Darwin Harbour Fly Fishing - Part 2

So we have launched, visits first island, visited Shelly, then Wickham, then finally Weed Reef...
and that is the only the first few potential harbour hotspots covered in the previous blog

So what next?....

After Weed Reef which at times can be quite barren of scales and at other times a fish a cast....
We normally head towards Talc Head and then to the corner of the beach between Mandorah and Woods Inlet.

I have fished the creek behind the beach once and it screams fish but none came to hand on that occasion. I have been told by old timers that a few years ago there were a series of sand bars through here and permit were seen. The flats extending to that behind the beach creek mouth is well worth the slow drift to see what is about (especially when wind howling from offshore as its quite protected).

The main reason we come here is a T shaped rock bar on the corner. Its not showing in the Google earth screen shot shown here - but once we were casting to tip of rock as tide came in and got brassies, casting past the tip got queenies, casting away from rocks got grey macks, and if we let the fly sink right down face of rock ledge  - got Golden trevs. I have also caught jacks, cod and small coral trout here as well.

We then visit the area past the wharf and look again for reef drop off areas, tidal lines and working birds. Of which the birds can be very active in the areas between the channel marker bouys usually above better sized queenfish - I have blogged about the fishing here quite a few times.

We then cross the harbour to Cullen bay for a quite look at where I have seen more balls of golden trevally then any other place in the harbour (other than previously mentioned area just out from East arm ramp and an awesome 2nd session I had last Melbourne cup day out from the Esplanade )

Next spot for investigation is East Point. I caught my first harbour longtail here, the month I first arrived - landbased (I was so so lucky!).
But haven't been lucky enough to catch another yet - despite having a boat.
Found them, chased them (for hours!) - been absolutely frustrated by them!!

But there area few confluence current locations here at East Point always worth the time to investigate, also a few low but baitholding rock bars - so check out the area for working birds and actviely feeding fish slashing about. take your time look carefully.

From here, while a few spots along the way, we normally head straight for Lee Point
We do get distracted by disturbed water and feeding birds but usually fringe finned trevally (biggest get 20cm). They make a lot of commotion but don't quite make the grade as a fly target species. Saying that they are great for kids with a 4wegiht and a size 4 flashy clouser.

But you have to look - it just might be a big school of what you do want to catch. once with just one bird and the tiniest of slashes we got on to a big school of pelagics

Note - watch out for a low rock island (only an island at low tide levels). It is approximately west of the hospital half way to Lee Point from Nightcliffe ramp - stay wide till you get to Lee Point plus the tuna, well for me, like water around 30-35 feet deep. And you do get them along this stretch of water.

So we finally get to Lee Point - particularly the close in reefs..........

Between the two parallel reefs in top right corner of image above is where we first started catching fish a couple of years ago. Here you can find packs of marauding queenfish and trevally harassing baitfish and herding them against the reefs as the water pumps through.

However, lately we focus on the curling and 'U' shaped reefs sections north west of the main Lee Point beach
Here as the tide goes out (according to Peter an hour or so after the turn from high tide), the water starts to push against the reef rising upward rapidly to form a pressure line along the reef. Here the bait have issue with the pressure and hold against it creating a buffet for predator species.

It has been our most successful spot of recent times - grey and broad barred macks, tarpon, trevally - most species, queenfish. reef species too. If the pelagics species don't get the fly first as it drifts near the reef and its pressure wave. If you can drop, sink and drift your fly down the ledge of the reef - stripies, bluebone, small snapper and many other species are options. dont forget the tuna out a little wider, if you have the fortitude (fuel too!) to chase them as they mostly are quite sporadic and spread out between the porpoising slashes they are known for.

There can literally be thousands of yellow tail pike and garfish here at times sitting on top of the reef, but given how they periodically all leap out of the water as a large predator goes through - keep a 10 weight rigged with a larger fly if you want to target the very big queenfish and macks that zip though. On the reef as well, are so many tiny baitfish they darkening the water such are their numbers. I have seen the sounder screen full to the bottom from the top in 30 plus feet of water with massive schools of baitfish moving through. At times when being hammered by predators they hang so near the boat for safety such is the pressure upon them from the predators that gorge themselves on these small see through baitfish. When this happens I usually net a bucketful for my aquarium fish in the science lab at school - video somewhere on this blog about this.

We have caught fish one after the other, with multiple double hookups countless times, till despite fish slashing all about us, finally have to sit down to regather our strength for a few more casts. but also not seen a fish - though not often as the good times.

We came here once and about 8-10 boats were surrounding water frothed to a frenzy by fish attacking baitfish. We couldn't get to them due to the other boats which were lure tossers and bait fishers surrounding the working school of predators. However, they just couldn't match the hatch for the size of the baitfish nor the see through nature of the bait, nor work that top 15cms of the water column the way you can with the fly that is needed on this reef.
We put in the occasional long cast between boats when the opportunity came and caught a fish every time. With Peter doing his usually 'whaaaa hooo'ing and over acting the bend in his fly rod - the other boats still not catching fish, got pissed off at us and left the feeding fish behind. Then we moved in closer and caught grey mackerel after grey mackerel for the next few hours. Go the fly!!!!

Bring it on again!!

Hope that helps you get a tight fly line! Enjoy those Darwin harbour hotspots