Here's a trip made some months ago but we've been procrastinating with the huge number photos so they haven't seen the light of day. New Caledonia, part of the French colony but situated in the middle of the Pacific, is a special place for visitors and more so for anglers. Surrounding the vast and largely lowly populated island are waters which see very few people if any at all. And its there we were headed!
After over twenty four hours journey, we were glad to touch down on New Caledonian soil...
On the tarmac with fingers crossed all of the gear would make it through transit...
Still we were a five hour ride away from where we should be, so more traveling to do...
Next morning we were excited to see the beautiful Antares waiting at the harbour...
Jack Yvan's would be our home for the next few days...
We were in the capable hands of experienced operation Le Poisson Banane, with younger brother Rudy sending us off at the docks...
At the helm was David, the older of the two brothers who run this amazing charter. Both were mad keen fishermen who shared the same passion. Leaving Koumac behind, we motored off into the blue...
Catching fish didn't seem a whole lot difficult from the go, cast and you'll get rewarded...
Red Bass seemed pretty prolific...
More red, but no one was complaining...
Spanish Mackerals also made an appearance, and they weren't afraid to nail big offerings meant for big GTs...
First Giant Trevally of the trip, taken on the FCL CSP260 - a lure which would shine throughout the trip...
Red Bass procession didn't seem to lose steam...
And more...
Another decent GT, the average New Caledonian fish is more decent than anywhere most of us have experienced...
There were smaller ones too, but they were an exception rather than the norm...
Stickbaits or chuggers would work just as well on most days...
The omnipresent Red Bass weren't any choosier than GTs...
Fisherman Giant RS - beautiful rod for larger stickbaits...
A good fish hits the deck, FCL CSP phenomenon had just began...
Pesky Macks, if only they were this easy back home...
Coral Trout were a welcome addition to the species list...
Beautiful fish, but all were released for fear of ciguatera intoxication...
Lunch was a brief affair in between casts while we would relax a little more at dinner...
On good days we got GT throughout the day...
Everyone on board had their fair share...
There wasn't a quiet moment...
Had a chance to put a prototype El Toro 180 rod to test...
It has some hauling power, even on better than average fish like this on a huge Fisherman Long Pen...
It was a grueling daily workout...
Small cupped pencil poppers were easier on tired arms and still caught fish...
David made sure we were clean of the reef whenever someone hooked up...
Smaller GT on FCL Squidpencil...
A decent fish on a brute stick was no fun at all...
It was a slug fest with plenty of line lost on high drag...
Back breaking work...
Even getting it to leader was a chore...
Mid forties Trev, it took alot more effort getting it to the boat because it had been side hooked. The fish took a Fisherman Big Mouth 170 chugger...
Jigging produced this Coral Trout on a Sanme jig...
Bending the unbendable rod...
Barrel from the depths...
Fisherman Andaman was this Estuary Cod's downfall...
A decent Mangrove Jack taken on jig...
Pesky Mack on popper...
A good GT for a happy angler...
Hooked to a freight train on jig, Carpenter OH bearing the grunt...
It took some heaving but we got the fish to the boat...
GT on Shout! Shab Shab jig...
Another nice GT...
Beautiful Mangrove Jack...
And another, we had come across a whole congregation...
Obviously some weren't Jacks, check out that bent jig...
Getting busy...
Were they meeting to breed? Never seen so many together before...
Some were pretty hefty...
Some had scars...
Some were just perfectly conditioned. Andamans did most damage but this Crazy Long did well too...
Flowery Cod on an Andaman...
Big Bucket mouth...
Coronation Trout on Andaman as well...
Smaller Estuary Cod...
Small angler versus big fish...
A nice GT!
More Macks to keep us entertained...
Hooked up to a better fish...
CSP260 doing its job...
A good fish of about forty...
Another CSP victim...
Food Chain education...
Macks aplenty...
In all sizes...
Big Coral Trout on big lure - Fisherman Delta 5...
Tough adversaries on light gear but with popping outfits you could skull drag them out from their holes...
Here's a trip made some months ago but we've been procrastinating with the huge number photos so they haven't seen the light of day. New Caledonia, part of the French colony but situated in the middle of the Pacific, is a special place for visitors and more so for anglers. Surrounding the vast and largely lowly populated island are waters which see very few people if any at all. And its there we were headed!
After over twenty four hours journey, we were glad to touch down on New Caledonian soil...
On the tarmac with fingers crossed all of the gear would make it through transit...
Still we were a five hour ride away from where we should be, so more traveling to do...
Next morning we were excited to see the beautiful Antares waiting at the harbour...
Jack Yvan's would be our home for the next few days...
We were in the capable hands of experienced operation Le Poisson Banane, with younger brother Rudy sending us off at the docks...
At the helm was David, the older of the two brothers who run this amazing charter. Both were mad keen fishermen who shared the same passion. Leaving Koumac behind, we motored off into the blue...
Catching fish didn't seem a whole lot difficult from the go, cast and you'll get rewarded...
Red Bass seemed pretty prolific...
More red, but no one was complaining...
Spanish Mackerals also made an appearance, and they weren't afraid to nail big offerings meant for big GTs...
First Giant Trevally of the trip, taken on the FCL CSP260 - a lure which would shine throughout the trip...
Red Bass procession didn't seem to lose steam...
And more...
Another decent GT, the average New Caledonian fish is more decent than anywhere most of us have experienced...
There were smaller ones too, but they were an exception rather than the norm...
Stickbaits or chuggers would work just as well on most days...
The omnipresent Red Bass weren't any choosier than GTs...
Fisherman Giant RS - beautiful rod for larger stickbaits...
A good fish hits the deck, FCL CSP phenomenon had just began...
Pesky Macks, if only they were this easy back home...
Coral Trout were a welcome addition to the species list...
Beautiful fish, but all were released for fear of ciguatera intoxication...
Lunch was a brief affair in between casts while we would relax a little more at dinner...
On good days we got GT throughout the day...
Everyone on board had their fair share...
There wasn't a quiet moment...
Had a chance to put a prototype El Toro 180 rod to test...
It has some hauling power, even on better than average fish like this on a huge Fisherman Long Pen...
It was a grueling daily workout...
Small cupped pencil poppers were easier on tired arms and still caught fish...
David made sure we were clean of the reef whenever someone hooked up...
Smaller GT on FCL Squidpencil...
A decent fish on a brute stick was no fun at all...
It was a slug fest with plenty of line lost on high drag...
Back breaking work...
Even getting it to leader was a chore...
Mid forties Trev, it took alot more effort getting it to the boat because it had been side hooked. The fish took a Fisherman Big Mouth 170 chugger...
Jigging produced this Coral Trout on a Sanme jig...
Bending the unbendable rod...
Barrel from the depths...
Fisherman Andaman was this Estuary Cod's downfall...
A decent Mangrove Jack taken on jig...
Pesky Mack on popper...
A good GT for a happy angler...
Hooked to a freight train on jig, Carpenter OH bearing the grunt...
It took some heaving but we got the fish to the boat...
GT on Shout! Shab Shab jig...
Another nice GT...
Beautiful Mangrove Jack...
And another, we had come across a whole congregation...
Obviously some weren't Jacks, check out that bent jig...
Getting busy...
Were they meeting to breed? Never seen so many together before...
Some were pretty hefty...
Some had scars...
Some were just perfectly conditioned. Andamans did most damage but this Crazy Long did well too...
Flowery Cod on an Andaman...
Big Bucket mouth...
Coronation Trout on Andaman as well...
Smaller Estuary Cod...
Small angler versus big fish...
A nice GT!
More Macks to keep us entertained...
Hooked up to a better fish...
CSP260 doing its job...
A good fish of about forty...
Another CSP victim...
Food Chain education...
Macks aplenty...
In all sizes...
Big Coral Trout on big lure - Fisherman Delta 5...
Tough adversaries on light gear but with popping outfits you could skull drag them out from their holes...
No comments:
Post a Comment