I decided to spend Christmas aboard the Haumana but this time I was accompanied by a fellow fisher, Tamatoa, and we were determined to catch a bonefish. We asked the local population where the best bonefish spot was and they pointed it out to us. We decided to explore the spot the next morning.

The Haumana arrived around 9 a.m. on the spot. So, after breakfast, Tamatoa and I decided to explore the flats on the jet skies. We headed towards the secret flat the locals had told us about with our fly-fishing rod in our hand.

We arrived at one spot but after about 5 minutes I realized that we were in the wrong spot as there were no bonefish to be seen. So we got back onto our jet skies and decided to head in the other direction, towards a secluded motu (islet).

As we were heading toward the motu we noticed a huge flat, very shallow, so we decided to stop and explore. The water was too shallow for our jet skies, so we left them at the edge and walked. I stayed along the edge of the motu as the locals told me the bonefish like to stay in the muddy water. Tamatoa went in the middle of the flat.

Very quickly I saw about 10 bonefish, I was so excited! There were so many swimming around that it was very easy to see them. I now had to catch one.

I tried to catch a bonefish using a pluck fly and I had no success, so I tried with another and I caught one, my first bonefish ever. I was so ecstatic, I had a bonefish at the end of my fly-fishing rod, it was so strong it turned me around 2 times by 180 degrees. I was afraid to break the tippet or the hook, each time he pulled the line I let the line go out with the bonefish. It was such a memorable fight. Once it was over I shouted to Tamatoa to tell him that I caught a bonefish and to come over to hold him in the water as I wanted to keep him alive and take a picture of him but had I left my camera on the yacht.

I quickly jumped on the Jet Ski and went back to the Haumana to get my camera, I returned to the flat where Tamatoa and the bonefish were, we took a picture and then I released the bonefish back in the flat.

This was one of the more memorable days in my life.

Tuanua Degage

Catch your first bonefish with Tahiti Fly Fishing Cruises