I was very
afraid, and  Marines aren't supposed to ever, ever say
anything like that, for obvious reasons. I mean, if the word ever got out that a Marine
ground combat veteran with 20 years of global romping and stomping "in the snows of
far off northern lands, and in sunny tropic scenes" (a line from "The Marines'
Hymn") was afraid of, well, of a fish, you can well imagine the anarchy and
pandemonium that would ensue. So we'll just keep this our little secret, okay?
Then again, I had good reason to be afraid.
The monstrous, evil-eyed fish glowering at me from the water astern was clearly psychotic,
and when I told the fish who and what I was (a famous outdoor writer and retired U.S.
Marine), it merely belched. Or maybe those bubbles coming from its mouth were bubbles of
laughter. I don't know. In any case, the fish was clearly not impressed.
"The fish" was an 85-pound giant
trevally (called a "GT"), and I really didn't want to catch it just then, but
our deranged guide, Capt. Ed Hughes, insisted I throw the fly at the beastie. I had just
fought and released a like-sized GT on spinning gear, and the thing had abused me so
severely that I felt a brief rest-say, maybe 2 or 3 days-was in order. Ed wasn't buying
it. I reluctantly sent the fly toward the menacing creature. Naturally, as luck would have
it, the damn thing ate the fly and did just what I knew it would do, which was take off at
about 10,000 nautical miles per hour for the reef, a few hundred yards away. All I could
do was watch in horror as the backing on my new Orvis Vortex reel vanished in a screaming
blur toward Japan. I looked at Ed, who had a funny smile on his face. I hate Ed.
This Is All Japan's Fault
| "The biggest problem anglers have is
coming to grips and dealing with how large and powerful many of the species are around
Midway." |
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I was attached to another malevolent GT because Japan
hadn't had the courtesy to win World War II. Had they won, they, and not the United
States, would own Midway and I wouldn't have had to fight another crazy GT so soon after
the first one. But nooooooooooo, they had to go and irritate the Marine Corps and Navy,
who promptly instructed the Japanese in the error of their ways. Eh bien, c'est la guerre.
Midway Atoll, 1,150 miles west-northwest of Honolulu, is the second to the last atoll in
the surprisingly long Hawaiian Archipelago. Now fabled for the role the island played in
the horrific Battle of Midway in June of 1942 (a battle that changed the course of the
war), Midway no longer belongs to the Navy, which in 1996 turned the island over to the
National Park Service and Fish & Wildlife Service. Soon thereafter, Midway Island was
renamed Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge. Today Midway is one of the most exciting
and prolific sport-fishing destinations on the planet. Here's why.
Remote + Protected = Big Fish (And Lots
Of Them)
That's the equation. When you take a very
remote area with pristine water and lots of forage and add major protection measures, you
get big fish. In the case of Midway (and spectacular Kure Atoll 60 miles to the west), you
get astonishing numbers of big fish. Midway and Kure are today what the lower Hawaii
Islands must have been like 200 years ago. Obviously, there aren't all that many places
left where the fish are unafraid of humans and where some fish seem to think they are the
dominant species thereabouts. Take the giant trevally, for example. This gargantuan type
of jack is feared by sharks, which are routinely intimidated, threatened, and even rammed
by GTs that feel the shark has no business in their neighborhood. Now you begin to
understand why I was scared. If I had fallen in, would they have pounced on me?
 Just how brazen are
these fish? Well, one of the more amusing pastimes on Midway is feeding the GTs,
thick-lipped trevally, and amberjack by hand. Yes, these critters come right to your hand
and eat out of it (got to be careful, as some try to take your hand away as part of the
free meal). No, I am not making this stuff up. You have to see it to believe it. Midway's
lagoon is one of the most beautiful in the world, as are the atoll's surrounding waters
outside the reef. The clarity is nothing short of astounding. Outside the reef, you can
see 100 feet down to the bottom and count the fish down there! You can even tell what
species they are. I've never seen anything like it, nor have I experienced fishing like
that at Midway and Kure, and as an outdoor writer I get to fish all over, so I know what
the difference between good and great is. Midway is beyond great.
Doing The Deed
The tactics involved in catching  the many species of
game fish found in these waters aren't anything special. (The biggest problem anglers have
is coming to grips and dealing with how large and powerful many of the species are around
Midway.) There are two primary techniques. The first is running a chum slick and sight
casting to the particular fish you are interested in. After anchoring, small chunks of
chum are tossed into the water. The current quickly spreads the chum and the smell, which
oftentimes almost instantly gets fishing coming to the boat. Sometimes the fish arrive
only seconds after the first piece of chum hits the water; other times it takes a few
minutes. When you see the fish you want, you send a fly, lure, or piece of cut bait its
way. You must be accurate with your cast or another fish will get to it before the one you
were after. The second method is trolling. Done just outside the reef, trolling lures and
bait is highly effective for wahoo, tuna, mahi mahi, and marlin, which are thick in these
waters. You never know what species is going to show up behind the boat and grab what you
are offering, which makes it all the more exciting. It might be a 10-pound mahi mahi, or
it might be a 150-pound striped marlin.
Tackle Time
Selecting the right tackle for Midway and Kure is of the utmost importance. First and
foremost, do not show up at Midway under gunned. When it comes to GTs, you have got to be
armed to the teeth.
Flyfishing is the most challenging and fun way
to catch GTs. You must bring a 14-weight rod, such as a John Christlieb Trophy XT, and a
reel that has nothing short of a fabulous drag. The reel needs to be able to hold a bare
minimum of 300 yards of backing. I found Orvis' Vortex 13/14 large-arbor reel to be
outstanding on the GTs.
 Floating
and intermediate lines are best. For leaders, go with tarpon leaders with a 50- or
80-pound shock tippet. Flies should include large (4/0) Lefty's Deceivers and similar
patterns for the GTs, with Clousers (2/0 and 3/0) and needlefish imitations being good for
the amberjacks and other species of trevally. You can get all the flies you need by going
to www.bobmarriotts.com.
Midway's other species can be handled with
something between an 8- and 10-weight. I found the Ross Gunnison 5 reel to be perfect. For
rods, the Fly Logic FLO+ 9310/3 (a 9-foot 3-inch 10-weight that casts like a 7-weight),
St. Croix Legend Ultra UFT908 (a dandy 9-foot 8-weight travel rod), and Orvis Trident TL
9.5 (I used a 4-piece) all performed nicely. For spinning tackle, St. Croix's Tidemaster
TS70MF3 is just right if you want to go as light as possible. This super travel rod
handles up to 17-pound test, casts a mile, and has great backbone. I often used a Shimano
Baitrunner 6500 reel, which worked well, as always. Your captain can provide you with
spinning tackle if you don't want to bring your own. I do suggest that you bring your own
fly tackle, however.
On Your Way To Midway
It is easy to book your fishing trip to Midway. Everything is
handled through one company: Destination: MIDWAY. This outfit books the island's
sport-fishing and diving venues. The island boasts comfortable accommodations
(outstanding), dining facilities (a terrific French restaurant and The Galley), and air
travel (Aloha Airlines). Hit their web site at www.fishdive.com. You have got to book well in advance because they restrict the number of
anglers on the island at any one time. This is one of the reasons why the fishing remains
so amazing. Prime months are May through August.
Aloha!
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