IFISH TV ON NAMOTU ISLAND

Most of you probably know Namotu Island, Fiji for it’s incredible surfing and kiting, but it also has world-class fishing that’s practically within casting distance of the beach. Fishing is one of my biggest passions and there’s no better place to indulge it than Namotu Island.

Here in Australia, IFish is one of the biggest and most recognised fishing shows. Paul and his wife, Cristy, their son Jet, and the team work hard and play hard and are so passionate about fishing. We wanted them to visit Namotu so they could experience the incredible fishing and also get a taste of the other water sports on offer.

I particularly wanted to showcase how close the fishing is to the Island, something that is so unlike other destinations where everything is at least 30 minutes away. Even that kind of distance means long days on the water, eating packed lunches and missing out on time with friends and family. Here on Namotu you can head out for a few hours fishing then come back for lunch or when the wind or surf picks up. It means you can fit a whole lot more into each day without feeling trapped on the boat. Plus you can bring your wife and kids along without making them feel abandoned while you take off fishing all week. That’s never a good idea for maintaining a healthy relationship.

Paul and the IFish crew stayed with us a week on Namotu and we spent nearly the whole time fishing within a few minutes of the island, except for chasing a few yellowfin tuna and bird piles. We had a list of species we wanted to catch and methods we wanted to use over the week that we quickly ticked off. And although we had some crazy moments, in particular one day when we lost about 15 fish in a row because we were so lit up by them, we still scored some great footage and shared some amazing moments.

The week was full of organised chaos, loose nights and long days chasing fish. So although we did a little too much fishing and not enough surfing or kiting, I’m sure it’ll translate into some fun episodes. Keep an eye on my social media for screening times.

Thanks to all the iFish TV crew - Paul, Cristy and Jet Worsteling, Tom Hughes, Paul Spurling and Noni. Thanks to Shimano, Simrad Yachting and SPY optic.