Ashes - UAFBF - fly tying

So while I type up this fly tying blog entry - I am watching the Ashes on the small TV monitor the wife got me for Xmas. She hates the cricket, so I get the perfect excuse to isolate myself in the study and watch cricket!

To ensure TV set up right, I ensure my tying gear is within reach and the TV positioned just right.

So what better way to test the 'Feng Shui' of it all,  then watch the Boxing Day Ashes in Melbourne on my new TV monitor and tying flies for a future trip to East Alligator River a recent dinner guest, Andrew, during the festive season mentioned I could tag along to. (– You rippa!).

His talk as of a secret little creek he fishes every year during the run off with fish a cast opportunities, has had me dreaming of me doing the same ever since. His description of the soft plastics he used the most was melding into a reasonable sort of fly – in my head anyway!

The materials were what I had on hand but I am sure the pattern will work well. I had images in my head of Borski’s slider with its barred tail and deer hair spun head. I have also done heaps of reading on a guide favourite on the east coast of Australia for Barra the double bunny with its two side by side rabbit fur strips. Better still I can use the Fuchsia/purple micro zonker strips I recently had bought off eBay to test a new tying materials supplier out, for the tail material. Also just the right colour for Andrew’s favourite coloured soft plastic.  

So in between digging out a tree (that’s in the way of my workshop and its two sea containers), 'build up' seasonal rain storms, and watching Australia’s first innings on Boxing Day – I tied a few of these flies for a test cast over next couple of day that regular SWOFFING partner Peter and I have planned for the next two days.

Materials needed were the tail material in the form of barred rabbit zonker. 

Large plated dumbbell eyes, 

The brown part of a bucktail (always have the brown part left don’t you! Here’s a use) and instead of wool or deer hair for the spun head, I used shortish faux fur – this in a beige foxie colouring with black tips.

After laying down a bed of thread along the shank, the first step is the tail material. For this I tie in two narrow strips of zonker one either side of top of hook shank (in front of hook bend)

To then ensure zonker strips don’t continually wrap around hook bend while casting or retrieving – I tie in a collar of bucktail fibres around the tie in point of the zonker strips – using the rarely used brown part of the bucktail fur patch.

I then tie in dumbbell eyes (and weed guard if desired)

Then you tie in successive bunches of faux fur material. Points to rear, the bunch tied in middle of bunch with same amount of length either side of tie in point. I then fold back all fibres towards tail material, add a few wraps of thread in front before repeating till hook shank is full.

Tie off thread and grab your best pair of scissors – mine are all crap – hence the ugliness of these particular flies. Hence the name I christened them with – ASHES UAFBF 

(UAFBF as in ugly as F##k barra fly).

Whatever you call it, it is a fly with good “push” through the water with the spun head and plenty of “eat me” movement of the tail material – it is sure to be a winner – that is if I can get it in front of willing barra or other such target species

Go on tie some while watching the cricket (or other sport)

Then get them wet!!!!

Enjoy!

Vernon Islands Fly Fishing

Early start but not too early

We load gear, then get fuel & ice – eventually getting on the water just before dawn

Nightcliffe ramp is just too shallow even at high tide with back wheels of vehicle in the water even at a high tide we had this morning. The rocks to protect the ramp from wind and wave are no also no longer high enough when you have high tides like today's. This is absolutely the last time we will use it for sure.

On the way out of the harbour the rising sun was a pink/red circle on the horizon next to the silhouette of the Royal Darwin Hospital. Watching that sun rise into the sky as we travelled along particularly the colour changes that occurred was awe-inspiring in its grandeur.

The trip to Vernons not too rough wave and swell wise but you still knew it was there, however half way to where we were going, the sun getting ever higher in the sky was starting to heat up the day and we stopped the boat to apply sun safe gear (and have a break from the ever pounding of the waves as we pushed north out of Darwin Harbour). While we are sitting there in the middle of nowhere donning our skins, gloves etc – when four beautiful dolphins came right next to the boat to check us out. The four spent several minutes passing and re-passing the boat within a rod length - clearly looking at us. Very cool those extra things you wee while out fly fishing!

As we arrive at the Vernon’s we chose the south side of the East island to check out first, but not much showing. The tide is dropping and almost out of the mangroves, so we start cruising the edge casting distance off the trees and hope to spot something cruising the edge.  

A large black ray comes by followed by a few largish blue salmon. Despite how close we were to the group of fish they took a great interest in Peter’s shrimp he was using on a clear tip intermediate line. They chased frantically the fly as it was swept across the water surface beside the boat. One fish came so very close to hooking up! Before they took off to follow there ray again.

We worked the dropping tide edge of the island picking up tiny reef fish, Peter got one nice brassie, and I got one half the size of Peter’s. Saw heaps of 1.5m sharks in the shallows, in water so skinny half the fish was out of the water let alone the tell-tale dorsal fin of a shark.

The scenery all day was spectacular – but at 9am the mirror calm conditions (wind had dropped off to nothing), the water cascading off the stepped edges of the island adding to the vista. So amazing to be only casting distance off island and in 30 foot of water casting on to inches of water. A further 20m out from the island and you are in 180 feet of water. Amazing place indeed!

With tide dropping fast we head towards the blue hole on the eastern side of western island. We get delayed for quite a while as we guide the boat gentle and slowly, moving over the flats of the tip of the SW corner of the eastern island. We see three good blue bones on the flats – so brilliant in there colours given the dull flats of broken coral. Sadly, we were not good enough to get a fly to these beautiful and very strong fish - let alone get a hookup. We both agree to come back and do this bit again!

After a few other distractions along the way, we finally get up, around and into the channel that leads in into the blue hole on the eastern side of the Western island. Such fishy water, bommies touching the surface in 40 feet of water with straight sides, a drop off edge of the flats that goes straight into 30foot of water, water flowing into the main channel like creeks and colour changes on muddy water. There should be a fish off each of these we pass but nothing.

We weave our way up the channel – the crystal clear water allows to see every fish. Frustrating too as they could also see us by the time we saw them – with them usually exiting rapidly!

Peter spies a moving black shape – a ray – I cast and then see a larger fish following a bit further behind the ray. So I pause the retrieve of my squimp fly till that fish is near it. The very moment I move the fly the fish in on to it – it ‘lights’ up in reaction to the movement. I give two short strips, the fish follows – its keenness for the fly clearly apparent, as the fly drops slowly the fish follows it dropping in the water column at the same speed as the bead chained eyed brownish Squimp– the instance the fly move with my next strip we both clearly see the fish move forward, the mouth opens and it suck in the fly, the big lips close and I strip strike – instantly tight line is zipping through the water confirming a solid hook up. We are in a little cove surround by sharp coral and encrusted rocks – so I don’t give the fish much give or line to ensure I stay connected and it stays out of areas that might cut the leader. It was quite a relief when it came to the net (thanks Peter!)

Not a huge Golden Trevally but the visual side of the scenario from whoa to go – spectacular!

We continue up into the blue hole but fish are few and far between again despite so many fishy, soooo fishy spots to cast to. We cross up what is basically a water fall, Peters uses the electric sticking to side of the racing water to avoid the rapidly flowing water in middle of channel.

Once up into the next pool, I cast back into the lip of the pool just where the water concentrates and flows down the channel. I hook up immediately. I take it first to be a queenie but the first jump clearly shows it to be a good 60cm+ tarpon. The fish was too powerful and too smart for me and all comes loose – bugger!  

We fish hard in the top pool but nothing (a few years ago I got 17 species out of just this hole. Peter decides time to have his usually dagwood sandwich extravaganza – I keep casting

Back where I hooked (and lost!) the tarpon, we anchor up with the electric while Peter makes and eats his sandwich. His groans of delight at his chef skills while eating was a little troubling to my naïve mind!

I cast the fly across the current flowing out of the pool to swing the fly across the face of the lip of the pool. I am rewarded with 20-30 fish chasing the fly back to the boat. While Peter enjoys his sanga (maybe a bit too much!) as I catch fish after fish – nothing else happening so why not. They are mostly 40-45cm brassies and a few 50cm or so queenies mixed in (don’t know where tarpon went???).

Peter eventually cannot resist and gets into the action too. I try a popper but the fish are not interested at all. Back to the weighted fly and on again.

We get a shark taking half a fish and two other sharks hammering a fish that ends up with me hooking one of the four foot sharks, a bit of to and fro occurs before the inevitable cut off on the 20lb mono leader I was using.

Eventual fish after fish gets boring and we take the boat down the narrow channel of racing water into the next pool to find something new. The video shows this run down the gauntlet reef and coral either side as we shoot down the rapid and how thrilling the ride was. A few casts in the next pool and then we continued our exit of the blue hole.

We check out several places on the exit but nothing. We go the long way round the eastern island but nothing. We think we might give the entrance of the main land blue hole a look but wind increasing, water very muddy. The sounder shows 100s of fish stacked up in 180 feet of water. Peter gives them a weighted jig on dark side gear but nothing. We doubt the validity of the sounder screen given the number of fish marked on it – interpreting mud clouds/plumes for fish????

We duck in behind the southern island to get out of the increasing north wind. At the western tip under a couple of birds we come across trevally and queenfish so super keen for the fly. It occupies us for quite a while. I spotted one large mack that launched itself high into the air with massive hang time, So we head into the wave chop for the possibility of macks. This didn’t end well with Peter’s almost new full sink line getting wrapped around the motor prop – shredding the line – bugger! to say the least!

Its four o’clock and we have been going for 11-12 hours. We start the trip home.

Its 32km one way form the harbour to the Vernons. Peter’s boat despite a better prop is still a bit of a wallowing pig in a following sea. Rough and slow. However about 10 km from lee point we see heaps of birds work over bust ups – sadly its only fringe finned trevally. But the sounder shows heaps of big fish under them. Peter gets the dark side jig out and we cast and jig amongst the massive amounts of fringe finned trevs (only 10cm at max in size)

We get a few follows from massive fish that keeps casting in what are not the best conditions with wind and wave. Peter eventually hooks a 3 foot shark – that I delicately remove the hooks from while it is still in the water. Later we again get follows and almost hook ups on other bigger sharks and decide that is enough.

I left my rural block at 4:30 that morning and after getting boat onto trailer and cleaning up at Peter’s place in the northern suburbs - I finally get home at 7:30pm. With still a few fish to clean up for the kids (and my two cats).

Long day! Species hooked were not much different than if I had fished Darwin harbour but the location has much more potential and is so unique and has wonders of its own. Next time there, we are thinking of neap tides and more time on those coral flats with crabs and shrimp patterns!

Go on tie some flies and go get them wet!

Here's a highlight video of the day 

Queenfish at Six Mile Buoy

Started a bit earlier this trip and the tides very different to last trip – as in that this trip was neaps instead of the spring tides of a week ago. Low tide was before dawn and only a bit over a metre of movement to the high at 10:30am

These tides made chasing the million dollar Barra hard – and for someone like me who could not catch a Barra (let alone one with a red tag!) to save his life – impossible!

I don’t “live bait and wait” under a canopy, or blindly toss or troll lures - sooooo boring!!! Troll all day for two or three fish – no way. But cast a fly or two all day for a few tiny fish – any day of the week

The flats would also have far too much water for sight fishing too.

So current lines and rock bars were my options – as too the ever present Darwin bread and butter species – Queenfish or Brassie Trevally – I really just want to catch fish don’t care what they are.

I head out into harbour from East Arm ramp and immediately there is a swell and once past the army/navy loading ramp, the harbour chop is soooo annoyingly thumping into the bow of the boat. The weather report was wrong again – wind direction and strength of it!

I hug the shoreline past the cinema and the esplanade areas of the city slowly – thoughts of a very bad day with nothing appearing - let alone being caught - invade my mind

Given direction of wind, the sloppy chop and swell – I head to the Mandorah side of harbour hoping for some calmer waters – but quite slowly due to size of swell and chop

Still nothing seen

I remember the previous night’s news and its fishing report mentioning tuna and queens at the Six Mile Buoy

Although present for the last five months - I doubted the tuna were about given the time of year and water temps but visiting Mandorah and then going by the buoy (hoping tuna are actually about) on way to East Point and then onward to Lee Point - a viable option

Nothing at Mandorah but in the distance birds showing around the buoy – WOT time – yeehaaahh!!

When I arrive five or six boats working the area – all metal lure tossers

Some yahhooos come racing in hammering into the chop almost throwing the guy on the bow into the water with every bounce, they charged right into amongst splashing fish (and through the other 5-6 boats already working the pods) – typical young dickheads – they have a few casts – no results and then they take off ‘full boar’ again further offshore – bye bye and good riddance.

Thankfully the remaining boats work the fish better – casting from edges, aligning boats ahead of the feeding fish as they feed into the current and wind. It’s tough fishing with the swell and chop even standing to cast. Line blowing off casting deck – once almost wrapped the fly line into the slowing ticking over motor – very lucky!

The splashes are queenfish whom are under a few hundred birds in an area 300-600m NW of the red Six Mile Buoy – lots of 40-50cm fish, some 80-90+ but some much bigger - some look HUGE!!!

I use the tactics mentioned above too – I putter the boat to in front of the pods and drift back into them. I cast to the edges of the mayhem – first one I catch is an 80cm size but the fish it pushed aside to take the fly basically out of its mouth – damn! - was humungous and I mean it – it made that 80cm look puny! Very deep in body, at least 1.5 times the size of the 80cm version I hooked onto.

It wasn’t all tight lines and fast fish – as I cast short, I wrapped leader around rod tip, I would chase a pod and when I arrived the fly line is sooooo tangled, at other times impatiently I would cast one side of boat after they had disappeared - for them to blast around the surface only a rod length away on the other side of the boat just as the fly line lands on the water in the opposite direction!

Rookie mistake after rookie mistake – you wouldn’t think I have fly fished for over 35+ years.

But it gets me every time – the sight of fish actively feeding – splashing, slashing, fins on top of the water, seeing large fish, the flash of their broad silvery flanks - every time it makes me tremble, drool, and lose all bodily control of my arms and hands til I have no coordination!

And in turn I missed many fish- deer hunters call it buck fever.

I got broken off on a couple too, this on very, very strong fish – I have to be gentler and take the time to bring a fish in (when will I learn????). Would have loved to have measured how big those ones were as they were soooo strong compared to the 80-90s I caught – they fought down deep too not like the little ones, cavorting across the surface with leaps and jumps when hooked.

Time flies and the world disappears from the mind, as I chase the pods for four hours, the lure tossers come and go – not amused enough with the larger queenies as most only get the 40-50cm size but for my time I get 7 of the larger queenfish for the day, with the smallest that first one of 80cm, the biggest was 94cm. I had heaps of follows and was regularly changing flies – interestingly I had more luck with large flies than my usual safe bet for the harbour – the 1/0 silicone surf candy

I was also catching heaps of the small queenfish (didn’t even tally these) – they are so super keen for the fly and regular get the stripped flies off a big queenfish already chasing the fly – Man! I wanted those big ones

You could see them surfing in the wind chop waves and by waiting till the right size is about and casting to specific fish – and if the stars aligned and the fishing gods are smiling - I would get a bigger one - sooo much fun and all in sight of the Darwin city skyline.

Most times the bigger fish were 20-30m from the main melee of splashing, froth and baitfish leaping out of the water. I focused on these pods. The fish cruised about rather than rushed about – then when the moment came they crashed the baitfish rapidly and then resumed their casual cruising style. 

Except for not hooking them up every time - so cool to watch in the clear neap tide water

I was after a few fish for a cook up for the family the next day - so I knocked a couple on the head 

and placed them in an ice slurry but all the rest went back into the water after a few minutes of keeping the fly line tight before coming to the net

With wind, swell and chop increasing - I was off the water by midday – fish prepped for the next day’s family lunch by 2pm – boat clean, gear stored, batteries on charge – enjoying some aircon before the chaos of my kids coming home after a day out with their mum.

Who would live anywhere else? Gotta love Darwin and its fly fishing opportunities!

Go on – tie some flies and go get them wet – even for easy always there ‘bread and butter species’ like queenfish who are more than willing to ignore your mistakes like they do mine! Far better than sitting at home thinking about exotic places and species - and the money needed to chase them!

                                                                                                                         

not much but here it is

Not much

But here's fishing report from weekend

Launched east arm in predawn light

So nice to b on water again

High tide and not much wind to speak of - just how i like it!

A longer run into town and then to the boat ramp now that we are living in the rural area and not a few kms up the road at our old Anula house in the northern suburbs but it matters not as I putter the boat along, setting up the gear and me - to get all ready and tied down before heading WOT to the planned Weed Reef and later West Arm behind it

But only 300m off ramp I see rampant Queenfish in the size range of 50-60cm, all over the sandbar off island just in front of the East Arm boat ramp the bait and thus the predators appreciated the scenario,as the outgoing tide pushes over the sandbar projecting into the current of the tidal outflow, focusing the bait to a smaller area

This trip was all about cobweb removal and maybe a few fish for kids and cats - both love some fresh Queenfish fillets

So into the Queenfish melee I cast – awesome cobweb removal indeed

Better still Caught three in four casts

One didn't really count as foul hooked in side but it too went into the kill tank filled with an ice slurry 

So good to have a tight line again – just feeling that vitality of fish attacking the fly near surface and its reaction to hook ----    soooooo awesome!!!!

The quick action, so close to launching - causes the world and its issues rapidly fade away into background – just what I needed!

Fish abound, with many chasing the fly on each retrieve - but finally the fly on the end of my leader was snapped off right at knot, that tell-tale curve on leader tip tells the story

Must have been a nick in it from a previous fish’s teeth

I look around for the ….. …. …. …. ….

Hey!!!! Wait a minute! – BUGGER!

I had forgotten the bag with all my flies and leader material - so too my Polaroids

Luckily the wife heading to town for morning and a message for when she gets out of bed at 8-8:30 is left for her

But I had to wait a while for hte hand over of this vital equipment 

That meant no Weed Reef tide turn at dawn and given the bottoming of tide not long after I get the tackle box and polaroids - no good even trying West Arm too shallow by then -  - c'est la vie. (I prefer fly fishing the drop of tide just out of mangroves)

So I start using whatever flies I had stuck to boat carpet on previous trips until the queenfish action dies off

I then head towards East Point hoping a few fish found and the couple of flies I have left found in the boat last a few fish each.

At East Point I find hundreds of Milkie's are hoovering the surface for the some sort of scum in the top layer of water

Mostly groups of twenty to thirty fish, that merge into larger groups, but also threes and fours too – all over the tip of East Point

That's a large pod of milkies behind the rod tip, swimming towards the boat

They swim mouth open taking in water like a whale shark sieving their tiny morsels from the water - their large rubber lipped mouth almost out of water all in rows many fish wide shoving each other to get the best morsels.

Question - how do such large fish (some were easily 1.2-1.5 metres in length and very very thick in the girth) - get so freaking large on such miniscule food items - I suppose - a lot of it. The several hours I frustrated myself chasing them, they were constantly feeding and hoovering.

Their eyesight also must be absolutely awesome as you would expect with such large eyes per head size, for when I stood on bow of boat casting a de-eyed clouser made with olive and green polarfibre - they saw me move instantly. (The hook too heavy increasing sink rate - sadly for any real action to occur). Even the slightest movement of the fly rod would cause them to spookw

But I keep casting chasing and casting hope for the luck that wins a person the lottery every other week

Results - mostly spooked fish (nearly always!)

I found lying right down in boat - not even sitting in a chair the best to cast, this would have the fish feeding 10m or so from boat. While standing up to cast further, only saw more spooked fish. At least now it was poor casting spooking and not me standing up and casting - poor casting performances, like landing fly on the head of lead fish or lining a couple beside it and them racing off like the hounds of hell were after them - thus spooking the rest of the pack!! bugger!!!!

Soon it was time to get flies off wife at Cullen Bay Beach but it was straight back to Milkies for more torture

As more flies to experiment with now - I tried several scum flies for only more spooked fish

Switched to a deer hair bread flies - for two half chances – takes but no hook up

Then a popcorn fly (white foam ball and a dry fly style white hackle each end) I use to use these for east coast mullet, the foam bit as the floating fly trailing a white nymph, this back 15 years ago in Newcastle and its Swansea passage when catching sand mullet berleyed up with cheap no frills bread. Some nights there would be 20 or so SWOFFERS from the Newcastle Fly fishing club (now defunct as it was, not sure what’s there now, though I know Singleton Fly Club still going strong, and on the Australian Saltwater Fly fishing Forum I hear of guys still chasing those sand mullet over the weed beds a couple of hundred metres to the eastern side of the bridge at Swansea)

But just the foam ball this time 

With what seemed like a hundred casts later and one fish minding its own business just slurping along - swims into fly, swims it right into its open gob, and before it can react I strip strike (helps that it was swimming away from me at the time) and I get the most awesome run from such a gorgeously vital fish

100m of flyline and backing races out as such a fast rate it is mind blowing

Then all goes slack - bugger!! Hook too old and no real point on it - time to tie a few types of milkie flies!

So disappointed with the torture of the Milkies – I head out to Lee Point but it's a desert of any surface action, very dirty and choppy conditions - add to that the wind was really picking up

Time for home!

On way back in and off the main shipping wharf I see unexpected flashing lights of blue and red – I am not driving my car! There shouldn’t be any lights like that on the water!

It is not as if this boat can break any speeds of warrant! 

(lucky I didn't run for it - the cop's "rubber duckie dingie" had twin 250hp engines on the back - my 10+ year old 60hp Merc would have died with just the thought of any police chase across the high seas!)

The water police pull up beside me, one spoke to me and the other signalled over another boat to pull along side. They were checking safety gear and fish catch compliance - but no breath test as yet - as per latest news about alcohol law changes being discussed in 

Sadly - no V sheet or Epirb he points out to me - but that last one not required as I don't go offshore far enough in my shallow sided tinnie

My flares expired 09/17 - bugger one month out of date

He tells me all good for today, but get them replaced ASAP - I also had on board my old ones and he took them to dispose of them – been wondering what to do with them – had them in the boat since I bought the new flares a few years ago!

I still have two hours before enough water with rising tide

What to do????

The gap between Shellie Island and wharf had a few slashes and I occupy the time remain with countless casts and waiting for line to sink before retrieval

Dredging yes but it got me a few more Queenfish and Brassie Trevally 

Looked bigger when in hand - trust me! 40-45cm most of the Brassies

That’s enough – back to the ramp it is

When I left the boat ramp car park it had three trailers in it

Now from the water it looked very full

As such there were about ten boats waiting for East Arm ramp to have enough water to be usable including to water cops from earlier who had given me a visit and a reprieve

So I anchor off the little island 300m out from ramp to clean my fish and prep it for fish fingers for kids and offcuts for cats

The fish survey guy was at the ramp again, asking locations and catch rates of the fishos exiting the water. He was surprised by the number of fish I had caught - as not many of the boats returning had anything to add to his survey data but locations fished. He was particularly interested in the milkies that had tortured me for hours - saying that bit of information had made his day - not the torturing but the numbers of milkies present at East Point.

So, great to be on the water again after all that painting of the new house, other work for it too, and then moving in on the Sunday of last weekend (thanks Peter (his wife) and my brother in law for the help!)

Till next time – Fresh or Salt is the question of next outing. ???????

Harbour or Vernons - or Corroboree or fresh side of Shady????

Post note my cats ate their fish fillet off cuts so fast and were so content afterwards they had no dignity left, as u can see in the pose below

video from last trip

So finally got the gist of my new video editor
Then also finally completed editor the video from the last trip
Basically take out the boring bits and poor camera work
   and add some comments where needed (well where I think it's needed)

So here is a video clip of the last outing
  First some dark side with a 90cm longtail tuna on a jig - sustained strong fight!
  Then a crazy episode of very large trevally going nuts over a bait ball

Enjoy

The Ash Tray called Lee Point - fires again (a little - but awesomely)

So second day, instead of Corroboree we went chasing tuna again
Both of us agreed a fly caught longtail worth a hundred fly caught toga (as mush as both of us love targetting toga!)

And just 5-10 minutes of the future action this day made that choice worth it (keep reading!)

But first a little rant!
Some have said (as is their right!) they would rather lick a used ash tray than fish Lee Point
I understand this because it can have limited species and also be feast or famine - with much famine,
The wind is always there and increasing through the day
This makes the water dirty most of the time and unless you like macks, queenies and trevs - not a lot of other species except of course when full blown luck happens and other species show up randomly

But Peter and I agreed there is not much better fishing near a capital city than Darwin - for us that includes and usually means Lee Point.

So many good points for fishing in our back yard of Darwin Harbour and surrounds - it has flats, deep bits, reefs, rock bars are plentiful, its tropical, no snow, no language barrier (if some though speak a little slower with a drawl effect), no airfares to get there, no cramped seats in those planes (both Peter and I are well over six foot and at least 110 kilo) - the head rests on planes hits me in the square of my shoulders, also no queues, no lost luggage (though recently did loose a two sided clear lidded fly box with 100s of flies in it - on way to ramp! bugger!),  no security searches, and we live 10minutes from a decent boat ramp (yes, despite the crazies who use it and have absolutely no idea how to and possess the smallest amount (if any!) of politeness and patience (** particular a couple of the lure/bait guides who abuse, sorry use it! Real smart arse SH&%H^$DS who think this world (and the boat ramp) revolves around them because they do this for a living), then there is the guys who can't back a trailer, take up two lanes, then crowd and occupy the dock, add to that those that untie the boat and check on motor at bottom of the boat of the ramp -  uuuggghhh!

For me it's really all about tropical fly fishing (i.e. no coldness) plus willing, plentiful and sometimes large species who readily take the fly - if with a little hard work under a crazily hot sun at times

So absolutely love living and SWOFFING in Darwin! No need to go to Hinchinbrook or US - been there done that in my younger years (maybe Exmouth though! Love Jonno Shales and what he does!). As in the end I get all I need out of my saltwater fly fishing locally particularly Lee Point
For with so much good fly fishing, right here, close by - why go elsewhere?

If you have read any of my blogs you will know I have been fly fishing Lee Point almost every weekend for the last few outings
Sometimes I could fill a big esky with the fish we catch - loosing count after 50 fish (but don't always fill the esky as release most fish). I also have plenty of outings catching absolutely nothing except a few tiny fish for my cats!

But each time - new situations, different tides, wind and temp, different species prominent, then there are dolphins, dugongs, sharks, crocs, stupid people to laugh at trying to use the boat ramp, free jumping stingrays, rolling manta rays scooping hundreds of jelly prawns each mouthful, giant schools of baitfish, awesome sunrises and sunsets - and best yet home by dinner!

Enough ranting --- back to this outing's fishing report ..........
********

It was very cloudy first thing with sun just peeking through the clouds - till they burned off in the heat

We headed for Six Mile Buoy to see if the larger tuna were still hanging out there
It was a run in tide yesterday when we chased them here but this morning's tide was heading out
We still hoped to find them on the sounder with the tuna stacked up like firewood and filling the screen top to bottom like they had done the previous afternoon (and had no way to get at them give the vast tidal flow and depth)

This time we both brought along a jig rod to plunge and lift metal lures from the depths - the water here is 40m deep and it's tough and hard  - given large tidal movement - to get a fly down to these fish

So first up we jigged some chromies - yes the dark side I know, I still feel dirty!
However, I managed a nice 90cm longtail that really gave it to the light spin rod I was using
Superb fun, soooo strong this fish

Peter had an 80cm longtail not long after

Both of us happy with our dark side results
We chase and chase, jig, rip, wind, jig, rip, wind

Enough of this - let's catch one on fly
But the fish seemed to cease to exist once the fly rod was brought out
We search but soon decide to head out to Lee Point for a look see there
As tuna in shallow water much more fun and easier to chase (still hard to get but easier than in deep water) and hope they are there like last couple of trips

But Lee Point was deserted of life - nothing showing
This is what I had expected yesterday due to lack of tidal movement - a little more today so wrongly thought it might be better

We cruise about slowly while Peter makes one of his huge famous sandwiches

While I scan everywhere looking for signs of life and action
no birds, no slashes no nothing!

But then just after Peter finished his sandwich when we are halfway towards shoal bay, I spy way off in the distance towards Gunn Point (but nowhere near it only directionally) about 30 birds in a tight group hovering just about the water
Its WOT all the way - yeeehhhhaaahhh!

Now every other pod of active fish we chased yesterday and this morning would show and go in half a second or less
But these guys stayed up slashing madly at bait all the time we raced to the location of frothing water
When we get there, there was the usual discussion of what they were and hope they didn't disperse or sound with the proximity of the boat like almost every other pod of fish this weekend

However, these fish were so engrossed in devouring the larger than normal bait fish (9-10 cm and about as thick as a thumb) they didn't even care that we were there

Those light coloured shapes in the water between the froth and us are all large trevally (in video it is far easy to see it)

They even continued feeding when the baitfish hid under our boat then they would zip in from the outer edges to attack the bait under the boat, scales floated through the water everywhere indicating the amount of mayhem that was occurring.

We have seen this many times before at locations near to Lee Point but usually it is schools of 40cm queenies, macks or trevally that are our regular catch at Lee Point - fun but nothing to write home about

However, today, in this group - they were all very large fish  and I mean very large - mostly brassies, but a few tarpon, GTs so easily seen as different species in the clear neap tide water - all of them 80-90cm plus definitely a few meter plus ones in the mix - no seriously!!! (video up soon to prove it!)

Peter hooked one of the biggest Aussie tarpon I have seen, so very thick in the shoulder - a solid fish indeed, at least 80cm plus
Peter sadly lost it as it free jumped not a meter or two from the back of the boat - so much strength on display as it flexed and contorted its body in the air and finally dislodging the hook

And then Peter cast straight back into the melee to get blown away again
Any fly or lure that didn't get hit in the maelstrom - was chased out of the chaos by several monsters from the deep. I am still giddy even thinking and writing about it - what an awesome sight and fun!

I hooked up third cast after arrival and the fish circling the boat a few times before it realised it was hooked it took off for shoal bay
Sadly it looked like it got hammered by a shark on the surface 150m away and the hook came loose

Once I got the backing back on the reel I stripped the fly line to recast to the other side of the boat
Again moments later with only a couple of strips of the fly line and I am hooked up again

This one slugged it out deep for a bit, sort of staying with the large pack of 100+ fish under the boat as if it did not care about the hook imbedded in its lip - before finally racing towards Lee Point. Line disappeared of the spool very fast indeed. However, eventually with a thump and flick that was transmitted through the flyline - it broke me off as if I was using cotton for leader material instead of 20lb high quality mono. (should have been using 40lb maybe! also not to pushed it so hard as we were in 20feet of water, the bottom was as flat as and any reef was kilometers away)

I also had a big tarpon on for a bit and achieved a long distance release - again!

The splash next to rod tip in the image above is my tarpon releasing itself of my fly!

Despite the size of the bait the big predators were eating, the size 1 silicone surf candy was the fly they wanted. Peter for a while used a large hollow style fly close to the size of the bait but soon down sized his fly. The fish with a number of their mates - followed right behind the big fly as it was stripped but ravaged the tiny candy!

We each lose a few fish, cast to more, followed by others but 10 minutes from when we arrived it was done - felt like hours!

Both of us spellbound by what we had witnessed and participated in - I WANT MORE!
I have watched the video of the event time and time again, and still can't stop watching and reliving the experience - I WANT MORE!

I also mention the large number of dugongs and dolphin we saw during the day - spotted so many right along our various journeys around the harbour today

While we were gaining back our breathe after the maelstrom above, also saw a huge 2m long, thick as my forearm sea snake swimming along with its flat paddle tail, also saw a 2 foot shark siddle up next to it, the shark's dorsal fin with its black tip actually rubbing against the snake before the shark sunk into the depths leaving the sea snake unmolested.

The snake came towards the back of the boat and I flicked it gentle like with my fly rod tip to discourage it even thinking about hopping on board.

We saw a few tuna splashing and hitting bait over the next hour or so, but never got a cast in that would be dangerous to the fishes

So with wind increasing we left Lee Point, and then had another look around Six Mile Buoy but nothing, visited the T rock bar south of Mandorah Jetty for a couple of trevally (tiny).
When heading back to the ramp via Talc head our tiredness was ruthlessly taken away by the sighting of a very large queenfish skulking the edge of the rocks 20m off Talc head - but it did not return. and 15 minutes of blind casting returned a trev and a tiny queenie but nothing else.

And that was it for the day
Two good days SWOFFING (with a little dark side too!)
Two hard days SWOFFING with lots of chasing and searching - but the things we saw
The few good fish we got to hand and the huge pod of large trevs and others oblivious to our boat as they devoured big baitfish really topped out the weekend.

So - tie some flies, get them wet and come up tight to your local fish
No place better

(video of the weekend's main events will be up soon)

more tuna but lots of lost one's too

So Peter has finished his Katherine work
And so SWOFFING was the order of day for the two days of this weekend - if only to to celebrate that finished contract and Father's Day

I never seen my wife so comfortable and agreeable about me fishing for a couple of days - ever!

We launch at dawn - we struggle to get passed the ramp crazies with no idea how to do it right
(same on the way back in - nuts!)

Awesome sunrise see through the buildings of the city of Darwin

We head straight out to Lee Point
Now we didn't expect much action given the lack of tidal movement, but the predicted increasing afternoon wind put paid to a Vernon's sojourn out of Nightcliffe ramp

We drifted around Lee Point not seeing any life or action, so given the lack of movement the high level of the low tide point meaning even we wouldn't get stuck on a sand bar - we took off to the Rock at the back of Shoal Bay

But halfway from Lee Point to the mouth of Buffalo Creek we start to see some bust ups and active birds

The sun was very hot and the wind had died away to nothing
the water surface was as slick as we have seen it for quite a while
Sweat rolled down the back and sun coverage was mandatory

For the next 5 hours we chase the sporadic longtail tuna and while not many Tuna played the game how we would have liked it - the by-catch of small macks keeps us entertained - if only to tie on a new fly after the countless bite offs. the macks seemed to be in amongst the Tuna and visa versa.

The key for the tuna was to get close enough to cast to the tuna whom are skittish and inconsistent
You have to get the fly in the right place at the right time and then even then have the biggest lucky four leaf clover in your pocket
And when you can't get in close enough without them diving deep and thus away from you - it all means a lot of casting

But as lightning has to strike somewhere when it forms...... even I hooked three tuna

But then lose three tuna!
Yes lost three tuna - even when they are so hard to come by, to get the fly in the right place and at the right time - this a few hundred times, to then get them to take the fly once!

One chased my fly right to the boat where I could actually see the mouth open and devour the silicone surf candy I was using - and then it turned 180 degrees with such speed and suddenness - it broke my leader right in front of me - leaving me stunned to silence (well maybe a few carefully chosen words were spoken!)

Maybe the leader had a few nicks from the macks we had been catching previously!

The other two tuna were on for a while compared to that one, with awesomely fun first runs of uncontrolled speed. Line was just tearing off the spool as the good sized tuna raced away from the boat - love that sound a screaming reel!

The first one after its first 150m blistering run, came straight back at me and I just couldn't keep a tight line - even with Peter charging up the electric motor in the opposite direction.
Interestingly, the line was still tight - for when it came to the boat it was a small mack that came to hand

We felt it couldn't have done that first super fast, long and strong run we had just experienced against a tight drag and palm pressure - so thought the mack may have travelled with the tuna as it raced away and when the fly came loose - the small mack grabbed the fly thinking it was regurgitated food.

The second one I lost just seemed to just drop the fly. - so sad!

This fish was in a pack herding bait against a reefy area. After a few crappy casts (a lot of them today!) - I finally got one in the right place, at the right time!

The fly line landed in between two marauding tuna so easily seen the neap tide clear water. Both fish turned towards the fly between them. My adrenalin level reach maximum in the barest of a second!

The one of the left followed the stripped fly out the mayhem of attacking fish and frantic bait, and wolfed down the fly not meters from the boat.
That's more like it!

The hooked tuna then took off around the back of the reef in front of us. I could only think my leader if not the flyline was about to be shredded on the reef. Then the tuna hit the afterburners and really motored away. Sadly, just after it slowed its first run (now 200 meters away) the fly came loose. Bugger!
Peter got a great fish that also took him well into his backing. the tuna took a silicone surf candy Peter had modified to have a wire trace due to the ever present macks to which we had already lost many flies too. This as he didn't quite like my knot that I used to tie the mono leader material to the wire trace so he didn't rush it.

It was a great fish when it finally came to hand.
Plump if not fat, sleek and built for speed!

So for the day we got a few tuna hooked and Peter got one to the boat
We caught several small grey macks and one good sized spotted mackerel

Once the wind started increasing we headed into the harbour and found a heap of much larger tuna working the deep water around the 6 MIle Buoy

We chased the fish and the birds above them
Got inspired by the much larger size of this group of tuna
Frustrated, and in the end disappointed, by the tuna leaving an area as soon as we got there and even when We did get the fly in amongst the fish - they just didn't want the fly.
We had a few casts came close, a couple tuna even showed they noticed the fly near them
One or two actually chased for the stripped flies for a second or two but no hookups

The increasing wind and frustrating tuna attempts - saw us head home round 3pm

We originally planned for the weekend to go to Vernon's Saturday and Corroboree on Sunday but wind forecast changed our Saturday to Lee Point tuna, and the fun we had today (while frustrating in the hook up returns ratio) inspired us to try once more for the tuna on Sunday (and that we could sleep in an extra hour than a trip to the billabong! was great too!)

So what are you fly fishing for this weekend?
Go on! Tie some flies and get them wet!

a short video of some of the action and craziness, up in a few days - keep an eye out for it