Kanton Island GT Trip July 2015 (vids added last page 28/09)

[Damien2Rad]

Hi Guys,

I went on a trip of a life time to Kanton Island, part of the Phoenix Island Groups, in the nation of Kiribati and part of the worlds largest marine reserve (Phoenix Islands Protected Area) with Luke Wrysta of Rock Expeditions.

To put it shortly: the fishing was absolutely insane.

Kanton Island was a US Military base during WWII and many artefacts can still be found on the Island, including plane wrecks, ship wrecks, army trucks, a runway, a dilapidated wharf, fuel silos and gen sets. The island has permanent population of 26 and has not been fished by westerners since 1994 by a small group of American fly fishermen.

Our Story:

7 fishermen, 1 captain, 1 crew, 1 Kiribati government official "Observer".

Fishermen: 3 Aussies, 1 Malaysian, 1 Pommie, a Saffa and a bloke from Guam.

Departing Port: Apia Samoa

Distance to destination: ~650nm

Average Speed of Boat: 6.5kn

Transit time to Island: ~100 hours.

Lucky the weather was beautiful. (myself, Luke "Rock" Wrysta, Stewie (UK))

We trolled the whole way and hooked over 10 billfish including a blue, a black and short billed spearfish.

And 2 yellowfin tuna

Which ended up like this:

Any ways, for the 6 days we were on the island the GT fishing was insane with around 160 landed in total, including 52 by Stew alone, and mid 40's for myself and Jimmy (Guam).

The fly fishermen did well on the bones, triggers, GT, napoleon wrasse etc. There are many pics I cannot post due to water marks and them being used in publications, but here's a few GT shots from my camera.

[benno573]

Ffffffffffffffffffffffiretruck....

That looks EPIC.

[Damien2Rad]

Our Vessel. MV Contraband

Stew with a GT

Fighting a GT from the WW2 wharf

30-40kg Napoleon Wrasse

Swimming fish to ensure they swam away strong.

We also caught many other species on popping and other spin gear, including:

Several species of Cod, Coral trout, Long nose Emperor, Blue fin trevally, (BIIIIIIG) Big eye trevally, trigger fish, red bass, barracuda.... And stew got a Land based Dog Tooth Tuna of ~30kg on a Popper. Insane!!

A lot of other great photos from this trip in other places, too.

[Damien2Rad]

All in all, it was the best 2 weeks of my life. The 100 hour steam home was in terrible weather and very uncomfortable. Most of us spent a few days in Samoa enjoying ourselves and doing the tourist thing.

[EZY]

Awesome report damo. Insane fish, you caught all off the beach? Got me interested for next year, will be looking into. Ezy

[Damien2Rad]

We went out through the channel in a timber skiff once and landed 9 gt, a green job fish, a barracuda and a number of red bass. But Kanton Island people aren't very good at taking photos.....

But yes, Ezy; everything else was land based.

[ellicat]

Ripper times !! :woohoo:

Could have only been better if you'd taken me.

[Damien2Rad]

From what I hear Elli, you would have spent the whole 4 days home leaning over the rails....

[ellicat]

Probably 2 on, 2 off, but it'd have been worth it.

How heavy were some of those big suckers ?

[Damien2Rad]

Biggest would have only been 40kg, but we saw proper 50+ fish... just didn't get 'em!

[jon]

Unreal Damo , unreal

[Damien2Rad]

Sef it was absolutely insane. Fish a cast sessions leaving you dripping sweat and absolutely exhausted.

Beers went down bloody well at night I tell you!

[samsteele115]

I've told quite a few people about this trip, it's certainly a fishing dream come true for you guys.

The down side is, how are you meant to enjoy fishing after that? Nothing will beat a trip like that.

[Damien2Rad]

Nothing gets me excited except the thought of going back again!

Nah I still love fishing, even if I have to put in a thousand casts to catch a fish.....

[samsteele115]

But it can't be a "trip of a lifetime" if you go again!!!

Lose much gear on monsters?

[Damien2Rad]

I lost nearly all of my poppers. But not all the monsters, some to not checking knots and gear from day before, some of it my relative "newbie" status, but some where definitely to monsters.

Having 50m runs on an 18k stella, with 130lb braid that you can't pull off the spool even with gloves on.... kinda scary!

[The Mad Hughesy]

insane, just insane

congrats on the trip mate, it looks absolutely wild!

[Luvit]

AMAZING fish and trip.

How many poppers did you lose?

What's with the camera date 2013?

[Damien2Rad]

I don't know how to change it!

Lost.... 4 fcl's, a Glide, a Reef's Edge, 2 Masterbaits and a Narwhal.....

[Luvit]

Ah technology strike again.

9 x lures at average $60 bucks each with hooks.

So many people would love to do a trip like that but money & time kills it for them. I'm one of those people and fact that my arms are at least half the size of yours

I should get in training and get a heavier pen to see if that makes any difference. :silly:

Well done again, good to see you doing it while you can.

[Damien2Rad]

Wayne it's left me in a pretty bad state.

I knew I was coming home to no job, but I had some good leads. I didn't intend on ending up crook and on IV anti biotics for 6 weeks and in hospital for one when I got back. Lesson learnt: Clean coral cuts!

The money I spent on this trip, to me, was worth every cent.

All is well, I've got work lined up for when I get this PICC line taken out of my arm.

[Luvit]

Gees, here we are thinking how good to be you for a few weeks. Now not so sure.

Not the best way to finish your adventure.

Back into to the slog of it all soon enough.

[Damien2Rad]

Here's me looking glamorous in purple, really suits me. Been home for a few weeks now, though.

But, I do have this tube in my arm and have to carry around a bum bag / fanny pack with a pump and antibiotics around for another few weeks.

But this happiness here? Almost worth it!

[old mate]

I don't like you anymore mate, horrible photos.

Na well done mate. A little jealous.

[shaggy]

So so soooo good.

Awesome trip mate

[bersim]

Now that I've had time to read this post I realise how extremely jealous I am!!! Definitely a trip I'll be wanting to do one day! Thanks for the drool worthy photos

[Nog]

Awesome trip mate. Insane fish action there. I still have a slight weeping sore that won't heal two months after going to Kiritimati. Those coral cuts and tropical islands are festy bloody places.

Just make sure you bomb the crap out of those bugs in your body mate.

[Damien2Rad]

Awesome trip mate. Insane fish action there. I still have a slight weeping sore that won't heal two months after going to Kiritimati. Those coral cuts and tropical islands are festy bloody places.

Just make sure you bomb the crap out of those bugs in your body mate.

I just got my PICC line out today but I am on oral antibiotics for another month.

Two of the fly fishermen, Andrew Martin and Richard Morton, have written in depth reports on the fly fishing front in various places if you're interested mate...

Andrew's I think is on a fly fishing forum or maybe magazine I don't know. But Richard has his own blog http://www.flyfishingnation.de/blog/2015/07/long-lost-kanton-trip-report/ and is a great photographer.

[benno573]

Damo - please spare us the upskirt shot next report... :sick: :sick: :sick: :sick: :sick:

[kmcrosby78]

Absolutely mind-blowing Damo, and to catch them landbased even better!! Love the underwater photos and you must have been wrapped to catch that black one - they look sooooo cool!!

[Damien2Rad]

There were legitimate 100lb+ black GT's there... but we didn't hook them, if we did I guess they're to blame for straight hooks and reefings!

[Damien2Rad]

/>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEVm6zZm3nI
/>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=du0yipv-ovQ
/>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkPGGCCwpow

Just a few vids by Jimmy Badong.

I have a few vids on my Facebook and don't have a youtube account.