Ala Wai Canal water conditions?

[airline]

Hello,

I was fly fishing near Hawaii Kai last May, right after the beaches reopened. There were still signs on the Ala Wai Canal near Waikiki warning not to touch the water.

Does anyone know the current Ala Wai Canal conditions. I’m thinking about doing a little catch and release fly fishing for Barracuda. Is it okay to touch the water now?

Richard

[Stan Wright]

I was going to try it this week too, but then the wind and rain came. All the polution signs are down, but I would still be very careful about the water quality.... or the lack there of?

Stan

[Dave Hennessey]

Hey guys,

I'd be curious if someone had the answer to this. Just got back from Oahu on vacation, and while we didn't get any peacocks, I got a boatload of fish in the canal, about 8 feet from our hotel. Biggest was a barracuda about 2 and a half pounds. Also lots of little trevally that pound surface poppers. The barracuda hit anything shiny moving fast. Zara spooks and yo zuri swimmers work well.

If anyone has an answer to the water quality question, let me know. The water didn't exactly appear squeaky clean and I saw a few signs, albeit they looked ancient, still up at the far end of the canal. This was around Christmas. Coincidentally, I've been sick since then! So if anyone knows if the water is OK, put up a post, or I should probably go see the doc again.

Fishing is great in the canal though

[Stan Wright]

Seriously, if you have any kind of rash... go to the doctor ASAP.
......"flesh eating desease"???????

If you're having flue like symptoms have the doctor do a test for leptospirosis.

Last March there was a sewage spill (100,000 gallons) in the Ala Wai. Closed all the Waikiki beaches and several people got really sick. One guy died... after he fell into the Ala Wai. Some other people had it real bad. Weeks in the hospital.

Health department said everything is OK now and took down all the signs, but all of the canoe clubs who use to paddle in the Ala Wai refuse to return there.

[Dave Hennessey]

Stan,

Thanks very much for the info. No rashes to be found (read about the spill - bad news), but my flu like symptomes persist. So I'll have that investigated ASAP. I did see a doc in the city while we were there and he was familiar with the situation. Bloodwork turned up OK and he said the likelihood of a bacterial infection was small. Given the severity of it though, I'm going to have it rechecked. Thanks again.

Great time out on the Lake with Chris. I'll be back soon for another shot at it.

Happy Fishing,

Dave

[Stan Wright]

Dave,

Next trip, we'll take the boat to the Ala Wai and you can be the guide.
How about some pictures of your Ala Wai adventures.
Hope you get to feeling better soon.
Aloha,
Stan

[airline]

Stan,

I didn’t know that you had a boat? I thought that the only flats boat on Oahu was owned by the guide from Montana? Do you launch at Sand Island and fish for Hickam bonefish?

We just returned from 10 days of fly fishing on Oahu and stayed 3 nights at the tallest hotel in the background, the Hawaiian Monarch. It’s across the street from the canal and I had planned to fly fish there. However, when my wife seen the red warring signs she refused to fish that water, so we headed for the North Shore and fished He’eia State Park.



We stopped at the Macadamia Nut Farm near Chinaman’s Hat for a coconut.



Here we are fly fishing at the He’eia State Park Kayak rental launch:





We must have covered a mile of Kaneohe Flats each day without seeing a single fish. Maybe the Ala Wai sewer spill was a good thing, because it scared the fishermen away?

There was plenty of canoe people on the Ala Wai, and the kayaks stayed out there all night.

Richard