Fishing with Noe Again

Marlon was still on his trip to Molokai on July 4th, so I brought Noe out to try and catch some oama that we had seen on the previous fishing trip. The oama were not there...

 

 We found a beached sea urchin (hawa'e)

 

And I cast out a kastmaster hoping to hook up with something (besides seaweed). Skunked again - OH WELL - that's why it's called fishing...

Sunday Catching - ALMOST!!!

I decided to get schooled again, I mean go flyfishing this morning. Saw lots of life on the flat - urchins (collector/pincushion, ina/rock borer, vana/ouchie pokie), some triangular rocks (large snails), and BONEFISH!!! I saw about 20 in total, but they were big ones and way smart. I did predict correctly where a pack of three would go, and I got one to take the crab fly - but I couldn't get the hook set... Murphy is riding my back.... BUT THIS WAS NOT THE "ALMOST" Oyster party!!! I did get a couple of fish to hand, but not by the hook. This guy looked like it had a bad date with an ulua (giant trevally) - pretty dazed and confused. I just corralled it and picked it up. I think it is an aweoweo (Hawaiian Big Eye), but it was really pale, not red. This one was just plain dead. Ladyfish (big one too). I also saw a few tangs and a couple of boxfish fighting. There was even a guest appearance from a blacktip. Good day on the water (oh and HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARLON!!!!)

Second Day - First Time Fishing with the Epic 686 (that I built)

I went to Hickam Flats to try casting the Epic 686 I had built up back in Florida. I didn't see any bonefish/o'io - but I did see some schooling finger mullet (or something like that), a lizard fish and I even managed to catch this crab. I also saw the following: A mantis shrimp Several sea cucumbers A few pin cushion sea urchins This guy... I wonder if it is the same one (snowflake eel) I saw a couple of years back... and whole colonies of polyps (checkout the ones that were exposed to the air - this was a pretty low tide). So I didn't catch a single fish - but I did see a lot of what life uses this flat. I did drive out to check another spot - and I did see evidence of a larger predatory fish attacking the schooled up smaller ones (big splashes and lots of jumping fish). You don't have to twist my arm to make me go back.... Oh - and the rod casts wonderfully - this is going to be a workhorse for sure (in lighter wind conditions).