Andrea’s Vanuatu flats caught GT!

February 2nd, 2011 | By Ocean Blue

Eagle eyed Vanuatu skipper Andrea Traverso recalls this lucky encounter he had recently. GT fishing Vanuatu is pretty much an offshore proposition but a shore caught GT anywhere is a great capture in anyone’s books.

“I’d been out fishing on a friends boat this day, GT popping Vanuatu reefs, jigging seamounts for some good fish. We’d landed the boat on an island in the afternoon. I was walking with my cousin along the beach, it was deserted because this place is hard to get to, the signs in the water looked active and fishy – plus it was overcast. Then I saw 2 dark shapes cruising the sand flats, I thought a shark first but then I saw clearly they were 2 x GT’s which is so much better, a larger fish followed by a smaller one.

They were cruising the shallows looking to ambush fish in the low light. So I ran back to the boat where my GT popping rod was, Stella 18000SW, Shimano Ocea Bluefin rod, rigged with a Kaiser El Toro 125 gram lure (dark colour). I caught up with them, still a good distance for me to reach. My first cast landed in a good zone and straight away the GT’s see it splash down, turn and come straight in for my popper.. The smaller trevally is faster and attacks, but misses the strike (fortunately) and then the big fish comes in behind it and the big guy didn’t miss.

It was a very fat strong fish and in great condition, so it took a lot of heavy drag and lucky for me it was clear shallow water. When it was time we landed it on the beach and took a few shots then a quick release. We all watched it swim off, a storm was over in the distance.”

Andrea Traverso,
Vanuatu January 2011

Destination: Vanuatu – Billfish Magazine

April 7th, 2010 | By Rowan Stanek

Click the link bellow for a printable .pdf version of this article
Billfish Magazine – Vanuatu

TBF member Chris Donato, with established charter services in the South Pacific, contacted us several years ago to take part in TBF’s Tag and Release Program. Thanks to TBF’s International Grant Program, Chris has received close to 250 tags and three tag sticks over the past two years to tag billfish in Samoa and, now, Vanuatu. His regular reporting and constant contact has provided TBF with valuable insight on the fisheries health in that region, in addition to developing a stronger conservation ethic in the area.

By Chris Donato

It seems for the last few years that we have had just one adventure after another, working our way around the globe on the tails of billfish, tag after tag! On our last adventure, we picked up our Cabo ’43, Southern Destiny, in South Florida and, via container ships and some running, we transported her through the Panama Canal, up the Mexican coastline and on to California. Then it was time to load up and head down to the wonderful island nation of Samoa, where we fished a good big fish fishery, averaging around three bites a day. But it took us a journey of 1600 miles, traveling through Polynesia, into Melanesia and finally arriving in Port Villa, Vanuatu before we hit real pay dirt.

It was in Vanuatu that we found some of the most spectacular fishing in the world. We originally had wild plans of traveling on and tagging fish around some of the most remote islands in the South Pacific; however, those plans were quickly put to rest. As the fishing in Vanuatu heated up more and more by the month, we seemed to have found a home for our Southern Destiny. And with an abundant and healthy fishery of blue marlin, grander black marlin, sailfish, giant big eye and yellowfin tuna, who’s to argue? Vanuatu truly is a fishing heaven.

Vanuatu is an archipelago of 83 islands in the South Pacific, located approximately 1,090 miles east of northern Australia. This breathtakingly beautiful island nation at one time boasted the title “Happiest Place on Earth”; it is a safe place and the people are very friendly. While the fishing is reason enough to visit, Vanuatu has something to thrill any adventure seeker. Activities include: diving and snorkeling (a shipwrecked luxury liner in clear diveable water makes for a diver’s Mecca); abseiling down one of the islands’ many waterfalls; visiting the world’s most accessible active volcano on the island of Tanna; intriguing cultural ceremonies and dances on the island of Malekula; and, when you just want to relax and soak in your amazing surroundings, blissfully private and picture-perfect beaches await.

The French-influenced capital, Port Villa, is located on the island of Efate. Most of the fishing we do is out of Efate; however, we also offer three to four day live-on board trips, which allow us access to some rarely fished islands and truly amazing fishing. On an average day of fishing in Vanuatu, we see three to six bites but, believe me, there are days when the bites can get up to double figures. Most of the fish are medium-sized blue marlin in the 250-400lb range, but several granders are caught here every season and the black marlin run in the larger sizes, around 700lbs and up. Yellowfin and big eye tuna seem to gather near the Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs) in the area, although the medium sized tuna and big dorado seem to hang in very close to the structure. I have found the marlin to be feeding on the outside of the FAD and down current, with the larger females showing up as far as half a mile to one mile down current from the FAD. We recently had a great bite on the November full moon; in three days we went nine for thirteen tagging and releasing some very healthy fish. We tagged all the fish we could, hoping it can produce some valuable information for TBF. These fish were acting extremely aggressive and were stacked up in good numbers in a relatively small area. Most were small males but on day three we got a fish in the 650lb range; we all pondered if they were mating or feeding before a migration.

In a nutshell, the blue marlin of Vanuatu seem to be more aggressive than the rest of their brood in the Pacific. I am not sure why but they feed far differently than the fish in Samoa and some of the other islands; they will eat teasers up to the back of the boat and inhale lures, often coming back time after time until they are hooked, which produces a great hookup percentage on our single hook rigs. We mostly run large to medium Black Bart Lures and our Black Bart teaser is by far the star of the show. Run just behind it on our right short is our Black Bart Blue Breakfast, which gets 80% of our fish. Since we are in it to tag and release, we find that single hook rigs greatly decrease the chance of seriously injuring the fish, yet we are still very happy with our hook-up to catch ratio.

Recently we began offering trips up to the Espiritu Santo island chain, located on the northern end of Vanuatu. When we venture up there, we often stay for a month or two, allowing us to offer some truly unique and astoundingly perfect fishing options for our charter clients. We often base ourselves out of the beautiful private island eco-resort Ratua; it is one of the most beautiful resorts I have ever had the privilege to experience. The fishing we have found to be world class. What I see as the most exciting aspect of Espiritu Santo fishing is that no one has extensively fished there. This makes every day out on the water an adventure- you are always learning, finding new spots and looking for the next hot billfish bite. As the captain of a sport fishing boat, it does not get any better than that!

Savouring Santo – Brent Delaney, Modern Fishing

March 11th, 2010 | By Brent Delaney

Click the link below to read the full article, or download and print.
Modern Fishing – Savouring Santo

Vanuatu is a place of extremes. Volcanoes boil and simmer under the ocean’s surface as predatory fish patrol nearby. Islands
explode from abyssal depths and reach for the heavens. The local customs are exotic and intact – from traditional bungee jumping using jungle vines, to rumours cannibalism still occurs! The weather can be tempestuous and the seas angry.

Among the beauty is a well-known sport and game fishery, particularly for large blue marlin. It’s based primarily around the main island of Efate and the capital town, Port Vila. However, the sportfishing potential of the rest of the island chain is largely unexplored by modern fishing methods. Think sea-mounts that have never seen jigs; contour lines that have never been trolled; reef passages that have never seen poppers…

Ocean Blue Fishing Adventures has a number of programs that aim to open up this remote country and I recently travelled to Vanuatu to sample the action. I fished aboard Southern Destiny, a 43-foot Cabo Sportfisher under the charge of Captain Chris Donato. In this feature I will detail the bluewater sport and game fishing I experienced around Vanuatu’s largest Island, Espiritu Santo. In a future issue I’ll highlight the dogtooth jigging action we encountered on a long-range wander around this magnificent archipelago.

Sensational Santo
Santo is home to Luganville, Vanuatu’s second-largest town, however most of the island is swathed in dense jungle and is inac- cessible. Towering over all of this verdancy is the 1879m-tall Mount Tabwemasana. Captain Chris had the Southern Destiny moored off the Aore Island Resort, my home for the first week. The resort consisted of beautiful waterside bungalows set on an island situated just off Santo. Clear water, coral and great snorkelling was only metres from my pillow. My companions for this part of the trip were Matt O’Brien and Jess
Condi. Matt had brought Jess to Vanuatu so they could catch their first marlin, but more importantly, to pop the question! Luckily Jess said yes – our adventures were off to a positive start!

The plan was simple – to get the happy couple a marlin! Each day Chris would pick us up from the jetty and after a short steam down the channel we would be at the Santo FAD and nearby islands. Over the next few days, the FAD produced some quality tropical bluewater fishing with blue marlin, yellowfin and hordes of big mahi mahi the main quarry.

A close neighbour
From both a piscatorial and cultural perspective, Vanuatu is a fascinating destination. This diverse archipelago of 82 islands is one of our most proximate Pacific neighbours, yet it seems to be one of the furthest from our national conscience, perhaps because of its French influences. Known as the New Hebrides and jointly administered by the French and British until 1980, Vanuatu has an intriguing mix of colonial French and English influences and Melanesian cultures, with varying local customs. This is a diverse place where profound and deeply held island-specific local customs dominate the lives of the Ni-Vanuatu in a way that seems to have largely survived the machinations of the missionaries, more so than many other Pacific nations that I have explored. The local Ni-Vanuatu people are fishos of inspirational skill and ingenuity. These guys use spider-web balls to catch needle fish, hermit crabs to catch flying fish and regularly take blue marlin of ridiculous proportions from their small outrigger canoes!

FAD attack!
Our first glimpse of the Santo FAD quick- ened the pulse. The FAD consists of a string of buoys located a short run from Aore in 500m of water. The area is semi-sheltered by a ring of islands and numerous channels converge in the general area. As we neared the FAD, squadrons of birds wheeled and dived and rippling schools of bait disturbed the surface. The sounder showed big blobs of bait deeper in the water column and mahi mahi scouts shot out to investigate the boat like fluorescent torpedoes. I was reasonably confident it wouldn’t be too long until the happy couple had that marlin! We ran out a spread of skirts and com- menced trolling in the vicinity of the FAD. After 30 minutes a seriously large blue mar- lin came in for a look at the right teaser. The fish drifted back and sniffed the long right lure then faded off into the depths. In the three days leading up to the full moon, Chris had tagged 12 blue marlin off this FAD and early indications showed there were still fish around, but would they fire up after going bananas in the preceding week?

After another 20 minutes of trolling the left outrigger cracked and the big Tiagra 130 was singing the sweet falsetto all anglers love to hear. A nice little blue marlin ejected from the water behind the boat and the fish was on! Matt was on strike and successfully completed the tag and release of his first marlin. Mission accomplished – and on the first morning! I then rigged up a small pusher on my jig rod and put it out long in the centre. On each pass small yellowfin and solid mahi mahi jos- tled to belt the smaller offering which kept the scoreboard ticking over. I even pulled out my popper outfit and worked the FAD. The mahi and yellowfin were equally keen to inhale my popper. Sandy deployed two of the yellowfin as livies which we slow-trolled. We had a take but no solid hook-up. It had, however, been a successful first day.

That night a traditional Ni-Van band per- formed at the resort and we celebrated Matt’s first marlin to the local beat while indulging in the local Kava – evil stuff! On the way to the FAD the next morning, I worked a large popper over a tasty-looking reef shelf I just couldn’t go past. Two red bass came to the boat to get proceedings off to a good start. Shortly after arriving at the FAD another blue crashed a lure and Jess was on to her first marlin! Jess fought the fish for 10 minutes before it threw the hooks. We raised three more marlin that day with an equal absence of luck. The following day big mahi mahi decided to switch-on and fish after fish came to the boat, including some horse-sized bulls. The mahi mahi went crazy! To add variety, a 40kg yellowfin decid- ed to crash the party and put up a typically dogged battle before it was captured.

Over the next two days we alternated between trolling the nearby island fringes and working the FAD. We raised more blue marlin, but they seemed to be relatively tentative after gorging themselves in the lead-up to the full moon. The big mahi mahi stayed on the chew to keep the reels turning, as did a few wahoo that took a lik- ing to a big Nomad stickbait I trolled out the back of the spread.

Living in paradise
Chris cut his game-fishing teeth in Florida and recently relocated from Samoa to Vanuatu. He usually works out of Port Vila, however he will spend part of the year working the Santo region and even has plans to install his own FAD in the area to complement the existing one. Southern Destiny is well appointed, has comfortable berths and of course has the full armoury of the latest game tackle. Ocean Blue Fishing Adventures is also organising long- er-range jigging expeditions to remote locations to complement the game-fishing options – but that’s the subject of my next Vanuatu feature!

I had the privilege of staying on the nearby Ratua Private Island for a night. Wow! This resort is one of the most exclusive destinations in the world. No expense has been spared to provide guests with the ultimate private-island experience. Picture fine food and wine, an entire island to yourself and dreamy vistas over coral lagoons and islets on sunset as you sip mojitos on your private beach… paradise. Ocean Blue offers Ratua as an accommo- dation option for gamefishing adventures aboard the Southern Destiny. Whether you stay at Aore or Ratua, you will have a relax- ing holiday coupled with quality fishing. A word of warning on the kava! There are three types of it in Vanuatu and they are all reputedly the strongest in the world. If you’ve tried kava in Fiji and think you know what you’re in for, you don’t! Take it easy!

Also, note that malaria is present in Vanuatu, though it is not hugely prevalent and most people don’t bother with prevent- ative medication. I suffered a bout of malaria upon my return, though it turned out to be a relapse of a dose I contracted in PNG. Oh, the joys of tropical travel! One final note – eat as much steak as you can when you visit Santo. It is the cheapest and most tender beef you will find. Something to do with happy cows living in paradise, I believe.

A 2006 New Economics Foundation study found Vanuatu to be the world’s happiest nation. After seeing some of the fishing options available there – and how the locals live – I can now see why! If you are looking for an idyllic tropical holiday and sportfishing adventure, Ocean Blue and Espiritu Santo can provide it.

Island Life – Lexus Magazine March 2010

March 11th, 2010 | By Rowan Stanek

GUILTLESS LUXURY ESCAPE IS ONLY THE BEGINNING ON RATUA PRIVATE ISLAND
Isaac Wilson, Lexus Magazine March 2010

I’m not sure if it’s the kava or ghost stories over dinner, but there’s a slight bristling at the base of my neck as, under a full moon, I navigate my way around the island back to my bungalow. Alone, with a balmy breeze bothering the leaves above, occasional twig snapping and rustle of things unseen from the shadows, the legend of Vanuatu’s Lisepsep, or tree people, doesn’t seem as far-fetched as it had earlier. Given the local Ni-Vanuatu people’s sincere belief, the ‘time-forgot’ quality of Ratua Private Island and the kava’s tranquilising effects, it’s not too hard to imagine a race of long-haired, mischievous creatures living among the island’s numerous banyan trees. After all, the island is already home to a pair of notoriously fussy white ducks, Whoops and Daisy, who waddle around like an old married couple, and the island’s only sheep, Horse, who, as his name suggests, firmly believes he’s equine. Why not creepy tree people? Pausing to watch crabs meticulously dig holes in the wet sand and the moonlight’s hypnotic dance across the ocean’s surface, I imagine a long-limbed Lisepsep crouched on its haunches on a nearby branch and peering down through a curtain of twig-tangled hair. It’s a thought that halts the crab watching and has me heading back to my bungalow at a brisker pace than when I started out.

Inside, all thoughts of Lisepsep folklore fade under the energy-efficient globes encased in antique fittings as I relieve my exceptionally stocked fridge of a local Tusker beer and pad out to the day bed where I’m lulled by the evening’s tropical breeze and gentle murmur of the sleeping island. “You’ll be staying in Dog,” our seasoned island host and affable Frenchman Frederick Maclean, whose pedigree includes stints at the helm of Lizard, Bedarra and Hayman Island resorts, enthuses. Watching as the piece of recycled card with DOG in black texta is fastened to my suitcase, I feel a twinge of envy as cards for the more virile-named bungalows – COBRA , TIGER and BEAR – are attached to colleagues’ luggage.

Set amid Vanuatu’s scattering of 80-plus islands, the über exclusive luxury retreat of Ratua Private Island sits high above the archipelago’s capital of Port Vila and off the southern coast of Espiritu Santo. Ratua comes into view while we’re skimming across the South Pacific Ocean’s glassy surface, and it is a sight that is pure postcard perfection. Brilliant turquoise waters lazily lap pristine white sands while traditional thatched roofs peek out from tangled tropical jungle and nodding palms. Though not alone in the private island rental market, Ratua’s model of ethical and ecological tourism sets a new standard in eco luxury as it moves towards becoming a self-sustained resort. Adopted on a 25-year lease after it was discovered by visionary French billionaire and philanthropist Marc Henon in 2005, the 59-hectare former coconut plantation is celebrating a new lease of life as the ultimate guilt-free luxury escape. Focused on conserving and preserving the surrounding area’s natural beauty, 100 per cent of the island’s profits are returned to the surrounding communities with an emphasis on health and education. Ratua Foundation’s independent administrator, on neighbouring New Caledonia, meets regularly with local elders and chiefs to discuss the best use of the island’s proceeds. Earlier concerns surrounding the name of my bungalow dissolve as I’m taken to the southern-most point of the island where I discover the Dog-tagged bungalow is canine in name only and clearly the pick of the litter. Dubbed ‘primitive luxury’, Ratua teams stunning reconstructed 200-year-old handcrafted teak Indonesian bungalows featuring four-poster beds with 800-thread count sheets, and local beer and French winefilled fridges, the latter coming from Henon’s own vineyards.

Metres from the water and offering breathtaking, endless ocean and neighbouring island views, my bungalow consists of a large, beautifully appointed safari-esque bedroom and equally sizeable and impressive bathroom joined by a covered walkway and verandah. Chaise lounges decorate a landing at the water’s edge and the perfectly positioned day bed offers spectacular views over a tiny inlet and sprawling ocean. Comprising three neighbouring ‘villages’ running along the island’s western edge, the resort’s heart, and main communal area, is known as the Yacht Club, where a well-stocked and always open chic teak bar joins beachside and undercover dining, media room, jetty and horizon-viewing chaise lounges. A meandering walkway brings you to the first of 10 private bungalows, equally divided between the West and South Point Villages, that are in the process of being separated by an over-the-water spa. So seamless do the bungalows and buildings blend in with the natural environment that, despite their disassembly, lengthy travel and reassembly on Ratua, the timeless ancient structures feel and look as though they have always been here. Indeed, the island’s free-roaming animals, including horses, chickens, pigs, goats, cows and sole sheep, have no problem approaching the bungalows as I discover while showering one evening and watching several cows helping keep the grass down.

Adapting to ‘island time’ occurs, as if by osmosis, when we set our first foot down on Ratua’s jetty and are warmly welcomed by the infectious smiles of staff and Maclean’s Australian wife Victoria. The perfect custodians of this tropical paradise, the Macleans’ relaxed European efficiency and genuine pacific hospitality have us settled and filled with feelings of proprietary for our private island in no time. Similarly, the first of many banquets at the water’s edge sets the scene for the following days and nights with each meal a celebration of the island and surrounding areas’ bounty. Lunch teams freshly baked bread with a smoky, slightly fiery Portuguese-style barbecue chicken, a wonderfully fresh and crunchy coconut heart salad (taken from the centre of a palm frond on a no longer productive or storm-damaged tree) capped off with a glass-lickingly good fresh coconut sorbet – all matched to a flight of premium New Zealand, Australian and French wines. Headed by Vanuatu-born and New Zealand-raised Kandy Tamagushiku, Ratua’s kitchen utilises island-grown fresh organic produce with fresh seafood and local beef, pork, chicken and goat stocks. However, despite the Frenchinfluenced cuisine, quacking companions Whoops and Daisy remain off the menu. Activities abound on, and around, Ratua and since it’s technically your island, you’re free to do as much or as little as you like. And while sipping icy Taittinger from your day bed with a good book is an exceptional way to embrace island life there are many more equally enjoyable pursuits. There’s a whole island waiting to be explored by foot, mountain bike, horseback, electric buggy and boat. A short snorkel out to the island’s surrounding coral gardens reveals the brightly decorated cast from Finding Nemo darting among colourful coral and waving anemones.

For the more adventurous a brief boat ride and canoe paddle is all it takes to discover the stunning turquoise wonder of nearby Malo Island’s blue holes. Those requiring a little more action can enjoy the day-long Millennium Cave trek on Espiritu Santo. Combining a steamy jungle trek with canyoning, it’s no easy amble, but the pay-off is definitely worth the effort – just make sure Tamagushiku packs her divine brownies in with lunch as you’ll need the extra energy. Ratua’s latest activity caters to those wishing to try their luck in Vanuatu’s superb sport and game-fishing waters. With the lure of a ‘grander’, a 1,000 pound blue marlin, on your doorstep, a thrilling high-sea adventure awaits on the magnificent 43-foot Cabo sport fisher Southern Destiny. Captained by American Chris Donato, who recently moved from the rich sport-fishing grounds of Samoa to take advantage of game fishing’s next hot spot, the Southern Destiny combines world-class fishing with luxurious private charters. Echoing Ratua’s sustainability ethos, Donato is a proud practitioner of the catch and release of all billfish. While tuna, mahi mahi and wahoo catches are shared between Ratua’s kitchen and the surrounding villages, swordfish, marlin and sailfish are tagged and released as part of The Billfish Foundation program. According to Donato, the days of the must-have marlin trophy for the mantle are waning in the face of conservation and true sportsmanship, and putting a new spin on the ‘one that got away’ story in the process. “You used to hear guys talking about fishing trips and how they caught five marlin, now they’re more likely to say ‘I tagged five fish’.

Back on Ratua, cocktail in hand and watching a traditional Vanuatu water dance at dusk, I’m grateful for the slower pace of ‘island time’ – it makes our visit last just that little bit longer…
Isaac Wilson, Lexus Magazine March 2010.

Click the link below to read the full article, or download it for printing.

Lexus Magazine – Ratua Private Island March 2010

The word is out!

February 25th, 2010 | By Rowan Stanek

Click the links below to read the Ratua articles from Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar.

Ratua Article; Harper’s Bazaar, November 2009

Vogue Entertaining & Travel Oct-Nov 09

Espiritu Santo Gamefishing

December 14th, 2009 | By Rowan Stanek

I would like to thank Dave and the rest of the Ocean Blue team for helping to organise what proved to be a trip of a lifetime. From the first call I made to Dave at Ocean Blue enquiring about a game fishing trip to Santo, Vanuatu, I could not of asked for a more helpful and knowledgeable consultant. The whole trip went very smoothly from start to finish. The staff at the amazing Aore resort were some of the friendliest we have ever encounted, and the snorkelling at the doorstep of our picturesque Beachfront Bungalow was simply breathtaking.

Our five full days big tackle game fishing aboard the ‘Southern Destiny’ were fantastic, with the highlight being catching my first ever Marlin!! We hooked another 3 Marlin over the 5 days but unfortunately all managed to throw the hooks while leaping from the water. We caught many Mahi Mahi over the five days, and they not only proved to be spectacular in launching from the water during the fight, but also proved to be magnificent on the dinner table after being prepared by the very talented chef from the Aore resort. We also caught quite a few yellowfin tuna, with the largest being approx 90 pounds in weight, and proving what a great sports fish they are with a 25 minute fight to the boat. Our Skipper Chris, and his two deckhands, Sandy and John were very helpful, professional and friendly, and ensured that our 5 days fishing were really enjoyable and memorable.







After landing my first ever Marlin on our trip to Santo, it would be safe to assume that this was the highlight of our trip. Well, I am pleased to report that although catching and releasing that amazing fish was something that I will never forget, asking my beautiful girlfriend of nearly 7 years to marry me while we stood in the crystal clear waters of Vanuatu as the sun set, and for her to say “Yes” was easily the highlight of our holiday and a very special moment in both our lives. Two catches of a lifetime in the one trip…I still can’t wipe the smile off my face!!

Matt O’Brien

Drinking Cocktails When I Should Be Fishing

December 14th, 2009 | By David Noble

My all-time biggest fishing mistake was neglecting to pack any fishing gear for my recent endless long weekender trip to Ratua Private Island, just off Espiritu Santo in Vanuatu…

Sure I was paradise-bound, but how many times have I packed fishing gear on the hope to be able get some land based fishing done, only to arrive and realise the water around my resort was barren, and the only place I’d stand a chance would be onboard the boat well offshore? My trip coincided with our 43ft Cabo Sportfisher’s arrival up to Santo, where it has spent the past month exploring the fish-rich waters surrounding this area. As this was a game fishing trip, and knowing just how good marlin fishing Santo in Vanuatu is, I didn’t even consider the possibility of land-based options. Plus I was hosting some travel journalists who were 1st time anglers, and I only had 1 day offshore fishing with them on the Cabo. The rest of the time for me was filled up enjoying the rest of what the incredible place has to offer…





On the first evening at Ratua we enjoyed an incredible sit down banquet dinner on the beach, complete with a few cocktails and selection of fine wines! It was a fantastic introduction to the Ratua luxury experience.







After dinner, I was in my bungalow taking in the atmosphere; the doors and window shutters were open and the water was only 15 meters away. My bungalow, named ‘Monkey’, was one of about 5 located at this end of the island, and my closest neighbours and I were positioned around a little bay that was maybe only 100 meters wide.







The beach was made up of soft sand with some broken coral, and the shoreline gradually sloped away to a fringing reef; it was a fish haven with the strong current of the adjacent Malo Passage pushing past the bay. And then it started, the sounds of nervous fish splashing indicating predators giving chase. I stood outside on my verandah and listened as this incredible display took place, probably all within casting distance! These were no 3 inch baitfish being harassed by lightweights – these things were big, v-e-r-y big… Huge splashes and boofs filled the night air as (what were most likely) big GTs harassed, herded and hammered the smaller fish into submission. Hoots and cheers came from the villas around me, as others witnessed the show. It sounded more like a crocodile attacking a water buffalo in the shallows! I’d left all my casting gear at home and it was killing me, all I could do was to stand there totally impressed, dumbfounded and applaud the show…



The next morning I took a walk around to discover the lay of the land. At the other end of the bay, a nice point jutted out, with the magnificent Malo Passage to one side. We named this point Daybed Point as it was a great place for some of the guys who cast small poppers for a host of fish. Anthony filmed Gregg’s poppers being nailed and promptly dusted on his light gear, 4 casts in a row by GTs and other reefies, while standing on the villa’s daybed deck. In a nutshell it was a very fishy spot; if I had heavy popper gear, I’d expect to find big GT’s off that point for sure.



A look over the charts showed plenty of areas to return to to cast a lure, jig or troll a deep diver. It’s all there within striking distance of Ratua and accessible from their centre console dories. NZ journo and keen angler Scott Lee got to experience some fun action casting lures from one of the resorts 25ft dories, with a estimated 40kg GT chasing down his hooked coral trout sending his pulse racing.

Ratua is a place for the senses; visually it is absolutely stunning from every angle. The resort is self sufficient, eco friendly, understated and can only be described as absolute luxury.









The story on how it came to be built will impress on people the lengths and detail the owner has put into this resort. Each building began its life 150 – 200 years ago in Sumatra, Indonesia and have been salvaged, restored and painstakingly rebuilt piece by piece in this setting. The ethical approach of the resort is to contribute 100 percent of the profits to help the surrounding communities.

There are so many details, images and experiences that are now deeply etched in my memory after spending and endless weekend in this magical location. I use the term endless weekend, because although it was only a few nights away, time stood still from the moment I arrived.

Make no mistake, this place is not cheap, but it is worth every cent. Ratua is the ideal destination for the discerning angler, their friends and partners who wish to mix their fishing with an absolutely luxurious experience.

David Noble, Nov 09.

Cabo Captures – Vanuatu Marlin

December 14th, 2009 | By Rowan Stanek

Our 43ft Cabo Sportfisher has well and truly settled into Vanuatu, with a number of marlin released on recent charters Since the two good blues on the maiden trip in August, the boat has raised some nice billfish, including a double hook-up on a blue and a black a week later. The blue was estimated to be close to the 1000lb mark, and was unfortunately lost while the small black was released.

Well-known American game angler Terry Tri fished in early September for a 5 day live on board out of Port Vila, anchoring overnight in Port Havannah and fishing the Marlin Highway and surrounds by day. Terry and friend Ian released 3 blue marlin for 4 hook-ups plus a nice big eye tuna and a few mahi mahi. This was a great effort by Terry who, due to recent health complications, is confined to a wheel chair…well done Terry!

Read Terry’s extensive report including all the photos on his website at http://www.terrytri.com/bgiwter62.html

Cabos First Vanuatu Game Fishing Charters

December 14th, 2009 | By Rowan Stanek

Chris and Graham had a great 2 days on marlin and mahi mahi on board the new 43ft Cabo Sportfisher, and really enjoyed the overnight experience in secluded Port Havannah.

Graham was on to his first marlin barely an hour after leaving the harbour and they soon had a nice female blue approx 300lb carrying on at the transom. A clean tag and they set the lures again and headed out towards the FAD’s looking for another fish, for Chris. Just before lunch a bull mahi mahi hit one of the outrigger lures and Chris was onto it, bringing in a good fish all lit up and cart wheeling all over the ocean. Straight after lunch a good blue marlin hammered the short outrigger lure and stripped hundreds of meters of line off in no time at all. Chris was in the chair and he was set up to do battle for the next hour on a solid fish, which went deep and stayed there. Eventually, with some good teamwork and communication from the bridge, Chris managed to raise a tired female 550lb blue marlin, which was tagged and then released. Chris looked a bit worse for wear also but both men had achieved something they had long dreamt about doing.

That night the boat moored in front of The Havannah, a newly built luxury resort in remote Port Havannah, and ventured on shore to relive the day’s events over a few well-earned beers (and bottles of French red) with dinner.





The next day took the guys out wide early on chasing marlin before coming back in to fish around Hat island targetting wahoo and sailfish, finally arriving back in Port Vila at the end of day 2. Captain Chris Donato was stoked with the successful maiden charter, observing that the average marlin in Vanuatu were bigger than the larger models in Samoa!

2 days later on a follow up charter, he experienced his first XOS Vanuatu Blue Marlin as a huge fish appeared behind the boat and attacked the teaser! At the same time, a smaller male Blue took the right short lure and the big beast unfortunately took off. The hooked fish was brought in and released quickly, but everyone was still in awe of the giant Blue they’d just witnessed smashing the teaser only metres behind the boat!

Things are really starting to heat up in Vanuatu, stay tuned for more reports as the season progresses and the fishing gets even better!

43ft Cabo Sportfisher Arrives In Vanuatu!

August 28th, 2009 | By Rowan Stanek

Ocean Blue has recently added a new vessel to our fleet in Vanuatu; this stylish 43ft Cabo Sportfisher. The new boat will be operating both day trips and exploratory live on board charters throughout Vanuatu, from Port Vila, Espiritu Santo and the exclusive Ratua Private Island. This is the newest game boat in Vanuatu, and is fully equipped to accommodate anglers chasing any of the myriad of species that inhabit the waters of Vanuatu, from serious game, jigging, popping and fly enthusiasts, to novice anglers looking to catch their first trophy fish.

Yellow Grin – Modern Fishing, July 2008

June 29th, 2009 | By Rowan Stanek

An older Modern Fishing article by John Ashley, detailing all you need to know about fishing for Yellow Fin Tuna, both in Australia, and further abroad.

Modern Fishing-Yellow Fin Article by John Ashley

Magnifi Santo – Modern Fishing, June 2008

June 22nd, 2009 | By Rowan Stanek

Click the following link to read John Ashley’s article from the June 2008 issue of Modern Fishing, recounting his experience in Espiritu Santo.

Modern Fishing – Espiritu Santo Article by John Ashley

Santo Diary, "Exceptional as Always"

May 28th, 2009 | By Rowan Stanek

Anthony & David,
What can I say, each year I can only thank you again and again. Our latest trip to Vanuatu organised perfectly and lived up to all expectations (again). You guys make sure all we have to do is turn up at the airport on time and from then on everything else is taken care of. The fishing side of things was great, the Moorings Hotel at Port Vila afterwards was sensational to unwind for a few days and of course the people of Vanuatu were as friendly as ever.

Fishing was exceptional, as always… John & Wendy, along with Josepho and Hudson made sure we did not want for anything on the live-aboard charter up at Santo. Each day bought something new and kept the adrenalin pumping for the entire 6 days. Picking the weather early in the week we decided to head out wide the 1st day (and I mean really wide) to a rarely fished seamount some 80 nautical miles from the coast. Rising from 2000 metres to 2 metres this was where we had hoped to get to at least once this trip and ‘wow’ the effort to get there was well worth it. We trolled lures all the way to the seamount arriving around 3.30 in the afternoon and within a couple of minutes a triple hook-up of Yellowfin. With only 2 anglers on board this was a lot of fun, after landing those 3, another double hook-up with some more little yellow terrors. Following the encounter with the school of Yellowfin to about 20kg we then landed some great Dogtooth Tuna to 30kg and some Wahoo to 40kg.

By 5.00pm we had landed 21 fish between the two of us and the decision to travel out so far had become very justified. With then headed back towards shore and anchorage arriving after 1.00am in the morning, a long yet very satisfying day.

With the wind up, day 2 and 3 were spent on some of the closer seamounts with Wahoo, Dogtooth and Mahi Mahi on the agenda and landed very regularly (and not too many small fry either), the quality and size of the fish were excellent all trip!

On the 4th day the good conditions had the skipper, John, itching to get back out wide (a decision that was well received by both of us anglers) so at 3.00am the next morning we were on our way for another shot at the seamount. Filling the day with more Dogtooth 20kg to 35kg, Wahoo to 35kg, Green Jobfish and some of the biggest Barracuda I have ever seen. On the way back into the anchorage the skipper spotted birds working and headed over with the result being a double hook-up on a pair of 40 odd kg Yellowfin. Not a bad way to end the day. Day 5 was back in on some of the closer reefs with more Dogtooth and Wahoo ending up with a 25kg Mahi Mahi and a 25kg Yellowfin on the way back to the overnight anchorage.

The last day on board started a bit rough with a couple of sore heads due to our last night celebration, however the cobwebs got blown out pretty quick with Tony hooking up, catching and releasing a Blue Marlin of around 230-250kg quite early in the morning. With some more Dogtooth and Wahoo to finish off the day, what can I say, what a trip. With a captain and 1st mate in John and Wendy, enjoying fishing as much as we do and great Deckies in Josepho and Hudson (and Robert on the last day), the trip was always going to be a success. I look forward to booking next year’s trip with Ocean Blue, knowing it will be just as good.

Cheers Calvin Rhodes

Vanuatu Roundup, September 2007

May 28th, 2009 | By Rowan Stanek

Andrew Papdi was back for another Scheduled Charter to Santo for a 6 day liveaboard, his 9th trip with Ocean Blue. This trip’s hightlights included plenty of wahoo and other pelagic action, including mahi mahi, and good numbers of yellowfin busting the surface. Smaller doggies landed to around 25kg on lures, with unstoppables of approx 60kg hitting lures near the surface and hastily making it back to the deep seamount against the 80lb standup game gear. Largest Yellowfin was a 40kg example, biggest GT went 34kg. 1 hour after a larger blue marlin strike failed to hookup, Kevin Armstrong got himself a 130kg Blue marlin which put on a great aerial display just off the transom. Plenty of sailfish activity also but they proved elusive to hook up. The skipper and his team on the boat put in big days often turning the engines over at sun up, and dropping anchor around sunset.

Meanwhile the south of Vanuatu have not missed out with some quality yellowfin, marlin, wahoo and mahi mahi being taken on recent trips out of Port Vila, giving all onboard plenty to do when the strikes come.

The boys returned from Port Havannah Anglers Retreat this week and they have had a ball. It is a great venue for a weeks remote fishing for a group of anglers. Paul Paramonov’s group caught a good variety including yellowfin tuna, mahi mahi, wahoo and blue marlin to 90kg.

Success At Santo!

May 28th, 2009 | By Rowan Stanek

28/8/2007
Anthony & Jenyne,

I would again like to thank both of you for my last fishing trip to Vanuatu in August.

For the second year in a row you have organised an unforgettable and highly successful fishing charter for my party to Espiritu Santo. The 2006 trip was great, catching heaps of various species; this year’s trip surpassed the last trip by a long way.

John and Wendy were fantastic hosts, Sandy and Christian sensational Deckies. Not to mention the fishing, wow, where do I start?

Fishing Wusi Seamount for the first 3 days of the charter had all four of us very busy with screaming drags and fish everywhere. Dogtooth Tuna to 40kg, Wahoo to 30kg and Yellowfin to 15kg with so many strikes it was like a dance-floor in the cockpit. Double hook-ups, quite a few triple hook-ups and even a couple of quadruple hook-ups had us ducking and weaving all over the place, as well getting smoked on some extremely big fish that had the 24’s peeling off at an alarming rate without a chance to stop the 1st run.

For the last 3 days of the charter we decided to chase Blue Marlin with 5 hook-ups overall and some very acrobatic Wahoo crashing into the lures from below. Seeing Wahoo 2 and 3 at a time in mid air taking lures was a spectacular sight I can tell you, also many more Yellowfin to 35kg and a nice bull Mahi Mahi (which was very nice for tea I might add) of about 15kg. Add to that 1 coconut that got hooked while trolling had everyone fooled that a nice fish had been hooked and a very embarrassed angler that we made to hold up for the trophy photo’s. All four of us had a trip that will be hard to forget and not a negative aspect of the whole charter.

All I can say to both of you thanks again for the superb trip, again you guys took care of all the details and made sure that we did not have to worry about anything except landing the fish. I look forward to the next trip you will be organising for me in 2008.

Kind regards Calvin Rhodes