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
