Wow, its taking a while for my head to come back from this trip to Aitutaki in the Cook Islands. What a place! Crystal clear water, palm trees and huge fish willing to eat a well-presented fly – what more do you need!
After a super early start my fishing buddy and Aitutaki veteran, Will Preece and I were touching down for an extremely warm Airport greeting by Butch and family and our main man Dean. Instantly, it felt homely, almost like we hadn’t even left. Straight to the Boatshed Bar and Grill for a cold one, to catch up, by a licence and then talk fishing plans.
The following day we set off to the motu for our Robinson Crusoe style fly fishing adventure, for constant fishing, coconut marauding and a chance just to slow down and foget the rush of the city.
A multitude of trevally and bone fish made the city drift away into distant memory as we made the islands home!
Each day, the flats were alive and we fished morning till night only stopping for swims, cold drinks and quality island cooked meals.
Out of all the memories from this trip, I have to say, witnessing a plus Giant Trevally charging down the flat at you is a sight to behold and one that we were lucky enough to have a few shots at. Seeing one turn and monster Will’s Clouser is a moment I won’t forget in a hurry, nor the 43 minute fight on his Traper Silence SW 9wt flats rod, with the monster 3 feet from the net. The moment the hook snapped, though, ouch! Luckily he had already landed one on the big guns the evening before, so we were able to laugh this one off and just enjoy the whole experience.
The bonefish were amazing; their moods changing as the days progressed. Sometimes mega spooky and at other times inquisitive; downright lethargic to ready to pounce, these can be some cagey fish but when they hit, that moment when the weight comes on the and “here we go!” begins, it’s pure adrenaline, fuelling that feeling of chasing the dragon for your next take.
I was totally in the groove with my Traper 8wt and casting on point when a sneaky crosswind taught me a lesson for not changing shoulders. After this I pulled out the trusty backup, my king fish fighting Predator 8wt rod and after a few casts, it proved its worth in the tropics as a bulletproof fish catcher. The Prestige Pro full caged reel prooved awesome for high backing capacity bonefishing with my bonefish of the trip ripping off around 230m of line and me having double that remaining, for a 7/9 reel that is a major bonus for peace of mind! Sadly that one was still green with energy when it kicked out of my hand with an explosion just as I was about to take a photo and all I could do was laugh about it. There’s always a next time!
The Shield Saltwater reel my usual mainstay also proved its worth once again. The camo blue UV gloves were super comfortable and were great for holding some of the more spiky looking reef fish I picked up.
Catching up with Butch back on the mainland made for great yarns and his sharp eye and wealth of knowledge from years on the flats taught us both some great lessons on bonefish patterns and stalking. If you are up to the challenge of full flats stalking with a real bonefish nut, who has never lost the passion for spotting and targeting these ghosts of the flats, check out and have a wade with Butch Blue Lagoon Fly Fishing (Facebook).
