NEW CALEDONIA, GIANT BONEFISH WATERS.
I have thoroughly enjoyed my trips to Christmas Island over the last couple of years and the “bonefish fix” I experienced there in 2007 was, as always, excellent. But constantly in the back of my mind is the memory of the monster bonefish of New Caledonia and the stars aligned enough for me to do a return trip there in September ’07 with Mat McHugh and Charles Rangeley-Wilson.
The bone fishing did not disappoint, it thrilled and over a week of sometimes difficult logistics we managed over 30 big bonefish. We estimated that perhaps 6 of them were over 10 pounds with the biggest about 12. Many were in the 8- 10 pound range, really solid fish. The guiding business at Boat Pass has changed hands after several years of neglect and Richard Bertin is putting together a great package which includes local guides and boats operating out of Poingam.
As always the weather in New Cal makes it a challenge, this is not the place for anyone who needs to have their hand held, you require a level of experience that at the least means choosing flies, tying knots, and making decisions. The fish aren’t particularly spooky most of the time, but seeing them, and dealing with the wind and cloud becomes a test of patience and skill. This is not a place for Christmas island cricket score numbers, it’s a place for quality, a few very, very, good fish that will really last in your memory.
A 9 or a 10 weight rod is an ideal rod weight for these waters, I rarely pick up an 8 as the flies you use are heavy and often the wind is strong and of course these fish know where the coral is. On this trip I used the Sage 990 ZAxis and the 1090 ZAxis. My preference was the 1090 with a 3400D reel. It’s a light set-up but handles the conditions and the flies superbly. I feel that either an intermediate tip line or a full intermediate are most important for these waters. The fish are slightly deeper than on most bonefish flats and there’s often a good current flowing. A floating line will tend to lift the fly off the bottom when you start a retrieve, these intermediate options will keep it down there. The ideal line is a tropical rated line with a clear intermediate head and a floating back section, unfortunately no one makes it!
I was trialling some new bonefish flies from Mike Felton and these were superb, well built, (often overdressed which I like because I ALWAYS carry a pair of scissors to modify a fly if required). The Christmas Island special was most effective as was the Gotcha – I don’t think you need any flies other than these.
I will have a detailed story in the mid year issue of Fishing Wild and also have a story in the December 2007 issue of American Angler which is online here.
I will be leading a group in late July early August 2008, this is a very select tide which will give us access to some rarely fished flats. Full details of the trip are available from Matt McHugh at www.flyodyssey.co.uk
I hope you can join me on an adventure to this wild place with its magnificent bonefish.
I have thoroughly enjoyed my trips to Christmas Island over the last couple of years and the “bonefish fix” I experienced there in 2007 was, as always, excellent. But constantly in the back of my mind is the memory of the monster bonefish of New Caledonia and the stars aligned enough for me to do a return trip there in September ’07 with Mat McHugh and Charles Rangeley-Wilson.
The bone fishing did not disappoint, it thrilled and over a week of sometimes difficult logistics we managed over 30 big bonefish. We estimated that perhaps 6 of them were over 10 pounds with the biggest about 12. Many were in the 8- 10 pound range, really solid fish. The guiding business at Boat Pass has changed hands after several years of neglect and Richard Bertin is putting together a great package which includes local guides and boats operating out of Poingam.
As always the weather in New Cal makes it a challenge, this is not the place for anyone who needs to have their hand held, you require a level of experience that at the least means choosing flies, tying knots, and making decisions. The fish aren’t particularly spooky most of the time, but seeing them, and dealing with the wind and cloud becomes a test of patience and skill. This is not a place for Christmas island cricket score numbers, it’s a place for quality, a few very, very, good fish that will really last in your memory.
A 9 or a 10 weight rod is an ideal rod weight for these waters, I rarely pick up an 8 as the flies you use are heavy and often the wind is strong and of course these fish know where the coral is. On this trip I used the Sage 990 ZAxis and the 1090 ZAxis. My preference was the 1090 with a 3400D reel. It’s a light set-up but handles the conditions and the flies superbly. I feel that either an intermediate tip line or a full intermediate are most important for these waters. The fish are slightly deeper than on most bonefish flats and there’s often a good current flowing. A floating line will tend to lift the fly off the bottom when you start a retrieve, these intermediate options will keep it down there. The ideal line is a tropical rated line with a clear intermediate head and a floating back section, unfortunately no one makes it!
I was trialling some new bonefish flies from Mike Felton and these were superb, well built, (often overdressed which I like because I ALWAYS carry a pair of scissors to modify a fly if required). The Christmas Island special was most effective as was the Gotcha – I don’t think you need any flies other than these.
I will have a detailed story in the mid year issue of Fishing Wild and also have a story in the December 2007 issue of American Angler which is online here.
I will be leading a group in late July early August 2008, this is a very select tide which will give us access to some rarely fished flats. Full details of the trip are available from Matt McHugh at www.flyodyssey.co.uk
I hope you can join me on an adventure to this wild place with its magnificent bonefish.
Bones of this size are slightly above average in New Caledonia. Because of their size they aren't all that difficult to see, provided there's good sun overhead.
These are Albula Glossodonata
Charles gets taken off the edge of a flat by a big bone - with sharks around on the falling tide its difficult to know whether to take the fight right up to them and land them quickly but create a ruckus that might attract the sharks, or to go gently - in this case Charles went gently and was taken into the coral.
Mat McHugh shows that even in heavy rain with a backdrop of dark cloud these monster bones are easy to see.
You don't need a big range of fly patterns, Gotchas and Christmas island specials will do most of the time, but you do need a few sizes and weights.
There are plenty of trevally on the flats from little nuisance ones like this to real monster sized GT's.
Inside the island of Baba are several large mangrove lined bays and on a falling tide the big bones stream out of these - its a matter of finding their route in the slightly deeper channels and waiting in ambush.
Mat has his hands full with another big bone out on the St. Phalle flats.
Charles and I landed this double on a deeper flat that only gets fished on a few tides a year. I've never seen anything like it before and the hour or so we had there has haunted my dreams ever since. Even with a high sheen of cloud you could see the bones coming in waves and airs and singles.
The same flat. The wind is at your back but the sun is almost in your face and the fish come through just one area.
The Rio bonefish line is a great choice for a floater but my preference is the clear tip and the full intermediate to get the fly deeper faster and to keep it on the bottom in the stronger tidal currents.
Our host Richard Bertin releases a magnificent bonefish estimated at 12lbs.
Merci Mr Boney!!!!