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Does anyone have any info on locations to fish around Oahu? I'm looking to hook up with some bonefish and/or trevally. Thanks in advance.
Fly Fishing on Oahu
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7 Posts
Alright, thanks guys. I had heard of Coach Duff but was hesitating towards calling him. I didn't know exactly how to call a guy up and say "Hey! I can't afford you, but will you tell me where to fish?" Maybe I'll just wing it.
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20,410 Posts
That could be a good approach. You might be surprised at his response. I normally can't afford to fish with a guide either, but nearly every one I've talked to is a wealth of information and very helpful. Good guides are great people persons! Just from here on the site I have been given great information about gear, patterns, locations, techniques, instruction or general stuff by the likes of Duff, Young, Brazda, Kerr, Triggs, Miyawaki, Kinney, Reimer, Paige and probably more that I have regrettably forgotten in this list. Good luck.
My recommendation would be to figure out a way to afford a day, or half a day, on the water with Coach. Book a walk and wade trip with him the first day you're there and you'll have an idea of where to go, when, what to fish etc. It'll be money well spent! You're going to Oahu! You probably have a little time between now and the time you depart so work a few extra hours, have a garage sale, put some stuff on craiglist, whatever. It's a vacation and a day on the water with the Coach will definately make for some wonderful memories and a step in the right direction.
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337 Posts
What gator said. You are already spending a fair amount of shackles to get their....spend a days worth with a guide and you will learn more than the whole week on your own and likely give you some incite into some decent fishing the rest of the time you are there.
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91 Posts
Check out nervous water flyfishers. They have been doing it the longest on Oahu and have the only fly shop there so it is to thier advantage to give good information. See Clayton Yee, great bonefish guide and nkows the local grounds. Also check out his website.
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393 Posts
Hawaiianflyfisher gave you good info, talk with nervous waters. Going to hawaii and wanting to catch fish should not be the goal, seeing fish and possibly hooking one thats the goal with out a guide and your first trip to hawaii. Drive around and look for flat, the flats are deep bring heavy to light flies with good hooks, 20lb tippet and an 8wt or9wt with extra flyliine. Good luck exploring, and hold on if you hook one it could get bumpy.
Jake
Jake
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32 Posts
So for the past 10 years or so I have been fly fsihing in Hawaii and I have fished on 4 islands and spent a ton of time on Oahu. There are some things that need to be cleared up here.
First, having been in this industry for 20 years, I for a time, tried to send a ton of clients to Nervous Waters, EVERY single one of which came back saying they wouldn't guide them. So gave up trying to help a fellow fly angling business out. This all changed when captains, Coach Duff and Mike Hennessy began trying to run this as a professional, SIGHT CASTING fishery that it is and should be.
To go blind cast here, at Triangle, Hawaii Kai, Hickam (if you can get on it) or Waikiki is doing yourself the largest disservice in the world of fly fishing. That isn't flats fishing, you don't go to the Bahamas, Mexico, Venezuela, Christmas Island or Belize and blind cast to bones, why in the HELL would you do it here? It certainly isn't "Hawaiian Flat Fishing" as I would consider it although I will concede that ignorance is bliss.
At least one of the guides out of Nervous Waters is also guiding illegally by using a boat without a captain's license, let's throw that in the mix as well.
As far as what Hawaii has to offer, I have NEVER seen as large of a bonefish as I have seen here and if you go with a guide from Nervous Waters, you won't see 90% of the fish you are throwing at and most likely not the one or two you might catch accidentally. Plus, the fish in those areas are of OK size, 3-6 pounds with occassionally a larger one but that is not what you should be travelling to Hawaii to target. You should be coming here having earned the right to fish for fish averaging 7-9 on many of the flats not accessible by foot. Don't be impressed with landing a 4 pound bone in Hawaii, those are everywhere in the world and even if you don't hook one, just to see the quantity and size of the bones here is worth the extra dollars for a professionally guided trip.
Having just returned 3 days ago from my 6th trip there in the past year alone, I saw the single largest bonefish I have ever witnessed. Having been within 40 feet of it, my guess is it was in the 45 inch or longer catagory and I would have never even been able to catch a glimpse of this magnificent fish had I relegated myself to being "guided" by these guys at the shop there.
This last trip, I watched a "guide" put a single angler in a spot and he didn't move for 3 hours. That service they are providing is not "guiding", it is simply parking you in a spot and moving you occassionally while they have you launch blind casts into the abyss. Do you want to pay for that?!
I wouldn't spend $50 dollars for that service as you can do the same thing on your own for nothing because you can drive to half of the afore mentioned flats and walk out on to them yourself. If you are serious about this, go with Coach, if not, roll the dice and don't look back but heed the words of saltman, book a guide with a flats boat, only two of them there.
First, having been in this industry for 20 years, I for a time, tried to send a ton of clients to Nervous Waters, EVERY single one of which came back saying they wouldn't guide them. So gave up trying to help a fellow fly angling business out. This all changed when captains, Coach Duff and Mike Hennessy began trying to run this as a professional, SIGHT CASTING fishery that it is and should be.
To go blind cast here, at Triangle, Hawaii Kai, Hickam (if you can get on it) or Waikiki is doing yourself the largest disservice in the world of fly fishing. That isn't flats fishing, you don't go to the Bahamas, Mexico, Venezuela, Christmas Island or Belize and blind cast to bones, why in the HELL would you do it here? It certainly isn't "Hawaiian Flat Fishing" as I would consider it although I will concede that ignorance is bliss.
At least one of the guides out of Nervous Waters is also guiding illegally by using a boat without a captain's license, let's throw that in the mix as well.
As far as what Hawaii has to offer, I have NEVER seen as large of a bonefish as I have seen here and if you go with a guide from Nervous Waters, you won't see 90% of the fish you are throwing at and most likely not the one or two you might catch accidentally. Plus, the fish in those areas are of OK size, 3-6 pounds with occassionally a larger one but that is not what you should be travelling to Hawaii to target. You should be coming here having earned the right to fish for fish averaging 7-9 on many of the flats not accessible by foot. Don't be impressed with landing a 4 pound bone in Hawaii, those are everywhere in the world and even if you don't hook one, just to see the quantity and size of the bones here is worth the extra dollars for a professionally guided trip.
Having just returned 3 days ago from my 6th trip there in the past year alone, I saw the single largest bonefish I have ever witnessed. Having been within 40 feet of it, my guess is it was in the 45 inch or longer catagory and I would have never even been able to catch a glimpse of this magnificent fish had I relegated myself to being "guided" by these guys at the shop there.
This last trip, I watched a "guide" put a single angler in a spot and he didn't move for 3 hours. That service they are providing is not "guiding", it is simply parking you in a spot and moving you occassionally while they have you launch blind casts into the abyss. Do you want to pay for that?!
I wouldn't spend $50 dollars for that service as you can do the same thing on your own for nothing because you can drive to half of the afore mentioned flats and walk out on to them yourself. If you are serious about this, go with Coach, if not, roll the dice and don't look back but heed the words of saltman, book a guide with a flats boat, only two of them there.
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393 Posts
Workintofish,
Do the research and call around and make the best choice for you. I have never blind cast when i went out with the boys at Nervous Waters. The will post you up on a entry point as the tide starts to roll in to cut off fish. Once the tide fills the flat and fish are moving we then walk the flat in search of feeding fish. All sight casting. I am not getting in to a pissing match or an arguement with anyone. Be clear with everyone you talk to that you are interested in sight fishing and sight fishing only. If you like to have a chance and land a fish then try blind casting. I am with Dave on these point, sight fishing bones is the only way to go and to feel a huge fish coming towards you and making a great cast into wind. Thats the drug, now if you land that stud then your one of the lucky few that come out on top of the massive hawaii bones. Good luck and have fun, as you can see once you go you will be back. I go at least once a year and would love to be like some of the few above and travel more then twice in one year. But with guiding all season and moving into a real job for the winters, twice is all I can manage.
Jake
Do the research and call around and make the best choice for you. I have never blind cast when i went out with the boys at Nervous Waters. The will post you up on a entry point as the tide starts to roll in to cut off fish. Once the tide fills the flat and fish are moving we then walk the flat in search of feeding fish. All sight casting. I am not getting in to a pissing match or an arguement with anyone. Be clear with everyone you talk to that you are interested in sight fishing and sight fishing only. If you like to have a chance and land a fish then try blind casting. I am with Dave on these point, sight fishing bones is the only way to go and to feel a huge fish coming towards you and making a great cast into wind. Thats the drug, now if you land that stud then your one of the lucky few that come out on top of the massive hawaii bones. Good luck and have fun, as you can see once you go you will be back. I go at least once a year and would love to be like some of the few above and travel more then twice in one year. But with guiding all season and moving into a real job for the winters, twice is all I can manage.
Jake
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393 Posts
About 5 years ago I was looking into possible guiding in Hawaii and found that the state had no regs on licensing outfiiters and guides. The state doesn't even have a fishing license for res or non res. I could be wrong but I just spent sometime googling outfiitter regs in the state of Hawaii and did not find any info. about what the state wants or need to become a guide. Hawaii needs to do this to receive more money to protect the fishery. Interesting.
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32 Posts
I am not getting into a pissing match here either but...
Yes, you can sight cast on those flats, most of the time I see those guys they are parked and blind casting until the small window of time when the water drains or floods the flat leaving their tails exposed.
Still, the message I want to get across here is I don't think those flats represent what Hawaii has to offer at all, there is so much more there than what anyone strictly walk and wading can offer. I am not against walk and wading, certainly my preferred way to fish flats but on Oahu, the boat experience FAR outweighs the walk and wade as literally miles of new water are at your disposal and at different tide levels and water that doesn't get any where near the pressure those 3 places do and have a much higher percentage of LARGE bones, that is what you are there for, LARGE ones!
As far as guiding there goes, if you put someone in a boat with a motor, and they hand you money, you HAVE to have a coast guard license, in any state, period. I am just sick of people guiding illegally, anywhere and everywhere, including right here in WA. The rest of us jump through all the hoops to be legit while others, cut their prices, only take cash and not report it on taxes and cost the rest of us potential business, don't give the fishery any due respect or portray it as what is REALLY there. In the end, you get what you pay for. Problems with that, come see me because I am dead serious about it.
Those guys want to start to be legal about the services they offer, I will have much less of an issue with them until then I will stick up for those who are not only great guides but also taking it seriously as the profession it is.
Yes, you can sight cast on those flats, most of the time I see those guys they are parked and blind casting until the small window of time when the water drains or floods the flat leaving their tails exposed.
Still, the message I want to get across here is I don't think those flats represent what Hawaii has to offer at all, there is so much more there than what anyone strictly walk and wading can offer. I am not against walk and wading, certainly my preferred way to fish flats but on Oahu, the boat experience FAR outweighs the walk and wade as literally miles of new water are at your disposal and at different tide levels and water that doesn't get any where near the pressure those 3 places do and have a much higher percentage of LARGE bones, that is what you are there for, LARGE ones!
As far as guiding there goes, if you put someone in a boat with a motor, and they hand you money, you HAVE to have a coast guard license, in any state, period. I am just sick of people guiding illegally, anywhere and everywhere, including right here in WA. The rest of us jump through all the hoops to be legit while others, cut their prices, only take cash and not report it on taxes and cost the rest of us potential business, don't give the fishery any due respect or portray it as what is REALLY there. In the end, you get what you pay for. Problems with that, come see me because I am dead serious about it.
Those guys want to start to be legal about the services they offer, I will have much less of an issue with them until then I will stick up for those who are not only great guides but also taking it seriously as the profession it is.
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393 Posts
Boats are helpful for sure and i love fishing from them. I have some buddies that hate fishing from boats to each his own. They use the boat to get to the special spots and then jump out and site cast. As far as legit guides go, I am with you, nothing pisses me off more then a pirate guide. Dave, I wished you got a chance to hook and land that monster, I have seen some very large bones on the islands that i still have nightmares about, tailing gaints get me everytime. Good luck to everyone going, I am trying to get back in the next couple months. Dave how was the weather when you were there? One of my fly shop buddies was there for 14 days but got the cloud and bad tide game. He did alot ove driving trying to find the sun, destination trips were you sight fish suck without the sun.
G
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·this problem is everywhere and after going through the process myself of getting my oupv you realize how often this occurs
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91 Posts
Fished with the owner Clayton for years. Nervous waters is a class act. Before bashing nervous waters you might want to know some history. They are a two man operation and Clayton has been battling cancer and sometimes is very weak and cannot fish or show up at the shop. If the partner has to man the shop no guide is avalible. I have fished with Clayton to many times to count and no blind casting. Bones don't always tail in Hawaii. And a lot of clients can not see a cruising bone, so they have to respond to the guides direction. I'm sure they feel they are blind casting to imaginary fish. I was born and raised in Hawaii and you can wade the flats for double digit bones with tail like any where else in the world if you
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32 Posts
Hawaiian, this is my last post on this so you can say whatever you like.
Before spouting off at the mouth, you might just find out if I know what I am talking about or not. I have also fished with Clayton and Duff at the same time, known about this shop since its inception and while you have had your personal experience with Clayton, I am speaking from my personal experience as well as that of nearly 50 or so clients who have all had the same experience. It isn't that I don't like Clayton as a person and I am aware of his battle with cancer, it is that everyone in this industy at some point arrives at forks in the road. Decisions made at each of these lends itself to a history that is tough to over come, especially from someone in the industry.
Besides this, the other guides on the island are also aware of what they are doing and for all of them to be in agreement as to how they operate and all seen the same issues I have mentioned is not coincidental.
Never said you couldn't wade flats for tailing fish, did you read the post? You can, done it, many times in fact but more often than not the window of opportunity is quite small.
As I said earlier as well, ignorance is bliss. For someone who has done little bonefishing or never been to the islands, they many never know the difference. To me, being a guide means you show your clients the best experience you can offer them in your area and this isn't happening, my opinion. There is so much more there than simply Triangle and Waikiki and to pound those every day, especially with how popular this destination is getting is not good business and is not healthy for the fishery.
As to whether clients think they are casting to imaginary fish, it happens sometimes but mostly my comments have come from being on a the same flat and WATCHING with my own eyes, everything I have spoken of take place.
Refute it, I don't really care because in the end it is just my opinion based on my experience. However, do not ever come at me again with words like that. I know one hell of lot more about what is happening in this industry than you may think. I NEVER go public about anything I am not well versed in unlike so many others on this and other forums.
Before spouting off at the mouth, you might just find out if I know what I am talking about or not. I have also fished with Clayton and Duff at the same time, known about this shop since its inception and while you have had your personal experience with Clayton, I am speaking from my personal experience as well as that of nearly 50 or so clients who have all had the same experience. It isn't that I don't like Clayton as a person and I am aware of his battle with cancer, it is that everyone in this industy at some point arrives at forks in the road. Decisions made at each of these lends itself to a history that is tough to over come, especially from someone in the industry.
Besides this, the other guides on the island are also aware of what they are doing and for all of them to be in agreement as to how they operate and all seen the same issues I have mentioned is not coincidental.
Never said you couldn't wade flats for tailing fish, did you read the post? You can, done it, many times in fact but more often than not the window of opportunity is quite small.
As I said earlier as well, ignorance is bliss. For someone who has done little bonefishing or never been to the islands, they many never know the difference. To me, being a guide means you show your clients the best experience you can offer them in your area and this isn't happening, my opinion. There is so much more there than simply Triangle and Waikiki and to pound those every day, especially with how popular this destination is getting is not good business and is not healthy for the fishery.
As to whether clients think they are casting to imaginary fish, it happens sometimes but mostly my comments have come from being on a the same flat and WATCHING with my own eyes, everything I have spoken of take place.
Refute it, I don't really care because in the end it is just my opinion based on my experience. However, do not ever come at me again with words like that. I know one hell of lot more about what is happening in this industry than you may think. I NEVER go public about anything I am not well versed in unlike so many others on this and other forums.
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