Debbie works in Real Estate, it’s a 7 day a week commitment and to have the opportunity to fish the Hinchinbrook region during the pre Christmas period, be guided by not one but three “experienced guides”, stay in a modern fully air-conditioned three bedroom town house right on the Marina, with our very own floating pontoon to boot – well, we just could not say no.
Terry, Kevin & Toshi left town early on Friday morning, they were to fish the channel that day and suss out the situation. Debbie & I had to work until mid afternoon, she is the boss after all, and we departed Cairns around 4pm. The drive down was uneventful apart from having to wait at the Aumuller St / Southern Access Rd intersection for over 15 minutes – it took 5 sets of lights before we went through…………Grrrrrrr, man I was cranky.
We arrived at approx. 7pm with all the excitement of a couple of school kids on vacation, checked out the fabulous apartment and helped Terry set up the BBQ for dinner. Our home for the next couple of days was to be the magnificent “Ripples on the Marina”. It had much more to offer than we expected, our very own floating pontoon with running fresh water to wash down our boat & gear, electricity to plug in our battery charger each evening, fully carpeted, only 5 minutes boat ride from the huge ramp and right outside our door. Oh, the inside was very comfortable too.
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| Ripples on the Marina |
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| Sunrise from our bedroom |
The alarm went off at 5:30am, we jumped out of bed, had a hearty but hurried breakfast of bacon & eggs and scrambled down to the boats and headed off. Terry, Kevin & Toshi in his 5m Cairns Custom Craft punt, Debbie and myself in our little 4m twin.
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| Terry, Kevin & Toshi |
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| Leaving the Marina |
The channel was as flat as a pancake and the trip across to the top of the island a breeze in the conditions. Terry had fished the rocky shoreline on the falling tide the day before and was quite successful, why not give it another go. It was decided that Terry, having the larger more comfortable boat, would fish the far bay while Debbie & I concentrated on the near shore.
No joke, on Debbie’s very first cast of the trip, a feisty 60cm barra crashed her lure amongst the stunted mangroves but failed to hook up – if we weren’t excited beforehand we sure were now. Conditions were ideal for lure tossing but we sensed that it was going to be a very hot humid day by mid afternoon.
Things became a stale mate for the next hour or so with no real fishing action at all, we were waiting on the morning high tide to start to drop, knowing full well that that would ring the dinner bell.
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| Juvenile barra |
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| Fishing the rocky points |
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| Estuary cod |
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| Typical barra |
Using shallow running Leads highjackers we started to account for a few small estuary cod, then a juvenile barra, then another……….more cod and the pattern was set. By mid morning we could feel the heat, the water was 34.8C, almost hot enough to cook in and that, as Kevin explained, was the reason for a lack of mangrove jacks. Too warm for them. We persisted around the rocks and it started to fire up and by lunch time the tally had mounted to about a dozen cod and 9 barra.
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| Turtle |
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| Barra |
What really surprised us was the number of sea turtles……..they were everywhere gliding through the shallow waters. Sometimes surfacing right alongside the boat and scaring the wits out of us……….they confused us too…….was that a fish swirl or just another one of these magnificent creatures.
It was too hot to stop fishing, and we couldn’t find a shady spot on this side of the island anyway, so we ate egg and bacon pie (with tomato sauce of course) on the run and got straight back into it.
By mid afternoon the north easterly was in……..man was it hot, and humid but the fishing had slowed anyway so we worked our way back to the channel side of the island. We found a rocky outcrop in about a metre of choppy water and began to cast our lures around the slop. I landed my best barra of the trip here and at 63cm it wasn’t a big fish but sure gave a good account of herself amongst the oyster covered rocks. I also lost two lures here, busted off on those very same oysters.
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| 63cm barra - my best |
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| Barra |
Back to the channel and we worked our way along the mangrove lined shore. By now the tide was making and the window of opportunity would not last long. Casting amongst the heavily timbered bank, amongst the tangle of mangrove roots and fallen trees we found active fish again. It was Debbie’s turn to have some good luck and she out fished me three to one that afternoon.
Not to worry, it was two very happy and weary anglers that headed back across the channel to the Marina entrance that afternoon. We must have landed about 30 fish that day but not a jack in sight.
A hearty meal, the exchange of fish tales tall and not so true, a few beers and the swapping of lures amongst friends soon had us seeking the comfort of our huge queen size bed. I was asleep in no time.
Here in the tropics you get to know a few things about how nature works. During the day old sol shines brightly, sucking up all that moisture from the warm seas and taking it high into those puffy dark clouds. Sure its hot and sticky, the sweat runs down your backside and you reach for another ice cold beer or six – and that’s why we love it up here. But we also know that after the sun goes down, the air temperature drops a few degrees and guess what – all that moisture just can’t be suspended anymore and with the crack of lightning, the heavy roll of thunder, the heavens open up and down she comes.
Well at 1.20am I was rudely awaken but one the most spectacular “light” shows I had ever seen. Lightning flashed across the dark threatening sky, thunder rolled right through you and the rain pelted down. My poor little tinny……….she was safely tied up to the Marina pontoon BUT what about the electrics. I had the 240V battery charger connected, what would happen if my boat filled up with water just enough to short the whole thing out?
Climbing out of my comfortable bed I quickly dressed, went out back to my vehicle to find my umbrella and gingerly walked down to my boat. I had better disconnect all power first I calculated, then I could safely disconnect the leads, check the water proofing cover that I had rigged over the charger and even run the battery powered bilge pump. No dramas, it was over in a few minutes, all was safe and I went back to bed to watch the light show.
But guess what, my mate Terry awoke a while after me and had the same idea. He found my umbrella, scurried down to the pontoon and RECONNECTED the power to my charger. Thankfully all was well and by morning I awoke to clearing skies and a boat and electrics all intact and a fully charged battery to boot. Thanks Terry!
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| Happy anglers |
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| Flat out fishing! |
This second day saw the trip across the channel even calmer, the water was like glass and the mountainous backdrop of Hinchinbrook Island was a real treasure to behold. This is the largest Island National Park in Australia and offers truly stunning scenery, superb camping, fishing and even an Island resort for those so inclined.
We decided to fish the inside channel on the last of the making tide, it was too high to fish the rocks anyway and we really intended to kill some time for a while. If we landed a fish or two it would be a bonus. Terry cast his deep diving shad towards the mangrove stand at the mouth of a small creek, bait fish were scattering everywhere when BOOF!..........he was on to a barra of well over 90cm. It was sheer pandemonium as he tried desperately to control her direction but she charged back into the structure, around a stand of drowned timber and back out again. All Terry could do was glide on the electric to the dead tree, have Kevin position the boat and gingerly he tried to untangle his stretched line. It was so comical to watch him pass his baitcaster round the first trunk, then the second and oops…….almost lost the rod and then Terry into the drink. I did say almost and eventually the line was free of this obstruction and they headed back into open water.
But wait, there’s more…………the monster had found another drowned snag right out where the boat was first stationed. She crashed the surface and made a resounding BOOF. Man I love that sound. And it was all over, she had managed to snag the lure on a thin twig of a branch and swam to freedom.
Barra are amazing creatures. They are a magnificent looking animal, hit lures with gusto and offer a spirited fight on the right tackle. Their take can be spectacular and put grown men into a quivering mess……….they are as adapt at self release as they are at hooking up and many angler is left mouth agape at how they free themselves. How they found that hidden snag, rock or weed bed. You’ve got to admire them and remember the challenge. This is what fishing is all about, its not catching.
At this stage Terry and his band had decided to head back to the rocks. Debbie & I decide to stay and try our luck along the mangrove bank.
Did I tell you that just after the boys left Debbie had an almighty strike in the same spot…….unfortunately her drag was just not set for a monster of this size and she was free in a moment. But the memories remain and she will be back.
We decided to bolt up the channel and fish the island on the falling tide, casting lures to the mangrove forest and occasionally hooking up to hungry barra. It was great fishing but it had its frustrating moments too. Like the 200th time that I hooked up to the tree roots, like the time a metre long barra materialized under my shad but did not take that extra step to strike, like the lack of action on other species. There is not wall to wall barra anywhere, you have to take them when they come, find them where they are at various stages of the tide cycle and be thankful for being able to fish in such wonderful places like far North Queensland has to offer.  |
| My only jack - nice one! |
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| Flathead |
I trust all my readers have a truly WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR.
There are strange things happening up here in FNQ, our economy is in pretty bad shape and a lot of people and families are struggling big time. Christmas can be a joyous time for many…………it can also be a trying time for the sad, broken and downhearted. Share a thought for them too an pray for better things to come in 2011.
Good fishing, Les
http://www.fishingcairns.com.au/
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