Weed Reef for an hour

During the week, regular SWOFFING partner, Peter, and I planned a day on Darwin Harbour over the weekend
The wind was forecast to be better (that is less of it) on Sunday but both of us had plans for that day
So Saturday was the day - wind was predicted to increase from 10am to 15-20knots

There would also be lots of water movement on the tide flow but it was a high tide at dawn which can be exciting fishing at a few of the Darwin Harbour hotspots we have come to know quite well over the last seven years of SWOFFING the local waters here in the top end.
We thought we could fish the top of tide for pelagic predators (queens and trevs), then hit the creeks and drains during bottom of tide at midday (maybe catch the million dollar barra - Peter not me - remember they are my nemisis fish).

But maybe we should have planned for just a few hours and came home..............(read on)

view from Dinah Beach Ramp as we launch

The dawn was spectacular as we zipped along dead calm water towards Weed Reef
The sun a brilliant colour in the early morning haze

great sunrise as we head across the harbour

As soon as we get to Weed we see surface action - awesome!

almost there! anticipation is high!

It was awesome to see so many fish viciously whipping across the surface of calm water, chasing the poor little baitfish
The location of the predators was the usual riffle of water at the tidal out flow compacted over the gravel bar

first cast first hook up of morning

Using fast sinking lines, we started with two different flies - Rodgy Dodgy big eye minnows for Peter and a silicone surf candies for me - both of us caught multiple fish. a mixture of Queenfish, Golden trevs and Brassies to 50cm. The bigger trevs were lots of fun! So strong! The Goldens were hooked mostly from gravel bar, while the Trevs and Queens were mostly hooked in the area in front of the gravel bar. always exceptions to the rule but all very enjoyable! We also had fun keeping the hooked fish away for the occasional four to five foot long shark - none got bitten but close a few times - we let them run and then get the line back once the shark exited the area.

See the edge of clam and riffle behind Peter (using a big fly and his 12w just in case a big one about!) 

The predators will travel along the gravel bar searching for baitfish moving toward them with the tidal flow or hide in the water covered mangroves till bait schools come past to then rush out and aggressively feed after which slink back to the sunken trees or the riffle line. At times their passionate and ferocious feeding takes them over the gravel bar moving with the tidal flow but they soon come back to the prime feeding areas

tossing a little one back, can you see the bust ups between boat and gravel bar to left of mangroves

Next cast hooked up again

Double hook up this time!

We anchored the boat in the very fast tidal flow with Peter's 24 volt 80lb thrust electric motor (awesome bit of machinery!!) - within casting distance of the tree tops and casting distance of the gravel bar. We could then cast sideways, let the fly sink and drift towards the gravel bar then retrieve fast when line at 45 degrees to boat.

After several fish to hand using the silicone surf candies I tie and like so much for harbour predators, I switched over to a salt water gurgler - foam back, ice chenille body and synthetic tail - simple but highly effective fly when saltwater predators are zeroed in on surface feeding action - especially in the shallow water of Weed Reef.

Crazy Gurgler - Foam backed, Pearl Ice Chenille, synthetic tail (the red is from the last fish that ate it and bled a little)

On this morning in the shallow clear waters of Weed Reef, I could see the fish actually chase the fly as it was cast over them, you could see their wake and bulging surge towards the surface fly then hitting it and sometimes hooking themselves as soon as the fly landed. Rarely did the surface fly not get some serious interest in just one or two strips of the fly line. Soooo much fin!

Watch the surface fly action here -

Land - hit 

Strip - hit

Strip - Hit!

Strip - take

Yeeehaaah!!

Then before we even knew it - the action was over - the water so calm on one side of the gravel bar and so riffled on the down tide side. And no real action could be seen anywhere on the reef flats - amazing after so much action for the last hour and a half!

With a few more hours till the tide phase we planned to hit the creeks, we then ventured to a few other harbour pelagic hotspots. But nothing at the entrance to Cullen bay - like for others during the week, or the smaller Kaitlyn bay near it. Next we found a few birds working up current of East Point but no luck there. Finally at Lee Point we were quite confounded at nothing really showing any where. I got a couple of 40cm macks but not much else showing or in return for plenty of casts. Then the wind started increasing - it was all getting a bit depressing no fish, very hot and lots of wind about to visit.

We cut across the harbour to Mandorah to get out of the wind and work our way to West Arm. But wind kept chasing us.  We park the boat outside the T bar south of Mandorah Jetty put up the canopy to protect us for the hot sun straight up in the sky.

Peter has one of his gigantic made on the spot salad sandwiches and I have a 'nanna nap' on the front deck.

But then we decide to call it a day - it is so very hot, additionally the wind really howling right up the harbour with multiple white wave caps the clear indicator of the high wind speed.
The ride across the harbour was very wet and bumpy - no fun at all!
After that ugly ride, we had the boat on the trailer at 2:30pm (plenty of water at Dinah Beach Ramp) and had it cleaned and emptied back at Peter's place quite quickly.

We both agreed that in hindsight we should have came straight to ramp after Weed Reef and still got the same results without the bumpy wet ride in mid afternoon. Then again we have caught nothing at Weed and cleaned up with heaps of fish at Lee Point on other trips.

Ok, where and when next?????
Still got flies to tie, a rod guide to get repaired, a boat and trailer to work on, life goes on!