My wife and young kids tagged along as well
and had a blast, proving that Fiji lives up to its
billing as one of the best places to enjoy a
family-friendly fishing holiday.Where to begin?
The biggest challenge for anglers visiting Fiji is
deciding where to begin. Fiji is made up of 333
islands, but the vast majority of tourists visit
the main island, Viti Levu, where more than 85
per cent of the population lives. Viti Levu is a
good place from which to launch a fishing
holiday as it’s home to a number of charter
operators who can accommodate a variety of
fishing needs, from half-day reef-fishing trips
to overnight adventures to the outlying islands.
We based ourselves in the Pacific Harbour
region, which is a 2 ½ hour bus ride from Nadi,
beyond the popular Coral Coast resort strip. It’s
known as the “adventure capital” of Fiji and is a
great location for anyone interested in diving,
snorkelling or fishing , as it sits on the doorstep
of the fish-rich waters of Beqa Lagoon and is a
short boat ride to the 2000m drop-offs that
harbour marlin, tuna, mahi mahi and wahoo.
There are also a couple of rivers in the area
that, although rarely fished by visiting anglers,
are pretty handy little spots to target mangrove
jack and small GTs.
This region’s a bit “off the beaten track”
yet still boasts a range of excellent resorts
(see Fact Box) plus access to shops, eateries
and recreational activities.
We fished with Pacific Harbour-based
Freedive Fiji Charters, which has established an
excellent reputation for putting traveling fishos
on to big fish (see Fact Box).
Over the course of two days we had the
opportunity to sample most forms of fishing
Fiji has to offer – estuary, inshore and
bluewater. While the fishing didn’t exactly fire
during our visit, we still managed some
outstanding catches and learnt a great deal
about fishing in the region.Bluewater
The deep, cobalt-blue water off Fiji’s coast is
synonymous with big game fish. Beyond Beqa
Lagoon, where we fished, the water depth
drops sharply from just a few metres to more
than 2km – and this is where the serious
predators hunt. Depending on the season,
anglers can expect to tangle with marlin,
sailfish, Spanish mackerel, wahoo and
yellowfin tuna. Mahi mahi (or dolphin fish)
are abundant in the warmer months and we
experienced some great action on trolled
skirts, catching big bulls to about 18kg, along
with a smattering of “smaller” fish around the
12-14kg mark. Anyone who’s caught one ofthese fish before knows how ballistic they are,
especially when they get in the boat! Even our
deckie, a muscular rugby playing Fijian, had
his work cut out for him tying to tackle nearly
20kg of angry bull mahi mahi as it thrashed
about on the deck of our relatively small,
rocking boat. It was quite a sight.
The deep water also produced a nice wahoo
and school-sized yellowfin, both of which
proved tasty on the plate later that night.
Peak wahoo season is late winter and early
spring, with multiple hook-ups on these
lightning-fast pelagics very common when
conditions are right.
Late summer is when yellowfin tuna fishing
is at its hottest and recent seasons have been
some of the best Freedive’s Jaga Crossingham
has experienced since coming to Fiji 11 years
ago. The fish can range from jellybeans to
monsters and turn up in huge numbers.
The billfish, sadly, eluded us but I saw enough
photos of big beakies to get an idea of the calibre
of marlin and sailfish this area produces.Reef
The reef fishing in Fiji was a real highlight. We
fished the reef edges and coral bommies of Beqa
Lagoon in just a few metres of water for an array
of trevally and bottom-dwelling fish. In a
memorable early morning session on the rising
tide, large Halco Roosta Poppers f lung into the
wash produced a trio of GTs that dragged the
anglers in question from one end of the boat to
the other. While this was happening I happily
f licked metal slices into the shallows and
connected to some smaller trevally, including a
stunning bluefin trevally, which gave me a great
workout on relatively light gear.
The fringes of the reef also regularly produce
coral trout, rosy jobfish, red bass and other
mean, nasty predators.
A move into deeper water (between 100 and
200m) is a great way to snare a tasty feed of what
locals call puka puka – a pinky/orange reef fish
that looks like a cross between a nannygai and a
jobfish. The best way to fish with these is with
multiple fish-f lesh baits and a big lump of lead.
We didn’t get around to trying this approach but
I’m keen to do so next time.Estuary
The estuary fishing in Fiji is an unknown
quantity. There are literally thousands of
creeks and rivers f lowing through Fiji, but
hardly any visiting anglers fish them. I guess
they’re too pre-occupied with catching
trophy fish out to sea. Nevertheless, most of
these waterways harbour mangrove jack,
small GTs and, in the upper reaches, there
are some jungle perch. We had a couple ofACT BOX
UPRISING BEACH RESORT
LOCATED a stone’s throw from Pacific
Harbour, Uprising Beach Resort is the
perfect spot to base yourself for a family-
friendly fishing holiday in Fiji. A 2 ½ hour
bus ride from Nadi Airport, Uprising is well
worth the journey as it lies beyond the
popular Coral Coast resort strip and has
more of a genuine, relaxed Fijian feel.
Importantly, the fishing and dive charters
that leave regularly from Pacific Harbour
are just up the road – and you can easily
make a booking from the resort. Laidback
but comfortable, Uprising sits right on the
beach overlooking Beqa Lagoon and boasts
a great lit tle restaurant and bar, as well as a
beaut pool for the kids. It’s a great resort for
families and the staff go out of their way to
make guests feel welcome and relaxed. A
range of activities outside the resort can be
organised via the friendly reception desk
staff. It’s also just across the road from the
Arts Village, which contains shops, a
supermarket, banks, cafes and restaurants.
Visit http://www.uprisingbeachresort.comF
36 | fishingworld.com.au | March 2015
DESTINATIONS: FIJI
A trip to Fiji is generally a laidback affair, as
this obligatory “coconut palm on a beach
with boat in the background” shot reveals!