# Fishing Hawaii



## Wildside31T (Feb 13, 2013)

Howdy 2coolers
Just booked my flight to Hawaii for spring break. As of now I'm not sure where we are staying it's some resort in Oahu so I can get the info later. But taking my fly rod and a spinner just trying to get some info on fly fishing from shore on what I can catch and what flys to throw. I'm taking an 8wt so I hope thats fine unless someone has a 9wt I could use haha. I'd appreciate all the info that'd be great!! 

Vince 

P.s if y'all haven't seen or visited fly Tiers dungeon I'd highly suggest it Congo hair ( just like EP) is $1.75 a bag!


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## bigfly55 (Apr 18, 2012)

http://bonefishhawaii.com/


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## TXyakker (Aug 18, 2005)

*hawaii*

There's also another great little fly shop, Nervous Waters

http://www.nervouswaterhawaii.com/default.asp?nc=4460&id=33

I've fished with Ed Tamai a few times and he's awesome. Looks like the other recommendation will be out of a boat, but I'm pretty sure Ed does all wading. The flats I've fished have either been the east side, or up around Kaneohe Bay. I would look into getting some wade booties so you can get out on the flats, you'll need them for walking around out there, the coral will get ya if you try it barefoot.

Have you ever fished bonefish before? I hadn't so I wasn't sure what I was looking for when looking around on the flats, those things are good at hiding!! Good luck man, they've got big bones out there!! Hope you can hook up!


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## Wildside31T (Feb 13, 2013)

We are stayin in Waikiki at the Imperial resort, it's my first time to Hawaii so in pretty stoked. I live in padre so I'm used to redfish and trout. I've google earthed the area and found a wall I can walk out to and fish from unless I can fish from the beach. I got some wading boots I can use out there I may rent a sup board and paddle out for some fish. I'm hoping to get a bone it's my dream on a fly. What should I throw?


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## TXyakker (Aug 18, 2005)

*flies*

I'll make a reminder for myself and take a picture of my flies from out there when I get home. I can't really tell you the names of any of them. Thats the only place I've flyfished for bones, so I just bought flies from their shop. I'm sure some are spin offs of crazy charlies, and some are mantis shrimp type patterns but I really don't know the names of them. Clousers for sure, in some smaller sizes.

Walking out onto a wall would be a good idea just to get yourself out to open water, you'll probably catch blue trivially (papio out there) and other kinds of fish, and possibly bones as well just blind casting.

There are a few Beach Parks along the highway between Diamond Head and Koko Head that should give you access to the flats along them. Either wading or the SUP board will get ya out on them. SUP sounds like a great way to do it, but it could get tricky if the wind is blowing much (you could be setting up to cast to a fish and the wind could keep pushing you, making it more challenging). Good luck!!


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## Wildside31T (Feb 13, 2013)

Yeah I'd appreciate it just to see what kind of patterns to throw. I tie my own flies so I'd be able to make some before I go that would save me some money seeing how I'm still in college! How did you do when you
Went down there?


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## Abrick (Sep 20, 2013)

If a bonefish wont hit a bonefish charlie there is something wrong. Not sure but I would assume the water is probably a little deeper and the current a factor compared to say the bahamas or belize so I would tie some with lead and some with beads. The mylar wrap is the key

best of luck

should be a bunch of jacks and other reef type bruisers out there too which I would rip poppers and two hand strip the hell out a streamer or clouser


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## Malbec (Jul 12, 2009)

*Oahu bonefish*

I hooked up with Greg Moss in Waikiki back in 2007 for some wade fishing for bones in January. We tried the leeward side of the island in the morning, but didn't see any. It was great fishing weather with moderate winds and full sun. In the afternoon we headed to the windward side, but as you can see in the second photo it was completely overcast, but the winds had died down quite a bit.

We finally saw a fish, though (hard to see without sun) -- it was swimming towards us and I made a cast at about 30 feet. Greg said, "you're about 10 feet too far to the right...cast again". I was surprised because I thought I was right on the money. However, like a dutiful client, I picked up and began to cast again. That was when we discovered we were looking at two different bonefish. I really was on the mark with the fish I saw, but wound up spooking both when I picked up my line to recast. Oh well. I hope we can get back to Hawaii some day and try it again.

On a previous trip to Oahu, I had gone snorkeling with my daughter, right off the beach by the hotel, and we found ourselves in the midst of a school of 6 to 8 pound bonefish. After having fished for 4 and 5 pounders in the Bahamas, I was quite surprised by the sight. I didn't even know they had bonefish in the Islands! When I did some research I found out that they're called O'io in Hawaiian, and a discussion I had with a lifeguard earlier in the week finally made sense. He had a spinning rod by his perch which he told me he kept close at hand in case he spotted some O'io. Now I know he was on the lookout for bonefish, so I decided to bring a fly rod with me on my next trip.

Good luck with your fishing! Post some photos!


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## Wildside31T (Feb 13, 2013)

Awesome looking photos, I am so stoked for this upcoming trip. If you don't mind me asking what size fly rod did you have down there? I only have and 8wt with me and I'm taking my spinning rod as well, do you think that should be okay?


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## TXyakker (Aug 18, 2005)

*flies*

Here are some of the flies I picked up from the shop I sent you a link for. Your 8wt will be fine, if you tie into a big bone it will definitely give you a work out, and don't freak out if his first run gets into your backing, I hear they do that. I've only managed 2 small ones  (like a pound) and neither did the classic bonefish thing. I've hooked a few (good ones I presume) because within a second of hooking up the fish took off and either my tippet popped, or I would have a fluorocarbon knot slip on me (tell tale curly cue at the end of your line), so frustrating!!

The first one has rabbit strip I think in both the tail and up top there, gives good motion in the water.


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## Wildside31T (Feb 13, 2013)

*Flies*

This is really helpful appreciate the pictures of the flies. Im hoping I can get into some bonefish or something I've never caught before in South Padre. Waiting on my tying stuff to come in so I can start tying some patterns. Also I've looked all over the net to make sure I can fish that part of the beck where we are staying and haven't seen anything saying I can't fish it. Do you know if there is any regulations as far as a fishing permit or anything I would need down there, I read that the island doesn't require you to have a fishing license for saltwater.


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## TXyakker (Aug 18, 2005)

*hawaii*

I really can't remember about the whole license thing. Its been a few years. Just googled it and you don't need one. As long as you're not fishing in a "prohibited area" then you're good. Make sure you have small clousers, in case you do want to fish off the wall like you were talking about. Dropping one of those into deeper water could produce who knows what!


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## Wildside31T (Feb 13, 2013)

Awesome really appreciate all the I do y'all are giving me. I'm so stoked about this trip in march I'm ready to get outta college station for a while.


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## TXyakker (Aug 18, 2005)

Only thing left to do now is tie some flies and pray for sunshine and light winds! haha. Have fun!!


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## Malbec (Jul 12, 2009)

Wildside31T said:


> Awesome looking photos, I am so stoked for this upcoming trip. If you don't mind me asking what size fly rod did you have down there? I only have and 8wt with me and I'm taking my spinning rod as well, do you think that should be okay?


I'm most comfortable with an 8-weight, probably because it's what I use most often down on the coast, however, for this trip I brought my 9-weight. It just happens to be a 5-piece rod and it packs smaller than my 4-piece 8-weight rods. I think you would be OK with either one.

I took a few standard bonefish flies with me, but Greg tied on a fly of his own creation. I seem to remember it was more of a shrimp pattern than a "gotcha" or a "charlie", and it was more of a "root beer" or darker brown color than the typical tan colors used on the sand flats of the Bahamas. On the Waikiki side of the island we fished an area that had more of a coral bottom, instead of sand. At the end of the day I asked Greg if I could take a photo of the fly but he said "no, no photos". Kind of surprising, 'cause if you go with a guide on the Texas coast, like Fred Lynch, he'll let you keep the fly.


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## Wildside31T (Feb 13, 2013)

You think any standard crab patterns will work down there? I'm just waiting on my shipment of tying materials to be at my front door. I'm ready for a weekend of no school work and just tying flies I love it. I've made a standard shrimp pattern before that's got a dark root beer color to it I make take that one just to see what happens. I got a moniker vise so I can tie while I'm there. Also got some small EP solid white baitfish that bass love an some redfish have taking a liking to don't know how well the ep baitfish would work done there on bones.


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## TXyakker (Aug 18, 2005)

They should, maybe in a little smaller sizes than for reds. Gotta try and match the hatch and I don't think they have juvenile blue crabs and stuff out there on the islands (but I could be wrong). Although, with some of the bigger bones out there who knows. Definitely bring other flies to try out. I had a hook up (and quick break off) on a redfish fly that I just tried out of frustration because nothing else seemed to be working. 

The EP fly might work better fishing deeper areas just blind casting, if you find any areas like that.


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## 2thDr (Jan 25, 2014)

No lic. required for saltwater. Not much freshwater fishing there. Lots of interesting fish you will not recognize. Charlies and clousers, a few deceivers. You will see some larger varieties of jacks, but bones are very difficult to see there. Most water will be deep for sightfishing. If you can swing it, there is a flyshop in town that can set you up with a guide. What the heck, it might be the difference between catching a big bone and getting a few strange little fish with lots of teeth. You will have fun either way. Have a great trip! Class of 75.


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## Wildside31T (Feb 13, 2013)

I called our resort last night ( 3pm) there time. They said fishing is allowed on that part of Waikiki beach. He also said there is a wall like I mentioined earlier hat people are catching fish from. He said some small ahi were caught there the other day but I'm thinking maybe they were Bonita. Oi'o or bonefish were also pretty tight in that area. He said there's a place I can wade out to that's about knee deep. If I do it in the morning he said they catch then all times of the day so I'm praying for good luck and calm winds. Just ordered a new orvis Clearwater for the trip. Also got a SUP rented out for the week so in going guilders in search of my first bone ever!! 

Thanks for all the help guys it's really appreciated!


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## Coconut Groves (Nov 2, 2011)

Bones are definitely tough there - reach out to the local shops and guides mentioned. A one bonefish day there is an accomplishment. Two bones is an excellent day. That means there are less overall shots and when you do see one, your cast has to be on the money. Like others have said, the water can be deeper there too, which makes it even tougher.

There are other species to target though - I didn't get bones while I was there (didn't even see any), but caught lots of jacks and other things.


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## Wildside31T (Feb 13, 2013)

Had a late night study session for my first test of my last semester of college at A&M took a break and tied an ep still gettin it down but thought this one was a pretty cool pattern. It's a first for me with the micro-glow. Maybe it'll bring someone some good trout action during the summer fishing lights. Or maybe a night time or early morning fish in Hawaii!


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## nsea (Feb 25, 2013)

I was just there for work in November and was able to make time for a trip with Joaquin DeNolfo ([email protected]), good guy, really knows his stuff and was very flexible. Even though he catches more bones than a lot of guides on the island, he isn't your typical bone fishing guide. We fished out of his small boston whaler in deeper water, where the big fish roam and for half of the time I was blind casting in 3-4' of water. I did end up catching one while sight fishing but I blew 8 other chances before I got that one. We were fishing near the end of the Oahu airport runway and was actually accessible by kayak or SUP but in the end I attribute all of the fish to the guide's know how and expertise they are usually worth the money. PM me and I'll give some more details.


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## nsea (Feb 25, 2013)

Just a sample of you might expect. Also, go with the 8wt if you have a good reel. This one took 100' yards of backing really quick. It was awesome.


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## Wildside31T (Feb 13, 2013)

Thats an awesome looking O'io, Im hoping I can get into at least one! what type of flies were working down there any crab pattern or just crazy charlie flies?


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## nsea (Feb 25, 2013)

Basically an orange crazy charlie. It was the guides own recipe and he called it an orange crush but it was basically an orange crazy charlie with some extra appendages. He had a ton of them tied in all sorts of colors but said the orange out fishes all others.


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## Wildside31T (Feb 13, 2013)

The count down has started with a week and ine day till I will be touching down in Honolulu. Pretty stoked about it, been in contact with nervous water and some friends of mine that live down there as well. So far I only have two dasy of scheduled things which include a full day offshore and hiking the rest of the week will be spent bonefishing. I've got some good patterns from locals as well as guides that I've been in contact with so needless to say my school work has been set aside for the vise.


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## Wildside31T (Feb 13, 2013)

*Aloha from Hawaii*

Well as I'm sitting in Honolulu airport about to embark on my journey back to the main land ( I really do not want to leave) but college is calling my name again, unfortunately. The little over a week spent on the island of Oahu was unexplainable, it was the most amazing experience. Coming from south padre I was used to clear water but stepping foot out on Manalua Bay, now that was clear water! It's a different experience sight fishing for bones on the coral flats going from waist deep water then three steps later it's ankle deep coral. I wish I took the time to hire a guide just to learn the ways of fishing down on the islands. I researched the areas before hand and found out where to fish via web, and some friends that live down here as well. I fished off the rocks or jetty for the first couple days, missing bonefish shots a few GT's and I managed to catch a plethora of trumpet fish. The jetty was standing in 3-6 feet of water depending on the tides but it's a challenge with plenty of people trying to SUP and just splash around. The wind was a huge factor making double hauls a challenge but just looking around and seeing diamond head crater to the left was just a spectacular view. Wednesday morning came around an I had three hours to spare so I hopped on a rented scooter and headed towards Manalua Bay, with walmart bought Tibi's I headed out with the gf and fly fished the coral flats. One hour then two hours and nothing but bonefish scattering away. Schools of 200+ Hawaiian mullet surfing the incoming tide, the last half hour went by as I was making my way back empty handed when a aqua color caught my eye, there it was 45 yards out swimming to the left with the wind I casted my hand tied craft fur shrimp in front of him and have it one short strip and off he went! Five minuet fight I will never forget, my first bonefish on fly not in Belize or the Bahamas but in Hawaii!! As the Hawaiian say Mahalo!! Enjoy the photos video coming soon, about to board this flight.


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## Wildside31T (Feb 13, 2013)

Bonefish


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## TXyakker (Aug 18, 2005)

Yeaaaaa!!!!!! Way to go man


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## Unbound (Jul 12, 2004)

Awesome!


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## nsea (Feb 25, 2013)

Nice.


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