Rooster Fish West Coast Mexico

Our friend Steve Huff (IGFA Hall of Fame) from Florida Everglades took a trip to catch a rooster fish, he just emailed these photos.

Bynoe trip report - Simms Reef and Turtle Island

hi all,

went to Bynoe over the weekend - fish Sunday morning only - which was a bit slow most of the day
a few queenies first up, then some great flats fishing for Barra mid morning - spooked them all but very engaging fishing

see full trip report and highlights video at at my blog - Bynoe Trip Report

PREPARING FOR THE STAKES IN SEPTEMBER

Over the weekend of the 20th and 21st of September, 2014 we will  be holding the 2nd BSSS (Bynoe Sheep Station Stakes) and yes, we will be playing for a sheep station.

NOTE: Click on anything highlighted in RED and it will take you to the relevant post..

Just a bit of a follow up on the last BSSS post, and there will be a few more of these before the event.  Because we had quiet a few at the recent  CCC (Churchley Catch Cook-up) (20+) and there were thirty at the INAUGURAL last July, we have been thinking of having our Saturday night dinner outdoors, similar to the CCC.  It gives us a lot more room because inside at Sand Palms, once you get around 25 of us, with locals, it can get crowded.  Another factor that we have looked at is that Sand Palms has become very popular and on Saturday nights (flat out last Saturday) it is getting crowded, even without an event there, and the last thing we want to do is put the locals offside.

So, a few of us are looking at having a dinner of Corned Beef (or Chicken/Fish for those that don't eat beef) with spuds, white sauce etc.  Corned beef is synonymous with sheep stations too.  That way it will be easier for Sand Palms to cater for us should we have a large number of the mob there.

For us to get this organised, it would help if you could let us know if you intend to fish the event.

send to the email address ( ntflyfisherssocialmob@gmail.com ) under the rod above this post.

We realise that circumstances can change and you may not be able to make it, but at least if gives us something to work on for the day.   ACCOMMODATION is another  thing that needs confirming.  At this stage the Mob has a blanket booking for whatever rooms are available (bearing in mind staff and the bridge workers take a some of them)  So could you confirm with Sandpalms or the above email and we will follow it up, on what accommodation you are seeking.

The O'Reilly's hit Mardugal

It was good to get back to Mardugal Billabong after an absence of some so four or five years, it’s always been one of our favourite places and now it appears to be the favourite of every bloody caravan and camper trailer tower in the country! Anyway we managed to find a patch of ground not to far from the boat ramp so we could leave the boat in the billabong each night. An early session on Saturday morning gave us an insight into how difficult the Toga fishing was going to be for the remainder of the weekend. Water temps were down around 24 – 25° and didn't really move from that all weekend. The Togas just wouldn't come to the surface and when we found them they were holding (shivering?) deep in the timber. Weed guarded things sunk into the timber received some half hearted attention and we finally managed to boat a couple of Togas and I unfortunately managed to drop a really nice Toga, estimated 70 ish cm, right beside the boat. Back to camp for lunch and a granny nap and then back out again for an evening session.

We fished again on Sunday morning but the wind was up early so I guided (rested?) and drove the electric so Marisa could get a decent shot at the snags  and it was worth it as she managed to boat a couple of Togas including a nice 62cm fish.

For those twitchers around the place there was some great bird action out there including a big white breasted seas eagle swooping down to grab a small barra from the middle of the billabong and only a few metres from our boat. Good to see!

Although the pictures showed the early morning mirror that Mardugal can be, the wind unfortunately came up relatively early and blew right down the billabong all day. We only managed to boat five Togas in three sessions but we dropped at least another ten but that’s how fly fishing for Togas can be.

We noticed that a couple of things have changed since we were there last;

1.      Although there are lights in the ablution block at camp ground 1 they do not work and there is a sign outside stating that if you want light in the ablution block after dark you have to supply your own. Strange considering the lights work in camp ground 2.

2.      The great grey army have discovered Mardugal, big time. Fortunately they didn’t bring boats so we had the billabong pretty much to ourselves.

3.      The grounds aren’t as well kept as they were under the previous caretakers ... perhaps a product of Mardugal’s popularity?

4.      The cut through to Jim Jim Billabong is a bit tight in a couple of places .... just something to watch.

Anyway that was our weekend away and we’ll hit the place again before we leave the NT in late Oct. (Maybe staying in a nice air conditioned room at Cooinda)

Cheers

Lyle and Marisa 

Fishing for Fun, Freezer and Friends.

Just the excuse I need to go fishing “The freezer is empty of fish”. With neap tides and only a 1.5 metre of movement sounds like perfect conditions to stalk the flats without the worry of running out of water.

Arrived at Bynoe and pitched camp at Sandpalms. As usual around 4.00pm the gathering under the “Tree of Knowledge” was in progress and the advice of “no run no fun”, “neaps no good to fish”, “moon phase wrong”, “save your money on fuel” was freely given. 

Despite the encouraging words decided not to pack camp and go home!

Launched early Wednesday morning and traveled the 20kms under the light of a rising moon to “Jim’s Flat” which dries at just under 4 metres.

Rough conditions on "Jim's Flat"!

In the end cut the day short and was back at the camp for a cold beer by 1 pm, - must get a bigger esky - there were Barra everywhere, but very spooky, to be sight cast to in crystal clear glass out conditions. 8 Barra boated (all legal size), largest went 74cms with only those less than 65cms for the esky. The great clarity allowed for the added bonus of choosing your Mud Crab to pick off with the fly. In some ways a lot easier to catch than the Barra, nowhere as flighty, watch Graeme Williams do it he’s the master at it.

A "Roggie Dodgie" fly catches everything!

Back home by 1pm

Next day it was much the same routine but Salmon to be the target so moved around until Threadies were located and picked off three at 70cms and got smoked into the mangrove roots by 3 others. Wasn’t chasing the Barra but my cast was a 2 metres off target from the Salmon and closer to the Barra that wasn’t seen – bugger!

First of the day.

I managed to hang onto 1 Barra and 1 Salmon for my freezer. All the others were distributed to others not as fortunate as myself or able to get out and experience what the NT can offer.

A Barra - Bugger!

I wonder how many people have spent the last few days at home because they had convinced themselves that, “no run no fun”, “neaps no good to fish”, “moon phase wrong”, “save your money on fuel”. 

Unlucky people!

Wandering around Kakadu waterways this week.

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

Tight lines

Jim Churchley

IF YOU ONLY HAD ONE FLY FOR SALTWATER!!!

 When we first got into fly fishing, everyone had a view on which fly was the best, and the way to tie it.  So probably, like a lot of people, we got every conceivable type of material to tie all these fancy flies, and some were fancy, and very colourful.  However with a bit of experience and advice from blokes like Dave Bowring, Wayne Hinton and Graeme Williams, our flies came down to the basics AND we seemed to catch more fish.  Dave wrote a bit of a story before one of the old competitions and said that if  you had one fly in the box, it should be a clouser, because 90 percent or more fish were caught on clousers (or variation of the same).   Dave tied a clouser like a crazy charlie, with only the top wing, but we have continued to tie with both the bottom and top wing as demonstrated in the video below by the inventor of the fly, Bob Clouser.

We tie very simple clousers now, usually with both natural and synthetic material.   The Boss likes the long limerick hooks in her flies, with either the eyes well down the hook so you have a longer nose, or the eyes near the eye of the hook.  Both work. (see below...same hook, eyes just placed differently for the whims of the fisher..don't think the fish care!)

We tie ours with a bottom wing of bucktail, then turn it over and put in some 'special' aluminium flash with a thin tail of DNA (or similar) then tie on the top wing. The reason for these materials is simple....because the fish chew the bucktail off, and not so much the synthetic, your fly keeps working for quite a while even with most the bucktail chewed off (sometimes seems to work better).  The synthetics can tail wrap too, so the bucktail keeps them from doing that a bit, and the bucktail is usually a lot more buoyant than synthetics.

Here are the simple ingredients for the fly, you can miss the synthetic if you wish, we like the light coloured centre (another whim) but the aluminum flash is the secret, not sure what you call it, but it is about $5 a square metre at spotlight and you just pull the stands out.

I have this theory that it makes a signal in the saltwater...probably crazy (we won't go into that) but as I have said before, long long ago when I did physics at Monaro High, we made electricity by putting aluminium foil into saltwater and created a type of electrolysis or something like that.  

Pull the flash out of the material on the left and add to the bucktail and synthetic. The top fly here is on an C70SD mustad hook and has mono weed guards, blue and white, the smaller barra seem to love it.

Dave with a Tea Leaf Trevally

What fish does the clouser catch???  In his 1994 book The Professionals’ Favorite Flies, Lefty Kreh wrote about the Clouser Deep Minnow: “I believe that this pattern is the most important and effective underwater fly developed in the past 20 years. During the past three years I have been able to catch 63 species of fish in fresh and saltwaters around the world with this pattern!”

Here are some of them from up here...

Cathies' first metery on fly 1.03m on a Cameron Briscoe clouser

We all love the idea of catching a big fish, and the clouser seems to catch big and small...imagine your first metery on fly, and it was on a clouser, back in 2004, and tied by a teenage Cameron Briscoe for Cathie to try down on the Robinson River.  First cast...first metery.   Here are some other beauties too....

 Duggie with a 155 spaniard caught on an anemic clouser with no wire only a week ago off Turtle Island.

 July/August can see the big baitballs  around, so have a clouser ready to run through them.


Here are a few more fish on clousers, the photo in the centre top was a 92 queenie that was hooked in the dorsal fin.

As you can see the good old clouser can hook anything....this video below is a bit long, but it is actually Bob Clouser, the inventor, tying the fly so I have included it, rather than some of the shorter ones..

"Four Mile Hole" - view from the soapbox.

As my previous post shows I have just spent a few days camped out at one of my favourite waterholes in Kakadu, “Four Mile Hole” on the Wildman River. I have had the privilege of being able to have fished this location for more than a decade and holds great memories of great times, great fishing and is a great Northern Territory/Australian natural asset.

On my return to Darwin the local media was awash with reports about “Four Mile Hole” and Salvinia. In today’s climate of media beat-up and sensationalism it is often hard to split fact from fiction so I offer my observations of what I saw during my time camped out and fishing “Four Mile Hole”.

Is there Salvinia at Four Mile Hole?

You bet your life there is. When launching the boat it was evident in clumps along the bank both in the water and on the land where I think it had been pushed up either by the wind or boat wash. On the water immediately, if you looked, small heads of Salvinia could be seen free floating. This was most noticeable when there was minimal wind or wave action.

Was Salvinia there last year?

If it was I did not see it and definitely not as obvious as it is this year. As you progress along the billabong to the area of the still flooded floodplains it becomes obvious as to the extent of the infestation. It is massive with it stretching as far as one can see into the floodplain. I can only assume that the entire system downstream, if not already infested will be in the next flood. Listening to the NT fishing Gurus “Tales from the Tinnie” it was interesting to hear Andy Ralph indicate that park records show Salvinia evident at Four Mile for some years. If this is the case, and I suspect it to be so, why has there been such an explosion this year? Has it reached such a mass where it is unstoppable?? Is it like the grains of wheat and the chess board? Double the grain on each square, easy to start then it gets out of control!

Is it affecting fishing?

Yes and No. I am passionate about fly fishing and enjoy fishing the margins, shallows, lilies and timber structure. These are the areas where Salvinia was most evident and in some areas fishing was not possible. Yes it has affected fishing. For someone trolling or casting deeper waters they may not encounter Salvinia. No it has not affected fishing. Will this be the case next year or the year after??   

What does the future hold?

This is the question that should be asked of those that hold the reins of power. One only has to spend five minutes with Mr Google to see that we have a formidable environmental foe in our midst only a short walk for a feral pig, a short flight for a Magpie Goose, a short walk/swim for a croc plus another 101 different ways for it to get to the Mary river system. Then Manton Dam, then Darwin River Dam. Who knows what effect this may have on our water system?

   

We anglers readily understand the possible impact to our sport in the Mary River system but I think it has the potential to go far further. What impact may it have on the cattle industry that survives on the quality of the flood plains along the Mary. Look at Yellow Waters after the waters recede from the plains there is a thick carpet of Salvinia left. Can the pasture handle this? Can the cattle handle this? So many questions, so few answers!  

Again I refer to the “Tales from the Tinnie” where an amount of a million dollars (I stand to be corrected on this statement) was said to being spent by Kakadu on weed control, not Salvinia, all weeds. Obviously the amount of effort is not enough as shown by recent observations/spread. If this is correct I am dismayed at those empowered to look after Kakadu on our behalf. I bet more that that is spent at Parliament House in Canberra mowing the grass and pruning the roses in an area covering a few footy fields not an area larger than a lot of countries.

Where has all these words taken me? I don’t know but the view is good from atop of this soapbox. I don’t what the answer is. I don’t know if there is one. Questions such as these need to be addressed by those of greater intellect and knowledge than I but what I can say is that if we stand by and do nothing things will not improve. I also believe that we have an obligation towards the young mobsters such as the Jack’s, Hayden’s and Brianna’s amongst us.

Myself I am penning a few words to both our Federal and Territory leaders to express my concerns and thoughts and to request information as to actions, if any, they are undertaking to address this problem. As with anything to do politically numbers count. My single letter makes only a very small pile on someone’s desk. A bigger pile gets looked at more. If anyone else has concerns put pen to paper and send it to those that you pay.

My final thought on this subject is that after reading about Salvinia “Good Management rather than Eradication” will be a fantastic and achievable outcome for NT waterways.

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

Tight lines

Jim Churchley

Few days at "Four Mile Hole"

Had the recent opportunity to spend a few days at one of my favorite waterholes in Kakadu, Four Mile Hole.

For those that have never been it is on The Wildman River System downstream of Two Mile Hole (subject of a previous report). The road in is the same as for Two Mile to start with a turn off approximately 10kms in from the Highway and a further 32kms through the scrub onto the floodplain. This track has a fearsome reputation for being rough and a trailer destroyer, on this trip it was found to be very forgiving if given the respect it deserves. Allow yourself 1 – 1.5 hours from the highway and you will have no issues, when you hit the floodplain take it easy across the areas that have been ripped apart by pigs, this area will do your springs in if not taken easy, be warned!

Arriving at the water, set camp 50 metres from the edge as required by the Rangers and had only 2 other “Grey Nomads” as neighbours. Basically I had the place to myself, just how I like it. Bank launched the boat and started fishing. Third cast resulted in the first fish of the trip, Catfish, which was to be the first of many of this species. With the sun high in the sky it was easy to see how clear the water was with the fly able to be seen to at least 1-1.5 metres deep which gave a great view of the fish attacking the fly. Over the next few days spent my time patrolling the edges and lilies picking up a constant stream of fish as I went, Barra, Toga, Tarpon, Archer and yes, Catfish (with the water clarity even sight cast a couple of these, sad, I must be getting old!!!). Having recently fished other Kakadu systems it was very noticeable that the Barra here lacked the condition as other waterways. The fish were nowhere near as fat being much leaner and did not put up as much fight. During my time there I had a great time, except for the strong wind during the day; glass out conditions before 10am and after 4pm. Caught lots of fish but size was a problem with only a couple being legal, just.

Leaner fish than from other waterways

Didn't get the sinking line out but reading the sounder I suggest that the larger fish maybe laying on the bottom midstream and maybe tempted by dragging a fly past their nose in about 7 metres of water. This has been very successful for me in the past. Give it a go if you can’t find the fish you are after along the edges.

"Roggie Dodgie" Fly does it again!

As with all trips things happen, good and bad that has never happened before. This trip was no different.

Travelling along under the power of the electric the outboard leg collected a large clump of lily stems which stretched for some 3 or 4 metre behind, no problems and continued along. A large splash from behind me got me to turn to find a 2.5 metre croc attacking the large lily pad that was being towed and splashing along the surface. I’m not quite sure who got the biggest surprise, me that it happened or the croc that he only got a salad feed! A timely reminder that they can appear from nowhere at any time.....so

Travelling back to Darwin and listening to the news I found that Four Mile Hole was the subject of much discussion because of Salvinia, not my fishing exploits. Is there Salvinia in Four Mile Hole? You bet your life there is, lots of it, a disaster in the making if nothing is done. I will dust off my soapbox and put my observations and thoughts into another post but in short if nothing is done the potential for the entire inland waterway of Northern Australia has the potential to be changed forever.

Normal fishing area - no-longer!

Typical along the lily pads

Despite that depressing thought if you have some time, take the effort to get out to Four Mile Hole. An iconic waterhole in an iconic location, get out there and do it. You will see the best sky in the world at night, breathtaking, stars from horizon to horizon for 360 degrees, a must see sight.

Iconic!

Bynoe Harbour later this week on the building tides (wind gods please be kind) then a week back out to Kakadu for a trip in “MV Croc Bait” (3 metres plus 8 horses).

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

Tight lines

Jim Churchley

FLY TYING IS FOREPLAY

While I recognise and acknowledge the need for commercial fly tyers, I have been indoctrinated against them by an expression my immigrant English dry fly purist grandfather told me when I was young about why whose flies I should use when fly fishing is important. He said,......

"using some else's flies is like getting someone else to father your children for you, 

when it is more fun to do it yourself!"

When it comes to fishing with artificials, I have always enjoyed making my own.

previous style of foreplay

While not for more than twenty plus years, for a time I made my own hard bodied lures. Even got some expensive chuck tools specifically made up for my wood lathe to hold several pieces of timber at once to turn to them the shape I needed. Then I would cut them lengthwise to place in wire loops, then glue, then clamp back together, then heaps of sanding - before applying 10+ coatings of paint and finish with an airbrush. Add split rings and hooks, then go fishing. Each lure -  many hours, weeks, if not months in the making.

Using my own personally hand crafted wooden lures made for specific species and locations elevated any captures beyond anything else. The 'yahoos' and screams of exaltation were always more loud and exuberant then for fish caught on any mass produced lure.

Back to tying one's own flies, for me it elevates my fly fishing experience before, then exponentially and additionally impacting when on the water casting that fly to fish that reacts to the fly I made. This could be surmised in a quote from an awesome passage in the book - "Fly Tying by Fishing Guides" by Toni Lolli. Where it says......,

"There's an old saying that fly fishing is the most fun you can have while you are standing up. 

If that's true, fly tying is foreplay."

If this premise holds true and you add the knowledge of the necessity and benefits of sexual foreplay;...... 
the benefit of making your own flies then implies, that the more foreplay (i.e the more fly tying), the more the expectation, and thus, the more the eventual climax and in turn deeper enjoyment.

So I tie my own flies, and I tie a lot. I love my fly tying as unmitigated and absolutely necessary SWOFFING foreplay. Why tie three flies when I could tie using a whole box of hooks, if not several sizes of boxes of hooks.

Every fly tied is like that first subtle and delicate caress, that intimate delicate stage of what is to come. Every finished fly takes me one pulsating sensation closer to the ultimate tightening of fulfilment and ecstasy. In fly fishing terms, the sighted fish, the follow, the take, the tight taught line and the vibrant fish struggling against the strain, ending with the triumphant release of the trophy (a trophy regardless of size) to fight again.

Even writing about fly tying is exciting me right now.
So, I don't know which I want to more now:-

• write some more, or
• tie some flies, or
• go SWOFFING, or
• find my wife!!!

I do know that when I get home after SWOFFING using my own flies or when I have just tied 20 or so flies to use on the next planned trip - I am more amorous towards my wife. So maybe it's SWOFFING and fly tying that's actual physical foreplay for me as well.

When I am on the water, selecting and tying on a fly that I have previously tied for a specific application at a location I plan to fish for a species I knew would be there for a specific food source or reason - THIS IS what SWOFFING is all about. (My wife says I am easily please!)

What was that romantic quote out of the movie Jerry Maguire, that all the women swoon over?---- Zellweger says to Cruise, "you 'had me' at hello".
Well for me, SWOFFING 'had me' too - at the fly tying.

I hope fly tying is that for you too.

Enjoy! Go tie some flies. Experience some fly tying foreplay, before reaching your climax!

see more at http://swoffingntwaters.blogspot.com.au/