| June 2000 Report - By Rick GaffneyFor those of us who are obsessed with
fishing for ulua, Midway can easily take on a rather singular focus. In early June,
however, there was a poignant commemoration of Midwayıs history that reminded a number of
us who were on the island, that were it not for the sacrifice of many brave men, we would
probably not have the opportunity to fish her productive waters today. On June 4, a special commemoration ceremony was held on Midway, in memory of one of the most significant and decisive battles in the history of the US Navy: the Battle of Midway, which proved to be the turning point of World War II in the Pacific. The commemoration ceremony was a solemn reminder of an event that can be hard to relate to as one looks out across Midwayıs pristine lagoon today, as albatross soar by, white cumulus clouds turn chartreuse green from the reflection of color off the atollıs clear waters and a new era in Midwayıs history unfolds. No one who visits the unique atoll can help but be caught up in the memory of this important historical event, and annual reminders like the commemoration ceremony will keep future generations aware of the contribution of so many brave men who gave or risked their lives on our behalf. As the day of poignant ceremony wound to a close, the modern business of Midway got back into gear. There were eco-tourists observing the fledging of the islandıs Laysan and black-footed albatross and the amazing synchronous flight of mating white terns and the raucous aerial courtship of red-tailed tropic birds; while divers resumed looking for rare and unique fish and fishermen were pursuing the famed jacks (ulua, papio, omilu, lai, kahala, etc.) of Midway. Midwayıs catch has been taking on more of the flavor of Summer as the cooler waters of the North Pacific Winter and Spring recede and the ocean begins to sustain warmer temperatures. Ahi schools which are a year Œround attraction of Midwayıs prolific waters tend to produce some bigger fish as the Summer months roll around, more and larger marlin seems to enter the catch records and the mixed bag of ono and mahimahi begins to change in both proportion and numbers. Closer to the five mile in diameter ring of coral that marks outer edge of Midway atoll, the catch which until recently included more butaguchi (thick-lipped jack) than ulua begins to change to one in which big ulua are more common. One of the noted features of this yearıs ulua fishery has been the presence of some notably larger fish, some of which are of true tackle busting proportions. After attending the commemoration ceremony my wife and I joined East coast fishing book author and magazine writer Laurie Morrow for a week of fly fishing for ulua and other finny critters. Both Laurie and Jeanette managed to hook ulua around 100 pounds in weight on 12 pound test fly tippets at one point or another, unfortunately neither of those fish were landed as both could have been new womenıs world records. All of us landed and released a number of nice fish on fly rods, including butaguchi of up to about 15 pounds, papio, lai, moi, and even poıo paıa, trumpetfish, stickfish and a couple of other hungry beasts. We also saw some monster omilu and kahala and some huge ulua that teased us by swimming just a few feet below the outboard motors, testing our creativity, patience and resolve, before we finally got a bite. We tried dozens of different flies, broke one 10 weight (Orvis Trident) fly rod, parted dozens of tippets, lost one fly line, had a reel fail (Orvis Odyssey) and lost one monster ulua to a straightened 1/0 hook on a Deceiver. All in all, we had a lot of action. It is always hard to leave Midway, there are more fish to be caught, more clear skies, green-died cumulus clouds, wildlife and fine meals to enjoy, and a week seems like barely enough time to optimize your enjoyment of everything that Midway has to offer. Although some of the Summer fishing schedule on Midway is getting busy, there are still many weeks of fishing available this summer, including special three and four day trips based around special mid-week flights on Aloha Airlines on July 12, August 2, August 30 and September 20. Those special Wednesday flights allow visitors with less than a week of available time to enjoy Midwayıs fishery at reduced rates. Three-day Midway visits are priced from as low as $874.17 per person (double occupancy) for airfare, accommodations and meals. Seven day trips start at just $1322.37/person (double occupancy for airfare, accommodations and three meals a day at your choice of restaurants). Aloha Airlines flies to Midway every Saturday and those specific Wednesdays listed above, and the 2.5 hour flight over the Northwest Hawaiian islands is both comfortable and painless. Alohaıs Midway flights arrive on the island around sunset and leave after dark so visitors have a full 3, 4 or 7 days to get to know the island and the fishery. Shore fishing, small-boat nearshore fishing and big game offshore fishing are all options for visiting anglers. |