ROCK EXPEDITIONS "FRONTIER REEFS"
Wild Reef Camps November 2013 Trip ReportLouisiade Archipelago, Papua New Guinea
INFORMATION PACK: [email protected]IntroductionThere aren't too many places left on this planet that remain untouched and free from the influences of the modern world. The outer-lying islands of Milne Bay province present not only an abundance of wild experiences for any adventure seeker worth their salt but also a number of logistical and operational conundrums that have since kept the Louisiades Archipelago extremely difficult to access with any practicality.
So what does an international GT (Giant Trevally) guide look for in a destination? Answering that for you in detail might give away too many secrets but some of the basics include healthy, balanced reef eco-systems, plentiful fish-holding structures, reliable fuel supply, all-weather fishing options and local support on the ground from key personnel and the community, just to name a few. PNG ticks all of these boxes and the most important box of all, safety in conjunction with community assistance and benefit. Without those two key elements, we would not be able to write about the amazing fishing experiences discovered thus far.
In conjunction with the friendly people of the Louisiade Archipelago, we achieved the staggering exercise of exploring and canvassing hundreds of coral reefs, bommies, atolls, sand cays and islets - encountering monster GT, bully Dogtooth, Coral Trout and Napoleon Wrasse.Throw into the mix Humpheaded Parrot fish, Trigger fish and several unverified sightings of Bonefish on the flats.
It's with much of this inspiration and the pure desire to 'search' that this conquest was conceived. Exploring nautical charts over a beer has always yielded the same conclusion. The most significant formation of coral reef systems (only rivalling by sheer physical size) after that of Australia's Great Barrier Reef and New Caledonia's Grande Barrier has clearly pointed to the Louisiade Archipelago, which makes up part of the natural wonder, the Coral Triangle. On recollection, the best part of ten years has been spent canvasing nautical charts, departmental contacts and Google Earth in order to find unadulterated, epic fishing of this nature!
As with most remote locations, they aren't without their challenges. Permission, logistics, infrastructure and weather usually never align. Then there is coming to terms with a possible failed investment; that's what exploratory fishing is all about. You sometimes win and the risk of losing is high.
We finally had a win. The union of anglers versus the giant toothed beasts will forever be scorched into our memories. There's still plenty more to come!
The JourneyI had the pleasure of joining my frieds Mitchell Anick, Jono Moir and Kurt Kiggins. Enjoying the last cold beverage and western meal for quite some time, the team mulled over nautical charts, GPS devices and rudimentary diagrams of unsurveyed waters. The excitement of the unknown was building amoungst the group.
Arriving safely in Port Moresby, the boys anxiously cast their eyes over the brightly coloured rod tubes and waterproof expedition bags. This exercise would take place another several times as the odds of an 'equipment fatality' or loss was increasing the closer we arrived to our destination. Any problems here or issues with connecting flights would most likely render the expedition a failure; the destination barely serviced once a week by a twin-prop that had seen better days many a moon ago.
The cheerful smile of Cuptea could be seen like the brightest of beacons, accented by a tinge of Betelnut. Cuptea and I had laboured with the intermittent phone coverage of the island to coordinate the massive logistical operation in a matter of months. After so many kilometres travelled, it seemed that Cuptea was more excited to see us than we were to arrive safely, with all equipment and adventure spirit in tow. Despite the fact we had never seen each other, not even a picture, we instantly knew who Cuptea was amongst the growing arrival party leaning against the galvanised fence. Such a warm welcome would be a sign of the hospitality to come. We had plans to move to the first island camp, but the weather forced us to spend the night in Misima; but it was a great experince to hang with the locals. To still endure another 12 hours before next light, morning couldn't come soon enough.
Day OneTo say we were anxious was an understatement, there remained many kilometres yet to navigate to the first island camp before we could remove rods from travel tubes. It definitely makes one excitable when you are surfing between "clouds" of flying fish, boy was the casting arm twitching! We could've had baskets of fried micro flying fish right up to solid 800g studs for mains, as fish scattered over the deck of our open pacific style long-boats.
The hull hit the sand softly. The combination of eroded coral and silky sand create that hallmark crunch that only a fisherman knows the sound and feeling of. With temperatures already in the 30's, we took a brief time-out to enjoy a beer on the coral flats.
Cans of South Pacific Export beer made short work of the tropical humidity, for a few minutes at least. With the sun beaming, exposing fifty shades of blue, the boys rushed to prepare tackle with as minimal sand intrusion as possible. A mysterious break in the jungle foliage caught my eye, peering through to the other side of the atoll and the azure waters building upon the flats. We will have to save encounters with 100lb Humpheaded Parrots and tailing Napoleons on the flats for another time.
The plan was simple, focus on the points, passages and pressure points. Fish the biggest runs during the new moon building tides and jig during the slack or at any prime moment in the deep water off the passages. Light tackle and fly could be used at any time we felt we deserved a break. We had plenty of country to explore, the itinerary covering no less than a dozen islands and atolls covering over 100 square kilometres over a 10 day itinerary.
The first GT encounter of the expedition would be one to never forget. I can still feel the searing heat radiate through my casting gloves as I tried, in vain, to stop the monster. Two black sea monsters ploughed through the pressure wave in formation, their mouths agape ready to strike. Turning side-on to expose their massive flank, they were going to consume that popper head-on. Kill shot. I asked myself: Am I allowed to hook the smaller of these two beasts?, I asked myself. The sight was truly terrifying although the adrenalin really had me wanting to connect to the biggest GT and do battle!
This typical GT haunt was comprised of a long peninsula-like reef, shallowing into a sandy bar as the feature wrapped around to the south. With current pushing directly across the point, the turbulent water formed a silky smooth pressure flow obvious on the back edge. The GTs were hunting along this reef and between the gutter and sandbar. It was like GT-101; straight out of a text book.
The competitive and ferocious nature of the species is what attracts most anglers to the pursuit of topwater casting. Slowing the popper to account for the additional resistance the current was creating, two monsters appeared with fury. Knocking the popper sky-high, the first fish was easily of 100 pound ilk. This is where an experienced topwater angler can recover the popper without winding a million miles an hour with all sorts of cartwheels and clusters, the key is to keep it in the zone. Lower the rod tip but keep your enticement moving, drop the tip and slow down for chop and waves. Cue smaller fish to steal the popper! Usually, this the time that the younger, smaller and insanely energetic junior fish steals the show, however, this wasn't to be. The beast sucked in the lure with extraordinary ease, setting the hooks almost seemed arbitrary.
The Enduro motor shuddered as it fired into life. Clank! Into the gear with as much grace as a sledgehammer, we picked up a frantic speed to put some pressure on the fish and distance from the reef. The heavy drag seemed to do nothing. My hand was burning as I applied a manual brake. The situation was near panic. Kurt watched in awe as the beast continued to dump the spool at a rate of knots. And with that, the near-empty Stella and I fell backwards as the GT earned his freedom. GT spoolings, although rare, can and will occur on mega-sized fish.
Daily DramaThe coming days would see all forms of lure casting and deep water jigging take place. Reading the water and making educated decisions on fishing strategy is so important when fishing in unexplored areas, the charts were mostly illustrations of the islands and the distances in-between.
Heading out with gusto, Mitchell and Kurt had no idea of the session that awaited them. Clusters of birds loitered around the passages, incomprehensible masses of water flowed between the gateway reefs. The boatman, simply known as 'Peter' calmly announced that the Dogtooth have come to surface feed. "Yes, every day..." he exclaimed.
Peering over the side, gin-clear water revealed an assortment of large Dogtooth and GT idling in the current. A spectacular sight for the eyes when you can see shoals below. Some serious hand to hand combat was to take place and some wonderful memories recorded. Lines peeling off with rooster tails, warped hooks and bent gaffs. The afternoon would be won by the explorers with most fish over the 80lb mark hitting the deck.
Navigating through the lumpy reef passage to the open ocean, I fell awkwardly. A wayward swell appeared from nowhere sending me to the deck. With my forearm bleeding profusely, Jono promptly and calmly applied pressure to the wound. He dressed the wound with pressure and some gaff tape; is there anything that stuff can't do? Deliberate movements are just as important and paramount as a well-stocked first aid kit. Never explore without one!
This unfortunate moment was merely a small footnote. I instructed the excitable operators to set up the drift. We would move latterly to the reef edge using the current, now in full flow. This would all occur a mere 500 metres beyond the island camp, just beyond the flats. Fusiliers made the nervous beeline past the reef point, the unfortunate lemmings of the marine world. They won't last long.
The broad shoulders of a Dogtooth appeared calmly beyond the oily flat surface tension of the reef edge. The beast swiped! Miss! And with that he vanished from view, deep below. A school of above averaged Bluefin swiped menacingly at the stickbait whilst Jono frantically retrieved. The display during that was cast was electrifying, and at that, only the first cast. The crazy notion is to remove the enticing stickbait from the jaws of a stunningly beautiful sportfish in order to place it in more suitable, scary and sharper jaws. Crazy huh?
The second cast was a different story. The beast was no longer alone! Swiping viciously at stickbait offerings without precision. Several casts later, Jono was quickly brought to his knees on a fish that would give triple digits a run. Sweat pouring off the brow and orders barked at the crew to start the boat, he was losing line, fast. A monster dogtooth run is truly impressive and deserves the sizzling reputation they intimidatingly command. Retrieving the lifeless braid seemed to take forever.
The fish clamped big jaws around the fusilier stickbait. One of the fabled GT-y stickbaits made by Carpenter. He was literally sawing, grinding and attempting to destroy the stickbait that I hold so dear and pay such a premium for. I wanted it back and the Dog trophy to match! And with several thundering strikes the hooks found some purchase and the big Dog began to dive. Settling into fighting position by bending the knees and dropping the backside. It's important to keep the back posture straight, straighten your prevailing arm so that your torso can settle comfortably, mirrored against the curved load of the rod.
The battle was fierce and rapid. The boys heaved the Dog onto the deck. The beast glistened in the sun, a beautiful brown hue complimented by a silver flank with all manner of intricate markings. This special fish was honoured by feeding the family of the atoll chain custodians.
I don't think I've ever heard of anyone saying they were "Sick of catching big Dogtooth". This day, it was said, many times! We saved that point on our charts and GPS devices and named it accordingly; Dog Point.
It's hard to recount the incredible experiences and spectacles encountered in a short article. Looking back on the trip, it was a huge and resounding success but so easily could've gone the other way. This is what explorers do and must make peace with at the end of the day. Our fuel calculations done on napkins at the pub some years ago reminded me of a time when we never thought we would get this far!
It has been truly refreshing to meet people that are undeniably proud of their nation and want to promote its tourism. The key is painting a bigger picture that holds the best interests of the traditional resource owners, the community and the beautiful, virgin wilderness in focus. In conjunction with PNG company, S.I.R.I. (South Islands Resource Industries) we are working on the best methodology to deliver amazing fishing experiences whilst ensuring community interest and benefit is priority. Key meetings in the archipelago with ward councillors, provincial figureheads and key resource owners, together we are working to determine the best way to deliver the benefit to the people. Without them, the project would be impossible.
The crew was a friendly, knowledgeable and encouragable bunch. Thriving off our unique fishing practices and mission to travel thousands of kilometres to fish their extraordinary waters. Equally, we thrived off their warm nature and pure ability to go anywhere and do anything in this land with nothing but the clothes on their back, a bush knife and a little bit of fuel. Charlie had coordinated all resource owner liaising, food preparations, logistics and fuel dumps with amazing precision, a true testament and character of this incredible region. We would sit around the roaring beach fire at night discussing the potential to explore even further. The results achieved in a couple days already turbo-charged my brain with even bigger and crazier plans to push the boundaries of exploratory angling; monsters await. Behind the scenes we also thank Ian, Maxine and the resource owners we have met face to face and shared many stories with!
Big plans are currently being cultivated with the relevant government departments, traditional owners and their community and S.I.R.I. to deliver specialist fishing experiences (specialising in topwater popping & stickbaiting, jigging and fly-fishing) in a wild expedition format.
The key to this wild destination will be to keep it frozen in its current moment. We are merely guests who wish to experience a piece of their beautiful, untouched world. We will bring our experience in remote expeditioning to support for sustainable flow of anglers that are looking for the next pinnacle in the fishing world, off the beaten track.
Prepared by Luke Wyrsta | ROCK Expeditions | November 2013
INFORMATION PACK:
[email protected]
My Napoleon Wrasse Release Video! http://vimeo.com/78873441
The Bird that got us there...
Mitchell, Luke, the traditional Island owner & Jono enjoying some PNG Export beer.
We were to find a visual feast for the eyes of coral, bommies and crystal clear water on the first morning...
Our first meal - Painted Reef Lobster & Fried Plantains
Deep Blue water meets with islet coral flats...enroute to a new fishing spot
I hate these things, but they do make a nice photo
The first GT to come over the gunwhale...
Kurt's first ever GT - he will never forget this!
Kurt releasing his first GT
Breakfasts always had a tropical twist...
The first fish Jono caught on the first day. A positive sign of some very healthy reef ecosystems...
Rainbow Runners everywhere...Dogtooth Candy
A modest Dogtooth...pests to be honest. Most on topwater...
Mitchell putting some back into a big Dogtooth that ended up reefing him...
Not normally a Vegemite fan...perhaps the heat had something to do with it
Dogtooth on the Jig for Kurt. He lost some monsters...
Red Bass...Pests as USUAL
The Bluefin Trevally were feeding side by side with big Dogs. It was amazing. I'm sure a few go down the gullet of those Dogtooth!
Another sign of a healthy reef ecosystem. Big Trout!
Mitchell with an awesome Topwater Dogtooth!
Two of the better Dogtooth landed on the trip. All on Topwater.
Mitchell with a big GT that slammed a Moutoukenmaru Minopen-maru. The strike in gin-clear water was spectacular... Whilst the GTs were coming off the deepwater ledge and hunting close into the shallow shoals and bomboras, mere metres away...current sweeping over at a rate of knots.
Not too bad for a first time GT angler. Kurt with a beast of a GT. Shaking with excitement, he fell backwards, overboard, whilst I had just pulled his fish onto the deck. Well done bloke!
A cool still from one of the Go Pro videos...
The species diversity was incredible...as were the sizes!
Jono's huge Mackerel. The angle does not do it justice - every bit of 35kg +
The point was hot to trot as was the weather! Dogs, Macks, Trout, Bluefin, Jobfish....all hunting on the shallow bommies...
The Coral Trout usually came in attacks of 5!
Jono with a nice GT! He straightened a Shogun 10/0 Trebel into a TRIDENT on a MONSTER GT the next cast. That was a 50 Club for sure...
Another beautiful Coral Trout. Every Trout was caught on topwater...
A cheeky local boy posing with one of the many Bluefin Trevally. This Bluefin was promptly dispatched and taken over to the hot coals for smoking!
A nice Dog for Jono on topwater. Gamma doing the damage yet again...
Mitchell with a rascal sized GT. I proceeded to enter the water after this capture... story to come.
No effort needed for the Bluefin Trevally to show off...simply beautiful. Caught on a Doctorhook Lures School Bully 28g.
Jono tombstoning another top Dogtooth on stickbait. He is the Dogtooth master!
PNG Island sunsets...365 Days a Year!
