FATHERS DAY WEEKEND - UPDATE

Well as usual the forecast was a bit out, Friday and Saturday had the best of the wind and clear water whereas Sunday had the wind coming from every direction, and the water dirtied up.  Andy got a nice 86 cm. barra.

From Andy...

Cheers guys, very occasionally it all comes together! 

 My mate Rolf spotted her first but didn't know what he was looking at.  So when he asked me what that tail looking thing was attached to right next to the boat, I reactively flicked my fly in front of it.  Fatal mistake Rolf!  I instantly recognized the tail was attached to a large barra, and was regretting the earlier decision to change to a scant grey and white buck tail Clouser from a larger Pink Thing after it was rejected by a small group of good sized Blue Salmon, (the reason for the visit in the first place). 

 Anyway, as things would have it, she followed the brief distance until I’d run out of fly line to strip and after lifting the fly up in the water she sipped it in.  I waited, she turned, I sunk the 2/0 SL12 home. Apart from her initial exit strategy being under the outboard motor, taking my line and then rod precariously close to catastrophic endings, she turned back and I was out of trouble as quickly as I was in it.  A few big head shakes and half jumps punctuated a dogged lunging few minutes, and at one point the bite tippet get a bit caught up around those extendable mouth parts and had the 20lb way too close for comfort, but all went well and she ended up in the boat for a few photos before release. 

 I don’t keep anything over 80cm.

Andy

The 'Rainbow Warrior'  was also back out there, and Dave sent this,

I went out to Bynoe on Saturday with Dean, with babies and so forth taking up his time it was nice to get the ‘Rainbow Warriors’ back onto the briny deep. We went for a look out the front of Bynoe and enjoyed some good conditions on the flats. We saw good numbers of fish, landing Barra and Blue Salmon. It’s true what they say about the big fish showing up on the neaps, I saw two of the biggest threadies I have seen and although one of them turned and looked at the fly, it wasn’t interested in eating….just looking.

 A queenie of Starlo’s proportions sidled up next to the boat to show himself off and just as casually, cruised away without even contemplating a look at the pink thing I had on. Unfortunately we had to get back to town for a birthday function so missed the dropping afternoon tide but had a ball in the morning. 

Saw Lord Jim out there, he had a lazy half dozen Barra and a couple of Threadies by morning tea time and I hear Andy got himself a nice 86cm Barra on the Friday.

I feel I’m only starting to see the potential of Bynoe. I’ll be out there again on the 13^th and 14^th Sep for sure.

Dave

UPDATE FROM THE MONEY MAN

"On photos, poor poor poor, the Bunnies put a report in & not a cleo man photo to be seen, I know the reason, someone forgot the camera I heard!!!!!!!!!" 

The Bassetts went out on 'Barbless' with Pete O on Sunday. Sunday, according to Jim was much harder, and the water was dirtier.   But saw some good barra and like the Rainbow Warriors  some really big threadies.  Problem was in the dirty water the fish hit the flies right at the boat and we could not put any purchase on them to sink the bloody hook. It was wonderful to see big threadies, chasing the fly instead of just sitting there or pissing off the other way.  

Like Dave and Dean, we saw some huge queenies,  they were in small groups chasing around the  small reefs.  As Dave mentioned they were 'Starlo' size and I think some of them could have been bigger.

Crusty and Wayne lost a big one, and came across some bait balls but the wind buggered them too.  The Stig was also out there, as well as the Flying Foster, but at this stage I don't know how they went.

If you go by the tides every fortnight up until November, you may get some great fishing in on the flats. We will keep you updated anyway!  We have a group of interstaters coming up for the weekend in mid October which looks like turning into quite an event! 

UPDATE .  From Phil.. 

Yes we has a good day - caught Queenfish, Golden trevally and GT's - a fair number were quite small but still great fun. We are hoping to get out again around 13th October as we do not get back to darwin til about 23rd Sept.

Anyway looks like the fishing is picking up again.  A lot of people we have spoken to think that there are no fish around in fact while launching a guy told us exactly that - "no point in going out "  so our comment for the day was "we love it when there are no fish around"