A week ago the third round of the 2016 Top End Barra Series was taking place at Bynoe Harbour, here comes the tale of it.
- It was very hard fishing.
- I fished from two different boats over the weekend.
- I didn't come back home empty handed.
For the first day, I was fishing with Jason, who had never fished on Bynoe Harbour before.
Luckily for us, Brett gave us all the good information on how to catch a fish over there.
And did we put this knowledge to good use?
No we didn't...
We arrived early and full of confidence, to see a beautiful sunrise over the harbour:
Sunrise at the boat ramp.
From Six Pack Creek, we launched.
Zooming to our first point of attack. The place was already occupied, by some really keen anglers, who had beaten us to the spot.
We stood to the side and tried to get a fish, with no success.
We moved from one spot to the other, but could not get a fish.
We finally went all around Turtle island, but for no results, once again.
Jason fishing at Turtle Island.
From there we went to try our luck in one of the numerous creeks of the harbour.
Where we didn't get anymore chance than before.
It was great to catchup with Jason, to enjoy a calm day of fishing, even if the day was hot and humid.
The water was real flat, like a mirror.
Living the life!
the only fish I got on the day, were three little cods.
All released to grow bigger.
With not much to call home about, we decided that it had been a hot and long day, and to cut it short.
So at around 3:00pm, we were off the water, starting to roll back toward civilisation.
And just then, the rain started falling...
At this time of the year, we should have had a nice and cool weather, it should have been the dry season...
At home in the evening I called Brett, and told him how the day went.
He said, that tomorrow was going to be a day with some fish.
So Sunday, one quarter of an hour early, I was in front of his home, texting him to ask if he was still sleeping. Yes I was keen to go back on the water for a revenge against Mr and Ms Barramundi.
Light at the ramp was even better than on the previous day.
View from the boat ramp.
Once the light started to shine, we could see that the water was still like glass.
Not a ripple in view.
Cruising in the clouds.
Being a bit early for the Barra, we decided to go and try to hook a few Queenfish behind a small island.
There we didn't really see as many Queenfish as expected. But the light show was worth the journey.
Rising sun over Bynoe Harbour.
Brett and I had nearly as much trouble to find the fish than Jason and I had on the first day.
Yet we finally found some, hiding in very skinny waters, straight against the bank, between tree roots.
The first fish to swallow a lure, had grabbed Brett's offering. And what a show it gave us!
It was all over in about one or two second, but it will stay etched in my memory for a very long time.
The small lure swimming towards the boat.
The Barramundi following it, and engulfing it very close to the boat.
Turning straight away and breaking the line nearly at the same time.
The line clacked in a very sharp way, and I thought that the rod had broken.
Thankfully it was only the line.
Never had I seen that before, it was pure raw force. It didn't even look like the fish had made any effort, yet the line had broken like if it was made of the most fragile material.
On this, Brett decided to put a stronger leader on his line.
And it did pay off, for the first Barramundi of the weekend was caught.
First Barramundi of the weekend.
With Brett on the board, it should have been my turn to catch a fish.
But he had other ideas, and while I was constantly putting my lure in the trees branch, or snagging the tree roots. Because, yes, by this stage, I was getting too excited every times that we saw a fish. Sight casting to Barramundi, can be really entertaining. So while I was busy catching trees, Brett caught his second Barramundi:
Brett's second fish.
And the fish disappeared, and the action went down.
It started to look like I had totally missed my chance.
Slowly we were on the way of the ramp.
Casting lures towards any bank where we could see the bait being harassed, by what we estimated to be Salmon.
At one stage right on the bank we saw once again the bait being very nervous and the splashing of a Threadfin Salmon.
We sent our lures flying in the direction of the action, for no avail.
Halfhearted I flicked my lure, and thought that it had fallen in the water way to short of where the commotion was taking place. Just reeling in the lure in a slow roll, I suddenly felt my line tense, and saw the rod bending. I was on, I had the Thready! Fighting the fish and reeling in, it was only once it was near the boat that we saw it and realised that it was a Barramundi.
I was so surprised that I nearly lost my ability to reel.
But after a little while, the fish was in the net, and all the effort of the weekend forgotten.
My Barramundi of the weekend.
Just like that, along a muddy bank, without any structure or snag, I had caught a nice little Barramundi. That little fish made me very happy, and by now I can also tell you that it tasted very good.
Alas, as it is often the case when fishing the time flew quick, and it was time to go home.
Boat going for the ramp.
It was a great weekend of fishing, thank you to Jason and Brett for having invited me on their boats.
Leaving the fishing grounds.
Yes, I do hope to fish Bynoe Harbour again in the future.
This is the kind of place that can turn magic, when the condition for great fishing all aligns.
So as it has been said in the past: I'll be back.
Now it is true that I was thinking at the beginning of the weekend that I would have caught a lot more of Barramundi... Yet fishing is sometimes like that...
But hey, it could be worse.
Have a good day,
Me.
