Walking Alone

 Another old one from www.sexyloops.com

My second vaccine date was confirmed last week, I'll feel a bit better about traveling once I've had it. I still won't be able to leave Japan. Well I will, but it's unlikely I'd get back in. So instead of an international trip, I'm heading to Okinawa for a week of DIY flats fishing.

I'm going to an island I've visited several times before, staying at a great little inn 30yards from the beach. The thing about this island is that it's known for having bad fishing, but I've found it to be pretty good and getting better each time I go. There are no guides in the area and it took several trips to work out where to go on what tide, probably why people don't think the fishing is great after a single  2 day trip. I persevered there because my first trip was in and unseasonably cold December and despite that I still spotted triggers and GTs before a freak cold snap put things off and killed off a lot of small reef species- it could only be better in warmer conditions. Now as I get things dialled in I see more and more fish of more and more species, I'm increasingly confident. Titan triggers, bluefin, yellow spot and brassy trevally are easily found, I've seen bones in two locations too while walking with the 12wt in hand. The last piece of the puzzle is working out where to consistently find the decent size GTs. I've spotted them a couple of times, still not quite enough to be confident of getting shots, but I have a hunch. I've planned my trip so I can fish 7 days with the neap tide bang in the midle which will give me access to some very fishy looking spots that aren't really that safe to fish  at any other time, I'll probably not go there on the first and last days, just to be sure.

As far as I know, there's only one fly guide in the Okinawan archipelago and he works on Amami island. This suits me really, as it keeps pressure down on the other locations. I love DIY flats fishing, and I don't mind catching fewer fish than I would with a guide. The added challenge of working out where to be and walking the flat and knowing the achievement is 100% yours really does it for me. What's more, I think it makes you better when you do do a guided flats trip. and it opens up the early evenings for beach walking after a day on a skiff.

My main struggle at the moment will be keeping my expectations realistic, it's been so long I almost can't help but imagine casually strolling along picking off tailing fish one after another. What a thrill it'd be to catch a flats bone in Okinawa.  In reality I'll be pretty pleased with anything more than a couple of fish a day, regardless of species.