|
Fiji, Bora Bora, Tahiti... these exotic names simmer in our subconscious and when heard, conjure up postcard images of lush little islands dotted with swaying palms, warm pale blue waters and nut brown natives in grass skirts. These islands epitomize the romance of the South Seas. and, as luck would have it, the truth is not too far from the fantasy.
What most of us call Tahiti is really French Polynesia, an island nation that sprawls over an area half the size of Europe, but with a total landmass less than one third the size of Connecticut. Like jewels awash in a deep blue sea, French Polynesia is a mixture of volcanic high islands and classic coral atolls. These lush, green volcanic emeralds and dazzling coral sapphires are divided into five magnificent archipelagos: The Society Islands (which include Tahiti), the Tuamotus, the Marquesas, the Australs and the Gambiers. Only six of these 118 islands are larger than 60 square miles, yet some of the largest coral atolls in the world are in French Polynesia with lagoons that stretch more than 50 miles. The northernmost island Hatutu is 1200 miles from the most southern island Rapa. In between, over a hundred other islands ride the azure sea alone, almost 3200 miles away from Australia and 3000 miles away from South America. They doze quietly, light years away from the problems that grip our globe.
While Tahiti is the biggest and most historically interesting island, it is only the jumping off point for anglers interested in exploring this fascinating paradise. In recent years, anglers have begun to venture into some of French Polynesia’s most remote areas. Some reports have been glowing, while other reports have certainly been a bit less than encouraging.
Recently, the hubbub has reached a near din with some angling agencies confidently promising that visiting anglers will find some of the best bonefishing on our big blue ball. Unfortunately, confusion reigns.. abysmal or some of the best angling in the world, what is the piscatorial truth in French Polynesia?
This much is certain, if you want to experience the best of French Polynesia, you must be in contact with people in the know. Anglers who have chartered boats and tried to fish atolls (with reputations for great angling) have been virtually shutout. You may be on the right island, but if you don’t know the right spots, you may very well be disappointed. Bonefish aren’t everywhere. even on flats that may look perfect.
We also are sure of this. if you want to experience one of the world’s most pristine shallow water marine environments, have it all to yourself and be successful, you will have to visit the more sparsely populated and difficult to reach islands. For it is only on the most isolated of atolls that you will find what you seek.
Gorsuch Outfitters has visited Tahanea and Anaa Atolls in the Tuamotu Group. We have also extensively explored Tetiaroa Atoll which is located in the Society Islands of which Tahiti is also a member.
Here are some of the results of our recent explorations in French Polynesia. We hope these reports represent a voice of sanity in a sea of ill-informed assessments and very persuasive marketing.
Tahanea Atoll
We initially chose the Tuamotu Group, which contains 76 of the nation’s 118 islands and has less than 5% (a little more than 12,000 people) of the entire national population, because many of the atolls in this group are protected from overfishing either by geographical isolation or recent government restrictions.
We chose Tahanea based on many successful live-aboard trips over the last two years. We have found Tahanea bonefishing to be, at times, only spotty and fair. The bonefish (ioio or kio kio) are found only in very specific areas. Many delectable white sand flats that have been quite productive on some trips have, at other times, been totally barren. What gives?
Bonefishermen are trained to believe that tides and moon phase are the all-important variables. Pick the right tide and moon phase, have some luck with the weather and get enough sun to see the little buggers and it will all work. this may not be true in French Polynesia. On Tahanea, with tides of only seven inches, the tidal push never seems huge. But if you can see these coral atolls as giant teacups with salty sea water barely sloshing up and over the cup’s thin edges, maybe one of French Polynesia’s angling mysteries is revealed. For what becomes important, in addition to the tides and moon phase, is the swell. If an atoll is in the way of a big swell, lots of seawater flushes over the edges. The teacup becomes full and the water is kept cool. The salinity levels are not concentrated by daily evaporation, especially on the flats where heating is most pronounced due to shallow water and the proximity of solar collecting land masses. If the swell is low, the flats heat up. The tide can’t keep pace and the flats then stagnate. They soon become too salty and too warm. The bonefish and trevally stay away. They hover just off the edge of the flats in the deeper, cooler water tantalizing anglers while they wait for their moment. Wade the edges and you’ll see them make short forays onto the flats only to quickly retreat into the more hospitable turquoise cuts. If you have low water with a small swell on Tahanea, the bonefishing is best in the mornings and sometimes late in the afternoon. But luckily, on Tahanea, there is always a fall-back plan. By late morning, one can abandon the quickly warming flats to pursue bluefin trevally (paichero), giant trevally (uruaita) and striped trevally (manini paichero) in the lagoon. or tuna (thon), grouper, mahi mahi and a host of other species in the wild cuts that supply the meager tides to the atoll.
So is the bonefishing great in French Polynesia? The correct answer is not always, but it is also important to note that it most certainly can be. Should you go to French Polynesia? Absolutely, but only if you like pristine ocean environments, drop-dead beautiful atolls and are happy pursuing a host of other species if the bonefish don’t show up in great numbers. On Tahanea, there are plenty of other species to pursue from bluefin and giant trevally to bonito and yellowfin tuna to mahi mahi and marlin.
As such, Tahanea is more for experienced bonefishermen looking for a mixed bag than for beginners looking to rack up big numbers. It is not Christmas Island, but it is a much more intact ecosystem with generally much healthier fish populations. If you are an angler that has caught lots of bonefish, have learned how to gracefully handle the frustrations and "angst" of the sport and love wild and natural far-flung spots, this may be for you... for there is no more beautiful place to fish. Swaying palms adorn the horizon’s blue sky, while waves crashing on the outer atoll throb like a locomotive idling in a station. The flats are gorgeous, with the white sand edged with magnificent coral reefs. There is no prettier place to catch a bonefish... and those that you see will be big. The average size is 5-6 lbs. These bruisers are strong, naturally wary and take a fly aggressively. These bones are certainly not experienced.
On Tahanea, the fishing for other species is superb, especially for bluefin trevally up to 20 pounds. In fact, we feel confident that quite a few bluefin trevally world records are within your reach. Other species available include giant trevally, grouper, barracuda, bonito, yellowfin tuna, black skipjack tuna, long nosed emperor (oeo), rai, triggerfish, jobfish, mahi mahi and marlin.
If you love to forage from the sea and enjoy the sumptuous "fruits de mer", this may be one of the best places on Earth. Stone crabs, langostine, mantis lobster (each of these collected at night by lantern on the edge of the reef), land crabs, coconut crabs (collected in the jungle), bluefin trevally, mahi mahi and giant clams are all available in good numbers.
On Tahanea, if the bonefishing is not outstanding, other angling opportunities abound and, of course, the scenery is spectacular, the snorkeling some of the best in the world, and the ocean environment absolutely pristine. This is a perfect trip for families and friends.
Anaa Atoll
In the far reaches of the Tuamotu Chain, about as far off the beaten path as you can get in French Polynesia, lays one of the most stunning destinations in the angling world. Beautiful Anaa Atoll has only one small village, no hotels, and is serviced by just one weekly flight from Papeete. (Since this weekly flight departs at 6:30AM on Mondays, you can be fishing by noon!) Anaa Atoll is approximately 18 miles by 4 miles making it twice as large as the Seychelles’ famous St. Francoise Atoll. Anaa is somewhat unusual in that it has not one, but two, pale blue lagoons that are surrounded by stunningly beautiful, hard-bottomed, white sand flats.
Anaa Atoll most certainly qualifies as a pure bonefish destination. In fact, Anaa is the best spot we’ve found so far in French Polynesia for bonefish both in terms of quantity and size. It is rare to find a bonefish on Anaa under 4 lbs. All the bonefish seem to be quite large. The Anaa bonefish average 5 lbs. with 6 to 8 lb. fish being common. Double-digit fish are seen almost every day. These large bonefish materialize out of an intoxicating mix of white sand and shallow water usually as singles or doubles. Rarely, if ever, are schools of bonefish seen.
At times, the "teacup" analogy previously discussed concerning other areas in French Polynesia also applies on Anaa (but maybe not as rigidly as on Tahanea). To reiterate, what becomes important, in addition to the tides and moon phase, is the swell. If an atoll is in the way of a big swell, lots of seawater flushes over the edges. The teacup becomes full. the water is kept cool. If no sufficient swell occurs, the flats heat up at mid-day making morning and evening bonefishing best.
This need to fish hard in the morning is especially true if you visit Anaa during our late fall (which is early summer in French Polynesia). If you travel in our winter months or into the spring (their fall), the flats do not warm up as quickly and good bonefishing continues for most of the day. This makes the prime season for Anaa January to May (if you seek bonefishing all day). If you’re content to pursue other species from about 1:00 PM on, October thru December are great times to visit this remote area.
A typical day on Anaa starts with an early breakfast. The guides will insist that you do not linger over coffee. Raphael and Reuben, the island’s hard working Polynesian guides, will encourage anglers to get up and get going. Their work ethic is tremendous and their gung-ho attitude often outdistances the expectations of even the most diehard of bonefishermen. These guides are fantastic companions with eyes that impress even the most experienced anglers. What they lack in fly fishing skills is more than made up for with enthusiasm and an almost preternatural ability to locate the atoll’s big bones. These guides are very well trained and have an intimate knowledge of Anaa’s two lagoon systems. Head guide and bungalow manager Stephan, along with Reuben and Raphael, use native wooden boats equipped with brand new motors to reach Anaa’s extensive flats. The longest run is 25 minutes. most runs are much shorter. Their native skiffs are entirely adequate given that all of the bonefishing on Anaa is done while wading. It should be noted that Stephan is an expert flyfisherman and guide with a great deal of bonefishing experience gained while guiding in the Seychelles.
In our experience, good anglers average 8-12 fish a day. most are in the 4 lb. range. Bonefish over 10lbs. are routinely seen. There are, at this writing, 32 identified bonefish flats on Anaa. That should be plenty to explore especially since the Anaa operation schedules only four anglers per week. If the bonefishing slows up, giant (up to 20 lbs.), striped and bluefin trevally are found in good numbers on the flats. On the outside of the reef, grouper, red snapper, black skipjack tuna and striped, bluefin and huge giant trevally abound. The search for these other species has barely begun on Anaa and if our experiences on other Polynesian atolls is any indication, we fully expect both tuna and mahi mahi to be found in good numbers on the outside of Anaa’s pristine coral reef.
Anaa’s accommodations are rustic and clean. certainly sufficient for dedicated anglers. The two thatch-roofed bungalows are directly across the road from the beach. The food is excellent with an emphasis on fresh seafood. Anglers can expect deliciously prepared coconut crabs, lobster and steak. Meals are taken on Chef Romana’s lovely porch lending a perfect tropical touch to each and every meal. In our experience, there are few bugs on Anaa. But please, go prepared!
Guests on Anaa are issued brand new cruiser bicycles upon arrival. These bikes provide all your transportation while on the atoll. You’ll ride the quarter mile to Chef Romana’s house for meals. After a delicious breakfast of your choice, you’ll continue on to Raphael’s dock where you begin your fishing day.
Anaa’s flats are hard-bottomed and beautiful. We believe that Anaa is like Tahanea, but with more consistent bonefishing. If your primary goal is remote bonefishing, Anaa should be your first choice in French Polynesia. As such, we’re bullish about Anaa. Anaa is easier to reach than Christmas Island, beautiful and virtually untouched.
Tetiaroa Atoll
In 1962, Marlon Brando filmed "Mutiny on the Bounty" on this beautiful, remote island (yet only 15 minutes by air from Tahiti). After production, he married his co-star, deposited his considerable paycheck and bought the island. Subsequently, Marlon fathered a family, outlawed commercial netting and fishing on his island and built a small lodge, which his wife and children now operate. Here, guests enjoy simple thatch-roofed bungalows shaded by huge coconut palms and cooled by consistent ocean breezes. From the bungalow’s wraparound teak porch, the beautiful, hard-bottomed flats of this lovely atoll are only yards away, perfect for morning or evening diehards.
This paradise of swaying palms, healthy coral reefs, azure cuts and turquoise lagoons is bordered with hard bottomed, excellent white sand flats that hold BIG bonefish. very BIG bonefish! On Tetiaroa, bonefish are not seen in the numbers of the Bahamas or Caribbean, but the average size of the bonefish on Teitiaroa is simply awesome. Florida Keys’ size, but catchable and without the jet skis and crowds. This may be the best spot in the world to get a personal best - even if you’re a world record holder.
Tetiaroa is great for the experienced bonefisherman that has honed his skills on big bones in other parts of the world. Stealth, quick delivery and casting acumen will certainly be rewarded. . . having an itchy trigger finger will not! Let us explain: The Teitiaroa stripping technique is really almost no strip at all. These big bones grow to such mammoth proportions on a diet of worms and sand eels. So after delivery (10 - 15 feet away seems best), a very small strip followed by no additional motion is required. Strip again and your trophy is gone. evaporating into the shimmering blue mix of sky and water leaving you with that distinct feeling that maybe you just kissed your sister. This is not bonefishing for the faint of heart or for those easily frustrated. It is not for anglers seeking quantity over quality. But if you seek a few really big fish in an absolutely stunning locale, this may be your bell ringing.
After the day’s events, you can retire to freshen up in your bungalow’s private bath. Then enjoy a wonderful, very Polynesian meal in the screened dining room. Meals emphasize local seafood and produce. A small bar by the ocean can mix your favorite island drink, or serve you a cold Hinano beer.
Teitiaroa is not fancy, but it is clean, comfortable, incredibly beautiful and of course, there are those BIG bones.
For those anglers wishing to bring a non-angling companion or spouse, Tetiaroa epitomizes all the romance of the South Seas. The snorkeling is absolutely fantastic and the beaches are beautiful. The accommodations are elegantly rustic, the staff friendly and the ambiance very laid-back. We are happy to fill you in on all the details so you can make a proper decision on whether Tetiaroa is right for your non-angler.
In conclusion, we feel that Tetiaroa and Anaa are great bonefish destinations. We also feel that while Tahanea may not be a great bonefish destination, it is a great fishing destination. Maybe one of the best multiple species spots in the world!
Gorsuch Outfitters will continue to explore French Polynesia. There are still a huge number of atolls out there that are essentially unfished and unexplored. Is the next Christmas Island out there? We don’t know.but won’t it be fun finding out?
«
Back to top
2005 PRICES
| 2005 PRICES - Tetiaroa Atoll |
| double occupancy, 2 anglers/guide | $3,150.00 |
| single occupancy, 1 angler/guide | $3,995.00 |
| 2005 PRICES FOR SEVEN NIGHTS/SIX DAYS LIVE-ABOARD CHARTERS |
| Per Person | $4,800.00 |
| Longer or shorter trips are available - check for pricing |
«
Back to top
Terms and Conditions
Your reservation requires a one half (50%) deposit
to hold your space. This deposit is due within 14 days of your booking space.
This deposit is non-refundable, but can be applied to a future trip in any following
12 month period. Final payment must be made 60 days in advance of the start
of your trip. Credit cards are accepted; however, there will be a 4% service
charge for the use of a credit card.
Gorsuch Outfitters acts only as agents for contractors or owners and outfitters,
airlines, charter air, and ground transportation carriers or other services.
Payment of funds for fishing and other Gorsuch Outfitters trips shall be deemed
acceptance and consent of the following conditions. Gorsuch Outfitters or
any of its affiliates or associated companies shall not be held liable for any
loss or damages howsoever caused or arising from services provided by hotels
or lodges, outfitters, guides, means of transportation or other services. Baggage
and personal effects are the sole responsibility of the traveling client at
all times.
|
|
