MONSTER BARRA ON THE BITE
METRE+ FISH ON FLY
Fly fishos would be impressed with the capture of a 109cm barra on fly at the Lodge.
The catch was made at an overnight run-off streaming a good colour change and boiling with nervous mullet.
I stumbled onto it up a nondescript creek along the coast recently.
The angler was Barry Cougle, a good old mate from Coffs Harbour in NSW.
Barry was using only a number 7 weight fly rod and a small, yellow, Clouser fly.
The big barra rose from a hole below the gutter at dead low tide, and inhaled the tiny offering.
It fought tenaciously on both side of the boat for what seemed far longer than was probably the case.
In the net, it weighed 17 kg, and may well be the biggest wild barra caught on fly in 2007.
Alex Julius
BIG BARRA CONTINUE TO BITE IN ARNHEMLAND
Recently the Friend family, a keen fishing father and sons team from Brisbane, visited the Arnhemland Barramundi Nature Lodge. John was accompanied by sons Simon, Sam & Tom.
The family were being guided in two boats on the first morning out - John and Simon were fishing together, with Sam and Tom in the other boat. Simon was keen to land a metre+ barra, Tom was yet to open his barra account, Sam had returned from working in London keen to get amongst some fish and John was just happy to be there. Both boats were fishing the same mangrove creek. Sam and Tom were getting plenty of action from a succession of smaller barra and some solid mangrove jacks.
Simon landed a barra in the 80s, then followed this up with an excellent barra of 108cm. After a few tense moments at the net, he had fulfilled his ambition of landing a metre plus fish.
Sam and Tom were at anchor on a small creek mouth just after the turn of the tide. The creek was emitting a light discharge of dirty water that eddied into the main creek. John and Simon had joined the second boat and were rafted up together A couple of barra around 60cm were landed including a solid jack had already been landed when Tom announced that he was “on”.
Excited exclamations and leaping barra confirmed this was another barra in the metre+ category. As the fish powered down around the front of the first boat, using the current to assist its dash, it was quickly decided that Tom would jump into the other boat to follow the barra with the run of the tide. After a battle that included several spectacular aerials the barra was duly netted, photographed and released by an excited crew. Tom, who had not caught a barra before that morning, had well and truly broken his duck, capping it off by joining the metre club with a 102cm fish.
The only dispute was between the guides as to which boat could claim the catch! The 102cm barra took a Classic 120.
Earlier in the week another Lodge guest, Peter Nixon, trolled up a lovely 107cm barra, so the big ones are certainly on the bite at the Arnhemland Barramundi Nature Lodge.
Fly fishos would be impressed with the capture of a 109cm barra on fly at the Lodge.
The catch was made at an overnight run-off streaming a good colour change and boiling with nervous mullet.
I stumbled onto it up a nondescript creek along the coast recently.
The angler was Barry Cougle, a good old mate from Coffs Harbour in NSW.
Barry was using only a number 7 weight fly rod and a small, yellow, Clouser fly.
The big barra rose from a hole below the gutter at dead low tide, and inhaled the tiny offering.
It fought tenaciously on both side of the boat for what seemed far longer than was probably the case.
In the net, it weighed 17 kg, and may well be the biggest wild barra caught on fly in 2007.
Alex Julius
BIG BARRA CONTINUE TO BITE IN ARNHEMLAND
Recently the Friend family, a keen fishing father and sons team from Brisbane, visited the Arnhemland Barramundi Nature Lodge. John was accompanied by sons Simon, Sam & Tom.
The family were being guided in two boats on the first morning out - John and Simon were fishing together, with Sam and Tom in the other boat. Simon was keen to land a metre+ barra, Tom was yet to open his barra account, Sam had returned from working in London keen to get amongst some fish and John was just happy to be there. Both boats were fishing the same mangrove creek. Sam and Tom were getting plenty of action from a succession of smaller barra and some solid mangrove jacks.
Simon landed a barra in the 80s, then followed this up with an excellent barra of 108cm. After a few tense moments at the net, he had fulfilled his ambition of landing a metre plus fish.
Sam and Tom were at anchor on a small creek mouth just after the turn of the tide. The creek was emitting a light discharge of dirty water that eddied into the main creek. John and Simon had joined the second boat and were rafted up together A couple of barra around 60cm were landed including a solid jack had already been landed when Tom announced that he was “on”.
Excited exclamations and leaping barra confirmed this was another barra in the metre+ category. As the fish powered down around the front of the first boat, using the current to assist its dash, it was quickly decided that Tom would jump into the other boat to follow the barra with the run of the tide. After a battle that included several spectacular aerials the barra was duly netted, photographed and released by an excited crew. Tom, who had not caught a barra before that morning, had well and truly broken his duck, capping it off by joining the metre club with a 102cm fish.
The only dispute was between the guides as to which boat could claim the catch! The 102cm barra took a Classic 120.
Earlier in the week another Lodge guest, Peter Nixon, trolled up a lovely 107cm barra, so the big ones are certainly on the bite at the Arnhemland Barramundi Nature Lodge.
