Fantastic and evocative pictures from New Caledonia again Luke!
For me it's just the perfect destination for chasing GT's, and for us in Australia it's right on our doorstep.
Whilst Jay is quite right in saying that NC can be very temperamental and you feel at times you need divine intervention for things to move in your favour, I agree with what you say..."it's not meant to be easy"...
I've had to keep reminding myself of that on I don't know how many occasions in New Cal, when the wind is totally wrong, cyclones appear out of season, the Kanaks may seem a touch hostile, or just plain exhaustion from continual casting in 40 degree temps finally gets to you, but persevere with New Caledonia and you will be amply rewarded.
It's all there! You're targeting GT's but the by-catch can be amazing....huge coral trout, red bass in pest proportions, and grouper that belong in a nightmare erupting on surface poppers.
And all along you know that on what is the world's largest continuous barrier reef "there be monsters". Sooner or later your perseverance and the path of those monsters will intersect and then all bets are off and its down to your ability, the integrity of your connections and a very large dollop of luck!
I guess that's what draws us to GT fishing, where a lot of the time the fish beats us. That's what makes it so special when you actually win. For me New Caledonia really encapsulates that essence of GT fishing, it's challenges and also its rewards. Your pictures really reminded me of that.
Thanks Luke.
Thanks Malcolm,
There's nothing I can elaborate or expand on from your points. You've summed it up beautifully.
Luke
