I’ve looked forward to this for a long time.

Some of you may know, I have an affinity with fish – tuna especially but also the odd trout, so when we had the opportunity to go fishing with Itu (E2), the ‘bonefishing legend,’ we jumped at the chance.

E2 comes from a long line of fishermen in Aitutaki. His family used to net bonefish in the lagoon before the government decided to make it a ‘sport’ for anglers, but more importantly ensure their sustainability – catch and release.

They are not small fish, although we caught a couple of tiddlers. More often than not, they reach double digits and are extremely strong and fast, thanks to their deeply forked tail, providing immense power and one hell of a fight.

Casting a weighted dry-fly, (no bait fish), into the milky waters the line slowly sinks into the unknown. It is not deep, perhaps three metres, but I can’t see the bottom as they stir up the sand when they feed. We drift ever so slowly with a sea anchor and within seconds I get a strike.

The reel runs and I let it go, and it goes again. I reel it in and it goes again and again and again.

With E2’s skill, we net it. Wetting my hands, I hold my slippery catch before letting it slip over the side and back into the lagoon.

Although it was a relatively small bonefish it gave a real fight – who knows, I might have fallen over board had the fish been any bigger.

For more information about fishing with E2  www.e2sway.com