(808) 354-9558

About Molokai

The Island of Moloka'i or Molokai is located southeast of Oahu and northwest of Maui in the Hawaiian Island archipelago. It's 38 miles long and 10 miles wide and is the State of Hawaii's fifth largest island. It has a population of about 7500, with a large percentage being of native Hawaiian ancestry.
Molokai is probably the least known of the Hawaiian Islands and doesn't attract large numbers of visitors. There are no traffic signals, traffic jams, or fast food restaurants, two gas stations and one hotel, and the airport doesn't have TSA screening.
The north side of the island features the tallest sea cliffs in the world, towering 3,000-4,000 feet above the Pacific Ocean. Also on the north side is Kalaupapa, home of Father Damien and the infamous Molokai leper colony of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The Molokai Reef

Along the southern shore of Molokai lies the famous Molokai Reef, one of the largest fringing coral reefs in the world. The reef has a rich abundance of marine life, including a large variety of reef fish, milkfish, trevally, rays, octopus, sea turtles, and the definitive star of the reef, the Pacific bonefish, or as they are known in Hawaii, the O'io.
The bonefish on Molokai are big, fast, and extremely powerful. These fish average 6-8 pounds, with many fish exceeding 10 pounds. If you've never hooked a bonefish on a fly rod, hold on because things can get crazy in a hurry. It's common for Molokai bonefish to peel off well over 100 yards of line and backing during their initial run.
With the reef line extending one-half to three-quarters of a mile out from the shoreline, the amount of fishable water and the size of the Molokai fishery is substantial.

Native Molokai Guide

The eastern portion of the reef, where guide Joe Kalima concentrates his bonefishing, is covered with coral heads, large rock beds and multiple blue holes. Because of this, Joe's preferred method of fishing the reef is by boat.
Using a boat provides the opportunity to cover significantly more water than wading. The boat allows a guide to spot more cruising or tailing fish and from greater distances. Casting from the bow of the boat enables an angler to make longer and more accurate casts and have a better line angle and leverage when fighting fish.
Fly anglers who've experienced bonefishing in the Caribbean will find Molokai bonefishing a bit different. Instead of encountering frequent schools of smaller fish, on the Molokai flats you'll primarily be hunting and casting to a single large cruising or tailing bonefish, with the occasional double or triple.
While a number of outfitters offer bonefish guiding services on Molokai, Joe Kalima is the only native Molokai guide. Joe was born and grew up on Molokai, and today lives with his family on the southeastern shore of the island, right on the Molokai Reef that he loves and fishes.

Fishing with Joe Kalima

There are three (3) things you'll quickly learn about Joe when you fish with him. First is the enormous reverence and respect he has for his native Molokai and its magnificent bonefish fishery. Second, nobody knows the Molokai Reef and its resident bonefish better than Joe. And third is Joe's extraordinary vision. No one can spot bonefish on the flats like Joe can.
Molokai is one of the best-kept secrets in saltwater fly fishing. In terms of number of fish, average size, sheer power, and lack of fishing pressure, Molokai offers some of the finest bonefishing in the world. We invite you to join us on a fly fishing adventure that could well be the trip of a lifetime.