We were out at the Huff Dam area. It is an interesting place with lots of long shelves (with lots of Snapper) and Phil, the guide and I were walking back to the truck to head home.
To get out to the Huff Dam area you have to get a permit and then you drive past alllll sorts of birds. So, I have some bird pictures.
I had just been prospecting for GTs and had hooked one, briefly, on a popper. I don’t know how big that fish was, but it was a big popper and it pulled hard for the 5 seconds I had it on. I had also caught a small GT and small Bluefin, in addition to some excellent bonefish action and several, several blown trigger shots.
I figured I might as well at least have a look over the ledge as we were walking back. This one was particularly straight, as I recall.
There, about 150 feet ahead, just holding, was a laid up GT. It was a big one, maybe 60 pounds. It wasn’t really moving much, just hanging out. The guide later said they sometimes do that, waiting for some little snapper to wander out and not pay attention, becoming part of the circle of life and death on the flats.
There was a thought the GT might have been looking slightly away and so I wanted to get ahead of it. I started running on the elevated stone shelf. Well, with my first running step the fish blew out. It had heard me through the ground (I am not a small, light guy). So, we all learned a thing right there. They can feel the vibrations and know what is up if you aren’t careful.
Luckily the fish only spooked about 20 feet and then started slowing coming my way.
I got down in the water (you can’t really cast well on those shelves, as there are all sorts of little grabby bumps and the edge can be pretty sharp) and I started pulling off line. I had a window of time to get things set up.
I was still using the popper and I threw it out in front of the fish. Pop, pop, pop and it appeared to look at it, but it didn’t get excited about it. Another cast, pulling the popper in front of the fish and it… just… didn’t seem to care.
And then it went away.
Later, Ari would tell me that she likes poppers for prospecting, but if you have a fish in front of you, she likes a baitfish pattern. So, keep that in mind.
I’ll be thinking about that fish for a long, long time. It was the shot of a lifetime.
Tags: Christmas Island, flyfishing, GT, Xmas Island
