A lot can happen in 7 days
By Larry Lockwood
On this trip the 7 day rule applies with no exception! Spectacular Fresh and salt water fishing on Cape York, what a buzz, just like sticking a blow fly up your nose I guess. We fished hard and added new species to our list and when we became dehydrated we drank even harder.
There was not a noise to be heard anywhere as the small popper splashed down just on the edge of the lily pads in a small billabong somewhere on Cape York. As I waited for the ripples to disappear before twitching the popper I was thinking, this has to be Gods Own country, out in the middle of the scrub fishing pristine untouched waters. Everything was going peacefully when my concentration was broken by a boil just behind the popper as it sat motionless waiting for the next flick of the rod tip.
I used the rod tip to manipulate the popper and moved it forward a few more inches with a slight splash. Just as it stopped and the ripples were dispersing the water erupted, the 6lb braid went tight and a lively little Saratoga launched from the water in a bid to throw the chunk of plastic it just impaled it’s self on. The initial fight was spectacular with areal acrobats and a romp through the lilies before it succumbed and lay on its side at the edge of the billabong waiting for a photo shoot and then released back to its watery home.
This was the start of a magic week fishing the remote fresh and salt water areas of Cape York with a long time mate Anthony and a circle of friends from Cairns. At first the trip did not look promising as the weather forecast was predicting rain and strong wind making life both interesting on the drive up and crappy once we got where we were going. But, with a dose of harden the #%&* up pills we made the 9 hour trek north reaching our first fishing location early afternoon on the second day (after a night at the Lakeland pub mixing it up with the locals).
We had planned to spend three days fishing the upper reaches of a major river and a few lagoons and billabongs which joined up to the main river in the wet season. For the sake of preserving this pristine wilderness the location will remain nameless. As with every bunch of fish crazy blokes on a trip there was a small wager for who had the most spectacular catch which was not judged by the size or species but the way in which it was caught. So the challenge was on. Anyway, that little toga broke the drought and I was keen as mustard to catch and release many more in the days ahead plus adding a couple of new species to my list. The rest of the morning proved very quite for me as I tossed lure after lure in an attempt to entice anything that was willing. For the rest of the crew a few more toga and tarpon were caught and released, but, there were plenty of casts in between strikes.
By mid morning the worms were chewing so we all moved back to camp for bacon and egg’s and a change in strategies for the rest of the day. While we were stuffing our faces with sloppy eggs, greasy bacon and coffee which was cooked by the other Anthony, a couple of local lads Jake and Kyle, arrived and were keen to show us how to fish there back yard, “gotta love having back yard like this”.
Once our bellies were full and camp cleaned up we all moved to an area of the river known as the beach, which, as the name implies is a large sand bank in the main river. I teamed up with the youngest of our visitors Jake who promptly showed me a couple of prime spots further down river, while the rest of the crew stayed around the main area of the beach.
We worked a couple drop offs and snags with little success using small hard bodied lures so a quick change to soft plastics was in order. The soft plastic I change to was a Berkley 3” power minnow in the bullhead brown colour which did the trick nicely. I next cast landed up current from a snag and just as the lure drifted into the strike zone the line came tight and a feisty little Sooty Grunter was soon on the bank.
Only a small fish by comparison but he certainly put up a fantastic fight on light tackle. After a quick release young Jake came running down to see what all the fuse was about and try to bribe a couple of the soft plastics used to catch the grunter. We moved further down river catching a few more fish before I realized the sun was starting to fade which meant we needed to make our way back to the beach where the others had been waiting for us.
Just in that short trek down the river saw Jake and I catch Sooty Grunter, Archer fish and a bust off on a monster Saratoga which exploded from the water before spitting the soft plastic back at me and all on tackle you would associate with bream fishing.
That evening back at camp we told our tales over a feast of camp oven roast chicken and vegies washing it down with a cold ale, you could not ask for better finish to a superb day. As a group we had a top day with Barra being caught on fly, by young Kyle, archer fish on poppers and a few more Sooty Grunter.
We talked about the tackle and tactics used in this particular environment and the general comments were, you could effectively use bream and bass gear to fish these waters, including the lures. However in saying that, expect to get smoked by the occasional Barra or big Toga, but hay, that’s the challenge of ultra light fishing.
The following morning saw another session at the billabong with a slow start and only a couple of small toga landed and a Barra that made mince meat of Anthony’s fizzer leaving it stranded in the middle of the billabong. After retrieving Anthony’s Lure with a couple well placed casts we left the fish to their own and went back for breakfast and to pack the cars for the saltwater phase of our trip.
The cars packed and farewells were made, for young Kyle and Jake had to return home to Weipa and we had to leave this magical place they call their back yard. We arrived at one of the caravan parks in Weipa to spend the night and prepare for the next leg of our trip. Later that afternoon we received a call from Kyle inviting us for a fish under one of the bridges for a few tarpon and Queenfish that night which was an offer not be refused.
All fed and smelling like a perfume shop after a tub and clean clothes we made way to the Rocky Point boat ramp where Kyle and Jake were waiting with the boat already launched. The time was about 9pm and the tide on the run out, perfect for fishing the pylons for those acrobatic tarpon. We approached the bridge slowing to an idle watching for surface action when young Jake had already lobbed his lure right next to a pylon hooking up to a nice Blue Salmon within a couple cranks of the handle.
Over the next two hours we had many strikes from tarpon but as soon as they became air borne they dislodged the metal slices which then became lethal weapons as they shot back to the boat and occupants at a great rate of knots.
The following day we re-packed the car, made a visit to the local tackle store, not that I needed more tackle but it’s a bad habit I am having trouble breaking. We restocked the Esky, with ice and food, of course, and went around to pick up the young lads, Kyle and Jake, before departing for the Pennefather. The drive was approximately 1 ½ hours with the last section being sand before reaching the beach for a breath taking view of the western coastline of Cape York.
It was late afternoon and the wind was howling so the fishing would have to wait until the following morning. The wind was blowing about 20 knots offshore making it still possible for a fish so I decided have a crack and made a B-line to the beach for a few casts. After about a dozen casts and wind blowing sand in my face I went back to the camp for a coffee and left the fishing until the morning.
Bugger me, I actually crawled out of the tent before the sun and stumbled about in the dark trying in an attempt to make a coffee without waking the rest of the crew. I would be no good as a burglar for it was not long after and the lads were up complaining about some bludger making enough noise to wake the dead. With a coffee under my belt we headed to the water and spent next hour or so casting poppers and metal slices into the surf.
So, here I am casting away getting a few strikes, and Kyle decides to stand a few meters away and fires a cast straight down the gob of a Queenfish. You think I was impressed, after being there for 30 minutes already with only a couple strikes and to have someone hook up on their first cast, not happy Jan not happy. Anyway, a nice little Queenfish was soon carrying on like a cut snake at the water’s edge.
I wandered further down the beach to try my luck but no luck in landing anything only a couple half hearted strikes, which was most frustrating as the fish were there, cruising right at the waters edge. I worked the popper using different techniques in a bid to entice the Queenfish, however they only had one crack and that was it. A bit disheartened, not really, more frustrated as you can see the fish hit the lure and then disappear as these fish were not in schools and were feeding aggressively. Breakfast and another coffee was the order before setting out for the rest of the day walking the beach in a bid to sight cast to more cruising fish.
The plan for the rest of the day was walking or a session in the tinny out on the shallow reefs just out of casting range. I nominated myself first in the boat ( beats walking) accompanied by Kyle and Jake which I thought was my chance to show up the local boys with all my fancy tackle and southern fishing techniques. We spent the good part of the afternoon throwing everything in our arsenal except the anchor with little success, so we opted to throw a couple of lures out and give trolling a go.
Kyle stuck with his squidgy slick rig instead of using the traditional bibbed lure as we idled around the extremities of the reef. Thumb in bum mind in neutral with the sound of the outboard breaking the silence, then it happened, Kyle calmly puts the motor in neutral and steady brings to the side of the boat a little Coral Trout. Just as well it is not the size that matters but the way it was caught and this little trout inhaled a soft plastic almost as big him. So much for paying the excess baggage and bringing up a tackle shop, (take note for the next trip).
Back at the camp the beach walkers had already return with not a single fish for their effort which was a surprise. We still had about an hour of light left so we walked down to the mouth of the lagoon for a chance at a few Queenfish. We could see the Queenies breaking the surface just out of casting range so it was just a matter of time before we had a hook up. This is where Murphy’s law comes into play, I had brought with me a new 2-4kg rod to try out and was very impressed with the casting ability. I was standing next to Anthony and decided to give the rod to him for an opinion, well, as I said first cast and he hooked up and landed a nice little Queenfish, just my luck. After that I went to camp for a beer.
Another perfect day and another session in the boat which was all good for me, this time I had Kyle as the driver and Matt who opted for the boat instead walking. We motored back to the reef we fished the day before and worked the ledges before the wind got up making it difficult to hold position without the outboard running. The next option we had was to anchor just off the edge of the reef off and work a section at a time.
I rigged up 5” jerk bait using very little weight and cast it right on the edge allowing it to sink into the abyss. We were only fishing in 2 ½ meters of water so stealth and finesse was the key and working the soft plastic very slowly, almost to the extent of not moving it at all. On the third cast the lure had just touched the bottom when the braid straightened and solid hook up was evident. Not a big fish, but when using light tackle ( 6lb) in this environment any fish from the reef is a ripper and this fish put up a very healthy fight.
Along side the boat was a very healthy Coral Trout of about 35-40 cm all lit up like a neon sign waiting to be released. I have seen these fish many times in the past but I get a real buzz out of seeing their rich and vibrant colours first hand it is like looking at a true life painting. This is a magnificent looking fish and top little scrapper to boot.
Shortly after we drifted off the edge of the reef where Matt started throwing around the same soft plastic I was caught the trout on and on the third cast hooked up solid on a magic little Queenfish. The fish jumped carried on a cut snake before coming to the boat and measured about 70-80 cm which was a great effort light spin tackle Matt was using.
The afternoon was getting on and it was time to return for a feed and cool ale, sit around the camp fire and spin the usual tales all fishermen are famous for. That night the fire was great, thanks to our resident fire bug Craig, as wind chill had a bite to it but Anthony’s Chili Schnapps certainly cut through the cold and warmed you up, for the next ½ hour or until the burning subsided.
The sun rose on the final morning before moving back to Weipa as I dragged myself out of bed and stumbled down to the waters edge for a last fish before packing up but all was quite so back to bed before the rest of the crew woke up. An hour or so later still stumbling about we had breakfast had another quick fish and broke camp ready for departure back to Weipa.
Back in Weipa and the trip was drawing to a close with morale dropping as the thought of returning home was not far off. But wait, there’s more, the following day we were invited out with one of the top local guides Jim Borthwick from All Fed Up Gone Fishing for a half day charter up the Haye River.
The wind was cold and the water Temp down but Jim came up with the goods with a couple of hot spots he has. We worked hard covering a lot of ground but the Barra were not feeding with only one being brought to the boat by a client and a small barracuda caught by yours truly, a poor man’s Barra. On returning to the boat ramp we passed by the wharf and got stuck into a school of good size Queenfish finishing off a top session. Considering the conditions and time of year Jim performed well and produced the goods.
Well, back at the ramp the fishing was officially for the week over so we packed the cars and stuck around for a while having a yarn and arranging another trip in the future. After our farewell drinks, Soft Drink that is, we departed Weipa and all it’s magnificent natural beauty hitting the Peninsula Development Road once again heading south for the long drive back to Cairns.
The trip back was broken up by spending a night at Musgrave after dodging a few stray cattle and car wrecks which an eye opener for. We came across and old 60 series Land Cruiser perched looking like it had just been through a crusher. This car was a mess, with one of the back wheels snapped off the axle, which, I believe was the main cause of the accident and a trail of car parts thrown over the road.
It really hit that anything can happen and you need to have your wits about you at all times in this remote area of Australia. The drive back into Cairns was a quite one was every one seemed a little disappointed about returning to work after a 7 days in the Cape fishing, relaxing and widening the circle of your friends.