Nuther little huntin/fishin story

[Doug Campbell]

Well figured I'd better get around to this since Andrew had already jumped in ahead of me       Nothing like his great trip but we had a blast...

   

[Doug Campbell]

We’d been thinking about this trip for some time but about decided it wasn’t going to happen this Spring specially after our Suburban dropped it’s transmission but…

My wife’s cousin, Norm, who has lived in HI for many years called and told us he’d had one of his renters move out and leave the house vacant.  He wasn’t planning on re-renting the house till June and offered it to us if we still wanted to come over for a visit.  That was a silly question          Accommodations were looking like a huge expense and good Ol Norm had taken care of that.

Our oldest daughter had gotten married in January and they hadn’t had a chance to take a honeymoon and we naturally couldn’t take her and her husband without our other daughter.  Before you knew it five tickets were bought, plans made, and we were counting down the days.  

Longbows and flyrods were definitely in the picture also.  I knew there were plenty of critters to chase and a buddy had told me about some decent saltwater flats fishing so the internet was scoured for information.  I’d planned to get to Molokai again but finances forced me to narrow my sights a little so I contacted a couple of fellow TGers on Oahu and plans were made.  After many PMs I was really pumped up and looking forward to meeting Jerry Scoville (Islandlongbow) and Manny Padroni (NorthshoreLB).  Pigs were definitely in the forecast.  A few more calls and emails and a day of bonefishing was in the works too.  

Soon our departure date arrived and we headed west to pick up our newlyweds.  We’d decided to fly out of Seattle since the kids lived in Washington and it’d save several hundred dollars over flying from MT.  After the thirteen hour drive to Seattle I was having second thoughts if it was worth it.  Naturally it was too late for 20-20 hindsight and before we knew it we were on the plane… after sitting on the tarmac for 30 minutes we were informed we had to deplane because of a Pilot’s faulty shoulder harness, not a good start…  Two hours later with the new harness flown in we were finally on our way.  

After an uneventful but long flight and a couple days just taking it easy our flyfishing day had arrived.  I was treating my new son-in-law Issam to a day of guided flyfishing, (that I hope he returns in spades        ). Neither of us had tried saltwater flats fishing before and it was a rare chance especially if you are from Montana.  It proved to be a beautiful day to be wading the flats, we saw rays and all kinds of fish that might have made great targets if I’d had a bow instead of a flyrod.  It also turned out to be a slow day where bonefish were concerned with few chances at them.  I managed to catch a beautiful Trevaly and in the afternoon Issam got to land a nice bonefish.  Hopefully my chance would come later.  


      Our guide, Louie the Fish, left and Issam with a nice bonefish.

[Doug Campbell]

We then had several days of boring family stuff, just kidding Honey, like four days on Kauai snorkeling, playing in the surf, hiking the Wiamea Canyon otherwise known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, which is loaded with goats by the way.  It was back to Oahu and I was finally going to get a chance to chase pigs.  I called Jerry who unfortunately has to work way too much and we made plans to meet in the early afternoon.  

That's a 3500' drop to the Pacific behind Karen and Jessie  

Pretty spectacular views  

These critters were pretty numerous on Kauai  

Check out that physique    :D      

[Doug Campbell]

We met in Wahiawa loaded my stuff into Jerry rig and headed for the North Shore.  Jerry has a very cool ranch to hunt that is loaded with every kind of tree you can imagine and more than a few hogs, peacocks, and assorted other critters.  

Don and Jerry  

We met his hunting buddy’s Don and Manny, (who has to work too much too     ).  Manny had his darling little daughter with him so couldn’t go hunting but that would come later.  It felt good to fling a few arrows, (wish I’d been ready when that mongoose popped out of the brush).  We finally got suited up and loosened up and headed into the bush.  We weren’t a hundred yards up the hill and I think the way Don put it, “talking like a bunch of school girls” when Don stopped and whispered pig! Not 40 yards away was a big black head sticking in the trail giving us the stare down.  Oops, so much for the stealthy hunters      

We soon split up with Jerry and me going West and Don, East.  Pig trails crisscrossed the main trail we were headed up but the dry conditions made it impossible to tell how old the sign was.  We made a big circle with Jerry pointing out different plants and points of interest, you could tell he was very familiar with the area.  Along toward evening as we came back into the lower country movement in the tall grass put us on alert but whatever it was disappeared without showing itself then I spotted movement to our right a couple hundred yards that materialized into two young boars trotting toward two macadamia nut trees ahead of us.  The hunt was on and we quickly got within 50 yards.  With no cover except thigh high grass it was slow going from there.  I’d made it to a cross fence with the pigs only twenty yards on the other side when Jerry hissed and to our right were two more boars coming in.  The fence being woven wire was a real problem and the first two pigs went by to our right unmolested while the second two were moving across to our left in a typical fast pig trot.

We both shed our packs and quivers to wriggle under the fence and by the time we were ready to go again the pigs were all moving away.  The second two were already into another pasture so we went after the first two. Confusing eh?  We were able to close the distance at a fast walk but were soon outdistanced and both pigs went into head high grass to disappear.  No problem we thought just head to a group of Mac trees to our right….  45 minutes of carefully slipping thru the tall grass later and we still hadn’t seen anymore pigs.  We soon met up with Don who had about the same luck as us Darkness soon overtook us and it was time to call it a day but not before raiding a couple of the orange and grapefruit trees on the way back to the truck.  Jerry was a great host and it was fun hunting with him and Don even if no pigs fell to our arrows.

This is what the hogs do to power poles over there. Apparently they rub the poles to get the creosote rubbed into thier hides   :eek:  
 

[Shell]

Ok,  That's just not fair  :(  

But the pics are lovely!!
Thanks for sharing, Doug...

That Islandlongbow is a sport, is'nt he?   :D

[JC]

Anxiously awaiting the next installment....great pics and naration...keep it coming, please   :D  

You look good Doug, especially for a feller who not too long ago had a run in with some evil sickness like you did!

[Emmons]

Great story and pics!!  Please keep it coming!!

[sticshooter]

Amen to that JC, Very well deserved vacation for this family!!

[9 Mile Archer]

Great story, keep it coming Doug.  Good looking family, but from here on you better leave the fact that you have a single daughter off the board your pm's will fill up fast.      

[4runr]

Good stuff Doug, thanks for sharing!!

[Doug Campbell]

The next day I went in search of a freshwater stream I’d heard about.  After several miss turns and much backtracking I found it, time to unlimber my little 5wt rod.  I’d been told the stream might have a few smallmouth bass.  That turned out to be an understatement as scrappy little bass from 8” to 14” hammered my micro-jig all morning.  I’d also been told that a major problem was people dumping aquarium fish into the stream accounting for a couple of the fish I couldn’t identify.  One I did recognize though was a giant Coi that took the little olive jig just like a bass.  Can you say bright orange carp?  Biggest goldfish I’d ever seen.  
 
 

I’d been in contact with Manny a few times and getting our schedules worked out was proving difficult.  With only two more days on the Islands we planned to get into the hills but Manny’s Boss had other plans for him so another day on the flats was in order.  The kids had plans of their own so I was on my own.  Shortly after daylight I was wading across the muddy flat at dead low tide.  (Note to self, get a tide chart!!)  I’d been told there were several small hammerhead sharks in the area and stumbled onto a dead one as I was wading out, now that’ll make you think twice when you’re wading a quarter mile from the nearest dry land     After several slow hours of blind casting the water slowly started coming in and along with it the fish.  I’d found a slot in the coral and was blind casting into it when my line stopped then took off.  Two hundred fifty feet of line went out so fast I was sure I’d hooked one of the bigger hammerheads, it felt like I had a freight train on my hook.  The run gradually slowed and I started slowly working line back in only to lose it twice to blistering runs.  The runs started getting shorter until finally I had the backing all back on my reel then eventually most of the flyline.  There was a flash of greenish silver in front of me and I was floored that a fish that small could battle that hard.  A couple more short runs with me holding my breath as he banged thru the sharp coral and I had my hands on a dandy bonefish.  Being alone I couldn’t get a decent picture but he turned out to be 28” long and I’m guessing pushing 10#.  
 
A couple more hours with a missed hit and getting cut off on the coral I was beat.  The wind had come up with the tide making it impossible to see in the water or cast any way except downwind.  All I was managing was spooking fish so I headed back to dry land and lunch.  I’m still amazed at the fighting ability of these fish and certainly intend to get after them again.

[Doug Campbell]

Another call from Manny and we were set to give the pigs one more try on our last day in HI.  Our flight wasn’t till 8:00 that evening but to stay out of the doghouse I decided I had to be back by 2:00.  That left us all morning to be in the hills.  I met Manny, jumped into his rig with my gear and we were on our way.  After winding around on the back roads for 45 minutes I was hopelessly lost but amazed at the country Manny had to roam.  It was similar to the big pine and fir timber we had in MT but with lots of hog rooting thrown in     We slipped cross wind along a big ridge keeping several thick guava patches just below us.  Manny told me he didn’t see a lot of hogs here but what he did see was thumpers and it was obvious from the sign everywhere he wasn’t kidding.  A few hours slipping thru the thick, soft ironwood needles were a real pleasure.  After being surrounded by so much concrete in the city for the past couple weeks, it was a great way to conclude a wonderful trip.  A couple times we both smelled hogs that couldn’t have been far away but getting an arrow into one just wasn’t meant to be.
 
Here's Manny with a cool little guava bow.  

Just a small sample of hog rooting in the ironwood needles.  

We eventually made our way back to Manny’s truck and headed west along the North Shore to his place.  Manny lives practically at the end of the road with the waves pounding in front of his house and mountains going straight up behind.  An incredible place to be for someone who lives surfing and bowhunting!  I got to look at and handle several of Manny’s very nice bows but time was running short.  Manny gifted me with a wonderful guava stave that I hope I can do justice.  He tells me it’s practically indestructible which is good with my limited bowyer skills.  A handshake and wave goodbye and I was off headed back to the big city.

All in all it was a great time in HI, a wonderful place to visit and live.  If I ever decide to leave MT it’s definitely on the list of places to go.

[Doug Campbell]

Thanks folks it certianly feels good to feel good!

Yep Shell Jerry was a great host, looking forward to my next visit.

The shotgun is right behind the door Andrew  

[9 Mile Archer]

Great photos, you are a real posting master.  Looks like you got to see some really nice country. Thanks again for sharing.

[bayoulongbowman]

Doug, that was a pretty place, thanks for sharing..  Mark

[Whip]

Great story Doug!  I was on Kauai last month, but only for four days.  My first thought was bowhunting, but was met with an evil stare from my wife when I brought that idea up.  
It is sure a beautiful place, some of the most spectacular scenry I've ever seen anywhere.  I do want to return, and will make certain I have enough time on the next trip.

[Bear]

Looks like a great trip, Doug. I know the veiw from your home, and if thats your vacation scenery your eyes are blessed year round!

Hope all is well.

Alex

[BigRonHuntAlot]

Congrats on a Great Trip and Awesome pics and story  

[IB]

Mr Campbell thanks for including us. It's always refreshing to see GREEN this time of year.

Top shelf storytellin also.....................vance

[LUCKY MAN]

Good Stuff.  Thanks for sharing.