Our run of bad weather has finally ended, with the trade winds backing off to a comfortable 15-20kts. We have also begun to find more bait schools and associated tuna activity. This school covered several acres and was fiercely attacked by thousands of skipjack tuna.





We saw three blue marlin and had one hookup but no tags. Tomorrow is another day…

What you want on every charter is to catch the big one the first morning. What you don’t want is to wake up on the last day with the wind still at 25-30kts and no marlin. So we started early and fished hard and our luck changed.

Approaching mid-afternoon Geoff hooked up, but alas, the big blue jumped the hook. With the clock ticking, we fished on.




Then just off Hat Island, Kim hooked up.

As if to repay our patience, the blue jumped all over the ocean and gave Kim the fight of her life. It was her 1st marlin and she did a great job.

Congratulations Kim – you’re very lucky to have a husband who shares the thrills (even when you show him up every now and then).

The trade winds continue at 25-30kts and fishing is tough. So when you get in for the night, it’s time for some relaxation. Geoff had brought some fishing kites with him from the US and was keen to show the boys a thing or two.





The tower made a great launch pad and the kite was soon high in the sky, trolling some fresh bait.







We got a few bites but we don’t think it will take on in Cairns…

Geoff & Kim met shooting pistols, raced Formula 5 cars on the same team and now fish together with just a hint of competition. Well, maybe more than just a hint.




With weather conditions still tough, the marlin were scarce. However, there’s always something on. Geoff picked up some good wahoo while Kim, thinking ahead to dinner, landed a nice mahi mahi.

Geoff & Kim Shepard joined us for what was to be our toughest charter yet. Even in early morning Port Vila the wind was brisk, a prelude to what lay ahead.

Geoff is in the marina business back in the US and was extremely interested in Port Vila’s facilities. He sees a big opportunity…

We fished the FAD off Mele Bay first up in 25-30kts and then trolled downsea up the Marlin Highway to Port Havannah without success, although we had reports of a couple of tags in the vicinity.

We waved our charter goodbye from Lamen Bay on Epi Island and weighed up our options. The calm and beauty of Lamen Bay was attractive after a few days of the rough stuff, but with the sun shining and the Marlin Highway beckoning we chose to push on to Port Vila. A 25 – 30kt breeze on the nose for the 60nm passage to Efate Island caused us periodically to question our decision.



We were rewarded with very fishy looking water once we reached the relative calm off west Efate and we had the lures in the water no more than ten minutes when our efforts were rewarded and our decision vindicated. A nice blue marlin in the 250-300lb range hit the right rigger and battle was joined. He fought well and jumped at the boat but was quickly tagged and released. With only crew on board, the angler takes the photographs and skillful handling by our no 1 deckie, Pete Roots, allowed me to get some good closeups.

Friendly rivalry is part and parcel of fishing and so it was on this trip. The title for Champion Angler was out of reach, with George Rehua’s two billfish effectively unbeatable on the last day. Mick Keeling and Simon Deane were happy with one each, but Craig ‘Grinner’ Newton was yet to score.


Grinner is a serious fisherman, one of Queensland’s professional shark catching contractors, with his own boat and charter business. He is an experienced campaigner when it comes to competition fishing. With the titles for Most Fish and Most Wahoo safely under his belt, he switched tactics to target the prestigious title for Best Variety.

Directing Captain Jared to likely spots, Grinner showed his skills in a devastating display of angling ability. His first capture for the day was this solid Coral Trout, followed in short order by a nice Dogtooth Tuna.

Well done Grinner!

With a strong wind warning current, the trip south to Vila along the Marlin Highway was deferred and light tackle fishing was proclaimed the order of the day. Sheltered at night from the 25 – 30kt south easterly in a calm anchorage behind Aore Island, we were able to hunt sailfish by day in the protected waters north of Aore, Abokisa and Tutuba Islands. These waters teem with the gar that sailfish love and we saw plenty of action.

This is one of the great strengths of Vanuatu – the variety of fishing available and the diversity of location mean that great sport is almost always at hand.










Today Simon Deane was first on, followed rapidly by Mick Keeling with this beauty

Our second visit to Wusi Reef was a virtual re-run of our first – lots of activity, lots of Wahoo caught but no billfish hookups. We saw one blue marlin and two sails trailed the right rigger for a minute or so before deciding they weren’t hungry.


Next day we turned south towards Malakula Island into 25-30kts and the biggest seas we’ve had so far. This is where it pays to have a great sea boat.




We were headed for the spot where we had dropped a big one the week before when just off the south west corner of Santo we hooked up to a marlin. George Rehua was the lucky angler and although it was only a small fish at a shade under 200lb it was a welcome sight at the side of the boat. Unfortunately, it was the only one we saw that day.

Things break on boats. You expect it and you hope you will be prepared. Minutes into our next leg towards the Torres Islands, disaster struck. An oil line on the port engine broke. And of course, the port engine on Shaka drives the hydraulic steering.

So there we were, 110nm across open ocean from home base at Luganville, with one engine and no hydraulic steering. With a charter looming, we had no choice but to set out. And as is often the case, one disaster leads to another. Conditions were rough heading into the prevailing trade winds and 20nm short of Luganville the steering mechanism broke leaving us drifting towards the reef 2nm away.

When things get tough, the tough get going and Captain Jared proved his seamanship that day. He blocked off the oil return line, replaced the oil and restarted the port engine. On low revs it gave us steering and we were on our way.

As he says, "It's 10% about the fishing and 90% about the boat."

With seven days free before the next charter, we decided to combine fishing with some sight seeing and visit the remote Banks and Torres Islands. Lying about 100nm north of Luganville, the Banks Islands are visited by only intrepid travelers, traveling yachts and the (very) occasional game boat. They are noted for their spectacular light tackle fishing, although of course we hoped to find some stray blue marlin.



Our point of departure across open ocean was Champagne Beach, reputedly the most beautiful white sand beach in Vanuatu. It is a regular stop for cruise ships and has a pier for the lighters and market stalls where the locals sell their wares. Fortunately, when we visited it was deserted, pristine and just as beautiful as in the brochure.

We crossed to Gaua Island, the southernmost of the Banks Group and trolled lures north towards our anchorage at Waterfall Bay more in hope than expectation of a bite. Which just goes to prove that you never can tell…Just off the south west tip of Vanua Lava we hooked up to a nice blue and for a few minutes delighted in the prospect of our second marlin for the trip. But as the saying goes, “Sometimes the marlin wins”. At least we know they’re there.



Waterfall Bay is one of Vanuatu’s most spectacular sights – twin cascades falling into a pool right on the beach. We were invited by the local chief to visit the village, where he has established the Waterfall Bay Yacht Club – possibly the only byo yacht club in the world.

Wusi Reef is about 5nm off the west coast of Santo, about a 50nm run from Luganville. We would normally have anchored at Wusi itself, but we had heard reports of a problem last year with some local youths allegedly stoning a game boat because they had not been allowed to come aboard.



We took the safe option and anchored at Tasariki, 18nm south, where the locals were extremely friendly, especially when we promised to bring our catch back the next evening.

Wusi Reef is one of Charlie’s favourite places and we soon discovered why. The place literally teemed with bird and fish life – tuna, pilot whales and rainbow runners. We picked up a bunch of tuna and runners to use switch baiting and then were into the serious fishing. Again, Wahoo predominated but we landed plenty of striped and yellowfin tuna as well.

We saw two blue marlin, one on switch bait but were again unsuccessful.



Highlight was a good fight with a small dog tooth tuna, our first for the trip.

The locals arrived in force on our return to Tasariki and were rewarded with a bounty of fish.

High on our list of priorities was a visit to remote Sabine Shoal, rising out of 2000m to a depth of 2.3m. Sabine is a 70nm run from Luganville across open ocean and consequently is largely unexplored territory for the local game fishing boats. Conditions on the day of our trip were 20-25kts south east, but Shaka’s range and sea going ability meant that we could do the trip in comfort and safety. We ran out at a shade under 30kts with a plan to fish all day and, given the conditions, go on towards Wusi Reef off the west coast of Santo for the night.

It was obvious from some distance off that this was going to be the long awaited “fish city” we had hoped for. Birds were everywhere and tuna chopped up the bait schools all around. We were rigged for big blue marlin, but it was not long before we were into the Wahoo. We estimated about 30 strikes for the day and had we elected to troll hard bodied swimming lures we could have filled the boat. As it was, we boated seven up to about 25kg plus yellowfin and GT and elected to drive away from the voracious Wahoo to conserve our lure skirts.



Towards late afternoon we had some fun chasing them on switch bait. They literally launched themselves out of the water at the lures and we picked up two on 10kg spinning gear. Great sport!

From the blue marlin point of view our trip was unproductive, however we sure know where the Wahoo live. Maybe we will see the marlin next time.

Vanuatu is a land of contrasting scenery, from the majestic to the tranquil. We fished off Lopevi Island, beneath an active volcano. Charlie’s home village is on nearby Paama, where they get a shower of ash 30cm thick from Lopevi about once a year. We wondered whether Charlie was watching the lures or Lopevi…



And yet, because Vanuatu is a land of islands it is usually possible to slip out of the path of the prevailing winds and into a quiet anchorage. We ended our first charter anchored off beautiful Aore Island, across the channel from Luganville on the main island of Santo.

Based on Captain Jared’s local knowledge of Vanuatu, we set the bar pretty high with respect to our charter menu. Jared had praised the local beef highly, followed closely by the chicken and pork. However, the chef always worries about his suppliers and until I had seen it for myself I reserved judgment. I need not have been concerned. The local beef, especially that from the Island of Santo, is as good as you would get anywhere in the world (and having seen the conditions under which cattle are raised, I can understand why). The quality of the veal ensures that Saltimbocca alla Romana will be permanently on our menu here.



Don’t bother asking for free range chickens, that’s how they’re all raised. And the local ham and pork are from very well fed pigs.

So much for the basics.

It’s the day to day opportunities that make life interesting for the chef.



How about pre-dinner pina coladas from coconuts traded with the locals and hand prepared by Charlie with his trusty bush knife, the implement of choice for all Ni – Vanuatu.



Or grilled lobster, minutes from the rocks and still very much alive.

Oh yes, it’s a tough life for a chef in Vanuatu.