20180408 - Trip Report - Six Mile Queenies

Had a cracker of a morning on the water on weekend while giving my little boat a run – its a 4.75 Stessl Protracker with an old 60hp merc on it – I call it a small boat cause there are crocs (and sharks!) up here regularly bigger than it and it also has a low profile – which makes it far too so easy for the crocs to jump on the casting platform and have a sunbake! 

Doesn’t stop me using it but the thought is always in the back of my mind. 

The rig is more of an east coast estuary bass/bream comp type setup.

but it gets me on the water - if it can be a little rough in any sort of chop and swell

The run around the harbour was needed as the result of having been fishing last six months out of a mate’s bigger boat - so my rig was not getting much use other than a location for mud wasp nests – under the console in particular!

  

The motor really needed a good long run – to begin with the motor was as rough as for the first hour – even had trouble starting it one out front of Darwin Harbour after the first 45minute run - which was a bit daunting of the thought of drifting to Timor if i couldn't start it. However, after a tweak and a fiddle by letting out the water from the petrol/water filter - it was going again a bit better.  

The tide was almost to the top – a nothing tide for the harbour, one I would normally do others things than plan to fish – but when time is limited and nothing else going – why not – you’ll never know if you never launch it! It’s only a bit of fuel at the minimum!

On way back into Darwin Harbour from Lee Point after not see a single bird or fish movement on ride out and at a few spots on way back in - I was thinking this trip would be like my last two trips - fishless!

But eventually 500m west of east point - I spy a few birds around the red Six Mile buoy (roughly half way between Mandorah on the west side of harbour and East Point on the Darwin city side of harbour)

Fantastic - something to cast at!!!! 

As where birds are wheeling and diving and fluttering - there is usually fish underneath! Even if a few small ones for the cats at home!

With tide running fast and the electric not up to the task, I keep the motor ticking over once I get within casting distance of a pod of thrashing queenfish

Hooked up and backing racing through the rod runners- LOVE IT!

The best part - all fish seen were larger than the standard or normal for Darwin harbour – these pelagics were between 80-90cm, with the occasional 1m plus busting through the others audaciously with much more slashing and crashing. Nothing small at all amongst the feeding silver flashes. Most times its 40-50cm queenfish with a few 70cm tossed in. So love all the big guys present this trip – stronger, smarter, more selective in fly patterns, longer fights, bigger runs, whirring reels, plenty of backing stretched out! - Awesome fun!

 

I zip around chasing the sporadic groups of active fish. They are not in a spot for long. Up and down before I can get into casting distance. I position the boat on the flowing tide and/or windward side of a frothing area and drift into and moving along with the feeding fish

After a while I work out a sort of line of the current they are mostly working and drift along it – hoping the fish increase their action around me. Saves me zipping about!

They do increase their action along this line of current and I am on more consistently

I cast a few hundred times - sadly short, long, to the left and right - but eventually I land the fly a bit closer to the action or specific cruising big fish.

I hook 16, lose three at side of boat – including a metre plus version that made me say naughty words when the leader popped just as I was about to grab the tail wrist!!!! – I tie another fly on quickly, as they smash bait right next to the boat, then disappear when I am ready to cast - !&$@#$!!!

The larger fish are quite focused on the bait they are eating, a bait that was larger than the silicone surf candies I love to use in the harbour. I ended up using 2/0 clousers for much better results – mostly in all white wings with an internal touch of a bit of gold tinsel (thanks for that idea Roger!). These flies about 7-8cm long rather than the 4-5cm length of the SSC. This bigger fly they chase hard! I even snapped off one big queenfish, in full view of the boat, on the take - such was the enthusiasm for the match the hatch size of this larger clouser pattern.

I think about heading home for the afternoon function my wife has planned for the family, but you know how it is - it is always one more cast, and as you are packing up they burst into action right next to the boat, then it's one more cast, then the whole scenario repeats until you realize you have been messing around with them for two hours and today was just a wet the boat kind of trip with minimal fly fishing.

But I did get 8 to the net, these between 82cm and 89cm in length, I keep a couple for the old ladies in my wife’s church who like a fish frame for fish and lemon grass soup and have no opportunity to catch their own.

Not a bad morning fly fishing - a couple in the esky, I was off the water before 11:30, the motor benefited by the few hours of buzzing about, and I got into some rod bending line pulling, free jumping silvery fish for two hours of mayhem and fun. Bring it on - any day!

Currently working on a trip video with all the jumps the queenies made – will upload it soon.

Oh that reminds me - school holidays in a week - plenty of time to go fly fishing in Darwin waters! 

Who would live anywhere else!

the dry season is almost upon up - go tie some flies and get them wet!