It was inevitable. We had to do it. We had to return.
L'extreme Nord De La Nouvelle Caledonie.
Yes, the extreme North. After our exciting last trip to New Caledonia the build up to this trip was emphatic to say the least. The day couldn't arrive soon enough but soon we were crossing the continent and braving a journey that would see us in Koumac almost 2 days later. It was one strewn with long lay-overs and overland drives.
This time nature had other plans for us, and throughout the 5 days at sea we were thrown every conceivable weather condition with multi-directional winds to top it off. This shut the fish right down and we were faced with some of the toughest fishing in recent memory. We cast and cast for little or no result for hours at times, the Captain was close to pulling his hair out and after a few sessions we sort of resigned to our fate.
Looking back we still got a decent fish in the boat but it will go down as a trip that really tested the anglers. Here's the story in pictures...
Arriving at the Noumea Airport, gladness filled the heart...
But we were not 'there' yet, a long drive still ahead...
Next day we spent a couple of hours casting from shore for fish like this Wolf Herring taken on an IMA Sasuke...
The beautiful Antares silently sitting in the harbour on our morning of departure...
Wasted no time in loading up - gear and passengers alike...
No shortage of the new Custom Red FCL EXT 81 MH on board...
FCL Labo lures rigged for every condition...
Some brand new Fishermans no less...
A pair of prototype FCL CSP with different balancing points to be tested. They turned out to be a little too popular with the razor gang and neither lasted more than 3 casts before being bitten off...
The session started off wet, but the first Red Bass hit the deck shortly after commencing, courtesy of the Squid Pencil...
Another Bass showing its attractive hues...
Then a big Coral Trout took this Bigfoot meant for a GT...
They were certainly making their presence felt, with another nice fish to follow...
Soon a better fish was hooked and displayed the typical brutish fight like only a GT can...
An average GT by New Cal standards, but at least we had one in the boat...
A slightly bigger one but no trophy...
FCL 81 EXT 'M' model in action...
CSP has always been the performer in the stickbait department and on this trip it was no different, this is the smaller 120gm model...
The GTs hitting the deck were frustratingly smaller than the typical NC fish...
Back at work on the FCL 81EXT rod and onto another GT...
Smaller fish yet, again on the CSP lure...
Big chugger but not so big Red Bass...
Mean 'Cudas ruled the reefs while the GTs weren't around...
Another typical sized fish, this one sporting a dark tint showing aggression...
Nice Mackeral on the Fisherman Delta 5...
Angry head of a good sized Coral Trout adorned with the lure it fell for - the FCL Ebipop...
Happy angler with a personal best Coral Trout...
End of another fight with the fish at leader...
Yet another middling sized GT, tough customers though...
The new FCL Labo EXT81MH in custom red paintwork getting a workout...
Delta 5 stickbait doing the damage...
A nice fish for a happy angler...
Ebipop in the mouth of an angry Mack...
Before release...
A fat Red Bass that wasn't shy about hitting a big cupped chugger...
And a typical Coral Trout on another big cup...
Since the popping was slow we turned our attention to jigging and on our first drop the hook up was instantaneous but they weren't creatures from the top of the food chain...
Next drop though, and it all changed. On the light but tough Poseidon High-Pitch Jerker, this fish gave a good account of itself but was eventually subdued. A fantastic Estuary Cod approximately 40kgs in weight, taken on a Shout! jig...
Then it was back to casting to try our luck but all we got was an enthusiastic Red Bass on the CSP pencil...
So it was back to jigging and it paid dividends again with this smaller Estuary Cod...
We then hit what felt like a freight train. Fight was long and hard, and we were calling it out to be anything from a shark to a foul hooked manta...
It was hard work from 120m depth...
Turned out to be a nice GT lurking deep, it took a liking to a Fisherman Andaman jig...
Weighing in the region of 40kgs, we had finally found a big GT but not using the conventional method. That signaled the end of the day's fishing so we anchored for the night and tried going after smaller critters...
Like this Goatfish, on a Bassday Nin Sui mini madai...
And non-stop action from willing Javeline Fish well into the darkness...
Next morning it was back on deck with the GTs...
FCL CSP claims another victim...
Mid to high 20's fish, they run hard and fast in NC...
Next we had a nice Coral Trout take a huge SPP200 lure...
Beautiful colours on this fish...
Smaller Coral Trout on the Maggy Gara GT stickbait...
FCL EXT 80 rod in action...
This would be a long fight, courtesy of a side-hooked fish...
Another high twenties fish, tough tough job trying to lift these fish from the depths side-on...
And just to deal us a cruel blow we get another fish of the same size hooked in the side again...
Maggy Gara GT a pretty easy lure to manipulate, this the result...
A beautiful Long Nose Emperor on an Andaman jig...
Mean Coral Trout taken on a Sevenseas Revolver jig...
Colours faded on a fish from deep...
Andaman then found its way into the gaping mouth of a Grouper...
Another 40kg Estuary Cod to smile about...
But we were not 'there' yet, a long drive still ahead...
Next day we spent a couple of hours casting from shore for fish like this Wolf Herring taken on an IMA Sasuke...
The beautiful Antares silently sitting in the harbour on our morning of departure...
Wasted no time in loading up - gear and passengers alike...
No shortage of the new Custom Red FCL EXT 81 MH on board...
FCL Labo lures rigged for every condition...
Some brand new Fishermans no less...
A pair of prototype FCL CSP with different balancing points to be tested. They turned out to be a little too popular with the razor gang and neither lasted more than 3 casts before being bitten off...
The session started off wet, but the first Red Bass hit the deck shortly after commencing, courtesy of the Squid Pencil...
Another Bass showing its attractive hues...
Then a big Coral Trout took this Bigfoot meant for a GT...
They were certainly making their presence felt, with another nice fish to follow...
Soon a better fish was hooked and displayed the typical brutish fight like only a GT can...
An average GT by New Cal standards, but at least we had one in the boat...
A slightly bigger one but no trophy...
FCL 81 EXT 'M' model in action...
CSP has always been the performer in the stickbait department and on this trip it was no different, this is the smaller 120gm model...
The GTs hitting the deck were frustratingly smaller than the typical NC fish...
Back at work on the FCL 81EXT rod and onto another GT...
Smaller fish yet, again on the CSP lure...
Big chugger but not so big Red Bass...
Mean 'Cudas ruled the reefs while the GTs weren't around...
Another typical sized fish, this one sporting a dark tint showing aggression...
Nice Mackeral on the Fisherman Delta 5...
Angry head of a good sized Coral Trout adorned with the lure it fell for - the FCL Ebipop...
Happy angler with a personal best Coral Trout...
End of another fight with the fish at leader...
Yet another middling sized GT, tough customers though...
The new FCL Labo EXT81MH in custom red paintwork getting a workout...
Delta 5 stickbait doing the damage...
A nice fish for a happy angler...
Ebipop in the mouth of an angry Mack...
Before release...
A fat Red Bass that wasn't shy about hitting a big cupped chugger...
And a typical Coral Trout on another big cup...
Since the popping was slow we turned our attention to jigging and on our first drop the hook up was instantaneous but they weren't creatures from the top of the food chain...
Next drop though, and it all changed. On the light but tough Poseidon High-Pitch Jerker, this fish gave a good account of itself but was eventually subdued. A fantastic Estuary Cod approximately 40kgs in weight, taken on a Shout! jig...
Then it was back to casting to try our luck but all we got was an enthusiastic Red Bass on the CSP pencil...
So it was back to jigging and it paid dividends again with this smaller Estuary Cod...
We then hit what felt like a freight train. Fight was long and hard, and we were calling it out to be anything from a shark to a foul hooked manta...
It was hard work from 120m depth...
Turned out to be a nice GT lurking deep, it took a liking to a Fisherman Andaman jig...
Weighing in the region of 40kgs, we had finally found a big GT but not using the conventional method. That signaled the end of the day's fishing so we anchored for the night and tried going after smaller critters...
Like this Goatfish, on a Bassday Nin Sui mini madai...
And non-stop action from willing Javeline Fish well into the darkness...
Next morning it was back on deck with the GTs...
FCL CSP claims another victim...
Mid to high 20's fish, they run hard and fast in NC...
Next we had a nice Coral Trout take a huge SPP200 lure...
Beautiful colours on this fish...Smaller Coral Trout on the Maggy Gara GT stickbait...
FCL EXT 80 rod in action...
This would be a long fight, courtesy of a side-hooked fish...
Another high twenties fish, tough tough job trying to lift these fish from the depths side-on...
And just to deal us a cruel blow we get another fish of the same size hooked in the side again...
Maggy Gara GT a pretty easy lure to manipulate, this the result...
A beautiful Long Nose Emperor on an Andaman jig...
Mean Coral Trout taken on a Sevenseas Revolver jig...
Colours faded on a fish from deep...
Andaman then found its way into the gaping mouth of a Grouper...
Another 40kg Estuary Cod to smile about...
And on the very next drift we hit paydirt again with yet another nice Estuary Cod taken on a Fisherman Marado jig...
More to follow in the next installment...
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