Anyone interested in fly fishing the Vernons?

Anyone interested in fly fishing the Vernons? 18th June?

As I have heard some gr8 reports recently about the area, so am very keen to fish it again after a few outings a fair while back

So 4:45am-5am launch just before high tide from Nightcliffe (or go via leaders creek if worried about the wind in afternoon - but also may be plenty of corrugations on the Gunn Point rd)

Head straight line for top end of Vernons – smith reef and another similar spots –

About an hours run, so that's about 30-40 litres of fuel for Peter’s 4.8 formosa and his 90hp suzuki. He has a 110 litre tank so we should be right for travelling about once there to some degree and the to and back of the trip – but might take a jerry can of 20 litres just in case the tuna are active over a large area. Peter only sits at 5000rpm for his motor most of the trips we have done in past, so we get fairly good fuel economy at those revs

High tide 5:30am so we should get there just as tide starting to run

Hopefully some large trevally and queenies of these reefs and the other bommies around the islands or nearby

Want to visit at some time the beacon on south side of eastern island as a mate has been catching 80cm+ brassies there, they also got a 105cm GT – (on lure gear - almost an hour fight)

Got my ten weight set up with fast sinking fly line, and a spare fly line (in case a big one shreds it on reef) and also taking some bigger flies 4/0 - 6/0 for them, with heaps of pulse - i.e. lots of fullish schlappen feathers and rabbit fur etc, big eyes too. a few big poppers too!

With approx an hour or so to go to low tide - Would then like to get into and fly fish the blue hole on eastern side of western (northern??) island - maybe eat some lunch in here too – a few big fish but mostly smaller fish but an aquarium of species – got 17 species last time in this area alone. Got a great little water fall that predators hang out near - don't forget some shrimp/crab patterns - but clouser will do fine. The channel into this blue hole is full of stripies, small coral trout and a plethora of other reef species, at times big jacks too!

As tide starts back in, again go stake out the outer reefs and bommies chasing big trevally and queenies again

Hopefully, there will (definitely?) be Spaniards and longtail tuna about so will chase them as needed and as they appear, or we find some birds working (you will need extra fuel if u chase these most of the day!) - don't forget a few mackerel flies with pre-tied wire bite tippets. I tie mine with about 5-7cm of 20lb-40lb single strand wire straight onto hook eye and have it ready to tie on flurocarbon leader attached to my fly line.

probably head back about 3:30-4:30 to ramp, hopefully getting back to Nightcliffe for top of of the afternoon tide.

Caution: if any west in the wind direction it will mean a wetter and rougher trips, so be ready for it (well worth a bit of discomfort to fly fish such a great spot), afternoon more likely to be rougher

We could all use the same radio channel and try a few reefs till we find congregation of fish - i.e. cover more area but not miss out if fish nearby are going nuts!. we can sort out radio channel later closer to day of trip

Some might like to try the inshore blue hole, particularly its northern exit which can really fire. the mangroves on land side for barra - so bring your barra flies too.

There is also a snake drain on some mud flats on the sourthern most island on its eastern side that can fire for barra – so some could try a little flats fishing as the tide drops out of the mangroves.

any other questions - then message - Swoffer Darwin

got three boats as definite - so far

- so already will be a great outing.