2020
New year family excursion to Sandy Island.
Caught a 25kg Ahi on the way home.
Back to school.
Brandon SUPing the slalom board.
Another MahiMahi !Better foto this time.
An overnighter to TLL/Vatulele...
Yields a beautiful 50kg Ahi.
It was no big fight, even with the Tiagra 16.
Can't wait for some bigger fish !
Got a small 10kg Ahi as well.
Brandon's new 3 legged friend we call Tripod.
A great trip to Kandavu, Mar/Apr. Awesome dives off Solo west drop-offs!
Mantas, Sharks, caves....
Dawn
Cyclone Harold, early April.
Another awesome Kandavu trip, late April.
Eagle Rays, Hammerhead....good times!
Namara Island, destroyed by severe cyclone Harold!
Camping...
Dogtooth Tuna sashimi (speared by Jaga) was excellent!
As was the coral Grouper!
We ran into a MASSIVE school of Yellowfins in
the middle of the Kandavu channel on the way home.
Lots of 20kg Ahis.
Went out alone a week later, with enough ice,
and found them again, 10nm farther west.
Had some very large ones on, 3 got away! One of those was probably a medium sized Marlin,
lost a few meters behind the boat!(frayed line, after 30min heavier than necessary fight
with max drag + thumb on the sub-standard Shimano Tiagra), another, larger than the one
below (much larger anal fins), lost just as I was about to gaff it (lure came loose),
and one got cut off by a shark after 10 minutes of heavy fighting.
50kg
The one that didn't get away...
And a week after that....
And 10 days later....the Beach house.
And 10 days after that...
A few days later...
A week later...
A week after that, ran into HUNGRY Sharks !
10 days later we had splendid luck; end of June -- Ono season !
I think we caught half a dozen Mackerels that day.
Mid July, Frigate Passage. Pretty day...nobody here...
10 days later; sailing in front of the house, as usual.
This photo depicts the daily grind throughout 2020, during the covid pandemic.
No CoronaVirus in Fiji, though.
Every day much the same....sublime isolation...rarely left the house...
Mid Winter, icy cold 25 degrees celsius in the water!
...end of August.
same same...but differeeent.
Mbengga Island, viewed from the Kandavu channel.
End of September; a Great Barracuda's chompers (Sphyraena barracuda),
to Brandon's great delight.
Brandon: the Origami master.
Brandon with Lilly-Rose.
Halloween!
November: Biden election victory party!
A week later: caught a Blackfin Barracuda (Sphyraena qenie) 5kg.
And a couple of tasty, large Akus (Katsuwonus pelamis),
with Brandon doing the gaffing.
B-day !
Yasa, cat 5 Cyclone. December surprise !
Pre-Christmas spearing session.
A Bigeye Bream (an Emperor), or Mu (in Hawaiian), Monotaxis grandoculis.
A Brassy trevally (a Jack), Caranx papuensis.
And a Grey Snapper (Green Jobfish), or Uku (in Hawaiian), Aprion virescens.
Christmas dinner.
