Fly Fishing for Trout in Hawaii

Trout are a leery and skittish fish. Tricking them to take an artificial fly as bait is hard. Learning to fly fish to develop sufficient technique to appetizingly present your fly is harder still. And if that doesn't present enough of a challenge, just finding trout to catch fly fishing in Hawaii is very difficult. Trout aren't indigenous to the Hawaiian Islands, and, of the eight major islands, only rainbow trout have ever been recorded and only on the island of Kauai.

  1. Location

    • According to the Hawaii Chapter of Trout Unlimited, the only place to find trout on the islands is in the rivers of Kauai and offshore. The oldest of the eight major islands, Kauai was chosen for the introduction of trout because it is the only island with any navigable rivers. The details on the arrival of the first rainbow trout to the island are sketchy, but it is known that the rainbow was introduced to the streams in 1920.

    Terrain

    • Get yourself prepared for an arduous trek through the jungles of Kauai to get to where the trout swim. The island boasts Waimea, the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific," and breathtaking valleys unreachable by road. The most accessible spot for fly fishing is the Wailua River, a relatively tranquil river that weaves through jungle landscapes along the island's east side. It has waterfalls, too, so if you're planning to boat up-river, count on carrying your craft part of the way. If you are hiking, you'll have to hack your way through jungle, cover mountainous terrain and wade through pools of unknown depth. The other stocked trout river is the Koaie stream, flowing through the Alakai swamp in the Kokee area of the island.

    Trout Hatchery Closing

    • Since the trout aren't native to the island, the Anuenue Fish Hatchery, the only hatchery that raises catfish for Nuuanu Reservoir and trout for Kokee State Park on Kauai, announced in 2009 that it was closing due to budget cuts to the Department of Land and Natural Resources. It was expected to have more of an impact on the catfish stocking, which is the fish of choice for about 8,000 anglers who annually fish Kokee and Nuuanu. Trout, however, are stocked at both locations as well. It is too early to determine the impact that the closing of the hatchery will have on the trout stream fishing.

    Features

    • In waters that allow migration, the rainbow trout will remain in streams until it grows to about 6 to 9 inches in length and then will travel to lakes or oceans to bulk up. It will then return to the streams or rivers to spawn. Steelhead trout are rainbow trout that have adapted to the salt water environment. Fishing for steelhead is very similar to fishing for rainbows. Don't plan on fly fishing for rainbows in winter. In the cooler weather, the steelhead typically prefer spoons or bait rather than flies because it instinctively knows there aren't any fly hatches in winter.The Hawaii state record is a 5 lb., 9 oz. rainbow trout.

    Licensing

    • No license is required for saltwater fishing in Hawaii so you can land a steelhead trout in the sea. There are various types of licenses required for freshwater fish. The fees vary according to residence, length of time and age (minor or senior). You can purchase a license online at the Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources website or buy them at a local bait store. Costs range from $1 for seniors to $25 for non-residents. For residents, a freshwater license is only $5.