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