| Highly recommended for families and non-fishing
partners |
The Fisherman's paradise
Fishermen around
the world travel thousands of miles to go game fishing.
Game fishing used to be the sport of the rich....but fortunately
those days have long gone. Game fishing and sport fishing are now
available for everybody. And some of the best game and sport fishing
grounds in the world is little more than a hop, step and jump away
from our own shores, in one of the most beautiful settings in the
world.
Vanuatu is only a few hours by plane from Auckland. There are
no extra flights once you get to Port Vila; just a few minutes
to your hotel by taxi and then wallow in anticipation till the
next days game fishing begins.
Unlike many other game fishing destinations, Port Vila offers
superb restaurants, excellent shopping and a variety of sights
other than the one off the back of the boat!
Vanuatu is one of the most diverse destinations in the South Pacific.
Culturally it is unique: the people are friendly to a fault, the
food wonderful and the location stunning. There are active volcanoes,
ship wrecks, magnificent diving, remarkable water falls, a variety
of modern accommodation and restaurants of international standards.
So it is a great place for non fishing partners and families.
While they are shopping, playing or relaxing in the sun, you can
spend the days out on the ocean in pursuit of the big one!
Vanuatu is a series of 83 islands which ascend out of the phenomenal
depths of the Pacific Ocean. There are seamounts that rise to within
5m o f the surface from depths of 1000m. You can be in over 1000m
of water within 1km of the shore.
It is not uncommon to hear of marlin being seen close to the harbour
and locals say leaping sailfish in the inner harbour are quite
common.
Vanuatu is home to at least six species of bill fish; broadbill
sword fish and short-billed spearfish (however, these are quite
rare), sailfish, plus striped, black and blue marlin which are
common. But probably the main reason the game fishermen and women
head towards Vanuatu is to target the Indo-Pacific blue Marlin,
the Mike Tyson of the fish world. The biggest, meanest and hardest
fighter of this lineage, he'll bite both your ears off and never
even think of an apology!
In season, blue marlin congregate along the edge of a canyon known
locally as "The Marlin Highway", and it is quite common to release
4-5 fish per day.
Most of the marlin caught in Vanuatu are blues ranging from 100-400kg,
while doggies and sailfish can get near the 90kg mark. Three "grander" blue
marlin were caught last season, with one weighing in at 1094lb
(495kg).
But its not all billfishing. Sport fishing is becoming
increasingly popular and the waters around Port Vila teem with
both pelagic and demersal sporting species.
Massive schools of wahoo are citizens of the local reefs, and
yellow fin tuna are common, ranging up to 80kg. Giant trevally
abound as do skipjack dogtooth tuna and those shimmering green
dynamos, Mahi-mahi. Red bass, coral trout, big jobfish, mangrove
jack and a host of bottom dwelling species are found in abundance
.
The FADs (manmade deep water floating rafts that create an eco system
to support small fish, which of course are eaten by bigger fish)
are not far off shore. With such fantastic fishing available so close
to shore, and so many islands to fish, you don't have to travel far
to the fishing grounds. No matter what the weather fishing in Vanuatu
is as comfortable as it is exciting.
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