my fly, then another bluefin. Geez, it was like non-stop action on our last afternoon there.

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Like all good things it must end and we have to get back to the lodge and catch the last flight of the day back to Rarotonga before heading home.

This was a tough fishing trip. Catching bones here is not easy, but if you're after a trophy bonefish this would be the first place I'd consider going. Besides the bonefish, trevally's are a missing resource that needs to be promoted more here as well.
Tony Buzolich
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[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Thanks Tony

Your posts are always first class and your photos are always excellent.



My friend Ron Rabun, who has been 16 times to Aitutaki, said that this destination in the Cook Islands was not a good place for salt water beginners.

When I heard you were going I knew you would probably do well.


I would say that Christmas Island is the best place for anyone's first salt water destination.

.

[FISHEYE]

What can I say but NICE! Sounds like a great trip.

[DLJeff]

Excellent report, Tony. You and Jim had a great trip. If either of you have been to Christmas Island, I'd be interested in a comparison. Not just the fishing either, but the lodges, guides, available water and types of fishing, food, cost,...

Also, did either of you do any snorkeling or diving?
Thanks for taking on us your trip.
Doug

[Baja Fly Fisher]

Good story Tony, but I enjoyed talking to you on the phone about the trip. I just booked CI for the third and forth week of October 2017. The following year will be a trip to Aitutaki.

J

[mems]

Aloha Tony, glad you got a GT, funny how the little ones are always the first out of the pack. I talked to Mel Jones about fishing aitutaki and he really likes the place. Would you say it is a trophy bonefishery more than a numbers game like CI? I think big bones like deeper water. There must be some areas where the smaller juvenile bones are in abundance. Big bones are strong and finicky, so it is doubly tough to get them. If there are lots of sharks there then they will predate the smaller fish. From what I heard it is better to fish deeper water from a boat to have a shot at them, but their behavior is pretty unpredictable there one day and not the next. Glad you got fish, but it does sound like a lot of work. Thanks for the report, Don.

[Mr T]

Wow- So much to see and do there. Very much a place I'd like to visit once I get near retirement- i hope it's still unspoiled by then!

[Carl Blackledge]

Tony,

Outstanding report and even better pictures. It's very exciting to go on these long distant trips. I just booked Guatemala for the end of January.

Carl Blackledge