Similar time into the water on Day3 and it was a b-line drive to
our first location (Middle Reef) for fishing asap.
This location is just within the boundaries of the competition, its a fair boat ride from Milne Inlet boat ramp, and in the past has
yielded heaps of big Queenfish 80cm plus for us (look for previous blog on this location). So even though tides much different from previous outings, we were hoping for the same
again on Day3. We were also hoping to repeat our Day2 uniqueness by catching
the only macks for the whole comp so far.
We found them Day3 as well but frustratingly they were quite small
(30-40cm), extremely flighty, zipping here and then there, popping up smashing
baitfish and them immediately going down not to be seen for quite a while and
usually hitting the surface 200-300m away from the last place they did so.
So very hard to get near these macks, let alone hook up – but
we did hooked up to something strong and were hoping for a bigger mack – any mack but it
was a Queenfish. We were sad till we saw its size – 69cm, which beat the
biggest in the comp so far (61cm) by 8cm – so were hoping for another biggest of a
species for the comp
(but on return to camp heard of a 79cm being caught -
bugger! Always seems to happen, you get a good fish and someone beats it by a
few centimetres!)
Having caught the only two macks so far during the comp, thus we
were also hoping for the biggest mack for the comp – we had caught none on Day 3 and hoped no one else caught any. we had barely seen any during the day, other than at our first location and prior
to the competition presentations 4pm Sunday arvo - had no idea if anyone had
caught one on Day 3 or if they did - was it bigger than Peter’s 53cm mack – as there
are good prizes for biggest of a species during the competition! (Peter did end up getting the biggest mack and won a nice TFO rod for his efforts! Awesome but should not the netter of his fish get something??????)
So after the first location Peter had two Queenfish (69
& 40cm), me nothing.
The conditions had calmed off to an oily surface. So we
visited a few rocky points and ledges to the south of Middle Reef and Peter
got some snapper and a trevally to give him three species (600 bonus points) I
managed a few fish too but only snapper and trevally, so were hoping to get a Queenfish
somewhere for me to get my third species.
We decided to head for Turnbull Bay where we had got good Queenfish on Day 2, on the way stopped at the tip of Indian Island. Here we found some very
eager and small Queenfish, trevally and snapper – all at the one small
congregation of rocks. Only one rocky area, others just like it had nothing - so weird! At this one rock group - every cast was a nip at the fly or a hook up – I managed
my third species for the day – a Queenfish. We racked up a few points by catch
6-8 each of trevally and Queenfish, as well as one or two snapper - and one small but pretty 15cm blue bone for me.
In fact we each got three targetted species at this rocky area - could have fish it all day for the same result instead of long runs zipping around the harbour to various locations!
Some of the queenfish at this spot were no bigger than my hand with an outstretched finger (that finger was for Peter and his comments about my tiny fish! at least its bigger than Canadian Pecker!)
We were definitely matching the hatch with our silicone surf candies as we found out when one trevally coughed up its last meal on the boat
Off to Turnbull bay eventually. Here Peter got a 12cm
snapper and a 50cm Queenfish in quick succession. We hoped and intended to get several of the fish seen following the first fish to the boat. But then the wind changed direction and it was instantly a
rougher wind chop slapping the boat and rock bar we were at. The fish shutdown instantly. Wind? Hull
slap?? Whatever it was it was harsh and quick.
With only an hour left we headed for Knife island for a few more points before lines up. When we arrived the wind was in the other
direction and blowing at more than 10 knots given the white caps on the waves. Two other fly fishing boats were fishing the area and left soon after we got there.
Peter kept working his flies again in the area others had left. Once after snapping off
his entire leader and fly – re-tied a new leader and fly. I am day dreaming
doing nothing, as soon as Peter finishes re-rigging he puts out a cast were
nothing was moments before and hooks up immediately to a 53cm Queenfish. The
man always puts in the effort and usually gets the fish - annoying and inspiring all at the same time!.
The wind change caught up with us and we sheltered around
the inside (Crab Claw side) of Knife near the beach section of the island and
the sand bar that runs out from it. Here tucked up against the beach were a
heap of Queenfish, small but willing to take the fly, we caught three more fish
(90 plus point worth) before we had to get back to ramp to hand in our
scoresheets before the 2pm cut-off.
More fish today in numbers, but only three target species unlike yesterday’s
four and most were on the small side (except Peter’s queenfish with a 69cm, and two 50cm+
in his list of captures). We were more than a little miffed at missing out on
the macks (would have been four species for the day!!!) especially when they were at the
first location but you can’t get them all the time. We have come to expect easy
macks after this dry season’s many sessions at Lee Point catching large numbers
of macks on a very regularly basis. But not today!
So the results for Peter's big effort and my little effort for
the comp were:
Team 2FLY4U – Day1 - 5th, Day2
- 8th, Day3 - 7th - up one
Individually
Peter - Day1 - 12th, Day2 - 13th, Day3
- 10th ………. up 3 places
Richard Day1 - 10th, Day2 – 11th, Day3 - 11th …… same place as yesterday.
The three days were
full of tough fishing in lots of wind, with few fish about, and most with their
mouths wired shut.
Other found it not so with a couple of SWOFFERS in a day catching 6 species of the seven targetted species. quite a few got 5 species some two days running. Macks were the most allusive during the competition with only three in total being caught and measured, then the tarpon but some very nice ones were caught i think 55cm or 53 cm was the best, then salmon and then Barra - these last three with only small single figures most days of the comp being caught. There was an amazing 88cm barra caught on Day2, interestingly the first day only one barra was caught that was 32cm, so it makes the big one more amazing. Another competitor in one short time frame broke off 5 barra before getting one undersized one to measure. Salmon were caught each day but not a lot (and remember I ain't doing no dredging even again!)
Some did it quite easy as one team did so well that in just two days (first day they lost several hours with a fuel pump issue) - their team still came third overall - so the fish were there if you knew what you were doing! Both in numbers and size compared to all others fishing the comp - amazing! So anything is possible.
So the fish were there but hard to convince to take the fly for some. Some like me didn't even find a few targetted species. A few anglers had it quite tough only catching a handful of fish the whole comp - one of those was a guy who was fishing saltwater for the first time, as did another new to the NT who caught a few brand new species (but a few more of them and much bigger to finish in the top five SWOFFERS - all this on a borrowed rod!!). some guys would catch one targetted species one day quite easily then the next day could not buy that same species
The majority of the fish on all the score cards were small trevally, queenfish, and snapper. Some good snapper (jacks) were once found in a huge school of 50 plus that yielded one fish before they wouldn't take a single fly - regardless of fly changes and approaches of allurement. The individual winner got his first Threadie of 67cm to win that species category - well done!
I will definitely have to pick up my game (notice wife that means more fishing!!!!) in skills and knowledge to crack the top quarter of the placings next year. I do feel I have four species sorted - macks, snapper, trevally and Queenfish. But really had no idea what to do about the barra, the salmon and the tarpon - if they were not where I expected them to be (very tide critical two of those species). I have caught tarpon before even won a rod for the largest tarpon a few years back (once in the DFR freshwater comp too!), have caught heaps of threadies (King Salmon) but need to work more on the blue salmon as more common and less tidal dependent on the flats (but don't like dredging!! Have I said that before?). As for the barra - if you have read my past blogs you will know of this my nemesis species! So I think I will only even get 6 species next year due to this nemesis factor - unless the stars align and the fishing gods smile upon me greatly!
Competitions always seem to be harder, don’t they?
When its no
pressure and no points -- the fish always seem willing and able, and the seas are calm as a duck pond, and conditions are windless all day to make casting easy. Then the day a comp starts - the fish go off their food, the wind starts up
strongly and the tides are nuts…………..
Or is it just me?
Here’s to next year
– bring it on!
What else is next –
a NTFF club freshwater comp? Heading to Gold Coast for a week in school holidays a
“family” trip – but definitely taking a fly rod and some flies with me. It will
be nice to wade in the water after some Dusky Flathead without worrying about being taken by a
4m croc!
See Day 1 report - here
See Day 2 report - here
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