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Midway for a Day |
Story by
Mike House
As Aloha Airlines flight 475 touched down safely on the runway and slowed to taxi speed,
the plane suddenly veered a little bit right, then back to the left. A moment later, the
captain hit the brakes hard, bringing the 737 to a fairly abrupt, but well-controlled
halt. Alone in total darkness on a runway somewhere in the Pacific, the passengers looked
at each other with a somewhat puzzled look, wondering if we were at the gate or if there
was some type of problem."Ladies and
Gentlemen," came the reassuring voice over the public address. "Just sit tight
for a moment, we’re still not at the terminal yet. There are a couple of birds on the
runway that we have to wait for." To this, the enthusiastic crowd began to chuckle
with an obliging tone, almost as if this evasive maneuver was part of the show we’d
been a part of for several hours. But as a Laysan Albatross loped across the runway and
came into view in the landing light on the left side of the aircraft, the chuckles soon
turned into shouts of unabated laughter. George, as all the Albatross are affectionately
named on Midway, had welcomed us to his home, but immediately let us know who was boss. |
A sampling of the many birds on Midway
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Such is the daily routine on Midway, where
some two million birds rule the roost and claim absolute right of way over humans at every
intersection, walkway, lawn, and even the runway. Our tour, reserved for guests of Midway
Phoenix Corporation, Aloha Airlines, and Destination: PACIFIC, began with the US Fish and
Wildlife Service presenting a video about our pending trip to this famous atoll in the
Pacific. The footage in the made-for-TV documentary was spectacular and exceptionally well
produced, yet it only showed a mere fragment of what we should expect when we arrived. |
| The courteous Aloha Airlines and Midway
Phoenix staff then checked us in, loaded us onto the historic flight, and after we arrived
at the Midway terminal following the quick game of "Dodge the Gooney," we were
greeted like royalty. The plane was locked up and the keys went with the pilot, as
everyone on board this special flight was to experience Midway for a day. Our bags were taken directly to our comfortable rooms, and we were
all invited to a reception at the recently constructed, open beam, light and airy Captain
Brooks tavern.
Bearing in mind this passenger load more than tripled the
population of the island for the day, it was easy to see the look of horror that came over
the bartenders’ faces as we invaded their normally placid workplace. Nobody
complained about the line as the friendly tenders worked feverishly; Midway’s magical
environment held everyone in its trance, eliminated all stress and time no longer
mattered.
I took the opportunity to visit Midway seriously. Of the
twenty-three hours the group was on the island, I was awake for about twenty of them.
After strolling along Pavillion Beach, a.k.a. North Beach, well after midnight, listening
to the calls of the wild and gazing out at the wide and fluffy, yet empty dunes, I knew I
couldn’t allow this magical moment pass by sleeping through it. I decided a solo
stroll through town center and a quick tour of the streets and paths were in order, but I
soon realized there is no such thing as being solo on this island. |
Not wanting to disturb the birds engaged in various activities, I was careful to stay on
the streets, listening to the endless whistles, shrills, and the clacking of beaks
reminiscent of the sound a director’s board that identifies a scene for the camera
makes. Curiously, the entire island felt like a movie set, because nothing I had ever
witnessed in real life resembled this. Amazed by the
endless fields of white heads that filled the lawns like thick, lush carpet, I discovered
during the night that Albatross settle down considerably while the tree birds carry on the
music. I wandered the streets unaccompanied, yet not alone in this mystical haven. |
A Laysan Albatross soars effortlessly
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A short night in the sack ended abruptly at a quarter to six, but filled with adrenaline I
arose easily for an early morning visit to the beach to witness the Midway sunrise. A
small weather front came through the morning we were there so I didn’t get to see the
sun peek over the horizon, but as the dark sky gave way to the first rays of light, the
Albatross were ready to greet the new day as well. As more light filled the sky, so did
the endless pairs of wings. Soon, the air was filled with thousands of goonies, touring up
and down the beach as though they were warming up their engines, waiting for the green
light to roar across the intersection of freedom.With
an average span of six feet, the flight of the Laysan Albatross is in stark contrast to
their lumbering gait and clumsy take-off. Airborne, they are masters of flight, with the
ability to soar effortlessly with the breezes of the ocean. They also become quiet during
flight, perhaps to conserve energy for their busy day of fishing ahead. And, perhaps most
surprisingly, the island was not filled with their deposits. Despite such a robust
population of birds inhabiting the island for so long, Midway is clean and the smell is of
salt air, a refreshing surprise. |
View from the Clipper House towards Captain Brooks
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A morning orientation after a wonderful
breakfast in the Clipper House, a fine French restaurant, was followed by a bus tour
around the island. We were fortunate to see a Hawaiian monk seal, one of the more
endangered land mammals on the planet, in its natural environment, laying on the beach
like a piece of driftwood washed ashore. Most of the beaches on Midway are off limits to
humans so as to not disturb the natural setting for the seals, and perhaps as a result of
this renewed mutual trust, the seals have begun bearing their pups on Midway again for the
first time in decades. |
We also saw the flighty red-tailed tropic bird in amongst the Laysan and Blackfooted
Albatross, and our special treat for the day was a close-up view of the short-tailed
Albatross - the "golden gooney" - one of the rarest and most endangered species
of bird in the world. Afterward, it was back to the Clipper House for a fantastic lunch
consisting of beef tenderloin, potatoes, asparagus and a salad that was grown in the
island’s own hydro-ponic garden. I later asked if the service and food were so
impressive because of the nature of our trip, but I was assured more than once that the
French wait staff and chef were standard issue and all guests receive the royal treatment.The Clipper House and Captain Brooks tavern are the two curious
anomalies at Midway. Most of the buildings are of pre-war and war era design and
construction, but these two structures, built of modern design, stand adjacent to one
another at opposite ends of a wooden catwalk; only a few yards yet almost a hundred years
away from the first buildings of the island, the Trans-Pacific telegraph buildings. Though
out of place if erected in the town center, both the Clipper House and the tavern stand
nicely blended into the trees overlooking Pavilion Beach, and their presence serve as a
welcome reassurance of the presence of civilization for the traveling adventurer.
Great Offshore Fishing
Midway is famous not only for its bird population and the
historic battle during World War II, but it is truly a fishing experience as well. Six
species of Billfish can be caught offshore here (Blue, Black and Striped Marlin,
Spearfish, Sailfish and Broadbill Swordfish), along with Mahimahi, Ono, Ahi, Aku, Kaku,
and of course, the powerful reef dwelling gamefishes such as the Kahala and Ulua.
Marlin production is good to great during the season, too, and it is just a matter of time
before the coveted Grander is captured. Many skippers also believe the next IGFA all
tackle Blue Marlin record will come from Midway as well.
Some fishing critics have suggested the offshore fishing on
the atoll hasn’t been as good as advertised, but it’s important to keep things
in perspective. First, Midway is a wildlife refuge and US Fish and Wildlife has greatly
limited human access to the waters, meaning fishing pressure is practically non-existent.
With only two boats operating offshore, the season at about six months, and having only
been open for three seasons as of the time of our visit, the Midway offshore boats have
foraged these waters for a total of less than 1,000 boat days of effort. Even the known
producing areas in Kona, Maui, Oahu and Kauai would have trouble producing large numbers
of big fish with this lack of fishing effort, so the key to measuring the quality of
Midway’s offshore fishery is to measure the numbers of Marlin raised, struck, and
released on a boat for boat basis. And when you compare it on that basis, other fisheries
around the world would be hard-pressed to measure up.
Midway's Captain Chris Sheeder won the AFTCO Tag Flag Award
for the most Blue & Black marlin released by any single captain in the Pacific in 1999
-- topping even Hawaii's best! And Captain Lincoln Ahlo was right behind him with
nearly as many fish. Sheeder also released one estimated grander in 99, maybe two,
and Ahlo released the largest black in Hawaiian waters estimated at 800-900 pounds.
Suffice it to say the only doubters about the quality of Midway's offshore fishery are
those who haven't fished there yet. |
Inshore Fishing Even Better
Inside the protected areas of the lagoon
created by a natural reef that fully encompasses the three islands, anglers can spend
their days flyfishing, casting, and jigging for several types of inshore species. The most
ferocious and coveted fish of the lagoon is the Ulua or Giant Trevally, while the Uku
(Gray Snapper) also makes for some interesting battles. Moi and a flurry of other
reef-dwelling species can also be caught, and of all the Hawaiian islands, Midway is the
only one that offers anglers all these smaller species of fish in abundance along with the
protection of a reef that keeps the seas down to comfortable fishing levels in all but the
worst conditions. |
Glacier Bay 26 ready for action in the lagoon
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Bill shows off Midway's first class tackle
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After spending an afternoon with Midway’s
fishing manager Bill Boagey (pronounced Bo-GAY) and inspecting the tackle, gear, and the
boats, it became abundantly clear that Midway Sportfishing is serious and committed to
providing the traveling angler with a first-class experience. Seventeen world records have
been tallied with the IGFA as of mid-2000, and with a list of tackle longer than at most
sporting goods stores available for anglers, trips can be customized for any need, want,
desire, or dream. And from onshore day trips at Bulky Dump or Rusty Bucket to overnighters
to the nearby Nero and Ladd seamounts, every single piece of tackle strictly adheres to
IGFA standards so anyone with a dream has a good shot at seeing his or her name in the
record book. Flyfishing gear is also provided for
those wishing to go that route without having to travel with their gear, and for anglers
who would like to try flyfishing for the first time, lessons will be available as well.
Midway is the perfect environment to try out this type of fishing that is taking the world
by storm. |
Parents of younger children can also seize the opportunity to fish Midway. With the IGFA
opening new classes of records to younger age groups in the past couple of years, the book
is virtually wide open for all sorts of line classes and age groups. Anyone who has ever
dreamed of seeing their name next to a world record should look to Midway, home of almost
twenty records in just three years. |
| Though Midway is only about 1,200 acres,
roughly the size of Kalaupapa Peninsula on the North shore of Molokai, twenty-three hours
on the island just wasn’t enough to see it all. I missed the boat tour to the Eastern
island, and I only had about an hour to shore fish off of Bulky Dump. Though we chummed
and managed to get a 50-60 pound Ulua in the area along with a Galapagos shark, we
weren’t able to get it to bite. But just seeing the fish in the water within a few
minutes of being there told me Midway’s fishery was special. Finally, as the clock
peeled me away from the fishing platform, I reluctantly jumped on my bike and headed back
to the hotel, gathered my things, and prepared to fly back home. |
Some Old Relics Still Remain from the
War Days of Midway
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As I ate dinner with one of the rangers in the "galley," a cafeteria-style
restaurant that normally serves lunch for visitors, I kept thinking about my return trip
and what might happen if I "accidentally" missed the plane. Apparently, many of
the employees of both US Fish and Wildlife and Midway Phoenix have heard that before,
because when I asked what the consequences would be, they simply replied, "No
problem! We'd love to have you another week until the next flight
comes……you just have to pay for the room."Midway has been a life-altering place for many people, visitors, employees, and
military alike. For those veterans who served in the battle of Midway, perhaps their
experience wasn’t so positive, but for anyone who ventures to the atoll now that the
Navy has restored it as close to natural as possible, it will be a moving experience.
Whether a visitor fishes, dives, does an eco-tour, or spends a day thinking about the next
time there will be a chance to visit the island, Midway, the tiny atoll in the Pacific
teeming with wildlife, will be an experience that won’t be forgotten.
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If
you have questions about Midway or would like to make reservations, please call us toll
free at 1-888-BIG-ULUA or email us at destpacific@sportfishhawaii.com and we will be happy to help.
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