Anzac at Muirella

With yet another long weekend it was pack up the car, hook on the boat and drive out to Kakadu to give one of my favourite waterholes a go. Arriving at Muirella Park a bit before 11.00pm to find only one other camp there. Cold beer or 2 roll out the swag in readiness for the next day after a good nights sleep.

Home for the weekend

Friday morning presented a great sunrise and a magnificent day before me. Launched the boat into crystal clear water and as smooth as it possibly could get and think the first Toga hit the second cast. This set the scene for the day with Togas giving plenty of action and I quickly came to the conclusion that TFO Professional 8 weights do not have the grunt in the butt section to turn descent size fish away from the snags. Over the day I think the fish won more times than me.

Lots of these took a liking to a "Roggie Dodgie"

Barra were hard to find or hear but did find schools of them up the creeks running into the billabong. With the height of the water I was able to get a fair way up in the boat before having to get out and give the banks a go, tough with a fly rod in this country but that was where the Barra were in the running water.

Up one of the flowing creeks

Friday night saw a few more campers at the ground but for a long weekend not busy at all.

Friday night was nice and cool, great sleeping weather under the stars. The next morning saw me having to wade through water to get to my boat as the water level had risen 4 to 6 inches overnight with not a drop falling at Muirella, must have been a good dump on the escarpment! With the level rising the water temperature crashed overnight along with fish action. Saturday was a long hard day chasing fish with limited results so decided to call it a day and come back to Darwin.

For those that have not been to Muirella it is a great spot, fishing can be tough at times but it can also be very rewarding. Where else can you have a whole billabong to yourself for a day over a long week end!! Saw one other boat on Saturday. What lucky people we are!!

Back to Darwin then fished West Arm Sunday in perfect conditions with clear flat water with fish being very cooperative. Do not tell anyone about that magic place we call the NT.

See you at the "Cup".

Remember “if you never never go, you’ll never never know”, get out there and fish.

Tight lines

Jim Churchley