Short Darwin Harbour Trip

Despite the windy forecast Friday morning started off quite calm

So after playing around with the daughter’s new pony – feeding, poo collecting, brushing, putting on saddle, riding, walking (i.e. boring!!! And a ‘job’ that is going to interfere with fishing most Sundays from now on!) – and the 'calmish' wind conditions - I suggested a boat drive around the harbour for the kids (with a bit of fishing tucked in of course!!) Yes was the answer. so while they washed the horse etc I head home to get boat ready.

Crank battery was flat, so while loading up boat with ice, drink and tackle – gave it enough charge to get it started then family gets home and its off to the water with all and sundry. much less gear when i go by myself and easier!

One of my older daughters from my first marriage has been visiting and since an episode when a toddler when I launched my boat with her in it - alone and she thought I was sending her off alone in boat she hasn’t exactly loved fishing or boating – or water for that matter!

So when she consented to come out on the water with us I was quite excited. The wife and my youngest two were soon covered up for sun and life jackets on, Emily has all the trappings of a fly fisher on - buff, pants, fly fishing shirt – so off we go.

Impeller not working the best at low revs, so have to look into that quite soon before it causes any damage, but off we go.

Not much chop, wind in the right direction, first stop Shell Island near the ore/cattle loading wharf of East Arm. Nothing about. So continued the boat ride for the family back past the new gas plant being built for a look at the progress of the construction.

Next thing I knew the littlest daughter was asleep driving the boat. Yep, one minute she steering the boat with me while sitting in my lap and then she is asleep! 

So who is boring now!

Dropping the wife and youngest two back at the boat ramp freed up older daughter and I for an hour or two of fishing! Yeeeh haahhh!!

Wickham Point was the first spot. Hour after dropping tide should have heated up the sand/gravel bar at back of Wickham Point rocks but nothing about. We used the electric motor to travel west along shoreline towards the liquid gas loading wharf.

A few fish showing, a boil or two – then absolute mayhem amongst the rocks on the western side of the beach area as a pack of Trevally about the size of a family car exploded the water harassing bait against and up onto the rocks. I pulled one 45cm trevally out of the writhing pack of fish. My daughter astounded by the actively highly visible fish right next to the boat - fish oblivious to our presence such was the trevally’s focus on eating so voraciously. Quite a spectacular scene having several hundred fish gulping down baitfish on the surface – huge open mouths and backs out of the water.

The commotion brought in queenfish that could be seen flashing past us to join in the feeding frenzy. My daughter was wearing polaroids so was seeing all the action around the feeding fish as well, follows of multiple fish on the fly she was casting on a spin rod. We saw rays and sharks much to her enjoyment of the outing. Eventual all went quite. Well mostly due to my anchor activities.

My lead blob anchor got caught around some rocks and I made a fair bit of commotion trying to get it loose. I left it there with the ball float to come back at a lower tide in a hour or two to try to get it off the rock it was attached to.

To fill in the time while waiting for tide to drop, we ventured over to Weed Reef. The wind had been dropping all the time we had been on the water so the trip was relatively smooth travelling. My daughter even had a drive - wooohooo!

On arrival at Weed Reef, the dropping tide was putting the gravel bar into play for the predators and baitfish

As the tidal rush went over the gravel bar it created a barrier line for the bait and the predators were slashing away at the bait on the up tidal flow side of the gravel bar where the water was almost glass. With the water also being so clear we could easily see the predators (goldens and bigger queenies) moving about the 4 foot deep flat.  

Daughter, Emily, was very much enjoying casting to surface disturbances and particularly watching the multiple fish slash and charge after the fly she was using.

She hooked up a few and so did I, then it was time to leave. 

The multiple active fishing locations, the exuberance of the aggressively feeding fish - reignited my daughters fishing fire - so awesome! 

Now to get her SWOFFING again like when she was 10 catching carp with roll casts in Lake Liddell near Newcastle

Blob anchor still there at Wickham Point near the beach rocks - even with me jumping in the water to try to dislodge it.

Overall it was a great couple of hours on the water. Well worth the effort

Still a few litres of water in bottom of boat for those couple of hours – so more investigations needed there!

See you on the water.

NT Swoffer

20150622 – All over Darwin Harbour – Twice

First Day of school holidays and first time using my own boat in several weeks

Was going to take out the volunteer bus driver from school but he was a bit under the weather

So it was just me fishing, which was fine…..

Up a little later than normal due to dropping Youngest daughter off at day care. Found out later in day she told everyone who would listen that Daddy was fishing today. Must teach her a new word – SWOFFING! As far better than fishing or dangling let alone trolling!

Having fueled up and iced up the day before so as soon as daughter was tucked into day care, it was a straight road to the boat ramp. Was on water by 7:45am. Would have been earlier but left chain on boat and after three attempts to jolt the boat off the trailer I remembered I stopped undoing chain as bolt had rusted frozen and needed pliers to get it undone.

Once up ramp a bit, undid the bolt – at least I had put the bungs in (who hasn’t at one time or another done that!) Steering free and easy, motor starts first try – awesome (has the school holiday curse been lifted????)

Quite windy, chop short and messy – I must have toughened up since my last sook about windy conditions the harbor seems to be producing, because I head out quite optimistic (unusual I know!)

Headed out to Shelly Island first – tide had two more hours of inflow before reversing, so the wharf side of island usually holds a few fish as this stage of tide.

Fish not in the usual tide line but out the front of the island, every few minutes bursting the surface attacking bait pushed up against the island shallows. Trevally, queenfish the main but a few of the typical slashes that suggest small macks mixed in with them. I hook up almost instantly, lost a few flies to macks, kept a bigger trevally for dinner. Tossed the rest back. A half hour of fun and they just disappeared as if they were never there.

Sorry pic not in focus - only one I took for the day too! have to pick up the standard.

Next stop was Caitlyn bay – nothing

East Point – macks about and lost two flies to them, Then some BIG queenies zipped in and out without taking my flies and scaring me as to their size and potential fight (that didn’t happen!)

With only a bit of incoming tide left, I raced out front to Lee Point (Deckie Peter in his boat in the previous afternoon wind lull got into a heap of fish, so I was hoping  they were still there)

On arrival very windy and subsequent swell and chop, no fish seen. After a half hour of blind casting I got two macks, and a queenie. But thought I would head back into main harbour to see what was about out of the wind

Would find a few birds working make a few casts catch a fish or two – then quite again. So off to another spot, rock bar, reef or current confluence. I made it all the way to back of Harbour and the Elizabeth River and an island just at mouth. Caught a few macks here, one with a perfect V cut behind its anal fin – just like one its mates had taken a chunk out it.

Back to Shellie Island, a few more fish on the outgoing tide. Next was Wickham point – now this was a great time

The water levels were dropping so the sand bar at the back of Wickham point was funnelling the water and thus  the bait through a narrow chute, confused and disorientated as they transverse the sandbar making them easy takings for the queenies and trevally waiting for them.

By the time I caught three the tide had dropped too far and the bait moved else where as too the predators.

First time for the day visit to Weed Reef – not much showing at usual halfway down tide locations. A few more of the usual for some blind casting.but that is boring. I love casting to fish busting up the surface. So off to Mandorah T bar reef south of wharf. Only very small stuff here.

Wind had been dropping off all morning – so headed for East Point. Nothing here of note. So out to Lee Point again.

Water was bubbling all over the reef. Mostly larger macks to 70cm, under them some 40cm goldens.

Was losing heaps of flies to the macks, so added on a haywire twist of 20lb single strand wire in front of the fly. Figure eight knot on end of wire to tie the mono leader to with a uni knot (slides down to figure 8 knot). Not much wire just 5cm or so. Still it impacted strike rates on the small white clousers I was using.

Caught 6 macks and a couple of goldens before it was time to head home. I have no nav lights so had to back at ramp before sun went down.

Had a 70cm+ golden on but lost it on second netting attempt after 15 minutes of struggle - where is the deckie when you need him!!! oh that's right working!

On way back in I fished East Point, Caitlyn bay, the area in front of the Deckchair Cinema and Shellie Island again for a few fish each location. Nothing huge, nothing constant – at least 50 fish over the 10 and half hours on the water but it seemed a hard day.
Averaged out to five fish an hour but lots of travelling time to and fro.

Twice around the harbour. Well maybe not around twice but at least it was out and in twice and lots of swerving from one side of the harbour to the other side and back.

It was almost the holiday curse back as I pulled the boat out. While the boat was on the trailer half way up the ramp I stopped and pulled the boat bungs - SADLY about 20 litres came out - damn! another keel crack!*^&*&%&#$^%#

But on filling it up with water when home not a leak (one very very tiny one (not near keel either) but certainly not 20 litres worth. So why why why...?????

Then I remember I haven't taken the boat out for at least four weeks which means the rain storm from three weeks ago was the culprit not a crack - thank goodness!!!!

It’s been a long time since I fished that long, let alone half the day in 5-10 knot winds.

What’s next? Thursday looks good for another time in and out of the harbour.

Until then..

One more thing on bungs -when I was pulling out after a long day - a couple of young blokes had left their bung out when they launched and by the time the ute driver got back to the boat the little tinnie was a third full of water. We hauled it up the ramp and let the water run out. Took four of us to haul it but tide was coming in so once water was out they wouldn't have issues relaunching it.
So make sure your bungs are in before launch next time out!

If you can take the heat - great fishing to be had

On the water by 6am

Hot and humid already

A very high cloud mass of a storm is easily seen in the predawn light to the north of the city of Darwin, it has heaps of lightning and rolling thunder. Shouldn’t impact us and our endeavours for a morning’s SWOFFING.

Based on my outing two days ago we are heading straight to Lee Point to fishing the dropping tide.

Hopefully the baitfish will be present and being corralled against the lines of reef, one to three hundred metres offshore of Lee Point by queenfish, trevally, tarpon and macks. We didn't find any tarpon but we are not complaining! (keep reading to see why!)

The water is a little rough - most likely after effects from the series of the nightly coastal storms common this time of year, this morning’s was currently moving offshore to the west.

We get side tracked a few times by working birds on the way to Lee Point- mostly small grey mackerel schools that are very flighty and inconsistent in their movements, and getting anywhere close to the feeding macks, and the birds above them, sees them dispersing faster than we can get there - quite frustrating. Regular deckie, Peter and I call them one of the ‘MMMM’ fish (Maddening Mullet Mackerel and Milkfish) in other words fish that frustrate us when targeting them (usually for no result!).

We catch a virtual aquarium full of species at the various rock bars along the way to Lee Point - but no size - all tiddlers if quite colourful and various. Stripies, baby blue bones, mouth almightys, baby coral trout, and 10 other species I have no idea what they are named. 

On our eventual arrival at Lee Point the wind is dissipating, the water was also calming by the minute, and the birds are working in large flocks in several locations nearby. The unique type of sporadic slashes and splashes on the water’s surface clearly indicate mackerel again. But they are all over the place. Up and down before we can even move to chase at times. Even though and despite being an MMMM fish, we give chase, and we chase, and we get the occasional cast in when they are too busy to notice our approach, and we even get a few macks to hand.

We manage (that is fluke) a few other fish or two. A good queenie, a small giant trevally. I get one good queenie that goes nuts zipping all over the place, then we see the brown smudge of a shark chasing it explaining why it was acting such. I let the drag way off and the queenie alludes the shark but once back into the fight and tight lines again - the shark and this time a mate return. The first shark takes the back half of the 60cm queenie in a cloud of bursting redness. The second shark takes the rest and my fly, my backing streams off rapidly and we are about to give chase when the 20lb leader parts as would be expected with a 3m plus sharp toothed reef shark is connected to you on a mono leader. 

It is now I realize I left my cap that has the head mount for my action cam on the kitchen bench at home – it would have been great to get that action on video! Lucky I brought the railing mounting clip for the cam.

Once a vast pack of 60 -70cm plus queenies hangs under the boat for a while - following flies but not eating them. BUGGER! an awesome sight seeing so many queenies is such crystal clear water.

Questions arise as to fly choice - size colour action, materials - anything to improve the hook up results. We hedge our bets and fish a few different flies. I settle on the 'no see um' mini calf tail clouser baitfish imitation in size #1 and get good hook up rate. But I also used 50mm long surf candies in blue/white, and also in chartreuse/white, for good results too. The queenies seemed very keen on the chartreuse/white surf candy while the trevs liked the tiny white clouser. The macks didn't seemed to care and frustrated our fly experiments by ignoring whatever we cast to them, then a minute later took the same fly with carefree abandon.

We come across a bit of a pressure wave readily seen in the almost calm conditions – most likely caused by the outgoing tide pressing around and over a submerged rocky reef - on the bottom corner of the reef as the tide  flows, fish at constantly busting up the surface attacking the baitfish, along the back and front of the reef more fish are devouring baitfish with abandon. The mackerel are working back and forth and we catch a few, some quite large, as they come within casting range of our anchored boat. Due to lack of wind we can cast in any direction as the fish break the water surface to indicate where to cast to. We catch good queenies to 60cm, trevs to 45cm, and macks to 60-70cm. After a while neither of us have time to count fish caught – it is just cast, strip, “I’m on!", wind in line, net fish, de-hook, toss fish back, cast again – repeat! Over and over. Simply one of the best times we have had on the water up here in Darwin. We would have preferred some larger ones but hey, it was still awesome SWOFFING!

The action for the next 2-3 hours was epic to say the least. Constant double hook ups, rarely was a cast then retrieve done without a follow, several hits or a hook up. We actually were exhausted catching fish and sat down to drink and eat while the fish continued to bust up baitfish schools in every direction from our boat and we were too tired and sore to even put in a cast to the nearest water surface bust up.

Awesome SWOFFING to say the very least. The action was so great we switched over to surface flies for a more visual experience. To have ten to fifteen fish slam your fly in a 30m retrieve was soooo much fun, it should be illegal. Hook ups didn’t even matter. But you never went too many casts using the floating lines and crease flies without a rod getting bent to the handle!

And do you know that we never saw another boat actually fishing and all this only 30mins boat ride from the centre of Darwin city.

Yes it was hot, sweaty and humid but with iced drinks, a few nibbles of food, full and proper sun protection, and resting every now and then to sustain you in such weather conditions - the SWOFFING was out of this world.

On a side note I manage a new PB for a species – this a 68cm Long Tom, schools of them were also into the small baitfish carried along by the fast tidal flow.

The fishing finally slowed to only a few bust ups every few minutes and we thought we would try for a difference experience but with the tide very, very low we had few choices. We visited Weed Reef but I have never ever seen it that exposed and so far from the water. Wickham point too.

For the last hour or so of this outing we hang off the inside gravel bar off Shelly Island waiting for the tide to start to flow in and create a pressure wave. Just like two days ago – like  then it again had small trevs (but this time no queenies - ????) hanging off it readily taking any fly swung across and through the pressure wave.

Peter was had it physically from heat ( and I wasn't far behind) and all the fish we had caught. I had a muscle issue in my casting hand from two days of fighting heaps of fish (so sad isn’t it!).

So, we called it a day and dragged the boat out of the water and headed home – very pleased with ourselves.

I also had permission from the wife to fish the next day (24^th Dec) but I was so fulfilled with my SWOFFING (and physically sore), I stayed home and tied 60 or so more surf candies and 30 tiny white calf tail based clousers.

One bit of bad news, on removing bungs from boat back at home after this outing, almost 60-100 litres of water streams out almost what seemed endlessly from inside the boat. Crap and bugger me!

Seems I have another crack in my hull to be re-welded. That means no boat based SWOFFING for a while.

So the next few blogs will be focusing on boat repair updates and fly tying – might finally do the tying sequences for that Gold Bomber Fly I have promised too many times!

Finally, based on this outing, I suggest despite the hot and humid weather conditions – cover up for the sun, have plenty of fluids (water not beer!) and go catch some fish -  preferably with  flies  you have made yourself!

a boring video on the day's surface action

Darwin Harbour (20141221) with visiting son and his girlfriend

Quite an overcast morning with storm and lighting off to the north

Luckily this storm passed around us much to the relief of my son Bradley and his girlfriend (Casey) visiting from Sydney. Given it was Casey's first  time to Darwin, she was still pretty enough paranoid just about Crocs jumping into the low profile boat I have but I assured her I had not seen any in the harbour for quite a while (funnily I did see a 3.5m one off East Point two days later!).

After a quick ‘look see’ at Shelly Island and Wickham point for naught surface action wise, we popped over to Weed Reef

We got a few smallish giant trevally but nothing consistent. With the wind dying back to almost nothing, we then crossed back over harbour for Katlyn Bay.

                                                                                                             

I was hoping to maybe find the Golden Trevally I have found in the bay previous trips but alas no Goldens this day. When first there, there were  a few medium sized Milkies (70cm or so) hoovering down algae scum off surface in one corner of the bay. However, given my guests were not SWOFFING nuts like myself, I left the harder to catch Milkies alone and instead we chased the small queenies marauding some very small bait at the other end of the bay.

The baitfish being attacked were smaller than I have seen before, only about 3-4mm deep in the body and about 35 to 40mm long. My son was using a small as possible soft plastic but could not match the hatch size wise and still have something with enough weight to cast on the threadline outfit he was using (seems he has forgotten all the fly casting I taught him when I was married to his mum 15 years ago - but then again he was only five at the time!).
So I place a small ball sinker onto his 20lb leader that was tied to his main braid line and tied on a small calf tail based clouser onto his rig. Instant success to say the least. Even his girlfriend (not at all a fisher person on her own account) caught a couple of the small but plentiful skinnies continually bursting the surface with frenzied feeding activity.

Wanting something larger for them to tangle with, we headed towards East Point but nothing seen there so continued on to Lee Point.

As soon as we got to the reefs of Lee Point, a tight pack of about 20 sea birds could be seen working the pressure wave edge created by the dropping tide as it pushed up against the rocky outcrops that parallel the Lee Point headland. We caught some nice 30-40cm GTs and some 50cm queenies while casting to the water under the squawking hovering birds. However, the stiffling hot and humid conditions as well as the fight between wind and tide creating a rocky motion in the boat, got the best of Casey and so I headed back into the harbour dropping her off at Nightcliff Jetty where  my wife picked her up and took her home. The son and I headed the boat towards  the boat ramp at East Arm to meet them at home.

However the tide was way way out 0.5m and the ramp was high and dry. Giving at least an hour before we could even think about hauling the boat out of the water.

Great! More fishing.

We popped back to other side of harbour to Weed Reef again. I haven't been on the harbour at such a low time and we saw reefs and sand bars that I didn't know were even there. At Weed Reef we managed a heap of small trevally – (Giant and Fringed Finned). There were also heaps of really big (and I mean big mother big!) Milkies actively feeding the area. These were not working in waves sucking down algae off the surface but viciously slashing and turning to get at whatever they were eating. They were not interested in the algae flies I have caught them on before, nor the tiny white clousers cast repeatedly in their direction after a boil on the surface used in the hope they were eating the tiny baitfish we had seen earlier in the day at Katlyn Bay. I have had a large Milkie off Lee Point take a large clouser (lost that one as quick as I  hooked it!) while chasing queenies, so they do take flies other than scum  flies.

Frustrating ourselves with these big Milkies eventually saw us heading back to take the boat out but a short stop at Wickham Point gave us some more mini GT action and queenies to delay going to the boat ramp. This occupied us for about an hour. Eventually seeing the time was way after we should have been back, we again started towards the boat ramp at East Point.

However, when zipping past the wharf side of Shelly Island we saw a heap of slashes and bust ups on the surface off the corner of the island this had us stopping for another few casts (or twenty!). Two hours later we eventually headed for the boat ramp, as it took that long for the action to slow down (it wasn't because I was worn out and too old for catching fish as my son suggested!)

The water on this side of the small island near the loading wharf comes from deep water up over the shallow rock bar on this side and goes back down into more deep water. The effect on the water created all sorts of  pressure waves and turbulence – one that must disorientate the baitfish making them easy prey for predatory fish like the GTs and queenies patrolling this stretch of water.
see diagram here abouts for location tips

Cast after cast received hits and takes - giving bent rods and heaps of laughter and smiles from us both enjoying some good father/son bonding. It was great action in the strong flowing incoming tide – for which the hooked fish used well to their advantage to make them seem much bigger than what actually came to hand.

My son and I had an absolute blast casting our flies into the the tip of the disturbed water and letting the flies drift along the face of the pressure wave before starting a staccato type retrieve. Every cast receive some sort of attention. Many, many times we had double hook ups  and raced each other to get the fish in and cast before the other could. We didn't keep score, just enjoyed the constant action and father/son rivalry ---  AND HEAPS OF SLEDGING! over dropped fish or a retrieve that didn't get a take from the frenzied fish.

One fish my son caught a 40cm queenie with a couple of small bites out of its back (quite recently from looking at wound). Which was quite interesting to my son who had to take a picture of it.

So a slowish day to start with but still lots of fun and a few fish from each spot we gave a cast or two - that ended in a great last couple of hours for the trip of non-stop ‘a-cast-a-fish’ action.

Here is a bit of a video clip of the days trip.

             

I will be out again in two days time with my regular fly fishing deckie Canadian Peter Cooke.

Blog report and a bit of video on that outing - up on this blog soon.

'Hall Pass' awarded to me, finally! - now where to go SWOFFING?

Ok, I have been a good father and husband this week and even though I have time constraints due to a an essay that is due shortly...
I have earned a 'hall pass' to go fishing this Sunday - but where to go?

Option One: Darwin harbour
The tides are ones I like - neaps tides working towards spring tides with Sunday's high of 6.4 just before sunrise at 5:55am, low of 2.4 m at midday.
This is good as I can fish first light at Weed Reef or other rock bars like Lee Point for pelagics as the tide starts to drop then fish the harbour arms for some flats species - be home just after lunch time - but hopefully action continues and I can fish the rising tide and the current lines for more pelagics till late in the afternoon.


The only minus is the wind forecast - with 5-10 knot winds first up with patches of higher and lower wind speeds varying through the day - thinking about it its not too bad of a forecast if it stays true.

Would be on the water 6:30am with the predawn light and out to Weed Reef by 6:50am, We would choose actually location we fish first by wind speed and direction and time of tide.

The next decision would be which boat ramp and that depends on where I choose to fish first up to target pelagics like queenfish and treavally - so the first fishing location is down to two places - Lee Point (as too for the bonus of possible Broadbarred Mackeral and Longtail Tuna) or Weed Reef and its usually dependable species.

If Lee Point it would be from Nightcliff but you need a 2.5m tide to retrieve the boat - so that's a mid-afternoon ramp return option with this tide which can also be a problem if wind increases and I cant put in till tide rises.

Otherwise - its East Arm ramp which is good in all but the lowest spring tides - and to take advantage of the low tide flats and other locations to fish on the way back into the harbour as the day progresses.

So option one is looking OK

Option Two: Corroboree Billabong
Tides are not the issue but water temp is - its been quite cold nights recently, down to single digits in the rural areas last week but day time temps at in low 30's. Plus it is a long drive  (am I talking myself out of this option already?).
In the positive wind is less of an issue as less intensity in an inland wind and lots of curves in the billabong to find a point get out of wind. Plus the wind can help with some very good drift lines along the edges of the lillies and weed beds

And I do love my Saratoga fishing, and if we left home at 6am we could be on the water by 8am just as the sun is warming the water. We might miss out on dawn topwater fly action which always worth a long drive but the fish will get quite active between 9am-3pm on sub surface flies and the warming water.

Option Three - Vernon Islands.
Still trying to get here again!!!!

But my inexperience and possible increasing wind have me scared off this option. It can be pretty intense wave action here due to wind and tide in between the islands - especially in my low profile boat. I might wait till the calm weather returns at beginning of the wet season for this much longed for trip. (What an old and soft wuss I am becoming!)

I will chat to my 'deckie', and a friend who might bring his boat, to decide what option we will take.

Fishing report in next blog - hopefully with some fish in it!