KOKE‘E — Throughout the day, occasional whoops and cheers went up along the banks of the Pu‘u Lua Reservoir at Koke‘e, when another fisher caught a rainbow trout.
The annual trout-fishing opening weekend was a bit different for a second year in a row due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A Father’s Day weekend tradition, dating back an estimated 70 years, brings families of fishers out for the only regular rainbow-trout fishing opportunity in Hawai‘i.
Mark Sueyasu of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Aquatic Resources has been involved in trout-fishing seasons for the better part of a quarter of a century, first as a volunteer and now as the primary organizer of the annual affair.
“We try to time opening weekend, two-weeks after schools let out, so it typically coincides with Father’s Day,” Sueyasu explained. Trout are not a native species, and Pu‘u Lua and certain streams in Koke‘e are the only places to fish for them.
Eggs are imported each year from a hatchery in California and then hatched at the Anuenue Fisheries Research Center on O‘ahu. Once the reservoir water is cold enough, they’re shipped to Kaua‘i, where they’re held in enclosures in the middle of the reservoir before being released.
For the second year in a row, DAR conducted a lottery for the chance to fish one of the first two days of the season. Close to 1,000 people drove up to the reservoir Father’s Day weekend for four different scheduled four-hour-long fishing sessions. DAR staff checks them in and out, ensures they have freshwater fishing licenses, and provides information and education about fishing opportunities in general.
David Banquel brought his two children and a nephew to the Sunday afternoon session. He said he’s been coming to Pu‘u Lua for so long, he has no idea how many years. “It’s a chance to disconnect from all of our digital devices, to enjoy the serene surroundings, and to bond with the family.”
There are no size limits on caught trout, and each fisher is allowed to catch seven each day. Some 26,000 hatchery-grown trout were released into the reservoir this year.
Unlike many western states where trout are often coated in cornmeal and fried, the preferred method in Hawai‘i is to smoke them. Banquel doesn’t really care for the taste of his trout, but his elderly neighbors do, so his family typically gives their bounty to them.
The special nature of fathers, sons, daughters and entire families enjoying the annual outing is not lost on Sueyasu. “While many families have been coming for many years, a lot of people are still surprised that you can fish for trout in Hawai‘i, but only here.”
Only the first two days of this season required lottery participation. The season is now open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through Sept. 30.
