Aitutaki Bones

Dear all,

Craig (some of you met him at the now infamous 2012 salt challenge) has just returned from the Cook Is where he spent a couple of days on Aitutaki Is fishing with Itu Davey of Itu's Bones fame.  Please make sure you have a bib with you when you view these photos.  I reckon some of you will be drooling!!

Craig caught 5 fish up to 5lbs and his work colleagues caught fish up to 8lb.  The technique was interesting.  A couple were caught site casting on the flats or drifting in the flats boat, but he said the majority of the big fish were caught in the MILK.  This is deep water, 3-5m deep with schools of Bones up to 15-20lb often encountered.  The schools of fish are large, sometimes upwards of a couple of hundered fish. Its termed the Milk because the fish feeding on the bottom stir up the sediment and from a distance it gives the water a milky appearance. The technique is to cast out a fly on a heavy sinking line and then drift over the feeding fish.  I guess that's called trolling, but for those in the party that had difficulty casting into a 20 knot breeze, it seemed to work a treat.

Happy drooling.

 

That's Itu holding the net!!

Below is from Craig-
Guide
Guide was a local named Itu Davey, http://www.e2sway.com/e2sway/Bonefish_E2s_way.html 
Itu's knowledge of the fishery and skill as a guide was exceptional. He could spot fish that I struggled to locate even when he pointed them out to me. It was a pleasure to spend 3 days on the water with him.

Flies
Flies used with mostly around size 2 and we had a size 2 Gama -SL12S straightened by a Bone so smaller hooks tend not to be used. Average fish size according to Itu is 4-5lb and average of my trip was 5lb. Double figure fish are apparently not uncommon and he is not surprised by 15lb plus fish! We had a couple of fish bust us off which I'd love to have known how big the were!
The main fly used was their local Pink/Orange/Tan/Legs version.. (Top Right) It usually has 4 legs but this one caught a few fish including my first Bone. Used that probably 70% of the time. There was also a brighter variant with legs replaced by fluro orange/green rubber but I lost that one so no pic.
Tried crab patterns for a while but Itu bought me back to his confidence fly and it worked so why change!
Next most common Go To fly was a Gotcha Shrimp Pattern with Orange/White legs. In shallow water the legs were clipped back to body length.
Also used some white Crazies and Clousers with a bit of flash.... all these caught fish at different times but their local pattern dominated time at the end of the leader.

 I had 15lb leaders to start but upgraded to 20lb after a few bust offs and Itu said 30lb in the Milk is not uncommon...



Cheers,

Dion