2018
Mbengga sunset, from Camp Brando.
Mud lobster condominium.
Gecko - Scorpion
Mbengga Lagoon Resort, west Mbengga.
Red-footed Boobies, Sula sula....February.
Aku, Skipjack Tuna, Katsuwonus pelamis.
Another fun Adorn Fiji photo shoot.
Homo sapiens fijiensis, February.
Yellowfin Tunas, Thunnus albacares....1 March.
Ahis in the 50-60kg range. Fishing solo, as usual.
Supplementing my toy gaff with the spear from my speargun.
Caught 2 this day.
Texas chainsaw massacre version.
The aftermath...
Another day (March 11)...another Ahi, same kine size. Fishin solo.
Brando's birthday!
River Prawns...
...for Marcia's b-day Paella!
Scuba course for Brando!
TLL lefts. May.
Scuba dived solo off the wall (north side).
The best diving I've seen so far in Fiji !
Giant seafans, sharks, groupers, schools of barracuda,
amazing relief, canyons, caves and clear water (could glimpse surface from 60m !)
Hangin out at tripussii. June.
Katsuwonus pelamis. June.
TLL rights.
That's what you get for having 2 lines out at the same time, while fishing solo !
Line tangle from hell !
13 kg and 17 kg, Acanthocybium solandri, Spanish Mackerels (Wahoo/Ono). Deelicious !
T'was a splendid day! Did another awesome solo dive to 60m, this time off the eastern wall.
Similar to north wall, plus hawksbill turtle & lobster -- almost got him!
But, at 50m, did not have time to hang around.
Dolphin escort on the way back !
Spinner Doplphins!
Again, a week later...
another amazing free/scuba diving adventure off the walls of TLL !
With Fox and Hamish.
Caught a Spanish Mackerel called Wahoo.
Acanthocybium solandri.
Ono !
Another day, off Nanuku Island, Brandon's first Ocean scuba sojourn to 4m.
Lots of coral and fish !
And daddy explores a drop-off off eastern Mbengga.
Caught a Scomberomorus commerson, Spanish Mackerel (Fiji=Walu) on the way home.
7 kg.
Check out the chompers on this fella !
No wonder the lures get a beating with Spanish mackerels !
Photo by Brando
A couple days later...
2 KawaKawas (little tunas - Euthynnus affinis - Mackerel tuna),
and another "commie"(8kg), Walu (Narrow barred spanish mackerel - Scomberomorus commerson).
Last trip for this winter. June 25.
October - December
All Ocean, not much happening on land...
Enjoying the reef at Nanuku Island.
Nanuku Island.
Oon the road again, end of October. Epic odyssey!
Billfish hit, Shark hit (broke heavy spinning rod),
double hits, lost my Halco Max 190,
75nm - TLL - DavetaMatia.
Halloween.
20 November. 8kg Ono, east Mbengga, DTX superlure.
And an Ahi. Halco Max 130.
And Dolphin escort on the way home.
Judging by the size, probably Common Bottle nose Dolphins.
Solo trip. Just me and the Dolphins...
28 November. Caught lots of Tuna with Marcia.
At "TLL" (Thakau LekaLeka). LekaLeka=short, Thakau=reef, i.e. "Short Reef": the holiest place around !
Had to battle Silky Sharks (Carcharhinus falciformis) hitting trolling lures (here a jig) going 10kn !!!???
Also, solo dive to 60m off TLL, with half dozen Sharks getting uncomfortably close at 50m...!?
Spinner Dolphin escort on the way home today. 80 nm.
Ahi
18 December. Solo dive trip to TLL.
Amazing dive to 66,6 m.
19 Dec
AWESOME new gear from Charkbait & Melton !
Makaira 16, United Composites rod (50-100lbs, fast), Toro Tamer 100lbs hollow core,
100lbs Momoi fluoro, spliced. Aftco belt & windsurfing harness, home made.
Happy Christ-mass and Merry new Year !
Mele kalikimaka e hauoli makahikihou!!!!