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.

[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

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

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!


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.... Landing a fish like that on a 5 weight must've really been a rush.

[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/Sport...stinationID=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

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