2022 FW Comp Prefish efforts 20220409 Corroboree Billabong

So Monday we found out that the road into Corroboree billabong was now open

The wait til Saturday was so tramatizing !! Could barely do my job as every thought was going over tactics to use, flies to use, locations to try -  fantasizing the numbers and size caught - oh my oh my they were huge in size and numbers! 

But fantasy aside, pre-dawn saturday morning Peter was at my place and 45minutes later we are backing into to the calm waters of the billabong launching Peter's boat

We duck up to the Rock hole first - but only tarpon rolling about in large numbers 

However, with the one more cast King - Peter, pushing out another cast and comes up tight not to a tarpon but a 46cm plump as can be to the point of bursting barra, which is frolicing about on the end of Peters fly line and leader - yeeehaaahhh!

This encouraged lots more casting but to no avail

we head further down the billabong to see what else we find 

Over the next few hours - I drop 5 toga before I got one

I ended up with four toga for the day

Also get a full line of 30-32cm tarpon (in the FW comp a line is 20 fish of one species, that can be upgraded once you first get 20 fish of the species) - over all got about 50 or more  tarpon

Peter got the Tarpon line too

He ended up with 2 toga for the day

The weather was calm but the sun extremely hot and quickly draining your energy

The Tarpon numbers made getting contact with the Toga very hard

Interestingly, we did not see many crocs - only one up on a bank sunning itself. Usually your see 20 plus crocs along edges as you rip between spots - they were mostly likely still there so no swimming for sure! lol as if!

So how's it looking for FW comp in 3 weeks??? 

We still have to work/try out our barra tactics at a couple of identified spots - the Toga were tough but we know several flies that work well - if we can get past the tarpon! 

We plan to do another prefish next weekend - hopefully test successfully our barra ideas/tactics and get more Toga than today - the low numbers of toga to the net - a little troubling so hope it was just a weather change thing! 

Interestingly. during a prefish last year I got 16 saratoga to the net and dropped as many with very poor hookup rates - but thinking on that, 5 dropped & 4 to net today - so the hook up ratio similar to last year just less fish today - hmmmmmm foreboding!)

ANYWAY, go on get out there - swoffing awaits you!

20220326 - Manton Dam - Freshwater comp practice

 

So we were both very keen to get our flylines tight to fish after many weeks of not fishing together

Peter had gone back to Canada to catch with his Dad for several weeks. While I, without my own boat now, was going nuts waiting for him to return – just couldn’t bring myself to land base fly fish.  -   (just 'lazy as' these days)

We almost didn’t fish with Peter’s back playing up since his long flight back from Canada the weekend before and getting back into his office chair since his return. But pain was endured – thanks Peter!

So come 5:15am it found me at his place putting gear in his boat and hooking up the trailer to his ute. And off we go, anticipation high.

We got to the dam a little after sunrise. On launching the boat we see a few of the DFR club members casting away on the opposite shoreline out from boat ramp

We head north to the weed line and start casting

Ribbon weed is everywhere – the area we targeted first was the ski boat area and as such lots of chopped up weed at the very edge of the lily pad line blown in by the prevailing winds – thus 4 out of 6 cast were hampered by weed collected on the retrieve

I stuck to using surface flies all day, while Peter stuck to his “jelly Bean” fly (think egg sucking leech but different). The lily weed beds were 10-20m from bank a with clear water lane like area between them and the bankside. We cast everywhere, retrieved all sorts of ways, tried anything to entice a take.

 We both got the occasional nudge and touch, but the weed was a real problem. To join leader materials Peter used a surgeons knot and his leader knots constantly were picking up weed as he cast into the weed beds, let it sink and then started a retrieve. I used a double grinner and due to being able to trim really short the tag ends – got a lot less – but still picked up weed occasionally – it was everywhere – uggghhhh!!

I dropped a couple of good toga on my version of a Gurgler fly: uses a plastic lure worm hook with a V tail of foam in which the hook tip rides up and is almost weedless (well not totally here given chopped up ribbon weed everywhere!!) – got the idea from an article by the guy who invented those gutless frog flies they use on east coast mountain ranges for Goodoo (Cod).

We were fishing Manton Dam this weekend due to other DFR club members having a monthly outing on the water and more so in practice for the DFR freshwater comp in 5 weeks on Corroboree Billabong (currently inaccessible due to water over the road from the wet season). However, the lilies are very different here – stringier stalks, smaller pads – and then the chopped up ribbon weed from the skiers – all added up to some difficult casting and retrieving.

But the Day was absolutely awesome – almost windless mirror calm water – yeah a couple of water skier boats but no any negative impact from their activities (aside from chopped up ribbon weed).

I finally got a toga to stay connected and netted a 46cm fish – first fish of the year! (soooo sad it is the end of March already – must fish more!). this fish must have followed the surface fly to come 15m from  the safety of the lilies and weeds, but due to its dark colourings and the dark stanin stained waters - I didn't even know it was there til the vicious surface strike that hooked itself - woke me from a repetitive cast and retrieving stupor i was in! I was very lucky to net this one.

A 100 proverbial casts later as we worked along the weed bed edge, Peter was almost back to the boat with one of his deep retrieves and his line went tight - fast! Rapidly, the line moved away, it cut a significant rooster tail across the water on the first blistering run and then a very big toga exploded out of the water – doing their typical body flex and reverse to the opposite flex extreme. The splash as it hit back into the water was huge! All within two rod lengths of the boat.

This saratoga was one of the biggest toga I have seen in a while – it had launched itself almost 1.5m out of the water – it seemed to be at my head height when it spat the hook. Peter’s tight line and the fish spitting the hook, saw the fly spring back to thwack into Peter’s shoulder.

This fish was so deep and so thick! So, so deep in its body depth, and very, very long. Its colours in the morning sun were breathtaking. What a fish!

But its assumed size, its show of strength, power and speed as exciting as it was to witness – did not alleviate the hurt of a flyline gone loose, and of not netting the huge fish. 

Bugger, would have liked to measure that one!

But Peter being Peter shrugged off the lost (despite my constant comments about the incident) and kept casting hoping for another. He is the one more cast king!!

For the next two plus hours we cast and cast and cast some more – finally Peter hooked up tight to a good fish – it hit the net and was measured at 55cm – well done Peter.

Right after that, it was time for to head in to chat with other DFR members at the BBQ.

So, an interesting outing – hard fishing, complicated by copious amounts of shredded weed on surface. Several half takes and nudges, thankfully a couple of fish to hand – a surface fly for me put higher on the “goto fly list”. 

Here is a 'how to' of the surface fly I used at Manton Dam

Tying the V Gurgler fly – it is very easy.

Bascially a surface version of Peter's Jellybean fly

put the worm hook with the shank upmost in vice. lay down bed of thread from bend to eye of hook

Tie in short strip of rabbit fur about hook shank length at hook bend – this time for me is was a black barred dark purple zonker

Then some long sparse black cactus chenille (the bits that hang off about 12-15mm long) this for the half hook shank up from tail tie in point

Then short ice cactus chenille for rest of hook shank– this time bright fluoro orange

Turn hook over in the vice and tie in a pre cut V of black foam – this is tied right behind the hook eye. With the hook point 4-5m back from inside of bottom of V in the foam. I add a drop of glue to keep the foam in place enough for a few fish at least chewing it before is starts to roll around and not ride right. then replace it with another fly and repair the twisted one once home with another drop of glue to get it ready for another outing.

Usually there are 8 hooks in a worm hook bag from the tackle store. So usually tie 8 at a time. Cutting the foam Vs first to match the hook size. At Manton I used flies with a 1/0 worm hook. But once home tied some with a #1 sized worm hook – so have two sizes for the comp. I will start with the larger versions at comp and if too many non-hook-ups will go down a size to see if it makes a difference   

2 years since last post - time to pick up my game and do more SWOFFING in the NT

wow! 2 years since last post - time to pick up my game and do more SWOFFING in the NT

and Write about it!!!!

Soooo soooo looking forward to this year 2022 and the fly fishing planned

Especially with COVID not having the impact and shutdowns that it has for the last two years

As such, Peter and I haven’t fished much in last couple of years – at least not like a few years ago where we were fishing constantly

Maybe getting softer, but also, we have caught plenty of fish, so don’t head out as much unless conditions are perfect - that attitude has to change - must fish, often! even in crap conditions

Luckily, we have the 2022 Darwin Fly Rodders club’s Freshwater comp in a few weeks. So, prep for that is paramount in our minds. I have been tying flies madly for it

But we also need time on water to fine tune tactics and practice strip strikes for those at times subtle Saratoga takes.

Peter just getting back from a trip back home to Canada to check in on family this coming weekend, but we are planning a freshwater session only a week after he gets back.

With the road into coroboree still flooded from wet season rains, It will be Manton Dam which has a bitumen road all the way to boat ramp – it has all the same species but without the water flow that happens through the billabongs. The DFR club has a club outing there, so will be good to catch up with the guys and gals of the club. there are alway the water skiers in the dam but they are restrcted to certain areas giving us a quiet corner to cast to without yahoos zipping by in their loud boats.

I am super keen to get a fly wet after not fishing since mid-December 2021. Boy, do I need to get a new boat after selling my old punt a few years ago (just not reliable to take young daughters out in). Fishing in Peter's boat is great but i dont get out as much as in the past (he is much nicer to his wife than me it seems!)

Reports and video soon on the Manton Dam outing.

After a heap of stress (work and personally) – and not much fishing last year – I really need that to change in 2020

In prep for this year’s freshwater comp on corrobboree. Tactics need to be honed and tested. Last year we got toga and tarpon – in size and numbers but not enough barra. We think we know how to do it based on post 2021 comp analysis and breakdown. We finished third in 2021 and are both keen to improve that – a full line of barra could be the difference between first and third like in 2022.

The majority of the toga I have caught in the last three DFR fresh fly comps on the billabong have been on a #4 gamagatsu B10s dragonfly mudeye style scruffy fly with all olive colourings - weed guarded, sunk right in to the lilies - paying close attention feel that typical subtle take of the toga down deep - awesome fun - sometimes taken high in water column as it starts to sink - sometimes they will follow it from the depths out front of the lily cover right to boat before hitting the fly. have several versons of it.
Peter, who catches as many toga as me, on the front of the boat while I am using my tiny fly from back of same boat - but he uses a vastly different fly he calls a 'jelly bean' fly (longish rabbit fur tail at hook bend, bright coloured cactus flash chenille head/body length of hook shank, bead chain eyes above hook point - #2 - 2/0 – simple (resembling no food source I have seen) fly but highly effective - once out of weeds gets the tarpon too - and a few small barra) - over longish soft 60lb mono weed guards (key could be the long weed guards vibrating as fly is retrieved - maybe / maybe not )

for sport fishing non comp outings - I love to stay on surface all day with foam hooper patterns, gurglers, and an articulated foam frog pattern I have been improving over last few years - this one hard to cast but oh such surface strikes!! the leg action is totally lifelike - is about 7-8cm in length on 1/0 and 2/0B10s hooks (see it on middle right of fly box image at beginning of this blog entry). Also, a go to fly early in the day in the over shadowed edges is the disco shrimp. All flies weed guarded - the surface takes on all these surface flies are everything good about fly fishing the billabongs for prehistoric toga

Seeing a big toga stalk the fly then punch through a lily pad to get at the insect like foam based fly being dragged over a pad - absolutely fantastic!

10 or so years ago you got the occasional 80cm (83cm my PB at billabong from late 2013) – but haven’t heard or seen that size for a while now (though I am not up on all the news of course check with guys from DFR club - lots of clever anglers there)

The winning biggest togas in last few years in the fly comp has been 60-65cm - heaps of 50-60cm (though I haven’t fished late evenings or nights when the larger one might be about like for barra) - my biggest toga for last three comps (in each comp) 62-63cm or there abouts. The start of second day last year's comp – my first cast - a 62cm toga, second cast -  a 58cm toga (I think) and then another 62cm toga fourth cast of the day from the same one corner to a side lagoon area – got several more within a 100m stretch of here – great start to the 2021 comp day2 (we just didn’t get the barra!!!!)

during comps some anglers use 10w so they can get the toga up and out over the weeds when they take at the back of a long cast into lilies - less fish lost to wrapping around the countless lily stalks – the toga are sooooooo good at wrapping themselves on stalks and pads - then getting off the hooks

I mostly use an 8w fly rod in most situations - three rods set up one full fast sink, an intermediate (not used much) and a full floating - used depending on location - but fast sink rod setup used the most in comps – also have a 10w fast sink ready during comps - if I start losing too many to stalk wrapping. I use a shortish simple 1.5m straight 20lb leaders. Nothing fancy.

You can work the edges anywhere on the billabong and you find toga even 100m from boat ramp (as most anglers on the billabong are trollers so not that much pressure on lily hiding toga) – Peter and I like the windward lily sides of prevailing winds of water ways on the billabong– they work better for us with 10-15 toga in a run down along these edges compared to opposite side of same stretch of billabong which you will barely be taking a fish

And this sweet water only 45min from my house - fantastic fly fishing!
I am very lucky to live and fly fish this region of NT
In the opposite direction 40min – Longtail Tuna, heaps of big 90cm queenies, bastards and more in Darwin Harbour.

And too - an hour away SW of my house we have Bynoe Harbour and Dundee – one a massive estuary and all its species plus offshore Dundee has sails, small marlin, macks, and more!

A lot of foreign fly mags and sites are talking up the queenfish in and around Red Sea in the Middle East - we have schools of thousands here in harbour some good sizes too. Yet most top End anglers up here, don’t even chase this awesome sportfish. even better longtil tuna in amongst them at times

when I had my computer career in 80s, 90s I only took the jobs based on the fly fishing - working and fly fishing most capitals in Australia. Even so, I would spend the money to come here a few times each year, to Cox peninsula back then and its fishing camp. now after a few life changes been here 13 years and despite the great kingies and other pelagics in Sydney harbour or the great fly fishing in so many salt and fresh water locations around Brisbane - I really think I am in the perfect place for a SWOFFER. Yes, no speckled feral (trout) but I can manage that trip south or over the ditch every now and then. but plenty other species to catch up here right on door step to keep my fly lines stretched - GTs, Brassie, Threadies, Blue Salmon, Jacks, Macks, Tuna, and more You also have Vernons to the north, a bit further along Melville island, to south you have Peron islands and further along maybe an overnight trip to Cape Ford (last time there 6 casts 5 goldens to 82cm and more species untold - rods bent all day)

When first up living up here, I would take my boat to work and five minutes after work I am on the water for a few hours fishing - awesome times learning the fishing up here (still learning!)

Am very lucky to be living and working here in NT - hoping to retire in next few years so even more fly fishing to be done

Anyone coming up please contact DFR club - plenty to give advice and help you get into some tight lines

20200613 - harbour light winds - sort of

So the doll hair from the little niece - several silicone surf candies were made during the week

• 1/0 34007, 
• place tail on from hook eye with length of tail past hook bend same as shank length, 
• place a pea sized lump of clear silicone on an old plastic lid 
• (i do 20 or so flies at once)
• let the silicone set for 20 minutes
• to stop stickiness of silicone 
• use a drop or two of dishwashing liquid in half a cup of water to stop it sticking to fingers - 
• but not to wet on finger tips as the silicone will have trouble sticking to shank
• then add a sausage of clear silicone along hook shank, 
• massage til even about the hook shank 
• if too much material and thick around hook shank - wet scissors and trim off some
• shape a bit more
• then add your 3D eyes pressing into silicone to ensure they don’t get ripped off while fishing
• leave to dry a couple of days then add a couple layers of clear nail polish

 the nail polish acts like scales as the fish's teeth puncture the lay into the softer (but still firm silicone or 'flesh' of the baitfish - thus holding it longer giving slow guys like me longer to set the hook

plus I think it also sinks slower 

than an all epoxy version

Expectations are high given BOM forecast for light winds most of the day in Darwin Harbour on the weekend - the tuna better watch for I am a comin’

The morning of the weekend saw us launching before dawn

Travelling sedately with the nav lights on out to Lee Point to find some longtail 

Neaps tides for the day, 4:30am low of 2.8 or so, 11:30 high of 5m - so a bit of movement which is better then none

Awesome sunrise again - watching that fireball rise up, the colours chaing form pinks purples towards the orange breath-taking

One out at the point - plenty of boats on water but no fish seen, one guy hooked up on a live bait under a baloon but he brutalized it to side of boat never backed off and being so green it busted off thrashing at side of boat. may have been a shark more than a big mack

After a while we move around into Shoal bay way to the shallow reef as too via the location we found the little macks last time on the harbour

Plenty of bait in thick bands of the sounder at 10-15 feet in 20-25feet of water

But hardly a bust up or ripple

The wind was light but constant disturbing the water surface enough so you couldn’t spot that subtle bait nervousness on the surface before the predators change gears

We did see, and occupy ourselves for several hours, small pods of up to 10 longtails ripping along just under the surface

We would wait fly in hand, line off the reel waiting for the pods to race through – casting in the beginning was dismal, but we kept at it and got several good chances but didn’t convert.

Those tuna are so frustrating but once they are on the scene – nothing else matters!

 

Once this literal wing of longtail swept past the boat, each just behind the shoulder other in a wide sweeping line, we lead the fish well for a change

Peter hooked up, I didn’t (I didn’t hook up for 90% of the day sadly).

Peter fought the fish for several minutes and just as Peter was seeing the bottom of the fly reel with nearly all his backing out – the fly came loose. BUGGER!

The wind shifted to northish, and so we headed into the harbour. Hoping for some queenfish at six mile on way home – dinner fillets was the real hope.

And six mile didn’t disappoint – except for the yahooos roaring about chasing the exploding pods. This zooming about put the fish down.

 

When we first arrived it was tuna not queenfish – I in my panic ended up wrapping the fly, fly line around me and the boat – talk about “buck fever”

 

After that first massive bust up of tuna – it was mostly queenfihs – and none with dickheads flatout smashing through the feeding areas

I am normally non-plussed but one group cut right in front of us like over taking a car on the road  only a boat length from us as we drifted towards a school and then motored into the pod – causing them to dive instantly

My choice of words were loud, questioning their IQ, heritage and gender. It took yelling a couple of time before they even acknowledge we were there.

Best yet we both hooked up – they didn’t

They must have zipped here, over there 100m, back again several times and got nothing – suck that you P*&%$ks! Hope  your boat sinks.

 

A nicer group of young guys were also working the water hard but politely no crowding etc - and one young guy who by his actions seemed to have caught his first big fish. In his jubilation he fell off the little tinny – his three mates helped him back in (we saw a 15foot shark here last time) and as he climbs in a rod gets flick out – “that’s my rod!” one exclaims and dived in deep to retrieve his rod – when he eventually popped up -  I was amazed he got it – for a few more seconds and it would have sunk into the 70foot deep water for ever!

 

The waves were not as harsh as last time here but still – yuck!

more yuck - So many absolute dickheads that would come rushing in putting fish down, catching nothing and take off again – was soooooo frustrating

 

The bust ups were irregular and a fair bit apart. If they did bust up it would be 100m away, but we chose to wait till they came closer rather than chase

The electric was losing power as well after using so much during the day

 

But we hung in there, and caught 10 or so fish – kept 5 bigger ones I would fillet , slice into fish fingers, then flour, egg and breadcrumb for all the family (wife’s brother, sister, their partners, and all their kids)

Peter’s wife made what peter said was an awesome fish bake!

 

One boat asked us – what was out secret - for while plenty of boats only ours was catching fish regularly. Their lures to heavy, to large, retrieved to fast and nothing at all like the bait fish being eaten. Our silicone surf candies perfect – though Peter did use a larger greenish clouser for just as many fish as I was catching with my candies.

 

One young bloke, barely taller than the gunnel - got a good fish – his excitement and effort seen from a distance – love it when kids catch the fishing bug!

 

Until next time – though Peter telling me he needs to spend more time with his wife after fishing with me every weekend for over a month.

I might need to go back to land-based if that happens – yuck!

20200606 - Hardies lagoon - too cold!

So another early start - that in hindsight didn't really need one

So wind up again on harbour and offshore - so DFR club outing to Corroboree Park Tavern for the long weekend and the range of billabongs and lagoons as fly fishing options

We didn't stay/camp at the Tavern as my place in only 30 minutes away

As we drive past the tavern the outside temp was 13° - my place at Humptydoo was 18°

So cold morning without a doubt

We launch just after dawn. the ramp at little shallow on the end - and have since been told a bad dropoff at the very end- lucky we didn't go that far

I must say what an awesome location - first time I have fished it. So many fishy spots to cast to, endless even. seems on a different planet to corroboree billabong. Lilies different, banksides different, so tactics will need to be different

We started casting to bankside spots only a 100 or so meters from ramp

We frothed the water with our efforts for nothing for the next hour or so

Then at a spot in between other really good spots - peter lays out a cast, Fly lands on the edge of some crappy slimy weed , as usual let it sink and then when near bottom start stripping 

And then a nibble and a take - WE ARE on! (well I tied the fly at least!)

But Peter was on for sure!

But Peter is very worried as he last used this rod (10foot 6weight),  reel and set up on lake trout in Canada and he remembered he only has the lightest of tippets on - 8lb and the leader is over 18feet long when he used it for chironomid applications

So everything is slowed down and luckily the fish heads to middle of water - no snags no weed - awesome

After circling the boat a few times in its struggles to dislodge the small hook in the corner of its jaw - the fish comes meekly to the waiting net

Peter is stoked! – so am I 

His PB freshwater barra on fly!

So nothing seen for next several hours but archer fish

And of course a plethora of other wildlife

such as a Buffalo – this guy came of out thick scrub, attacked a small tree – bashing it. It was the only tree on the bank and the young bull had some serious issues to resolve it seems by the way he ripped apart the tree. He eyed us off and like the local fish saw no harm in us - so ignored us - and starting sauntering up to edge of water for a drink and to lick his nostrils several times - that last bit looked disgusting!

We also kept an eye out for crocs. We saw a couple of narrow jawed freshwater crocs, saw a couple of smaller saltwater crocs but up o nthe bank absorbing the sun's heat were two big crocs they were at least 4m plus versions 

I was so bored at times I snoozed a few times but Peter kept on casting and casting

Eventually all the good spots to cast was too much for me and I cast a few more times

As usually drop the fly off edge of weeds, pause and then staccato retrieve

Touch, touch – hook up!

Ended up one of the largest archer fish I have caught – a PB even - it looked bigger then the picture, I remember it bigger than the picture as it was the only fish I caught for the day

 So despite the cold start and despite the lack of fish

We had a great day – as any day fly fishing is better than sitting at home!

so where next - thinking tuna in harbour next weekend or if better wind conditions maybe off Dundee

must tie more flies too!

here is Peters final stages of his barra flight

20200530 - Saved by Six Mile - Again!

Ok the fishing gods must chuckle to themselves when fishermen make plans

Cause our plans fell into the abyss as soon as we made them - just took us a while to find out

The wind forecast sort of made it possible for maybe a few hours of calmness offshore so we could chase tuna

but no - despite the darkness of a 5am launch and with what seemed by the time we got out wide near fenton patches - wind and wave was all we could see.

we cruise about - used the sounder but nothing

we found some thick bands of bait but no predators

we took some awesome pictures of sunrise and ourselves

but no fish

Round 9:30 we put it down to the learning curve and headed back towards the harbour

Rough ride straight into the wind generated waves – thump thump thump thump - uugghhhhh!

Finally we arrived and tucked in behind Lee Point giving us a bit a relief from the increasing wind

Our “Honey Hole” which has saved many a harbour trip was absolutely empty, even though plenty of bait schools showing on sounder. We hoped it was just a tide thing - looking forward to what the turn of the tide might bring so we hung around and hoped for better conditions and options t oshow up

Eventually however we got bored waiting and head off further shoal bay way towards a shallow reef outside the entrance to Buff Creek we have ocassionally had success near and along the way come across a heap of nervous water near a couple of other boats

We nudge in to one side of the two boats - and with a wind so crappy to cast into but it was the only spot we could get into near the baitfish  given the position of the other boats. And we hook up immediately to small macks – some greys but a few small what seemed to be narrow barred macks. The garfish hanging on top of the reef would surge forward  to hammer the bait schools as the tide pushed them against the reef line. Then exploding out of this chaos would be fast moving mackerel from under them. Spraying bait and garfish into to the air. Such awesome mayhem!

We annoyed the other two boats due our regular bent rods so much they eventually took off elsewhere. Them casting and casting for nothing.us - fish and tight lines regularly  – “Go the fly” – again! But I lost five flies in a row at one stage - at least we were getting some action!

Wind eventually changed direction and we thought we would move and work our way into the harbour - fishing a few sheltered bays or points along the way. But as we moved over the main reef line that pokes out from Lee Point proper - we spied for the first time that day birds over slashing active fish. the Tide change had begun!

We power up and zoomed over – macks again - but better than nothing, right!

But wait was that last slpash darker? Bigger? Yessss! – Tuna!

Their porpoising active surface feeding style unmistakeable !

We chase, they dive, we chase they dive,

Frustratingly they go right past the front of the boat, or casts land where they were, such was their speed in the shallows

Peter eventually cast the perfect cast and the tuna hammered the silicone surf candy just after it landed

It turned the boat as the taunt line between fish and rod pressured the boat around – Peter was fighting it classically in an only Canadian way that he could do saying "ITs HUGE!!!!"
and sadly moments later - all came loose with one hundred plus meters and flyline past the rod tip – Bugger!
fly still attached, no curled hook tip
just let go! damn!

We chase a bit more, but the tuna are so flighty in the shallows - we come close a few times but no more tuna hook ups

Finally wind from the NW too much and we start to head back to the ramp. 
Peter suggests a diversion via the red Six Mile buoy but I wasn’t sold on the idea as wind was funnelling right down the harbour and the wind wave was against the outgoing tide making larger waves. Uncomfortable! And given the results so far today – probably on the percentages would hold nothing worth our time and discomfort
plus i had been up since 3:30am and was feeling trashed!

However – on arrival hundreds of birds and 1000s of silvery predators were frothing the water as they gorge themselves on some smallish baitfish. 
Good choice Peter! never listen to me again! (well not never 'ever' type of never of course)

Below looks heaps better on video but wind noise ruins it - so just a picture

First cast we are onto fish even before the boat orientated itself in the current with the lock anchor on the electric. Awesome! but who wouldn't be hooked up - they were everywhere and feasting themselves on baitfish by the mouthful.

Most brought to hand are between 65 and 75 centimetres in length – voracious queenfish feeding with abandon. With a few larger ones mixed in we didn't hook up with - you could see them riding in the 70cm waves as they came towards the boat. You could pick your fish and make a selective cast. great swoffing! when a small one would move towards your fly you could recast it to a larger one. great fishing by any standard.

queenfish are such an underratted sports species - especially when nothing else about!

There again are a few boats in same area trying to catch the ravaging fish under the swirling birds above them 
but in the 2 plus hours we endured the rough windy bumpy conditions we were the only boat catching fish. Their lures too large, retrieved too fast, their techniques and gear just not attuned to the fish and how they were feeding. When the fly was absolutely perfect for it!

next image not the best - but shows the baitifsh that was being eaten that was spat up by one of our successes

despite the poor zoom screen shot of a video  - above you should see the spat up baitfish is the top silvery shape in my hand and the silicone surf candy fly we were using is the bottom one

A perfect match - unlike the chunky lures and huge metal slices the dark side boats were using

 And did we catch fish on the fly or what!

Fish were actually banging against the side of the boat as the swathing packs moved with the tide as they fed on the schools of bait

The after 10 or so fish to hand, we started noticing some dark shapes zipping through the mayhem

TUNA!

I hooked three tuna (in amongst a plethora of queenfish) over the next period of time -
 got one to the boat – 

what an awesome fish longtail tuna are 

Its looks, its strength – the one I got to hand 65cm.
 I had one break me off on 20lb leader on the take as I watched it surf along a wave to take my fly 10m from the side of the boat. So great to watch – so frustrating the queenfish teeth that most likely nicked the leader the fish before. The other one let go the fly with most of backing out of the reel.

So many many times we would wait and cast to the tuna only to have a queenfish pinch the fly before the tuna could get a go. Good queenfish, strong queenfish, aerobatic queenfish but man we wanted those tuna!

Peter had another repeat of his tuna for the morning with another extended tuna battle only to have the fish softly drop the fly 100s of meters from the boat.

here i am hooked up and another vast mass of fish passing the boat as the tide flows past

So we finally get a few fresh fillets and some incredible action as Six Mile buoy saves the day again!

Best yet we tweaked our passion for Longtail Tuna for the first time this year due to various delays in getting on the water this year that we all are too familiar with.

Our plans didn’t work out at all but those underwater humps near the eSix Mile Buoy on an out going tide when the baitfish are about. 
How awesome is the Six Mile Buoy!

So where next? When species next? What flies should I tie?

My neice "trimmed" her dolls hair for me to ties flies - and said to everyone it for uncle to tie some flies with. 
(it seems she took to heart the story I told her about that as a kid my sister's dolls had no hair too!)

The pink tinged material might just be perfect for some tuna specials - a silicone surf candy variation

Bring it on! the tying and the swoffing!

(I took a heap of video during trip but the wind noise on the clips was terrible so no trip summary video this time.)