Fishing the Top End with Michael Winterton
Update 07/10/03

Tiwi Islands

During our last Flyfishing charter to the Tiwi Islands our group of 8 Tasmanian Fly fishos battled the unseasonable northerly winds to use there long rods to great effect.
By the end of the week the crew had landed about 500 fish on the fly.

Stu with a Barramundi on fly tackle.

Some of the better ones included a 75cm Barramundi, 80cm King Threadfin Salmon, 1 metre Queenfish and lots of Mangrove Jack and Fingermark.
Much like finding Trout in Tasmanian lakes, we found that by concentrating our efforts to the sheltered areas, good results were forthcoming.
Best fly of the week was of no surprise: White Clouser Minnows.

Around Darwin

.The wind has still been playing havoc in the Darwin / Boyne Harbour regions.
Some of the better fishing has occurred on the bigger tides, up the creeks out of the wind.

Spanish mackerel on fly.

The Barra and Threadfin have been found around the gutters over low tide following the schools of prawns and small baitfish. Soft plastics have been good.
The offshore reefs and rubble patches are seeing some good Fingermark and Black Jewfish about. The high tide change still seems to be the most productive time. We have also found that nothing but the freshest baits have been working. (No surprise).

Plastics

We have been using soft plastics lately with great results.
During the last spring tides when the water had drained out of the feeder creeks, the natural colored Storm Plastics proved the undoing of some nice Barra.
Most anglers up north these days should have a good collection of different weighted heads and coloured bodied plastics.
The range of lifelike baitfish lures from Storm is awesome, and as mentioned we have found the clear lifelike colour the most effective.

Good fishing in the Build –Up
Mick Winterton