20160909 DFR Saltwater Challenge Day1

So early start on Day1 – 5:15am to be at our first planned first fishing spot for ‘lines in’ at 6:30am, we were second at the boat ramp (but some did use the Six Pack Ramps 20 minutes up the road so may have beaten us to the water – almost sure they did)

From that moment on nothing followed the plan – no big fish as dreamed and planned for, but at least the small fish count as a species for bonus points regardless of size

Instead of going straight to blue salmon spot - we detoured to Knife Island and got two species each – Trevally and Queenfish

Even managed a double hook up of queenies once but then came the wind for the rest of the day (it did calm off round 1pm but only as the wind changed into the opposite direction)

So we then went up our chosen creek to find tarpon and blue salmon in a deep hole at the junction of three creeks out of the wind. But the wind was sort of funnelling up the creek, not too bad but making things difficult.

Plus this dredging flies on the bottom of a 4-6m hole you’re drifting through is soooooooo BORING!!!!!!!!

Cast up current of drift, tide and wind - wait for it to sink, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, and waiting for it to hit the bottom. Then slow strip the fly along the bottom for the Blues, and once fly off the bottom strip faster for the Tarpon. Was told during a pre-fish a few weeks ago the blues were massing on the surface and multiple hook ups were the go – today no Blue Salmon for us! or tarpon. not a lot caught over hte comp but definitely were not where we looked and cast - and dredged!

This dredging technique – SUCKS big time! Works most times or so I have heard and it sucks big time!  Can’t see fish, catching no fish – if it hadn’t been for Peter and his persistence, I would have left after the first dredge

We did manage some Ock Ocks on the bottom dredge but very sadly no Blues or Tarpon – no tarpon rolling, nothing

I tell a lie, re nothing, cause I hooked a funny looking Queenfish – pointier head, blue steel sides, one bright yellow with fin the rest of the fins normal

Finally I convinced Peter to leave this place of dredging and when we came out the wind was still howling down the harbour with white caps starting to be quite prevalent

We popped across these white capped waves over to Paspayley’s corner but the wind blowing right into it - I did manage a butter bream which was a rare fly capture

Onto Kirra Rock and it was just under the water at this stage of the tide

Casting up current of the rock and letting fly sinking deep (not quite dredging trust me) – then a slow strip as the fly swings past the front of the rock. Tap, tap hook up! Awesome!

Peter got 6 snapper in quick succession, me four – our third species and bonus 600 points for doing so, two of Peter’s snapper were good sized Golden Snapper. Most of the snapper were little Moses Perch – but a target species of the comp all the same. My first one was only 12cm long but gave me three species – yeehaah!

We went to the flats behind Kirra Rock and it was a bit muddy at first. We search the creek entrance in the back corner for naught but must come here again – so much potential. Then we used the electric to cruise the edge of the mangroves towards the far creek to the south.

We found mullet – useless. While not worth bonus points – found plenty of Blue bastards that once or twice followed our flies if we got them touching their noses – if it didn’t spook them first but no hook ups. Peter very keen to have ago at this species when no comp on.

Near the end of our cruise along the mangrove edge, after we had noted how clean the water had become and due to such we saw heaps of the blue bastards – we (that is Peter) saw some threadfin salmon – one of the reasons we came to this flat – them plus Barra and Tarpon

Of the 6 to 8 Threadies we saw – sadly only one paid the slightest attention to Peter’s fly

Leaving this flat before we got marooned by the receding water, we then popped down to China Wall but squat there - despite a few follows and some bust-ups in distance. Next was the creek behind it in case some tarpon were rolling but no!

Next it was back to Paspayley Corner wind still howling but not forcing waves in to the corner this time – here there were very flighty patches of Queenfish harassing baitfish, managed a couple but again the wind eventually proved the winner and we started heading  towards the ramp

The low tide would make the ramp quite low – and we needed to wait a while as the tide rose slowly - so a hard fish was done behind Knife Island in 10-15 knot winds hoping for a mackerel – the birds were diving at something, but no slashes by fish. The waves were big, lifting and falling with each wave, Peter was stoically casting in atrociously windy conditions for no fish. He deserved a fish just for all that blind casting.

So finally home we go to the ramp, which was quite a bumpy ride up and over the massive wind waves that had travelled the entire length of the harbour from north to south, well till we turned the corner into Milne Inlet.

While Peter was getting trailer to ramp to load boat, some very small tarpon started rolling and I quickly put in a few casts but no gravy at the last moment for me! Nor a fourth species!!!

So a tough day – but three species at least for each of us. Each of us got just under 1000 points with fish length points and bonus points added together for the three target species and couple of ‘other’ species we caught today. Peter with 13 fish and me with 14 fish on our score sheets. Both of us dropped a few fish at side of the boat and also had a few follows from fish we should have hooked up to – worse still targeted species that would have increased our bonus points.

Other didn’t fair too well with one boat only landing two small fish but there is always someone who does well, usually very well.

However, at the end of Day1 of the 2016 DFR SWC - team ‘2FLY4U’  (Peter and myself) are in fifth spot (out of 11 teams). Peter is in 12^th and with one only 20 or so points more - I am in 10^th out of the 22 Swoffers fishing the comp.

So in the middle of the pack both for team and individual again – one more species of which we had follows from would have zipped us up the standings. One factor is our favour was we caught 20% of the queenfish caught for the day

So overall, a hard day for most across the board with only 5 salmon for day, no mackerel at all, nothing giant in size with biggest fish of the day being a 61cm queenfish and a 55cm Tarpon (a nice fish for that species). Only one person getting 5 of the seven targeted species, a few more getting four targeted species and half of those fishing getting three species.

I got 5 species for the day but two were not on the competition’s target list of: a barramundi, a salmon, a trevally, a queenfish, a tarpon, a mack and a snapper. One or two species can be found in one spot sometimes but all need to be focused on to have success at different times of the tide and location. With most species requiring different location and tactics to catch – so I like this competition. 

Still I should have just caught more species and more fish instead of thinking about the stuff others may or may not do

see Day 2 report - here
See Day 3 report - here