2019 Sept 7-9 DFR Salt Comp

Well there goes three days that could of been better - tides with almost no movement, constant winds in the worst angles - and mechanical issues!

But as one of the competitors pointed out and a friend on FB when I was disappointed at only catching 29 fish and four species on day two - "depend on perspective"

Most in other less "fishy" capitals of Australia hardly get the chance to access to such a wondrous fishery as Bynoe Harbour
One and a bit hours from Darwin - pristine - only one or two spots on countless kilometers of coastline that has development on, crabbers the main commercial fishing practice and you can go all day with only seeing one or two boats.

We are luckier than most - but I support my comment that if I got a few more fish and an extra species or two - as it makes all the standings and placings so much different.

Day one saw an awesome morning if a little cloudy, first hole when hoping for salmon and tarpon had nothing - so out hte front we went and nothing there either - yes a few sporadic tiny macks  (one of hte target species) but bugger all else

So off to the back of Quail Island - here we found queenies bashing up sharks on skinny flats (flicking at them from the sides - how we spotted them in the water) -  we caught the queenfish and netted them before the sharks got them

We got tiny snapper and a trevally each (more target species) to  give us three species each
I had three times big 5 foot sharks chase surface poppers - that would have been quick but fun swoffing!

But that was it for the day - almost lined out on queenfish and snapper (was a large moving rock that turned out to be hundred of stripies)

We left them to chase more hide and seek with macks - but to no avail
The large numbers of fish we caught kept us in the top group of teams but we needed more species to be competitive over the three days. Though we did catch a quarter of the queenfish caught by all teams that day

So we gleaned information from the other competitors to find out anything we didn't know (which is a huge amount of what we don't know!)

Day two saw no clouds as we headed out of Milne Inlet boat ramp - it also saw us up a creek but with no paddle as the electric motor remote decided that at that moment it wanted to die! ugghhhh!

So with anchor out we caught fish in the corner hole of a little creek - but so much harder to stay with fish and move about without spotlock and electric motor - thems the breaks though!
It is only when they dont work that you realize how much we use these devices!
I caught small salmon one after the other - Peter got a good tarpon and then we both needed each others species. One of the salmon I caught got me the biggest salmon for Day Two (biggest for comp was twice as long!)
We took too long to get our two species so once Peter got his salmon we head off (with me not catching a tarpon) to our spot from yesterday - only to find nothing there. the wind was crap - always hitting you from the wrong angle and without the spotlock on the electric motor just hard work if not impossible to position, drift or target an area
But we persevere and manage a few more species but no numbers or  size - so only species bonus points for the day
We both drop in individual standings and from fourth to sixth in team standings

Day Three still saw us inspired for greatness - but steering on the main motor was dying (leak in hydraulics - which saw us retiring three hours early. additionally, the wind was in entirely the opposite direction all day. nuts!
The trip to first location was covered in fog and smoke - so thick you had to slow right down to minimize the risk of hitting stuff in water
But when we finally got close to Simms reef we found bait and better still no one else around and we cast to working birds and bait schools but caught nothing. Continuing on to Simms reef - we did finally find macks regularly - they were tight up against the rocks at Simms reef - Peter hooked a queenfish and four small macks followed it out. So we cast our flies along the edge of the reef and each time we would either lose a fly to the sharp toothed macks or get one to the net - we also got a few wolf herring. And if we hadn't of got crowded out by a few other competitors coming right next to us we might have picked up trevs and snapper as we worked our way around the reef (as they did!)
We also drifted over the dropoff near Simms - well up the dropoff given wind direction
We would sink down flies and retrieve a bit then let sink again as we drifted over the edge - the sounder would show heaps of fish on the lip of the drop off and we would loose flies or get tight lines.
Peter hooked a good 70cm Mack - awesome! - 20cm better then any other mack caught over the comp so maybe a fly rod prize was in store for Peter. However, the deckie was useless and missed three times with net before the hook effortless slipped out - bugger! Peter's bad words could have been heard in Darwin. Ironically he expertly netted my mack which turned out to be the biggest for comp and I won the fly rod! Sorry Peter
We both caught a black tips shark each using the same method - both lip hooked.

It was quite dejecting heading back early but we only just made it to ramp with an ever increasing irratic steering system. its got to go right and everything go right for us to be competitive!

So fish yes, species yes, but not enough or the sizes needed to place higher

The team that won the comp did outstandingly - beating next closest team by 3000 points. The champion angler from that team I remember as a skinny teenager years ago and is now fishing with his father during the comp. Quite a change. (a proud lucky Dad indeed - my son in Sydney but would love to fish a few tournaments with him!). The Son has won the champion angler two years running. Well done to him and his team! They fished hardest and longest, travel the furthermost and reaped the rewards - five species each day and full lines of the fish they did catch. A lesson to anyone wanting to win a tournament in crap tides and crappier winds - hope the committee picked better tides next year.
hardest fish to catch

See you there! We are already planning our triumphant 2020 victory speech! (lol)

no boat, crap tides wind - so tying flies and prepping billfish attractors

A bit of billfish prep first

I gave Peter a few of the big deceiver flies like the one below a few years ago.

He caught at the time his PB queenfish with one, several of his larger captures have been due to this 12-15cm long fly – this is the last one he had

So he sends me the picture above as a model to make some more – due to the offshore species we are starting to target.

And what is better than tying two or three other than tying 10 of them

But boy large flies take up heaps of materials.

I used some red tarpon hooks, tied in the standard flash and some ultrahair to make a bit of bulk. Then tied in 3-4 schlappen feathers on either side of the hook shank. Over this, spread all round the shank white bucktail – this as a help to stop the tail of fly wrapping around the hook bend when used.

Then add in some red bucktail on bottom of the hook shank. Then some synthetics on top of pattern – purple ultrahair, light blue, some yellowish krystal flash, then dark blue and finally some black flash (the peacock hurl I had was too old and fragile).

I also tied 20 other large flies of various colour combos – mostly pinks and blues

and one set of yellow/chartreuse version.

So big flies ready

Now to research on switch bait rigging – found this drawing and pre-rigged 20 garfish and put each in its own vac sealed bag and placed back in freezer ready for next offshore outing.

Scored some plastic squid, big swivels and circle hooks for the garfish rigs too from online

I have also been working on using some 3D design software to make my own version of a trolling bird. The good ones cost $70 plus dollars in tackle stores and online – but as I teach 3D design and printing – why not give it a go myself.

The shape on the top is to stick on some flash material – so as the “bird” wobbles it gives off a flash   

They take about 15 hours to print on the 3D printer - if you didn't know it that is not too bad
takes about $2.50 of print filament - so time issues aside that is really cheap.
Still got to test the design works on the actually water - swims right, wiggles right etc

Now some time focusing on flats flies to be tested and used during the salt comp

Again research first – what is out there?
I found a lot of flies that are complicated, involved and use heaps of special materials

I had a go at this one which looks an awesome fly – but my first attempt was atrocious – due mostly to my ineptness and not having the right materials

So then I went to a style of patterns a lot simpler

Maybe these ones?  

Regardless of pattern – need some eyes

So a spool of 50lb mono first, and I threaded on 120 black beads

Then heat loose end on a candle, squish it on metal to form an end

Slice up two beads and cut off the mono about 7-8cm long. Quickly heat the mono still on the spool and squish molten ball of mono again on the metal so none of the rest of the beads fall off. Same is them done to the other end of the 7-8cm long piece of mono and lace it aside. Repeat till all the beads are two on each short length of mono.

Using some old bits of packing foam with slots cut into it to hold the shrimp eyes.

I dip each end including the beads into some nail polish and leave to dry

After that, with the materials I had on hand – I made these, what I called a candy shrimp due to the colours.

I tied in an orange chenille lump at start of hook bend, add eyes, rubber legs and some orange calf tail – using the chenille lump to flare all and sundry. The calf tail helps decrease rubber legs looping around hook bend during use in the water (i.e. fishing it)

I then dub dark olive, then yellow than a touch of orange seal fur dubbing – add the weight – in this case large bead chain. Final touch is a 60lb ‘V’ of mono weed guard

They were a bit too colourful so then tied some plainer versions – legs and eyes all the same but used white calf tail instead of orange and the body was made from this white synthetic I had on hand. – Sadly forgot weed guards – so will be careful what areas they get cast into.

Still time on my hands a day or so later – what to tie

Bucktails, beadchain and thread????

So tied a heap of clousers – green/white, blue/hite, pink/white, brownish white and all white – we all know how to tie those.

Also tied some marabou shrimp – basically, tie in beadchain eyes, then about 6 lengths of kyrstal flash (colour to suit) tied in at end of hook bend and use this to wrap the hook shank towards the hook eye.  Next tie in a clump of marabou at hook eye, adding a thin grizzle hackle down each side of the marabou. I didn’t have the grizzle so used barred rubber legs in colours to suit.

also experimented with a few flexocrabs - using a black ultrahair under the purple flexo material, then add rubber legs, stalked eyes, and foam claws

 
So that fills the new fly boxes (might make some more boxes

Now to get onto some SWOFFING (Salt Water Fly FishING)
Which hopefully wont be long..........as my old boat is currently getting the keel crack repaired and hopefully the 60hp  motor stayed together long enough until Peter is finished with family stuff.

high light video from Dundee offshore on the weekend

here is the highlight video from the recent weekend trip to Dundee Offshore outing

Pete's Itch - but it gave us an awesome day!

This is a large blog entry – but what a day we had!

Enjoy.

So Peter has an itch!

No cream needed just some time on the water focusing on billfish fishing

He (and me a little bit!) have been carrying on for ages about catching some billfish

The ever increasing comments on the local FB page for such, a constant review area after each weekend

Quite exciting to read the billfish being caught, the numbers seen and teased up to behind the boats

I also keen to give it a try - but the hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours and hours .........

.......... Trolling teasers etc not in the top 100 spots of my "to do" list

Plus the fishing would be mostly trolling lures - the “dark side”, and I have become a fly only guy in the majority (99.99%) - not in a snob way but if I am going to spend time and money - I might as well do it the best way - Fly!

Finally got him to stop talking about it during pre-outings for fresh water fly comp - even though during 10 hours days of fresh water fishing amongst lilies --- it still came up while catching tarpon which make a great trolling bait for billfish and macks

Plus for the last several months the wind has been nuts

But for this weekend I think everyone of the five days leading up to it we ummmmed and aahhhhed about going, not going, going, not going

I was not the keenest for the whole idea and what it takes - been there done that in my younger years! You know when you can get away with drinking with mates till you only have two hours sleep left in the night, then get up at 3am to be on the water before the sun rises and still fish a marathon the next day 

I will extremely work hard for my fly fishing time and my mind was totally on September's Salt Fly comp - a bit of OCD coming into that. I just didn't want to be distracted by dark side fishing which chances of actually catching the target fish was so low. But there is also the chance of acres of tuna, one report complained about the a plethora of metre long queenfish taking the lures, then there are macks smashing rigged baits meant for the bills, others spoke of pelagic trevally - schools of thousands - I was sure these could give us some better fishing, (like fly fishing!) Then trolling all day for nothing. Then there is the ugly rough ride back to the boat ramp in afternoon wind that also given its usual direction - twists the boat off the trailer - uuggghhh! 

Even the tide and wind seemed against it - we almost decided Sunday but then a new forecast pointed the better day being Saturday, I think twice I said I was out – but Peter kept tempting me.

So the actual possible act of fly fishing on the water in between trolling became too much and Friday night saw me at Peter's place, placing gear into the boat and sitting down to watch a few videos on fly fishing and bill fish fishing till age and the long week got me into bed

And don’t you hate when you set your alarm but wake up half an hour before the alarm goes off!!

Only 5 hours sleep - how will this old man cope??

Shortly after 4am, we had the boat hooked up and food and gear loaded in a blink and were off to fuel up on the way to Dundee

We had a “wonderful” time at the servo up the road from Peter's with fighting long-grass locals standing/fighting in front of the entrance to the servo, actually walking almost into Peter's truck screaming and swearing at us. Once past them and paying for the fuel, an ice addict was smashing up the shop in the servo - due to the attendant not wanting to give him a discount on the milk. But you get that at 4:30am in the morning at Truck City.

As we drive through the darkness towards the boat ramp at Dundee, we solve all the worlds problems and debrief the weird bits of our jobs, wives and lives to each other. a great time of  dumping the crap in our lives - quite refreshing. What get said in the truck stays in the truck!

We finally arrive at Dundee beach ramp with only a couple of boats in front of us. The tide dropping but plenty of water on ramp so launching was easy as. Best thing about being at the ramp pre-dawn after an hour or so driving - is the guys there are serious fishers and most of the guys launching know what they are doing and the ramp was trouble free. No sideways trailers taking up both lanes - awesome.

By the time Peter got a coffee (terrible he said) and I got the ice from the Dundee beach shop - there were ten to fifteen boats lined up in the queue, it was a bit tight jostling the boat amongst the others in that small area - due to the efficiency of the launching boats several were launched and waiting to pick up the car drivers

While waiting for Peter to park his ute - I punched in the GPS coordinates for a location 39.6km straight out from the beach. It was a spot given on the FB page for NT billfish that a guy had raised 13 billfish for 9 hook ups and 6 to hand.

While a little swelly in close that flattened out halfway to spot, the sea was oily calm with no wind. Without seeing any sea life along the way, we arrive on the spot and set out teasers and a couple of bullet head pink skirted lures and starting trolling around the GPS mark. The water  very very clear and 80 plus feet deep

The rising Sun was as always this time of year - Spectacular!

Tiny bait was everywhere near the GPS marks. The surface was constantly dimpled by some sort of micro bait and occasionally slight larger bait was eating it - we saw no big slashes of any sort of predators 

We trolling around for a while avoiding the multitude of areas with feeding dolphins. There were several groups of 10-15 members in each. So cool to see them, most groups had small juveniles with them - super cute to see ones a third the size of adults,

this is a pod of dolphins I am pointing it at (cameras suck from what you can actually see at the time!) 

We came across a group of jellybean sized tuna (figurative size description not actual) and they distracted us enough from the trolling for billfish to tempt us into a few casts with the fly rod.

I hook-up almost immediately thinking it was one of the small tuna - fingertip to elbow size but fat as one of those toy AFL footballs. But the fight is strong and deep with lots of long runs - what is it? What was under the little jellybean tuna, we hoped - longtails?

It turned out to be a good sized mack tuna – they fight as hard as the longtail – well it felt like it

Weather conditions as you can see in above photo - nothing but GLORIOUS!

A good fish too - the first fish for my new rod and reel which were prizes from the Fresh fly comp a month or so ago

We chase a few more pods of tuna working the area - quite flighty they were

In amongst one pod we see a dorsal fin - I though it a floating stick! First thought given the purpose of our outing – BILLFISH!

But turned out to be a 12-15foot brownish shark just hanging on the surface, which slunk away slowly as we got closer

We chase more pods - then we see a dorsal fin that actually really looked exactly like a marlin dorsal – excitement was huge and we got out the 10weights

But as we notice later though - no tail fin exposed - the tail of a billfish is huge and it you see the dorsal you usually see the top of the tail tip.

This time it was one of the biggest hammerhead sharks I have seen in 40 years of fishing

ABOLSLUTELY HUGE!

Across the head was massive, let alone the body

Made the previous big shark we saw look small

We gave it a cast as it sunk out of view - wanting and not wanting it to take the fly

We chased more tuna, caught some - expecting the hammerhead to appear and swallow whole the struggling tuna on the end of our fly lines.

The Tuna spread out and disappeared – and while motoring around searching for them, Peter had an extended encounter with a small dolphin who zipped about at the front of the boat. A larger one tried to encourage the younger one away from the boat - but I think it like the looks of the big Canadian standing in the bow watching his antics and hung there almost effortlessly for ages.

We saw some dorsal fins in the water a way off, almost left it as dolphins again. But they were different, acting different. On arrival new the action it turned out to be a large manta ray hoovering down the micro bait that covered the top few feet of the water surface. The manta had three remoras hanging around it and a fourth that on closer inspection was seen to be a cobia about 60-70cm long. I told Peter to give it a cast and laid the fly on or just off the back of the manta. Here is Peter Casting to near the Manta ray.

The hook up was instant. The cobia went straight back to the manta, maybe rubbing the leader over the manta's rough skin, who took off like lightning. The cobia tried to stay with it but then slowed – only to eventually wear through the leader – bugger

But again an awesome sight and experience!  

What next, more tuna chasing – which we did

But eventually, enough of that tuna chasing - we were here for billfish on the dark side - and we also had our 10weights rigged with shock tippet and large blue white clousers if they came close enough to the boat

We hadn't set up for switch baiting the billfish - this was our first trip exploring the area.

The theory is - you tease up the billfish then slap a belly flap tied up so pectoral fins are straight out - this is all sewed together so its durable with no hook and attached to a spin rod.

You slap it beside the interested billfish who mouths it and you can hopefully get it close enough to boat to cast a fly. When you take the belly flap away from the billfish - it is like taking a bone off a pit-bull dog - they get pissed off. The billfish then sees this small baitfish (your fly) land beside them and they snap it - hopefully hooking up. Well like I said that’s the theory!

So I toss out the teasers and one of the dark side rods and with Peter day dreaming tell him “billfish – remember” this gets him casting the other dark side rod and lure out – and we begin trolling again

Within minutes of resuming out troll – one of the spin rods doubles over and line is screaming off it. I am driving, Peter is up for the first billfish, I hand him the rod that is in the rod holder on my side and he sets about fighting the fish – while I then bring in all the teasers and the other rod to clear the area.

Concentrating on this clearing of the decks – I don’t see the billfish jump and tail walk several times – but I do hear Peter’s joy and excitement at what he is experiencing.

And who wouldn’t yeehaahhh and yaaahooo at the top of ones lungs!

First time out, first exploratory trip and here we are an hour or two into it and Peter is hooked up to an icon in fishing only an hour and a bit from a major city in Australia – bring that on anytime!

I did see eventually a couple of jumps and then the fish sounds. We first take it for a sail – easily done when a few hundred meters away and jumping crazily. They are the more common species caught in this area. But as it rises from the depths it is clearly see as a small black – we are both over the moon with the results

that silver smudge in middle of next image is the marlin down deep

But now to get it to hand!

We also remember the big sharks seen earlier and hope our prize isn’t chomped in half. I put on one the gloves we got in various prize packs during the fresh comp – very convenient prize indeed! This to be ready to grab that sandpaper bill when the fish gets close enough.

Peter fights the billfish easily and carefully – so super keen to hold the treasured prize of our efforts.

It finally comes beside the boat and I mess about a bit trying to get it in the right position to grab the beak – it is still a little feisty and I remember a friend who got speared in the forearm by a small black that tore the arm apart as it flicked its beak that had penetrated between the two bones in the forearm. With this in mind I carefully lead the fish by the leader till I got a good shot at the beak – all the time hoping the hook held!

Once the beak was held, I wasn’t letting it go – it struggles a bit but soon I had it lifted into the boat for photos and high fives- woooohoooo!

What a feeling!

Peter was over the moon – one of his goals when coming out here to Oz to work and live was a billfish and now he had one in his arms – the look on his face, the joy was palatable

We put the fish back in the water and revived it - turn it on side for a better photo but then upright to ensure reviving properly 

 Then we had the joy of watching it kick and swim off, awesome! It don’t get much better!

(except if it was on fly) but it was an exploratory trip, first time hunting billfish so not bad at all

So back to trolling again – boring! I stopped driving for a while and had a nanna nap while watching the teasers – felt much better after that!

We had a very slow mid-morning. A few hours of nothing, not even bait showing.

I almost talked Peter into heading inshore to some reefs and getting a feed on fly,

Luckily, he decided to go back to first GPS marks and have another look around. Peter is the slow methodical one, I am the ideas guy, the planner, the “what’s next” dude. Even while hooked up and fighting the fish - I am looking for the next thing to catch, I am also in a hurry for the next bit of good water. Peter is the “one more cast” guy – that usually gets him a good fish in most cases. He slows me down to enjoy the fishing rather than my rush about style – a good pairing for fishing partners

We found some more jellybead tuna – and we hope to find the bigger ones underneath. Sadly, the trolling gear as packed up or we would have trolled about the feed fish as we knew there were large predators below them.

As we approached the feeding frenzy - I was hooked up again to a very strong fish – I got it to the boat then it took off with a renewed vigour of massive proportions. It had been fighting deep and now rocketed to the surface – as it hit the surface it got absolutely smashed by a huge shark 

The Shark we presumed had chased it up to the surface and bit clean in half. I got the head to the boat for a photo and we saw the clean cut and curved bite mark. Looked like the shark took it tail first and bit clean.

We lost several fish to sharks during the day

I toss the head back into the water and watch the shark fishing his meal 30foot down in the clear water

Then we see in the water around us thousands of bludger trevally following to the side of the feeding mack tuna. Small mack tuna are breaking the surface, under them big mack tuna, beside them the trevally. For certain the billfish would have been nearby circling.

I did get one decent mackeral, only one we saw for the day, while casting to side of feeding area, I saw it zip from the side to take my fly, cavort about when it felt the hook point – then it took off at a n incredible speed. It cut my mono leader with about 150m of backing – that took for ever to wind in while fishing all about me could be seen.

As we circled a pod of feeding tuna with the electric – we were astonished to see this massive black marlin swimming beside the boat – at least 6feet in length, so beautifully coloured, it flashed its silver, its darkness and iridescent stripes as it eye-balled us – don’t know what else it was doing other than that in the way it behaved. It did this for what seemed ages.

 this picture just doesn't do the situation justice - you could have tagged the fish it was that close to the boat at times.

Peter had a 10w ready with a large 4/0 blue white clouser it clearly reacted to and followed for a bit but eventually ignored several times – what a knees weakening sight that was.

I even cast my 8w to it and it followed my silicone surf candy for a bit that filled me with terror and excitement all at the same time

This thing was big. So thick in the body. I think 6 feet long was an underestimation. And here I am, what a silly bugger casting an 8w at it! What an idiot but it would have been a few second of absolute glorious marvellousness to hook up! And lose it!

We after another hour or so of chasing the trevally and mack tuna on fly – you can only catch so many but every time they would pop up we would chase – almost irresistible not to have one more cast.

We even put the reefs to north of Dundee beach into the GPS unit, but the active tuna proved too tempting.

However, after twelve tuna for me and 5 for peter – we started heading back in with time and sun running out

But what a day – one I didn’t want to do!

Tuna, sharks, manta ray, cobia, dolphins everywhere, mackeral, trevally

Did I mention the numbers of sea snakes that we saw

Sights, sounds, awesome sunrise – all within a hour or so of Darwin

What a place we live in, fish in!

Who would live anywhere else!

Now if I can get Peter to focus on flats prep for the Salt Fly comp in September and leave the billfish alone – I suppose we could fish the springs offshore and the neaps on the flats! What am I saying that will mean wind issues, early start for fish that are hard to catch! Ridiculous!

video up soon - sign up for email updates in top right side of blog. going to be lots of SWOFFING over next three months - two of flats and prep for the Salt Fly Comp, then the Comp early Sept and then back to Billfish and offshore outings

Pre-Salt 2019 Comp outing plans

So first thing in planning for the Darwin Fly Rodders 2019 Saltwater Fly fishing Competition was a tide chart
A tide chart for Burge Point was chosen
Like I found out eventually - Burge Point is at front of Bynoe Harbour on the Cox Peninsular side
And you can't get a tide chart for Crab Claw or Bynoe - Just Burge Point

So the tides for the 2019 Salt Fly comp are not the ones I have fished in the past
Nor have I targeted those sorts of tides since I came up here 11 years ago.
Yes I have fished briefly those sorts of tides but only by default due to wind or timing and nothing else about  - mostly due to the only day I could fly fish on a weekend and due to such tides not even touch the flats

So much pre-comp SWOFFING will be required to get some good habits and better ideas on how best and where best to fish such tides on the flats

I have some ideas forming already - so for the 2019 Salt fly competition, the plan would be due to those types of tides to at dawn to be fishing the rising tide over the flats and backwaters for Barra, Salmon and Tarpon
Then switch over to pelagics out front of harbour - a long drive (45mins from creeks right at back of harbour) depending on the flats I target - more on flats choice later.
When tide tops out on likely mack and queenfish spots work way back into harbour
upgrading and picking up snapper and trevs from rock bars as well

And that's the 7 species for the Bynoe Slam - and all the extra points that brings
Sadly I have only ever got 6 species and not in a comp -
Only once in a previous comp did I got 5 - missed the barra and a salmon species
But I am very confident of getting a slam during pre-comp outings and also during the 2019 comp itself

Less than a handful of SWOFFERS have got the 7 species slam during competition but one fine SWOFFER got it several times
I certainly will be bending their ear for some advice - lubricating them with alcohol is my plan!

Peter and I have been getting great queenfish lately - (touch wood for comp!!)
We feel these will be a great opportunity for a full line of big fish - thus big points
Pity Tuna aren't a slam species as we have been catching plenty of them too recently. But I think they are still worth points at least - will check that detail for sure

But September is a long way away and weather patterns very different to July and August.

There are a few flats worthy of time at front of harbour but most of my experience has been deep back into Bynoe - past Crab Claw and into the two creek arms right at the back of harbour

Some of the pre-comp outings will determine the right flats to target - with outing focus on the front of harbour flats
The less time zipping about means more time for flies to be in the water so flats closer to our mack and queenfish spots will be a far better option.
So I am thinking of targeting those flats closer to front during most of the pre-comp outings and seriously hoping I can work out the fish patterns for those rising neap tides

So to the tide chart analysis now


I highlighted every rising tide with a neap high tide mid morning to midday
Even just a bit similar to the Salt comp
Best set of tides comparably on a weekend is two weekends prior to the comp. So they are a must to fish in prep for comp

The weekend before the comp is springs with highs at dawn - so no good at all

I might also take a few days off prior to comp and pre-fish the weekdays before the comp
Thursday and Friday before the comp look great for a pre-fish










The June tides are a must too - neaps, close to same sort of times
Yes - weather will definitely be different but basically only about 5 opportunities between now and comp on tides anywhere close to comp tides - so need to fish as many as possible
And as we know wind speed, wind direct, water temp, air temp - all can change in a blink of eye
The fish themselves are moody too
So the more you are on the water - the more experience you will get!

I wont get to fish most of these due to work commitments (saving leave days for Thursday, Friday and Monday of the comp time frame - more on that later)

For the July tides - I see two windows of opportunity to hone skills and knowledge
Best part - it is most of July are School Holidays for me
Additionally - with Wife in Alice Springs with daughters doing the tourist thing during this time --- I can fish each of the midweek tides 8th - 11th of July. So can totally focus on the SWOFFING for those two weeks - hope the boat works without any problems!



Second window in July is the first week back at school - this will have to be a weekend outing. Tides not the best match but close. and worth a fish and a look about.









August has two windows of similar comp type tide sets too.
The Saturday of first set of tides will get a fish
Wish I had more time off I could use mid week
but not retired yet! (9 years to go)

For the tide windows 23rd-25th - I need to get two days fishing in for sure  as the comp in only two weeks later.
Not much tidal flow on the Monday - but not much chance of getting stuck on a mud flat either







Flies of choice will be my main stay fly for the last few years in the salt - the Silicone Surf Candy (SSC), and a few clousers, for the pelagics and rock bars
For the flats the SSC will get a run but mostly it will be shrimp and crab style flies

I have a few shrimp patterns I have caught fish on before, so will use these first
But am researching the web for more of these, so many awesome patterns out there
But sparsely tied, basically imitative style shrimp patterns is what I am thinking of
Am not talking about a shrimp pattern that is so close to the real thing another prawn wants to get "jiggy with it" - though I have a few of those too for special occasions.

Hoping to tie up several patterns for testing during these pre-comp outings - tying instructions and testing reports to follow as they happen

I wont mention the actual location of flats I will be fishing til after the comp but all of them are the usual areas most guys fish during the comp. Its not as if I am not into that much the Secret Spot X hype, it is just that some of these flats are small and too much action on them can shut them down - ask me after comp and I will show you the GPS marks. But if I catch nothing your mightn't want that anyway!

Those species I will be targeting on the flats are my nemesis species - I have a few times slayed the Threadfin in Bynoe - once catching 17 of them off the one flat in a two hour window - awesome fishing - they were almost suicidal that day. I also have caught a few blue salmon here and there - once caught a 70cm monster version off Wickham Point in Darwin Harbour - what a fight! so strong!

But the barra on the salt flats have been a major nemesis to me for the last four to five years.
I can find them, cast to them - but lose them in so many different ways it is abnormal. Almost to the point I think the fishing gods are against me!

For example I have been fishing with guys and they are using the same fly and fly rig set up - exactly! And they catch barra at will fro mfront of the boat and at the back of the boat - all I get are follows, nudges  and if I perchance I hook up to one - get the fly spat at me after minutes of to and fro! Uggghhh!!!

The tarpon I have caught, even got a few times the biggest Tarpon for the Salt comp on a day or overall. But tarpon always not a certainty - thinking of setting up my five weight with a small bead head nymph (in white or olive) on a floating line for back water areas - but we shall see!
How many times have we all seen them rolling on surface and not take anything cast to them!
But you only need one regardless of size for the slam!

So pre-comp outings to come (when any excuse will do).
Fly tying to be done - lovely past-time!
Flies to be tested - the life of some!
Flats to be explored - mind-blowing scenery, and other wild life - awesome!

Go on - get your boat ready, pick some tides and get SWOFFING!