Heading to Kona.

This is a work in progress for Blood Knot Magazine.

I hit up my local creek this week and caught a few dumb trout on #20 BWO. Believe me, it was satisfying as I have been seeking out larget trout all winter only to leave cold, hungry, dissapointed, angry, and defintely fishless. The latest excursion had me driving 5 hours only to scowl in the wind for 3 hours of “fishing”. It was about that time that I made up my mind to get into some saltwater. Now, I have no idea what to do when I have something larger than a 5 weight in my hand (ask my girlfriend) but the idea of wearing shorts worrying about applying enough sunscreen was appealing to me. The girlfriend has no problem going on these trips either.

So we booked tickets. Cheap tickets that make you travel for 24 hours for a 5 hour flight. That is when I started panicking. I spent an evening on the Google trying to find fly fishing in Kona Hawai’i. Nope. There isn’t any. There is a budding bonefish guiding industry on O’ahu. That is on a different island. The island of Hawai’i, also called the Big Island, not to be confused with the state, Hawai’i is much younger than O’ahu (where Waikiki and Honolulu are) and hasn’t developed flat areas off shore. In fact the southern most point of the U.S. and the Big Island (appropriatley named South Point) have water so deep that it is possible to catch large game fish like Wahoo (Ono) Tuna (Ahi) and even Marlin (A’u) from shore.

Time for me to scrunch my face at the Google again. What gear do I bring for an unknown fishery? I settled on a 9 weight rod for a few reasons. I don’t want to buy a 12 or 15 weight and go after marlin from shore. What would I do if I caught one?! Land it? I also don’t own a rod that size and really don’t think that I need to buy one living in Colorado.

I also don’t own any saltwater flies. I remembered that Jay Zimmerman had some advice on the life cycle of tubers and he might have some tips on how to catch fish somewhere unexplored. He, nor anyone else in the shop, had heard of fly fishing in Kona. I think they asked if I was bringing my passport.

Saltwater in CO.

Where do I start when I have no idea where to start? The beginning I guess.

There was a huge selection of flies, but I couldn’t tell the guys at the shop about the terrain, the fish, or the weather (other than it’s always perfect) so I bought a few clousers and deceivers. I had the genius idea that I could make some of these myself and I would enjoy it.

He has no idea...

These size 4 hooks are easy to work with compared to the #22 parachute adams I am used to making.

It looks like I will be walking the shore hucking these monster flies at random rock outcroppings and looking for the shallowest water that I can find. I have a stand up paddle board that I can use, but they are hard to balance on in a lake with no wind. I am hoping to borrow a kayak or one of those bicycles with the huge plastic wheels so I can explore more territory without paying for a boat.

Marlins eat chickens?

After the first round of clousers and deceivers, I headed to a craft store to pick up some colorful feathers, craft fur, and storgae containers. I hope these Kona fish will eat any sort of neon early 90’s looking club dancer that isn’t too far away from shore!