Pro guide Tim O’Reilly discusses fishing in some of Australia’s most isolated, and beautiful, areas.
So many Australian workers residing in the far north find themselves living in remote localities while fulfilling various work contracts. Thousands of plumbers, concreters, electricians and other tradies criss-cross the top end of the country, often in remote Aboriginal communities or tiny townships. This article looks at making the most of remote travel from a fishing sense.
SEE FOOD
The willingness to take extra time to explore is key to reaching far-flung fishing destinations. The love of Google Earth and a healthy respect for being on other people’s country are contributing factors. If you really love fishing, taking the chance to visit pristine localities and cast where not too many others have done so can create life-changing experiences. It is too difficult to delve into the complexities of access, so let’s look broadly at the regions of Cape York, the Top End of the Northern Territory and Kimberley regions. For travelling workers who find themselves in these far-flung destinations, a travelling fishing kit is a must. It is the difference between telling everyone you went to a place with brilliant fishing and actually experiencing it.
The strength of your commitment will determine what your fishing kit looks like. Mine looks like three travel rods and reels with lures stuffed amongst clothes. However, a simple pack consisting of a light three-piece spinning outfit and a small selection of lures can suffice. I prefer a reel loaded with 20lb-30lb braided line, and usually have a selection of leader in the 20lb-50lb range. A good pair of pliers and filleting knife are useful additions. Being on the lookout for fresh crustaceans and molluscs can also stimulate a crude diet. Tonight in my room, very far away from any decent shop, I’m eating mud crab, a fillet of fingermark and four pieces of toast. It’s hardly a balanced diet, but it’s a delectable one.
ALL ALONE
There are a few scenarios likely to have you out fishing. Being asked by locals to accompany them, driving or walking yourself out bush, or perhaps being asked on a boat to head out are all possibilities. Having your own little set-up is crucial to fish properly. Never rely on anyone else for fishing gear, it rarely works out well. A
couple of hooks and sinkers, floating lures, silver slices, vibes and soft plastics will cover an extraordinary variety of fishing opportunities. Catching the dream barramundi, Saratoga or Sooty Grunter from a lily-fringed lagoon is possible in literally thousands of locations.
Australia’s vast and mostly dry interior looks very different closer to the coastline which is punctuated by countless waterways that form pools in the dry season from April to November. Some of the country’s least-visited locations are often hard to reach and hostile. Crocs, snakes, spiders, mosquitos and heat are just some of the challenges. Nothing quite compares to those gleaming eyes idling up behind a surface lure before unleashing white-knuckled terror. For that millisecond, the birds fall silent and a hush comes over the Australian bush as the fisherman subdues a truly wild fish.
PLAN TO SUCCEED
Land-based fishing is very different than from a boat. For starters, it usually involves some pretty heavy walking through scrub, bush and thick undergrowth. That’s invariably where the best spots are. Having a good knowledge of the country you are entering and utilising modern technology as a tracking tool makes these adventures safer. Some of the new GPS units also have a texting and SOS function, which is a game changer for those travelling remote. Some key areas to look for when planning this type of adventure are swamps, pools and billabongs which fill in the wet season and shrinks in the dry. These areas can provide hugely productive food chains and present some of the best fishing opportunities on foot. Most of your energy should be focused on the head and tail of these locations – or in other words, where the water flows in and flows out in flood. For whatever reason, more fish tend to congregate in these spots. When walking the longer reaches, choose access points based on structure and corners to increase success.
PLENTY OF FISH
At many coastal locations, it’s possible to walk down a beach or scramble across rocks to reach perhaps the two most reliable land-based locations. The first is a small creek mouth and the second a rocky point or headland. These types of locations typify the northern Australian coastline. The silver-speedster brigade tends to hang out in areas of higher current flow. Queenfish and trevally species are the mainstay for those on foot in saltwater environs. They are often accompanied by blue salmon, tarpon, giant herring and barracuda. Joining in around many creek mouths will be barramundi, threadfin salmon, mangrove jack, cod and a myriad of other species.
All can be targeted on lure and fly. After the wet season, remote anglers will search out congregation points for barramundi as they feed in what is often called ‘the runoff’. The most common months to experience this exciting form of fishing are March through to May. All manner of prey species are washed from whatever home they were living in, with gravity providing the greatest feeding opportunity as water funnels from higher to lower ground. There are some famous examples across far northern Australia, however most river and wetland systems in healthy condition will offer up decent barra fishing during this run off.
HOOKED
I have fond memories of arriving in Kununurra in the west Kimberley 20 years ago, following my nose out to Ivanhoe Crossing and catching a couple of feisty barra at the back of the car. Like living dinosaurs, Saratoga are perhaps my most enjoyable quarry to chase. They are not by any means the hardest fishing fish, but hooking and then landing these things is crazy challenging.
So many bites are missed or not converted as a bony jaw seems ever-capable of tossing a hook almost immediately. The far northern variety is very shiny, with a lovely tinge of gold punctuated by dazzling pink spots. They love chasing down a surface presentation, so strikes are usually visible and electric. Quick hands are needed, and once hooked, it’s best not to let the fight take too long.
SAFETY FIRST
Moving from land-based to boat-based fishing doesn’t change much with regard to the best kit to have. Personally, the light spin rod is always a must, but I also enjoy the challenge of fly fishing. You never quite know when the opportunity might arise, so it pays to be ever prepared with a fly rod in the luggage. Flies don’t take up much space, so a travelling fly kit is quite practical. Finding places to throw flies and the difficulty of backcasting increases the challenge. It tends to be more suitable either casting from a boat or being dropped on clear land. Saltwater locations tend to dominate the fly scene in the north. Tiny freshwater creeks, rivers and billabongs tend to have intense vegetation along their banks, making casting challenging in all but the most wide-open spaces.
My travelling fly kit includes a nine-weight rod, a floating line, sink-tip line and a selection of clouser minnows, deceivers, shrimp and crab patterns. Some lighter leader in the 15lb-20lb range is often useful for tricking spookier fish. A small boat is all that’s needed to reach small creek mouths, and even distant upstream pools and river reaches. Having enough freeboard is a crucial element in keeping man from croc, especially in some of the Territory and Kimberley rivers where snapping handbags tend to get a little friendly. Realistically, any boat around the 3.5m mark or larger should be fine, preferably powered by a minimum 15hp outboard. If jumping on an unknown boat, it pays to ask if lifejackets and an EPIRB are on board, and to triple check the water supply is adequate.
HEAVENLY SNACK
When working remote and fishing remote, try and broaden your horizons when it comes to eating the catch. Aussies are lucky to have such prolific seafood resources and we tend to become very close-minded about what constitutes an acceptable catch. Less-regarded northern species such as trevally, Queenfish, mullet, Blue Salmon, bream and cod can all make a delicious meal
if chilled and prepared with a little love. Try making a mixture of vinegar, chilli, pepper, sugar, diced onion, lemon-lime and shallots in a sealed container and throw it in the esky. Then, slice thin fish pieces and toss them into your mixture before chilling for an hour of so….it’s delicious on a hot day out in the sun.
Picking some shade on a riverbank, along the beach or at a creek mouth and waiting out that unproductive period in the middle of the day is a good call. A small fire and fish or crabs roasted on the coals is a winner. I like to find some scented leaves, wait for the fire to burn down to coals, let the leaves crackle and smoke a little, then place the fish on top. A wet cloth or some type of cover over everything sealed with sand helps create a moist oven and produces tasty, condiment-free fish.
HAPPY SAILS
Remember that being asked along on someone’s boat is a privilege, and you need to keep a few things in mind. Always be ready, always be on time, take your own water and food, offer to contribute to fuel cost and allow the boat owner to split the catch. Oh yeah…don’t go if you have a deadline to return to the ramp. Fishing over neap (small-range) tides is the best starting point and leads to cleaner, clearer water for navigation and fishing.
A keen fisherman or woman will always find local knowledge purely by asking local people. Without prying too much, it’s amazing what information spills out with a few well-directed and well-meaning questions. Are there this and that around here? What tide tends to work best? Who knows the most about fishing these parts? Does the wind change direction in the afternoon? I consider fishing gear survival tools and make no excuses about loving fishing when travelling remote. There will always be knockers and nay-sayers ready to sit in their rooms and complain about others going fishing. Life’s too short to give these people importance. When work is over get amongst it. The chance to get out and enjoy the great outdoors is beckoning.
Listen to its call.