West Arnhemland on the Tropic Paradise

 The Endalgut Mini Mini system on the last tide spectrum.this is becoming a regular with my friends from Sydney Craig Wilson and Rachel Garrett.

Again we joined Duane Trouchet from DNA Barra Fishing and his clients on board the Tropic Paradise a very comfortable powered Catamaran.

                                          Golden Trevally off a shallow Mini Mini flat

                                                 Not many Threadfin but good quality

It became pretty obvious when we started fishing that the shallow water temperatures were too high 32/33 degrees that meant some of my favourite "drift of dreams style flats" had very little Barra or Threadfin on them,some but mostly reluctant feeders.

                               Deeper water produced a different result when it came to size

I have raised the reason in other posts many times and it doesn't change, when temperature goes up the dissolved  oxygen level goes down, add rain (effectively distilled water) and you have a situation they do not like. I discussed this a lot with Dwayne, he specialises in big Barra and his focus is on where they are and that wont be in the hot shallows. During the week he found some very nice fish and he, like me believes that drains on the shallows that you would fish when its 40 cms try blind casting in it when its over a metre.

The Old Camp on Endalgut Island

Overall we were down in numbers but enough to have plenty of encounters, strangely the big Queenfish were there but not inclined to eat all the same great fun, as for Flys Wayno's (Sunrise to Sunset) was a good generic choice along with a few other's Silver and White clouser's in 1/0 and 2/0 handled the pelagic's.

Had my new Scott 8 wt meridian with me and both Craig and I could see its value as a shallow flats rod, he mainly uses the 9 wt Sage Salt also a great rod.

Cheers Graeme