Epic Adventure: There Back

Cpt. Carl Muir from Epi Adventures out of Tiarua, N.Z http://www.epicadventures.co.nz/
arrived in Port Vila with 4 of his client to fish from Epi earlier in the month. Air Vanuatu put a small spanner in the work by off loading the boys specialized jigging rods before the plane left Auckland. They were to arrive a few days later however we were to leave at 5.00am the morning after they arrived. After some cobbling together we had enough gear to get the job done.

The trip turned out to be on the slow side however we turned up some fish each day. On the way up to Epi we picked up some good sized mahi-mahi, “Bill catching a couple of rippers” and ran into a school of yellow fin and at one stage had 5 on to catch 4. Toward the end of the first day a sail volunteered itself for a tag.The various seamounds around Epi failed to turn on the usual dogtooth action despite lots of jigging and towing baits on the downrigger.
Bushy dig manage a couple of very respectable G.T., one on a jig and one on bait. Euan caught a very health 61kg yellow fin to the west of the DeChaulliac Seamound to make his day. Even though we had to work hard for the fish each day everyone nailed a personal best. The only marlin we saw was one swimming into the gear and out again on the way home.

For any Kiwi anglers that might be interested in fishing up here in Vanuatu for a week however find it difficult to get a group together contact Carl via the attached web site above. He organizes a great trip and Carl himself is a great character and a lot of laughs.

Cpt: Pete Phillipps

http://www.nautilus.com.vu/fishing.htm

Tusker Game Fishing Classic

The Port Vila Game Fishing Club hosted the annual Tusker Game Fish Classic. This event was run in perfect conditions over two days. Day one started with nine boats departing from Iririki Island in a shotgun start. Fish over the 2 days was consistent with marlin being raised and tagged each day. Nevergiveup was the eventual winner with a great performance on Sunday, tagging 2 blue’s on 15kg and a Vanuatu woman’s record mahi the day before.

Nakita chartered by kiwi angler John Robinson came in second with some impressive fish captured on light line. A yellow fin and mahi-mahi on 4kg ready pushed him along on the point score with the mahi-mahi ending up the highest points scoring fish for the comp.

Makaira a new vessel to Port Vila took out third with a blue caught on each day however their marlin on Sunday couldn’t be revived at the side on the boat and cost them in the point tally.

The event ended with a prize giving at the Anchor Inn with a great meal and lots of the sponsors Tusker Beer flowing. Thanks to Tusker Breweries and all the sponsors.

The rest of the month has been magic with smooth condition and steady fishing. Wahoo have been scarce however mahi-mahi have been about in good sizes and the yellow fin turning up randomly with boats seeing them from 15kg to 60. Shogun had a good trip up around Epi a few weeks ago and was running into multiple hook ups and one fin at 61kg.

Blue marlin have been on the trim side with a lot around the 100kg mark which has been great for the light tackle anglers.

A few of us have been venturing south to Erromango Seamounts while the conditions have been favorable and getting great results. One angler that had a blinder down there was N.Z fisherman Kevin Griffiths fish on Shogun from his wheel chair getting a work out on yellow fin, having 2 marlin jump on then off and then tagging the third.

Don’t forget there are only a couple of places left on the Fishing News Vanuatu trip in April next year. For further details contact Grant Dixon.

Until next month, keep smiling.

Cpt Pete Phillipps
http://www.nautilus.com.vu/fishing.htm

Kev Grifiths was back to slay them.

Kiwi angler Kev Griffith's came back to Vanuatu for his third trip, now his second on Shogun and had a ripper. He caught a heap of personal bests being mahi-mahi, wahoo and G.T. He also had a great day on the Erromango Seamounts with a box of yellow fin, two marlin jumping on then of and then tagging the third.
He was accompanied by Kiwi custom rod builder Paul Radaly.
To learm more about this amazing bloke go to http://www.kemcare.co.nz/ Scroll down his page and check out his artwork.
Wild Blue Fishing Charters
http://www.nautilus.com.vu/fishing.htm

Fishing News Trip

Fishing News Trip Sep 2008
Day one saw the boat get away at 4.45am for a nice leisurely trip heading north to Epi in ideal conditions. Shogun run to Tuki-Tuk Fad to try and get the jump on the rest of the team however it was dead on arrival. Nevergiveup started fishing from Devils Point with V-Factor following up the rear. By weigh point 366 Shogun had a marlin in the gear only to pull off a heap of string then fall off. Some hour or so later Nevergiveup had a triple strike of Short Bill Spearfish to tag one. Well up the Marlin Highway a wahoo decided to become sashimi that evening and jumped on the Pursuit Jelly bean lure on shogun. On resetting the gear another marlin came in and had a pull on the short corner and popped it out of the clip then came back and had another pull on the same lure then hit it again and made a blistering run only to drop off again. (bugger). V-Factor was traveling just in front of Shogun and from or position I could see the boys go to battle stations. 85 kg yellow fin and they followed that up with another at about 70kg. Shogun picked up another wahoo and had a mahi-mahi rip off into the yonder and fell off. On arrival at Lamen bay on Epi Island we found Nevergiveup had already arrived and had picked up a mahi-mahi late in the day. A few cold beers and a great evening meal all ended a great first day.
Day two started with a couple of wahoo strikes first up as we left Lamen Bay and headed toward DeChauliac Bank. V-factor stuck the first blow with a couple of mahi-mahi early in the day. Nevergiveup turned east and headed up toward Lapevi Volcano and picked up a wahoo and mahi-mahi early before lunch and were then forced back to Lamen Bay with a mechanical problem. The boys from Nevergiveup ended up have a great day out with local skipper Douglas on his fishing boat and had a close encounter with a couple of G.Ts and then hooked up on a nice floating log. These guys had to take the sense of humor award as they got through the day unfazed. Shogun ended up with a couple mahi-mahi and 2 wahoo dropped and a mystery bit that pulled off 400m of string in moments and then fell of due to a broken hook. The V-Factor crew with Fishing News Assistant Editor Mark Kittredge aboard decided to break out the jigs on the DeChauliac Bank and they hammered it hard for hours however the doggies were not playing ball. Mark boated only a small one.
Day three we awoke to see a 4th boat in the harbor. Horizon had been driven up through the night to replace Nevergiveup which had developed a recurring fuel problem from some dirty fuel picked up out of drums up on a previous trip. After the boys changed some gear from one boat to the other the headed out of the harbor and east toward Lapevi Volcano and were keen to catch up on some lost ground in the fishing stakes and catch up they did. First up they nail a good wahoo and went on to tag a nice 60 odd Kg sail fish and then managed 4 x mahi-mahi, a blue fined travalley on a jig and another couple of wahoo to round out a pretty good day. V-Factor went west to the Maskelyne Islands. They had a slow day with some fish in the gear, one being a marlin and caught a wahoo, They got into some popper casting and hooked a couple of reef fish then a G.T jumped onto a popper and sped off only to break off caused by a reel failure with a drag seizure from a borrowed rod and reel. Shogun had a similar day to V-Factor with no less than 8 fish in the gear but no hookup until lunch time when a wahoo jumped onto a 15 kg rig.
Day four saw conditions unfavorable for venturing very far from Lamen Bay. We all chose to stay in close with jigging for doggies and trolling minnows and swimmers in and around the reef close to Lamen Island. There was a few fish caught on each boat but a little slow overall.
Day five was return to Port Vila with a nice early start. Shogun chose to stay for an extra hour to drift some bonito around the end of Lamen Island to have a last ditched try on turning up a good sized dogtooth tuna however luck didn’t go our way so we headed off after the rest of the fleet.
Once we were out of the lee of the island of Epi conditions were pretty rough with a good 3 to 4 meter sea on the beam. Shogun took first blood with as mahi-mahi jumping on then Horizon with a wahoo and a little later they tagged a small marlin. V-Factor picked up a treble of mahi-mahi a little closer to home.
The day was rounded out with a dinner at Moorings Hotel and some great stories exchanged and plenty of threats from anglers to come again.
For anyone wanting to join the May trip next year please contact us as soon as possible as there is only a couple of spots left.

Their Third Trip

New Zealanders Peter Wise, Mike Rolo, Geoff Ward and new team member Dave Carville made their third trip to Vanuatu on the 11th on May. In previous years the boys have stayed in our accommodation at Nautilus and fished out of Port Vila each day with great results.
This year they decided to do the Epi Island live ashore option at Lamen Bay and had a great time. Day one was slightly slower than expected however there was still plenty of sashimi and fish for the B.B.Q with the random wahoo and mahi-mahi action. Day two Mike nails a dogtooth at De Chauliac Bank that made his day. Dave was a bit disappointed when a blue marlin dropped off later in the afternoon.
Day three started in a much better tone with a double hook–up on sails within 10 minutes of lines in the water. Dave’s was on first and then falling off to add insult to injury from the previous day. Geoff managed to get his alongside the boat for a nice tag shot however the fish was finally boated as it was not in fit enough condition to be released due to an injury. The rest of the day saw a flurry of wahoo activity around Lapevi Volcano and Palma Island. The day was rounder out with some doggy fishing on the end of Lamen Island where Pete captured himself a nice green job fish that made its way to the dinner table that night.
Unfinished post
Wild Blue Fishing Charters. Port Vila Vanuatu

The Fruit boys came and picked some.

The C.E.O of FRUIT REAL ESTATE Craig Bellgrove made his third fishing trip to Vanuatu on the 23rd of August accompanied by his son Geoffrey and buddy Neil. Last year Craig brought a group in to do the Epi adventure and the boys had a blast. This year they chose the Kakoola option and even though the fishing was a bit spasmodic fun was had by all. We ended up with a pretty good array of fish. Everyone achieved a personal best however I have still failed in my quest to put Craig into a dogtooth tuna that will nearly pull him out of the boat. He is coming again next year so we can have another shot.

35.5 Kg Doggy

We have completed a great back to back trip with spearfishing guru Kane Grundy from Extreme Freedom http://www.extremefreedom.co.nz . Kane has been bringing groups of divers to these parts for a few years now. On last years trip Kane said he wanted to do something different with his next trip so we pulled a package together for him. The first week was based out of Kakoola Island Resort which is a great little retreat to the northern end of Efate(Port Vila)This gave us access to some areas which haven’t been dived by Kane’s groups. Each day was spent heading in different directions such as Scotts Rock (Now named Jurassic Park due to the amount of shark activity and the difficulty the divers have in landing fish before they get munched), Monument Rock the Mosso Fad and lots of untried areas. The boys got some great results with dogtooth being landed most days along with wahoo, mahi-mahi yellow fin and marlin sightings. On the last dive of the last day of week one Kane pulled off a Vanuatu record dogtooth at 35.5kg captured at Tuki-Tuk Point.
The second week turned up similar action with the team this time based at Tranquility Island Resort situated in the picturesque Havana Harbor.
The boys are already planning next year’s trip.
http://www.fishing.htm
mailto:Fishing@vanuatu.com.vu

Sail's at the Channel Markers

Mid month we experienced stronger than normal winds for this time of the year however the fishing has been good. Sail fish have been on the bite consistently close in and providing great action. Regular Shogun angler Paul Mason out of California arrived with his son and grandson for three days of fishing. Grandson Gordon had a sail tagged first up at the channel markers, about 4 min from the dock.


His farther Barry achieved a second at Devils Point a further 20 min out. A great start to the day.
The annual 3-Species Comp was run on the 20th with 5 boats participating and local angler Adrian competing in his kayak who ventured out in Havannah Harbor - this is probably a first for any comp here. I can’t understand why not more people kayak fish in Vanuatu. Unfortunately fishing was very lean, at least on the northern side of Efate. 3 boats weighed in fish however non reached the 1/3 line class weight.
Nevertheless Frieda scored a Women's Doggy record on 10kg - well done Frieda.

Good luck at the weigh in’s
Peter Phillipps
Fishing @vanuatu.com.vu

Yellow fin on 3kg

Mirror glass conditions saw Steve Walls, Glen Senior and Richard Lemon were the first group of anglers to try out the new accommodation and fishing package we are now running out of Kakula Island to the north of Port Vila. The accommodation is first class in the recently opened resort and the fishing matches. In three days the boys managed to tag a marlin, a couple of sails and various other species and got into some ultra light tackle yellow fin action. Trying to pull up yellow fin on 3kg is a hoot. For more info on this and other packages go to the main page of our web site.

This was followed by a week of rough weather for a group of South African spearo’s now residing in Australia, New Zealand and the U.K.

We still managed to get the boys into some great diving with them having a couple of marlin swimming around them at the F.A.D. they managed some good captures of wahoo,yellow fin and mahi-mahi

Fishing@vanuatu.com.vu

Jurassic Park

Kiwi spearfishing ace Darren Sheilds has been back in town with a team of intrepid divers looking for the big yellow fin and dogtooth tuna. They opted to try Wild Blue Charters live away trip that utilizes the Kakoola Island Resort to the north of Port Vila.

The first few days saw the boys diving the F.A.D’s which proved to be slower than usual with only a few mahi-mahi and wahoo to be seen. Later in the week they spent a couple of days diving Scotts Rock which is located north east of Vila. Darren made mention after the trip that is probably one of the most amazing places he has ever dived, a bit like Jurassic Park. Lots of dogtooth tuna however the boys had difficulty getting fish to the boat due the large amount of sharks.

Were are running trips out of Kakula Island Resort, Tranquility Island Resort and of course or famous Epi trips.

Have a look at our web site for more details or contact me on fishing@vanautu.com.vu

Capt. Peter Phillipps

http://www.nautilus.com.vu/fishing.htm

The Volcano was on Fire.

We had a memorable trip up to Epi A couple of weeks ago. It was straight after the Marlin Classic where we didn't go so well as we just didn't raise enough fish. We cleaned the boat after the Classic, loaded up with food, water and beer and we were away with the Paul Sharp group consisting of Paul, Kelvin (I be back), David and Steve.
First up we nailed wahoo at the f.a.d then about and hour and a half later a marlin jumps on then later in the afternoon another one volunteers for a tag. Not a bad day, where were they in the days before. The next day saw us off to De Chaulliac Bank for some great yellow fin action another marlin strike, another good day. Day 3 we headed out to Lopevi Volcano with Paul ordering a sail fish as we got under way. On arrival we turned up a yellow fin then a triple of fin.
No more than 100 meters further on a double strike of sails with both finally dropping off. Conditions were a bit scruffy so we ducked in behind the volcano for lunch then off around it again. This time the action was even hotter, we were hard pressed to get the gear back in the water after each hookup before we got nailed again. The wahoo action was thick and fast and most around the 20 to 25kg mark. As one of the wahoo we had a second strike, this time the sail stayed on and received a tag to the delight of Kelvin(I'll be back) It was an awsome days fishing and a delight to give the fish to the local villagers that evening back at Lamen Bay.
Check our web site for info on these fishing adventures as well as others.
Capt. Pete Phillipps
http://www.nautilus.com.vu/fishing.htm

The Vanuatu Marlin Classic

The Vanuatu Marlin Classic

The Vanuatu Marlin Classic has been run and won. With eighteen local and overseas teams fishing this year the action was a little slow with 20 marlin being raised and 5 marlin being tagged over the seven days. This comp is tag and release only and point are awarded for the most marlin tagged on the lightest tackle which ranges from 60kg down to 15kg. The first fish tagged was on Ultimate Lady putting them in the lead on day one. There was a lot of strikes with no hookups experienced by many teams and a lot of bust offs as a lot of teams were opting to fish 15kg to maximize their point as most teams were only getting one strike a day. Some great yellow fin were popping up occasionally with some in the 70kg range and some wahoo and mahi-mahi changing the pace of each day. One of the bigger marlin tagged during the comp was a 250kg fish on 24kg. This was caught by Demon Jigs, Steve Badman fishing team B on Ultimate Lady. The eventual winners were local anglers fishing on In Deep who were the first team to tag a marlin on 15kg.
Cpt Pete Phillipps
http://www.nautilus.com.vu/fishing.htm

Fishing News Trip a Success.

The Fishing News 30th anniversary reader’s trip to Vanuatu was a great success.
Twelve readers from New Zealand flew into to Vanuatu on Saturday the 6th accompanied by Grant Dixon for what was to be a 5 day fishing trip to Epi Island. Due to high northerly winds and big sea’s it was decided to abandon the Monday morning departure and leave in very favorable conditions on Tuesday. Due to the previous weeks heavy rain there was plenty of logs and debris floating in the water to make the mahi- mahi and wahoo fishing quite good on the trip to Epi. There was several marlin strikes however no hookups. The group was based out of Sunset Paradise Bungalows hosted by Chief Tasso situated in the picturesque Lamen Bay on the north west area of Epi Island. Nevergiveup, V-Factor and Shogun each day took groups of 4 angles jigging the seamounds, casting poppers and trolling some of the most amazing areas Vanuatu has to offer. This was rounded off each day with a beach B.B.Q and a couple of cool drinks and story telling in the evenings. By the time everyone returned to Port Vila’s Moorings Hotel for the Friday night dinner there was some great stories of marlin tagged, marlin lost, people getting smoked on 37kg by dogtooth tuna and many other battle tales. It was a credit to the anglers also on how well the time unfolded as the facilities in Epi are basic and the trip had to be shortened by a day however everyone had a blast and there was plenty of talk about return trips and I’ll get him next time stories.
A special thanks to Air Vanuatu, Brian Death at Mooring’s Hotel, Chief Tasso at Sunset Paradise Bungalows, Leanne Collett from Wild Blue Fishing Charters and especially Fishing News’s own Grant Dixon for pulling all this together.
Good Luck at the Weigh In.
Cpt Peter Phillipps
http://www.fishing.com.vu

A Happy Customer: Mark's testimonial

Thanks Mark for your kind words:

Hi Pete,
I’m writing this brief letter to you because I feel the need to express my thanks and appreciation after my six days fishing with you on your boat Shogun.
It’s been eight months since I first planned and booked this trip and I would like to tell you that you’re the greatest angler/captain I’ve had the pleasure of fishing with.
You’re detailed knowledge of the local area, as well as your all round experience, meant we were able to always find fish and, more importantly catch. On the very first morning, there was only about 20 mins between leaving the dock and catching our first tuna!! In fact, your ability to always find fish was amazing. I’ve fished extensively in the world – and you’re number on without a shadow of a doubt.

Your boat is extremely comfortable and clean. Sitting with you on the bridge was brilliant. Seeing you use all the new technology meant Clare and I were in very capable hands.
I know Clare really appreciated having a perfectly clean, flushing toilet on the boat.
Not only was the fishing great, the boat clean and comfortable, the tackle and bait was absolutely first class but also the food and drink would put many hotels to shame. There’s nothing like fresh fruit and vegetables served with that delicious tuna pasta salad to keep you going through the action packed day. And the cold drinks from your fridge were second to none.
I would also like to say that eating cooked fish for my midday meal that was swimming about in the ocean only 20 mins before was awesome. I will never eat tinned fish again.
Once again, thanks Pete – you can guarantee I will be back, I only want to fish with the best and you are the best.

See you again soon.
Mark and Clare. England

Calm Seas and North Westerly’s.

In spite of a long period of overcast weather and north westerly wind from 10 to 15 kts, and about a degree too high water temp for this time of the year the fishing has been still good. It has required some extra effort from skippers to find fish.
We are still seeing marlin, one a day rather than the usual two or three. Yellow fin are still popping up 15 to 60kg and mahi-mahi are around the F.A.D’s.
The Port Vila Game Fishing Club hosted Easter 6kg Tournament form Havana Harbor on Easter Saturday and Sunday. A small field of five boats entered this year with most choosing to fish off Nguna Island. Some of the more outstanding captures were Fred Timminck’s 15kg Doggy on 4kg, Michelle Timminck’s 13 .6 wahoo on 6kh backed up by a 17.4 kg wahoo on 6 the following day.
The top boat went to Reel Capture with Half Cut second and Nevergiveup third.
Six new Vanuatu records were claimed for the 2 days.

Shogun has been out and about on live–away trips with the return of Richard and Bonnie Lorenzin from Sydney on now their 4th fishing trip through the islands. We spent 3 days fishing out of Epi where it was just a little slow however Bonnie managed to claim a Vanuatu tuna record and tag a nice sail fish. By the end of the trip Bonnie starting to put pressure on Richard to do 5 days live aboard next year and a few less in the resort

Kiwi’s Garry Townley and Justin Stokes flew in from Indonesia where they are currently working for another week of fishing action. With trips to Erromango sea mounts and Nguna Island they managed a full array of species. Justin managed a Vanuatu record with a 33kg G.T on 37kg tackle which was one of the high lights of his trip.
Garry has been fishing with me for about 5 years now and still hasn’t been able to land a good dogtooth tuna and this trip was no exception with continually getting broken off on the reefs by unstoppable fish. These boys have booked another couple of trips for the year so I’m sure he will be successful. Garry brought his son's out for a couple of days fishing and Sean caught more fish than anyone else on the boat and Alex nailed a couple of junior records for mahi - mahi on light and ultra light tackle.

I am just about to start a 6 day trip with a couple that have just flown in from the U.K so until next time, good luck at the weigh in
Regards Capt Pete Phillipps

Puss In Boats and Champagne

February has provided us with some incredibly calm weather and perfect sea conditions. We have been experiencing monsoonal rains for a few hours each day along with unusual northerly winds due to a stationary low hanging off the coast of Australia. This has caused a lot of debris and logs to be floating off the coast providing us with some great drifting fads if you had good fortune to come across them.
The wahoo are back in force with skirt destroying vengeance to the delight of tackle shop owners here in Port Vila.
Yellowfin have been randomly appearing in very good size up to 70kg and mahi-mahi are also on the chew.
The marlin fishing has been very good most days with 1 to 3 being seen or caught on most boats doing a full day charter.
The Port Vila Game Fishing Club held its annual PUSS IN BOATS ladies comp on the 24th. With 27 anglers competing on 7 boats in perfect conditions it shaped up to be a great showdown. The only down side to it all was it turned out to be probably the slowest days fishing for the month with only 4 barracuda and some O.S skip jack tune being caught. The winner was Crissy Nickel fishing on Topless. Robyn Masuino fishing on Shogun and Lara Neil fishing on V-Factor were also in the points at the weigh in where the champagne was flowing.
We are back in full flight on Shogun with all our 3 to 7 day trips now picking up after the Xmas, new-year lull. We just completed a 3 day charter for a couple of Aussie anglers Pete and Colin who headed home with big smiles after getting amongst a heap of wahoo, 30kg yellowfin and 5 blue marlin shots. They were staying in a resort in town and heading out each day and back in for dinner each night. For those of you that have never been here, it is 20min from the dock to the fishing grounds so you can stay in town or stay on and island or a boat. We have it all here.
For those coming up on the Fishing News Readers trip in April there is not too many more sleeps to go and for anyone interested in coming on the Sep / Oct trip please contact Grant Dixon at Fishing News New Zealand. grant.dixon@fishnz.co.nz soon as there is only a couple of spots left.
Until next time, good luck at the weigh in.
Capt Pete Phillipps
http://www.nautilus.com.vu/fishing.htm

In spite of a couple of cyclones we are still catching fish

Well here we go again. The first month of 2008 has drawn to a close. The fishing in Vanuatu has been overall very good in spite of being on cyclone alert twice in as many weeks. Fortunately they have all gone by Port Vila with no damage, just wind and some scruffy seas. The charter fleet has been on cyclone moorings for quite a few days however in between blows we have been getting out and amongst some pretty good fishing. The F.A.D’s have been a turning up small yellow fin which have been making great live bait with few of us being catch marlin from these offerings. The marlin have been averaging around 100kg with a few exceptions.
The crew on In-Deep turned up a nice blue 6 miles west of Devil’s F.A.D on the 1000m line or the side of the Marlin Hwy. The fish took 3 hours to subdue on 80kg and weighed in at 250.06kg for a very excited angler on his first game fishing trip.
V-Factor and Shogun have already started doing battle for the year with a group from Australia chartering both boats for a live-away fish off. We were based out of a resident’s house on the picturesque Havana Harbor to spend the days fishing up and around Nunga and Mataso Island’s and down the highway to the F.A.D’s. The V-Factor team was the eventual winners with a hot couple of hours at the end of the last day.
We have been going well on Shogun for January with another 4 light tackle records. Three of these were claimed in one day by N.Z angler Sarah Holden on the Erromango sea mounds. Sarah was accompanied by the very experienced Murray Harman and his son Jason. Each angler achieved at least 3 personal bests for the two days of fishing and Murray managed to tag his first blue at est.130kg at the end of day two. Well done guys.
If anyone need any information on fishing in Vanuatu please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Good Luck at the Weigh In’s
Capt Pete Phillipps
www.nautilus.com.vu/fishing