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Thread: Fishing in Fiji

  1. #51
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    Good stuff here maanaam. Did you keep a diary as this has the makings of a good book.

    I often wished I had as I have a few fish stories as well.

  2. #52
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    Revenons a nos poisson, to paraphrase.

    We had a Hartley trailer sailer that Dad had fibreglassed up the centreboard hole and strengthened the transom which we used as a runabout with a 5.5 horse longshaft Seagull. I know it went at around 7 knots, as it took an hour to get to Taveuni which was 7 miles away. Taveuni was where we went for shopping, the mail, and the hospital.

    Anyway, FIL was with us and one day he said we'll go fishing tonight. Fair enough, nothing unusual about that, but this time he wanted lots of bait and for me to get some off the reef. I got several baby octopus and swag of bream-like fish. Not enough, he said, so I had to go off the reef fishing.
    He also wanted a very long anchor rope, which I had but didn't normally stow on board. Also, he wanted a rock, not the usual spike anchor.
    We set out on the runabout late afternoon and traveled east for about an hour and a half. He was looking for "spot X", lining up hills and other landmarks. Took ages but finally he was satisfied. Drop anchor and start fishing. It was about 45 fathom. The night wore on, and things were very slow. The occasional ruby or o'pakapaka (Hawaiian Snapper). I was wondering why we had come all this way, and soon dozed off. At 2 am he woke me. Be ready, he said, they'll be here soon.
    Bang! Big heavy strike. Just a great weight, not much fight. When I got it on board (it floated up the last 20 m or so with it's airbag coming out it's mouth through non-decompression), I beheld a fish I'd never seen before (nor since). Spotted, and round rather than flat, sort of mullet shape except for the head which was average fish head. About a metre long. Nice fish. Then FIL got one. And another, and so did I. This went on for about an hour and we had 12 of these monsters on board. then they stopped and FIL said that's it, no more, lets go home.
    Now that was the 2nd strange thing he'd said tonight, the first when he was so certain that they would be along soon, and now certain that they'd gone. He was certainly not a man to miss the chance of getting more, but he knew it would be useless.
    We went home but didn't have time for sleep as we wanted to set out to Nawi Village to sell our catch. At the village, we had to cut them up as nobody wanted or could afford a whole one, and it was then I noticed the pink flesh, salmon-like, but paler. FIL called them "ika vaitafe" which means creek fish or river fish. He claimed that when young, they can be found in the creeks on the island. But they were definitely not salmon....too big and, well, just not salmon. Very different. But the pink flesh and the fresh water juveniles makes me wonder. I still don't know what they were.
    Back home for sleep. That afternoon I suggested we go out again. He said no, they're gone, have to wait for the right time next year.
    I went to spot X sometime later without him. Got a few pakapaka, and waited all night. Never caught another one since. Never went with FIL again.

    The questions in my mind, then and now: What were those fish? How did he know where to go and when to go? He was only 2nd generation Kioan, so this local knowledge was gained in that time. It's a big sea, with lots of great spots for ordinary fishing...how did they learn?

  3. #53
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    Great stuff Manaam. You had quite a childhood, compared to this ten pound pom!
    Used to be a keen fisherman myself, when I was in the Navy. Mainly fished Jervis Bay, NSW.
    I suppose I've got some fishy tales, such as catching a few monster shark, but was never able to bring them in onto a jetty. I just let them go, hook and all, much to the consternation of swimmers at nearby Hyams Beach!
    Anyway, carry on- really enjoyable thread.

  4. #54
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    Night fishing from a boat was almost always good. There were the dull nights when almost nothing was caught, but the good nights were really good.
    Normally used a 90 lb line.
    FIL had this fantastic burley method: Whenever we'd go out, he'd take a basket of fist-sized rocks and a pile of breadfruit leaves.
    Breadfruit leaves are fairly "stiff" and if you fold them they return to being flat.

    Barracuda was the usual bait: It was plentiful and it was good bait. Take the fillets off for bait and keep the skelton (with head) for burley. This was made by rapid chopping up on a heavy chopping board (just like you see minced pork being made in Thailand).

    Normal line setup: Main line, sinker, swivel, trace, hook..
    Burley setup: Take a handful of minced barracuda carcass and a rock and place on a breadfruit leaf. put your baited hook, all the trace, and your sinker on top of the mound of burley. Fold the leaf up like wrapping fish and chips, then wrap your line around the parcel a few times, finishing off with a loop inserted under the line. This loop slips out easily, so when you lower the burley parcel overr the side, you need to make sure all your line is free to flow.
    Gently lower the parcel into the water and then quickly toss your loose line over, letting it all out. (You have previously been fishing, so the amount of line at your feet is just right.
    Just before you reach the bottom, grip your line firmly and pull. This undoes the line wrapped around the parcel and releases your bait in a cloud of burley. The rock and the leaf drop away. Any fisherman can imagine the effectiveness of having your bait, in position, in a cloud of burley. It was a great way of getting your burley to the bottom.

    Years later night fishing in NZ I tried this with newspaper. Abject failure as the newspaper was far too soft and would tangle around the line and the loops of line would tangle. Breadfruit leaves, large and stiff (and biodegradable) were perfect.

  5. #55
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    Great thread, Maanaam.

    Weren't you concerned about sharks in that part of the world? One bump of the tiny canoe and you're bait.

  6. #56
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    Thanks. I was concerned. There are some mighty big sharks around that area.

    Great story about a Kioan named Kenimalava. He was out fishing and a shark followed a fish he'd caught up. Then wouldn't go away. It started bumping his canoe.
    Keni thought that the only thing to do was to try to control the beast, so he baited up his heavy trolling line and caught the shark. Things got out of hand, and Keni had to shout for help. Several canoes in the vicinity came and helped him and they finally got it and whacked it on the head with cane knives.

    I was in the village that day. Keni towed the shark back and got friends to help beach it, whereupon they started to cut it up.
    The Tuvaluan tradition is that when a particularly large fish is caught, villagers will take coconuts to the fisherman and he in return gives a big hunk of fish.
    I heard the buzz of activity and saw people going down to the beach, and by the time I'd got there, the shark had been cut up, so I have no idea how big it was. One indicator was the cut-off head; it reminded me of a 44 gallon drum. It was a big shark.

    FIL had a similar experience but never got the shark. He too shouted for help, and had to abandon his canoe as it had been damaged and the shark was just not going to go away. Luckily there were other canoes nearby.

    I myself have never even seen a shark while in my canoe. Seen plenty when diving, seen plenty cruising over the home reef, but I have never had a problem. Never caught one from the canoe either, but I have caught plenty from the beach.
    My father's family have the shark as a totem. Allegedly, they won't eat us and we don't eat them. Haven't eaten shark ever, but also haven't dared put the legend to the test

    If you're interested, the shark totem is Dakuwxxqa. I'm not allowed to name him, hence the xx's, but if you google dakuwa..... some words ending in ...qa will come up.

  7. #57
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    Around November/December, whales would come through. Hang around for a few days, and leave again.
    Out in the dinghy or canoe, it was best to keep away from them. The problem was, they would surface randomly. Had a few close calls.
    In the Hartley, I was not concerned much, but still would move if they got too close.

  8. #58
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    Quote Originally Posted by fishlocker
    Did you keep a diary as this has the makings of a good book.
    Cheers Fish. No diary, just memories. Wish I'd had a camera though.

  9. #59
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    Quote Originally Posted by Maanaam View Post
    Burley setup:
    Interesting thread. Thanks. Never heard the term "burley" before, but it seems to be what I would call "chum".

  10. #60
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    ^ yep...chum is burly.

  11. #61
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    Quote Originally Posted by Maanaam View Post
    Thanks. I was concerned. There are some mighty big sharks around that area.

    Great story about a Kioan named Kenimalava. He was out fishing and a shark followed a fish he'd caught up. Then wouldn't go away. It started bumping his canoe.
    Keni thought that the only thing to do was to try to control the beast, so he baited up his heavy trolling line and caught the shark. Things got out of hand, and Keni had to shout for help. Several canoes in the vicinity came and helped him and they finally got it and whacked it on the head with cane knives.

    I was in the village that day. Keni towed the shark back and got friends to help beach it, whereupon they started to cut it up.
    The Tuvaluan tradition is that when a particularly large fish is caught, villagers will take coconuts to the fisherman and he in return gives a big hunk of fish.
    I heard the buzz of activity and saw people going down to the beach, and by the time I'd got there, the shark had been cut up, so I have no idea how big it was. One indicator was the cut-off head; it reminded me of a 44 gallon drum. It was a big shark.

    FIL had a similar experience but never got the shark. He too shouted for help, and had to abandon his canoe as it had been damaged and the shark was just not going to go away. Luckily there were other canoes nearby.

    I myself have never even seen a shark while in my canoe. Seen plenty when diving, seen plenty cruising over the home reef, but I have never had a problem. Never caught one from the canoe either, but I have caught plenty from the beach.
    My father's family have the shark as a totem. Allegedly, they won't eat us and we don't eat them. Haven't eaten shark ever, but also haven't dared put the legend to the test

    If you're interested, the shark totem is Dakuwxxqa. I'm not allowed to name him, hence the xx's, but if you google dakuwa..... some words ending in ...qa will come up.
    I've only ever seen reef sharks when snorkeling off the coast of Thailand. They were clearly more scared of us than we were of them because they darted off as soon as they saw us.

    Surprised there aren't more frequent incidents with sharks and people in Thailand, given the number of people in the sea each day and the fact that there are tigers, hammerheads and bull sharks out there.

  12. #62
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    I saw a hammerhead once. Tiger sharks are the ones that are the most dangerous and common around that area. The reef sharks are plentiful, brown with a white tip to the dorsal fin. They're quite funny as they seem to be almost blind and will swim very close, and then get startled as if they had no idea you were there.
    Out at the point of the reef there was a hole. It made a fairly large pool at low tide, around a metre deep and 5 metres by 2m. One low tide I was spearfishing with Drum and when we got to the pool there were 5 small reef sharks trapped in it.
    Drum couldn't hold himself and jumped in, chasing them.
    It was hilarious watching them scared shitless darting everywhere but trapped, and Drum with his slow ponderous doggy paddle trying to get them, barking and paddling all over the pool.

  13. #63
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    I mentioned catching a remora. Here's another remora story.
    When you go spearfishing/snorkelling, occasionally a small remora will swim at you and try to stick to you.
    If you are alone, it's very annoying. They're like a persistant fly buzzing around your face. But if you are diving with friends, there's a funny phenomenon: as the remora approaches you and gets close, point to a friend. It follows your arm, sees the other person, and swims towards him. He then points back at you or to someone else, and it turns around and swims back or goes off to the third person, and so on. You can play remora tennis for ages but they will finally get bored and swim away.

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