fly fishing on the big island (neighborhood, school, shop)

[finnclem]

We are going to the big island in May. We know that fly fishing isn't really that big in Hawaii but my husband is still interested in trying. Does anyone know of a fly fishing shop on the Big Island and are there any guided tours? Where would one fly fish on the island also? Thanks for your help!

[Woody7]

Very interesting that You would bring fly fishing up. After a few trips to Oahu I could not believe the hundreds of square miles of flats around the island and not one fly fisherman to be found. I did find one Man and Son there that are Guilds. I'm booking with them next trip. He may be able to give You a lead to a guild on the B.I. It's been very difficult to find any info :Fishing Tours (http://www.louiethefish.com/FishingTours.html - broken link)

[hotzcatz]

I've only ever seen one person fly fishing on the Big Island and that was a fellow who was practicing over in Wailoa park. He didn't have any lures on the line, he was just practicing flicking the line about for his upcoming mainland vacation.

Primarily all we have is salt water fishing, is there such a thing as salt water fly fishing? We also generally have currents, waves, cliffs and rocks to contend with. I always think of fly fishing as some sort of bubbling brook with a quiet presentation of a lure on the surface of the water. The fish around here usually grab onto noisy thrashing sorts of lures. Unless, of course, they are mullet or i'o. Those like quiet baits near the bottom.

Most of the serious fisher folk that I know of are slide bait folks. They get really long poles, thirteen feet or longer, flang a huge weight way out there to hold the line taut, then slide several pounds of bait down the line and hang a bell on the end of the pole. They are hoping to catch ulua, mostly. Other folks, such as I, do what is referred to as "whipping". A lure is tossed out past the surf, around the rocks or where ever looks productive and is then brought back hoping for a strike. Generally, I'm hoping for papio which is a juvenile trevally. The ulua is the same fish as a papio except it is usually over five or ten pounds. Ulua can get to over a hundred pounds and folks can catch these monsters from shore.

[Woody7]

Yes there is salt water fly fishing,I spent 1000's of hours shooting flies in the Florida Keys. My last trip to Oahu I found countless places that were killer Fly spots . Fly fishing is more of a "sporting art".I have never seen so many bone fish on a flat like Hawaii.

[Yellowfin240]

The world record bonefish actually was caught in Hawaii.It was caught in deeper water though.Not on a flat.Kona Fishing tackle has fly fishing tackle as does Meltons and Pacific Rim tackle in Kona.If you know who to talk to you can get someone to take you out on a boat and fish for aku(skipjack tuna) and some nice size ladyfish which school in about 100 feet of water in the early summer.Kona would be the place for these types of fish.Calm water and relatively close to the boat ramps.

[hotzcatz]

Aren't bone fish called o'io in Hawaii? A shiny silver fish with kinda a greenish rubbery looking nose? Great to hook onto but not so tasty for eating unless you make them into fishcakes? They like feeding in sandy channels between rocks, I've generally hooked them on bait presented very gently and quietly near the bottom. Do they feed off the surface?

[Kawena]

O'io yes, I have seen people catch um with fly rod. on tv though not in hawaii. for the most part finding a shallow enough place to find them swimming in to present the bait. Fish cake is about the only way to eat them. too many bones..


fly fishing in hawaii.. this might interest you....

Bass Fishing in Kauai, Hawaii

[Woody7]

Cool info on Fly fishing thanks! That last link had info on Peacock Bass those are a slamming sport fish. I used to catch them in the fresh water lakes, neighborhood ponds,and canals in Miami. They are very aggressive and strong fish. On the Mainland only Dade, Broward,and the fresh water Flagler railroad ponds in the Keys can support them because of temp. About 10 years ago most of them in Northern Broward got froze out. Any fresh water fisherman should plan for Peacocks at least once. The first time I hooked into one it scared the ## out of Me. Most when hooked will surface and blast off on the surface like a jet ski. They are a attack on site predator and can bend hooks on hard crank baits, and the big males can crack open Your hard bait. Good times!

[finnclem]

Thank you for all the responses!

[Yellowfin240]

Originally Posted by finnclem

Thank you for all the responses!

Are you kidding?I could talk fishing all day!