The majority of vessels in Fiji offer a full range of trolling and casting outfits and a good selection of lures. For those of you who wish to bring with you your favourite outfit below are a few tips to assist with your planning.

GAME & SPORTFISHING
It is not advisable to lug heavy trolling tackle with you as most vessels offer good quality 30-130lb Shimano and Penn tackle. The best multi-purpose outfit we recommend are the Shimano Stella or Daiwa Saltiga range of threadline reels with a matching rod (or equivalent). These outfits are the ideal for a range of applications encountered in Vanuatu, be that casting poppers and slices for GT’s and wahoo, jigging up dogtooth tuna or dropping a bait back at sailfish. Reels spooled with minimum 24kg braid is recommended. A good selection of trolling minnows and tremblers in various colours work well. Don’t forget your large poppers and silver jigs. Pre-rigged wire leaders are also recommended to avoid cut-offs from wahoo and dogtooth tuna.

FLY FISHING
Flyrods: #8, #10, #14 weight. If angler is light build or unable to throw a heavy line and fly, #12 weight would be the absolute minimum for targeting dogtooth tuna and GT's. It would pay to have a backup in the larger fly rods and if you are purchasing a new rod for heavy duty work, contemplate a shorter 1-piece fly rod that will have less chance of shattering.

Fly lines: For bluewater work targeting billfish, dogtooth tuna and wahoo, deepwater express lines that are full and fast sinking are best. Fast sink lines in #8 and #10 are handy as well as an intermediate line in #8 and #10. If chasing dogtooth take spare lines as they will get shredded in the coral and on the seamounts. Butt leaders should be minimum of 50lb joined to the ends of the fly line. Pre tied tippets are good and the best are those marketed under Rod Harrison's brand "ULTIMATE". Small aluminium crimps to suit the shock tippet to crimp on flies. Bring your own crimp pliers. We recommend small full circle brass rings for crimping to a shortened shock leader and putting wire on the other side. If you cannot buy black full rings, BYO black laundry marker to daub them black to prevent attracting snip offs from other pelagics. Single strand wire for attaching to flies and learn how to do the haywire twist neatly to keep joiners small and prick free. Backing for billfish should be 50lb gelspun and minimum of 700metres.

Flies: Tandem and single hook tube flies in streamer style for most gamefish. Sizes from 10inch down to five in bright green, pearlescent white, reds and silvers with large eyes. Try and avoid dolls eyes (round and hollow with moving pupil) as they are buouyant and retard the sink rate and when they rupture they fill with water and make the fly more difficult to cast. Clouser Minnows are great for GT's and deceiver flies in various sizes are also worth considering.

Backup Tools: • Sharp scissors for trimming flies to suit • Toe nail clippers for cleanly cutting heavy mono shock leaders • Black laundry marker • Spare chemically sharpened hooks in various sizes
• Different sized single strand wire. (high tensile) • Fine grade hook point sharpening file • Packet of round pointed tooth picks to jam hooks in position behind the tube head of fly • Spare crimps.