Wednesday, April 13, 2011

VoliVoli

It has been forever since my last post, my apologies. Unfortunately I get caught up in work and when my one day off comes around I don't want to do anything. Enough whining and feeling sorry for myself.
My mother came for a visit and we had planned to take a mini vacation with her. We booked a few days at a resort called VoliVoli. It is located on the other side of the island near a town called Rakiraki. It is about a four hour drive from us. One way is a sealed road and the main artery for that side of the island. The other way is the road less traveled and not yet completed. I guess we shall follow the road less traveled.
From volivoli trip
Unfortunately it had rained earlier, which made it a bit slippery.
From volivoli trip
The scenery was beautiful.

From volivoli trip
Lots of really lovely villages and scary bridges.
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Boys skipping school
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The road less traveled.
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Future fisherman
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Watching the cows eat.
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Finally the dry side of the island and the sugar cane fields
From volivoli trip
Sugar cane
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More sugar cane
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We are getting close now, I see the sign.
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The sea, the sea
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We are almost there.
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Finally VoliVoli
From volivoli trip
We arrive there in the afternoon and are met in the parking lot by Nick, one of the owners of the resort and our fishing guru guide. We unpack and have a look around. The layout is beautiful and our rooms are number one. After a few drink we make our plan to go fishing the next morning.
Up at the crack of dawn and all ready to go. A bit windy but nothing we cannot handle.
This first day is going to prove to be a learning experience. After a bit of casting the bite finally starts. Rosie lands the first fish of course, but it did not come in easy.
As we would learn, these fishing grounds are littered with hazards. Bommies, small sunken reefs and very smart fish were the recipe for our demise.
From volivoli trip
We proceeded to hook and lose several fish along with a few lures. Now that may seem ok for many, but for us, well we do not usually lose lures, especially on 50lb braid.
This day would prove very trying for us. We lost four fish and three lures.
Nick Darling, one of the owners of the resort and our guide for this trip, with a nice GT.
From volivoli trip
A well deserved beer after the ass whipping we got.
From volivoli trip
A new day and the weather is a bit iffy but spirits are high.
From volivoli trip
We have a new game plan. Today it is 80lb all the way with tight drags and heavy tackle. A repeat we will not have.
From volivoli trip
Rosie again starts the day out with a nice Red Bass.
From volivoli trip
Followed by a good GT. Amazing that for the size of the fish they pull really hard and fight really dirty.
From volivoli trip
Yours truly waiting for my turn.
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A scad mackerel. Good for bait.
From volivoli trip
After a grueling five hours of nonstop casting I finally hook up to a GT. Not the biggest but well worth it.
From volivoli trip
Now the bite has turned on and almost every bommie is holding bait and GT's.
Rosie with a nice one.
From volivoli trip
I have upped the ante with this one.
From volivoli trip
A few more were caught and unfortunately the sun was setting and we had a ways to travel back to the resort. We have finally worked out the formula and it is looking good for our third day of fishing.
From volivoli trip
We wake to a beauty of a day.
From volivoli trip
View from our villa.
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Surveying the area.
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Unfortunately our third day fishing would not eventuate. An emergency came up and we had to leave on a moments notice. I would like to thank Nick and his family who own and operate VoliVoli Beach Resort. They have done a wonderful job of creating a unique and friendly place to visit. The food was great and the their company was most enjoyable.
We have to get back there and finish what we started and plans are already underway to do just that.
Tight Lines

VoliVoli Beach Resort

Volivoli Road
P.O. Box 417
Rakiraki
Fiji Islands

Email: info@volivoli.com
Resort: +679 669 4511
Fax: +679 669 4611

US contacts

Andy and Lynn Siebert
Scubaworld Sacramento Inc.
5114 Madison Avenue
Sacramento CA 95841

Email: dive@volivoliresort.com
Phone: 916/955-2038
Skype: lynn.siebert
Fax: 916/338-0277

Friday, March 11, 2011

Better late than never for Nick's second trip

Ok, so I am a little late on this post. Ok, a lot late, but hey, I've been busy. Yeah that's it, busy. Doing what I'm not sure but it sounds good. Actually sometimes there just isn't enough hours in the day and sometimes I am just plain lazy/tired by the time I get home. Oh yeah and my mother came over to Fiji and we took a little fishing vacation, but that's the next post.
So any ways here we go, our last trip out with our good friend Nick from Marine Graphics Ink.
It was a beauty of a day, a little breeze and a little swell. We headed out to some new reefs that we sighted many moons ago. These particular reefs looked extremely fishy but if there is any wind or a big swell fishing them would be next to impossible as they are wide open to the SouthEast, the general direction of both win and swell.
We head out with visions of grandeur and bait breath.
It does not take long before the first fish is in the boat.
A Red Bass for Nick and excitement starts to build for a cracker day fishing.
From fishing with Nick 2 2011
Not to long to wait and Rosie brings one in also.
From fishing with Nick 2 2011
Now with everyone all excited and fired up you know what the inevitable is, the fish shut down.
All quiet.
Not even a look.
Soon the rhythm of casting takes over and it is time to put in the hard yards. I am not sure how long we went with out a bite but it was a while. As both warriors were starting to feel the weight of the big lures and the strain of keeping ones balance on a rocking boat.
Finally Nick gets another Red Bass to the boat.
From fishing with Nick 2 2011
Has the spell been broken?
Not just yet. It takes a bit more work and then Nick land a small Emperor.
From fishing with Nick 2 2011
At this point there is still excitement and high anticipation for our target fish.
Remember, these little fish are nice and all, but what we are after is in another class altogether. We are hunting Giant Trevally, pound for pound they are arguably the hardest fighting fish in the sea. And we have yet to catch one.
Back to casting.
Soon a little Bluefin Trevally is at hand.
Now at this point Nick has been using the same popper the whole time. It is a red and white Williamson Jet 07. And I might add he has gotten a little cocky with this particular color as it has been working quite well for him.
That is until he casts it onto the reef and it gets stuck.
Bye Bye popper.
Now he has to change poppers and readjust his popping style, as each popper works differently. Does this slow him down? Noooooooo he then goes on to hook a nice GT right on a group of bommies. The fight is on and as I move the boat into position Nick puts the hurt on the fish. This one is a better fish and it is fighting for it's life.
That is the beauty of GT's, they never give up until they hit the surface. They fight with every once of their strength. Alas freedom would only come once it's picture was taken with Nick.
From fishing with Nick 2 2011
We fished on after this, but it was a case of lock jaw and nothing else was landed.
I still think these are fishy grounds but need to work them a bit more.

Tight lines

Thursday, February 17, 2011

$2.30 per liter and rising

A good friend of mine, Nick Hannan of Marine Graphics Ink, is visiting from Melbourne, Australia. I have introduced him before. He is the one who helped create my logo and was featured on this site with his speed drawing videos.
We just had to go for a fish. After all, isn't that what life is about?
This day it would be Rosie, Nick, Brendan and myself. It was a beauty of a day, flat seas and no wind.
From Brendan and Nick Feb 2011
I have decided to do my part for the environment and conserve fuel. So when we head out we troll instead of running full speed to the reefs. Ok, actually I am just trying to ease the pain on my pocket book. Fuel here in Fiji is around $2.30 a liter and rising, so every little bit helps.
Anyways, we start trolling and everyones spirits are high. About 15 minutes out two of the rods go off. Now with our spirits high and all a bit of pandemonium breaks out. I don't think anyone was ready for a fish.
Luckily all on board are seasoned anglers and soon have the other lines cleared and two small Yellowfin Tuna are soon on deck.
From Brendan and Nick Feb 2011
Now everyone is tuned into fishing. We resume trolling and within minutes we have another strike. This one is a much better fish. It is taking line and Nick is on the rod. The fish finally slows down and Nick starts to gain back a bit. Then another run and...........gone! Bit right through the steel leader. Damn! Maybe a Wahoo or Spanish Mackerel.
That was it for the trolling. Time to popper fish.
To say we had a bit of gear on board would be an understatement. I think we each had three complete setups.
Nick and Rosie immediately get into casting big poppers trying to raise a GT. Brendan on the other hand decides to do a bit of jigging using a Lucanus jig by Shimano.
Now this kind of jigging is done by dropping the jig to the bottom and winding up a crank or two. That's it, just let the boat move up and down and the drift does the rest. It can be very deadly on grouper and cod.
At last, Brendan is hooked up and as he starts pumping his catch to the surface we all wait in anticipation.
Wow it's the fishes house!
From Brendan and Nick Feb 2011
As the popping session continues it seems there is a bit of lock jaw going on. Not only that but we barely raise a fish.
We cover a huge amount of ground until finally Rosie hooks a Bluefin trevally.
From Brendan and Nick Feb 2011
All goes quiet again as Rosie and Nick get into a rhythm of casting and popping to cover ground. Still, it seems as if the fish have gone on vacation. This continues for the next couple of hours until our two casting machines are pretty much done.
It is a big job casting 50lb gear all day.
Opportunity presented itself for yours truly to step up to the front of the boat and sling a few lures. Rosie and Nick were having a rest and Brendan was still jigging when I had Rosie take the wheel.
Now fishing is a fickle sport. Were as two people can throw the exact same bait to the same spot and one will catch and the other will get frustrated. Guess where this analogy is going.
I make a few casts and as it happens, I immediately get a nice strike and hook-up a GT. After a short fight I boat a nice GT and return to the wheel. Of course all of that happened with a lot of curses and prodding for catching a fish so quickly.
From Brendan and Nick Feb 2011
Well it turned out to be a good day once again. After all it beats work hands down.
Until next time. Tight lines

Sunday, February 13, 2011

My Sunday church


I have always said the center console of my boat is my pulpit.

Tight lines