Awa on a 5wt

[mems]

Aloha, today I was very lucky to catch and land this 12lb awa, milkfish on a TFO 5wt rod. The fight took over 30 minutes. I had to go under bridge three different times, and wade into the pond a couple of times as I went around trees. I was lucky that an elderly japanese fisherman was there to help me land the fish. I took it to a registered scale, and am going to submit the catch to the IGFA. I hated to kill the fish, but that is what it takes. I was very stoked, it was a real battle. Mems.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a371/mems15/HPIM0136.jpg

[jbird]

Don

That is absolutely incredible!!! That has got to be one of your most rewarding catches of all time. Congrats! And I hope the fish qualifies.

As usual with a milkfish, I'm curious of the fly, and circumstances in which it was hooked. Was the fish swimming with a school? I am very curious about your 'take' on fishing for this elusive species... as I know you've caught a few and they are considered one of the most dificult to catch. Thanks for the report and pic :D :D

Jay

PS I think that is the first 5wt I've ever seen with a fighting butt. I bet you were thankful for that about 20 minutes into the fight :wink:

Hey Don,

What a catch & a big congrats on landing the awa with your 5-wt!

That fish brings back a lot of memories for me. I remember fishing for awa in the Ala Wai canal (in Waikiki) way back before the canal was overrun by the tilapia.

I'm also curious as to what fly pattern you used to seduce the fish - I've seen them feed on the green & brown limu (the fine, silky kind), as well as white bread.

Hana'paa! :D :D


Mark

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Hi Don,

In my 13 trips to Christmas Island over the years I did catch one Milkfish in the mouth on a Bonefish fly. When we first went to Christmas in the mid-'80s there were schools of Milkfish out on the flats. Everyone would cast to them thinking they were Bonefish but finally they told us to look and notice that they were not on the bottom like a Bonefish, but suspended. They laid around in big schools so after a while we could tell the difference.

There was always talk there about how great it would be if someone could figure out how to catch them on a fly as they normally eat algae. I heard the really put up a good fight and even jump?

There are tons of Milkfish on Christmas Island. I believe the locals raise them in ponds.

They fillet them and dry the meat on the skin in strips in the sun. while out fishing one of the guides had some long strips of Milkfish on the skin and was eating it for lunch. He offered a piece to me and I thought I would try it. It was like Mackerel, very fishy.

That is the largest fly caught Milkfish I have seen or heard about.

[Darian]

Aloha Don,.... YOU DA MAN!!!!! What a great lookin' fish. Kinda looks like a Shad on steroids.... 8) 8) 8) Landing a fish like that on a 5 weight must've really been a rush. :D :D :D

[sculpin]

Great post and a fantastic trophy Don.


Mark

Don,

Check the writing on that rod again, because 5 weight rods usually don’t have a fighting butt. I have a big collection of fly rods myself, and get them mixed up sometimes. Either way that was a good fish, considering that they are algae eaters. Congratulations! From what I have read, milkfish are supposed to jump like a tarpon. That must have been an exciting half hour.


Bill,

Here is a good link for fly fishing those algae eating milkfish in Seychelles, 1000 miles off the African coast in the Indian Ocean. It’s a long way to go, but Frontiers Travel handles those hard to find places if someone comes into your shop asking for milkfish:

http://www.frontierstravel.com/SportingDestination.cfm?DestinationID=40

[jbird]

Hey Blacksheep. I agree that MOST 5wts dont have a fighting butt. But being the flyfishing guide and TfO rep that Don is, I'm pretty sure he knows what rod he's throwing :wink: :D :D

J

[mems]

Aloha guys, thanks for the comments. Rod questions, yes that is a 5wt with a fighting butt, and yes I was glad it was on the rod. That is a Jim Teeny model TFO, and all the models, even the 4wt have a fighting butt.
Awa do not take flies, they are next to impossible to catch. I got this one on a pink Rainy's christmas island special. I watch the awa feed and then let the fly sink into the algae they feed on. When one happens by and sucks the fly up, I set the hook and hope the fly sticks, because they have very soft mouths and no teeth. I have lost a number of hooked fish when the fly tears when they jump. I hope one day I can come up with a fly that they will actually go feed on. Until then I just wait for divine intervention and luck.
They do jump, but not like a tarpon. They speed jump like a silver salmon. This one jumped 4 times. It took me to the end of my backing. I had to go under a bridge 3 times. I had to swim around a tree, and luckily there was another fisherman there with a net.
I have now landed three of them. The biggest one was huge, maybe 30lbs. I don't know, cause when I went to grab the tail he took off and broke the leader. I have released the others, and felt really bad taking this one. I gave it to a friend and his aunty is going to make fish cake. So I will see what it tastes like. I heard they are very boney like bonefish. The weirdest thing about the fish I noticed was its eye. It is covered in a membrane like a built in dive mask. Very strange.
I hope the fish qualifies, the all tackle record was 25lbs also from Hilo. I don't know what the deal is if you catch something and there are not fly catagories. I guess I will see.
This was a very strange weekend for me fly fishing. Friday I got a couple of awa-awa or lady fish. I have caught them before in the gulf, but never on a fly. Saturday I get this awa, milkfish. And to top it off today I got a papio kagami or juvenile african pompano while guiding a client in Kona. I have always wanted to catch a kagami, and this one was so beautiful. They have these long lacy tentacles from the tips of their fins. I wish I would have gotten a picture of that guy. It was small maybe one lb, but god it was a beautiful fish. this has been a weekend of firsts for me. Again thanks for the support and comments. Mems.

[jbird]

Don

How does the teeny model compare to the professional series? I've heard theyre a little softer than the Ti's. I have a 10wt professional and it is one of my favorite rods for castability. If the Teeny has an action in between the pro and the TiCr(x), I might consder one for steelhead... Do they come in 10' ?


Thanks

Jay

Jay

[mems]

Hey Jay, the Teeny rods are very nice. The TiCR X is the fastest, then TiCR, then the Teeny. It is a little faster than the Pro series. I think the tip is more sensitive, and is great for nymphing and was designed as a salmon/steelhead rod. I think it has a very nice reel seat and I like the ferrules and the color is also my favorite, british racing green. I have one in the 8wt and this 5wt. I have tried the others, but kept these two models. I think you would enjoy the 10wt. What is so nice about the TFO rods is the consistency you get in each line. Each Teeny rod feels like every other rod, just one line wt heavier or lighter. I have many 8wts and this rod is a nice blend of power and sensitivity. You should give it a try. Good luck, Don.

[mems]

Sorry Jay I miss read your post. The Teeny rods are all 9foot rods. The Pro series does have a number of different 10 foot rods, 5/6/7/8/9 wts all come in 10foot lenghts. I hope this helps. Don.

Don,

I’m trying to get away to O’ahu next month for a long weekend, Nov 9, 10, 11, and 12th. Today, I was in Bill Kiene’s shop shopping for a backup 8 weight for my St Croix 8 weight travel rod. St Croix has replaced it twice, so I’m now on the 3rd rod. Definitely need a backup! After reading about your 5 wt milkfish, I was thinking about the TFO 4 piece Professional Series 8 wt, but we couldn’t find a 30” metal tube for it. My St Croix metal tube is 30-3/16” long and just fits diagonally in my 29” rolling duffle bag. Any ideas?

The wind is usually on my back at Wailupe, so I would like to master casting from side to side out in front of me. Guess it takes a real fast rod to snap the fly line back and forth like that? Can you do it with any of the TFO rods? My St Croix is way to soft.

[jbird]

If a faster rod is what you want, the TFO professional is probably not gonna fit the bill. The TiCrx is a really sweet, fast rod...with tons of muscle. I would like to cast the teeny series...I bet thats a sweet rod.

I had the same problem with factory rod tubes, so i made my own out of schedule 40 PVC. It has a 3000 lb crush rating and you can make it any length you want. I can fit my 4pc. 8wt TiCrx in 2" diameter schedule 40 pvc. and fit it diagonally in my checked bag. I made a rod tube out of 3" PVC for 2 four pc. rods, Much to my amazement, If I laid out 3, four peice rods, with 2 handles on one end and one handle on the other, I could roll all 3 rods up(all protected in their individual sock) and barely fit them into the tube. It took a couple tries of getting the stripping guides turned the right way, but I was able to fit my 8, 10 and 12wt rods into that thing and carry it on for travel.

Jay

[mems]

Aloha, a faster rod would be the TiCR x model. The Teeny is fast but a softer tip. The TiCR is in between both of them. For the trades I would go with the TiCR X. For the money it is a great rod, as are all of the TFO's. I like the Teeny as a Bonefish rod because I am usually focusing on the subtle take as I bounce the fly on the bottom. It has a more sensative feel for that type of fishing, but plenty of punch, and it has backbone for big strong fish, like awa.
I have a teacher conference on the 2nd of november and was thinking about staying at a friends to go chase some oahu bones again. So we will see.
Travel cases. I have a cabela's bag that holds 4 rods in the side. I would also suggest buying the TFO triangular case or the circular case for your rod. Of course if you are taking a bunch, I have a pelican case that holds like 10 rods and is pretty bullet proof. If you are just bringing a couple of rods, then tape them together and try and carry them on. TFO does sell rod cases that are great for travel, ask Bill for details. Check the TFO website, and they will have pictures. I hope this helps, Don.

Awa, awa'aua, kagami...oh my! :lol: :lol:

Hey Don, I was curious as to what size tippet/leader you used to catch the ladyfish - their raspy mouths have nasty way of abrading or sawing through 8 lb or lighter mono once the line crosses their jaw. The ones I've encountered back there were pretty line shy - 4-6 lb mono seemed to be the ticket, though it resulted in many break-offs whenever the fish jumped.

Love your holo'holo reports - keep 'em coming! 8)


mahalo,

Mark

Don,

Thanks for the info, and good luck with your trip to O’ahu. If you plan to fish near Wailupe, then remember that most of the fly fishing is done at Kawaikui Park, and it’s the next park down the road towards Hawaii Kai

http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/coasts/oceansafety/oahu/images/kawaikui.jpg


Here is the URL for an Enlarged more detailed aerial photo of Kawaikui:

http://www.soest.hawaii.edu/coasts/oceansafety/oahu/images_hi/kawaikui.jpg


There is a large tree to the left when looking out from the parking lot at Kawaikui, and most guys wade out towards Hawaii Kai from there to fish the sandy area. I don’t fish that water, because it only takes one fly fisherman to spook the entire area. I have seen as many as 7 guys fly fishing there, plus when the tide comes in it get too deep in some places. Especially, directly in front of the park where everyone ends up because of the tide, trades, and morning sun pushing them all in that direction.

You will notice a nice sand channel that runs all the way into the beach in the left side of the aerial photo. That is on my list for next month.

The flats at Barbers Point and Campbell Industrial Park are supposed to be great bone fishing, but the neighborhood is too rough for me. The homeless from Honolulu now camp in that area, and I have seen large groups of teenagers roaming around. There was a recent write up in the papers about the problem. Sounds like a good place to loose your rental car.

Hickam Flats or Kane’ohe Bay would be great if Honolulu Gator will take you out in his flats boat. Hint-Hint! :wink:

[mems]

Howzit Guys, Mike I normally use 12lb fluro. I got the awa on 10lb. I think I got the ladyfish on 12lb. They do have teeth. The only thing I catch without teeth here are the awa and the yellow spot papio. Everything else will cut you off given enough time.
Black Sheep, that looks like a good spot. I think the guys from nervous waters hit there. I might give Gator a call. I think he wants to go big time with his boat and all. There has been some talk of another fly shop opening up and that would be great for the sport on oahu. I know th bones are big over there, but I really like the Big Island, I see way more fish over here. When I go there I try and target the bones, but usually get bored and then try to catch what ever is around. I like being mor opportunistic in my fishing. Thanks again for the pictures. The car breakins there are bad. I caught a guy in the act at makapuu when I was surfing and the cops let him go. It was unbelievable. Mems.