Well, its official. Somebody up there likes to have a laugh at my expense every winter. Each year Tim Simpson, Editor of BlueWater magazine (www.bluewatermag.com.au) and I take a ’busman’s holiday’ and get together for a week of fishing 4kg line class.
Each year we discuss at length, plan and meticulously prepare tackle, rods, reels and tactics to target the run of big wahoo packs that gather along Kadavu island’s Great Astrolabe barrier reef and each year the powers above select a suitably sized spanner and chuck it in the works.
This year’s spanner was a straight run of 30 knot winds that began the day Tim arrived and eased the day Tim left.
If we didn’t have to wait another year before trying again it would almost be funny.
Fortunately this year we were joined by world renown biologist, photographer, writer and TV show presenter and producer Bill Boyce and his partner in crime Diana Woods. (See some of Bill’s hugely entertaining gamefishing TV shows for free at IGFA Angler’s Digest www.IgfaAnglersDigest.com).
I have to say that having such knowledgeable fishermen together in the same cockpit was more than just instructional, it was down right entertaining as West Coast USA took on East coast Australia and the ensuing realms of fishing stories that drifted up to the bridge could have filled a novel. A very funny novel, all be it with an ’18 - not for sale to minors’ certification !
We looked hard for the wahoo but could only find the occasional juvenile fish of about 10lbs sheltering from the rough weather. With the big wahoo packs stubbornly staying on the unfishable wild side of the barrier reef, we turned our attention to the yellowfin and sailfish.
Whilst we trolled teasers and special Bill Boyce kawakawa belly flap circle rigged baits for the sails, (forever known now aboard Bite Me as ’BB Specials’) Diana took the opportunity to turn herself from beginner to pro-lig
 Just as Bill went in for yet another possible gaff shot the circle hook pulled. We had doubles and tripples but the most entertaining moments were when Tim hooked up to a dancing sail, Bill cranked in a minnow at full drag to clear it and just before it reached the transom, another sail raced in, gobbled the lure and sped away. ’Crack’ went the line. The look on his face was just priceless, not to mention the ensuing colourful Californian West Coast string of verbal observations. It was a whole lot of fun. I can’t wait to do it again.
See some of Bill’s awesome underwater photographs at www.boyceimage.com                   Â
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