Recent fishing forays, Darwin is a waders paradise, get into it.

I have had the pleasure of doing some wading recently and with all the hype about needing a boat to access good fisheries is about to be debunked.
Andy and I had a great day a week or so ago wading around Darwin's beaches on the incoming tide, we didnt catch a lot, but the idea has great potential, partcularly for crab eaters like Blue Bone.  These things really go.  I was fishing with a 9wt Sage and was down to the backing in a couple of seconds.  Great fun and all sight fishing too.


3kg blue bone from Darwin Beach

The fun continued the following Sunday when I took a run out to Mandorah to try wading the beaches there too.  I fished the beach side of a rocky reef on the start of the incoming and caught 6 or 8 good queenfish and a nice pikey bream.  Several meter plus queenies sauntered passed by showed only fleeting interest in the small white and pink clouser.  I reckon a big crease fly (does anyone know how to tie these?) would have been more to the big guy'guys liking.  I watched a 4m+ mamta ray swim up to the reef edge and patrol the bay for a 1/2 and hour or so, really amazing stuff. 
Anyway the tide was filling so I thought I'd go for a look on the beach it self.  My first cast was rewarded with a 60cm barra.

The fish was lying tight against a mangrove tree.  I released this little guy and waded a little further along the beach and noticed large brown patches patrolling the surf line and then heading out and balling up in the slightly deeper water. 
The white clouser on the light (6kg) tippet didnt last long.  A heavier (10kg) tippet added and the brown smudges turned out to be blue salmon.  I managed 8 or 10 before the tide peaked and the feeding activity diminished.

There's 4 salmon in that shot, but you can't see it too well in the photo.  There were some good sized fish in this group, but man they are hard to hook.  I reckon I had over 30 takes and only 8 or so stayed connected.  The schools were patrolling along the surf line in about 30cm of water.

Blue salmon are a great fly fishing target on the beaches and can obviously be accessed right off our beaches.  The best fly I found on the day was a black and orange birdfur creation. 
So for 3 hours fishing I ended up with a swag of good queenies, a bream, a barra and some great blue salmon.  Get out there and give it a go.  The incoming neaps seem the best so far, but I havent tried any other tides.  I am certain of the potential of this type of fishing and will be exploring it further if we are not out chasing tagged sawfish.
Good luck and happy fishing.

Dion