My mum and dad were just up on the 20th of July and we cought lots of big queenfish down the coast.The weather was very nice with a lot of tunas out a bit wider.We had a bit of a problem with some sharks but as you can see dad enjoed fixing the problem.

Even though it is the middle of winter we can still manage to find a few nice fish.This 91cm barra came of a drain in the mud flats on the start of the run in tide.Guido,s wife Caroline also cought a 70cm and 52cm barra at the same place.

Luke Gower, bass player for the Sydney band Cog www.cog.com.au with his first barra, not huge but made a happy man none the less. Luke fished with us this year as Jimmy Barnes cancelled, due to an appointment to sing the National anthem for the soccaroo's at the World cup in Germany.Luke had a great trip fishing with Richie Netes from Perth.

Ther have been quite a few of these around on the mud banks during the cooler weather, we even seen quite a large one floating around off Boyd point yesterday.

Vic Hislop eat your heart out!

Notso with an example of what has been eating all our tuna every time we hook one.

Only another thousand to go! This is an average size bull shark that makes landin an more importantly releasing a trophy fish in Weipa.

We have been plagued with these pests for the last few years every time the tuna schools arrive.

Holding Fish

Posing with a fish is what everyone's holiday to Weipa is all about. It is too hard to bring them all back, so we like to take pictures of them all and brag to our mates about them, with some hard pictorial evidence to back the stories up. Just recently we used our fish holding "crash test dummy", Paul from Brisbane to demonstrate the incorrect and correct ways to pose with a slippery tarpon. The first couple of pictures Paul demonstrated the wrong, however amusing way to get a grip on slippery fish. Paul then demonstrated how to hold a fish still to grab a quick happy snap. We at Fish's Fly and Sportfishing wish to thank Paul for his fish grasping capabilities.

Great Beach Fishing

Rod Kimberley and Jeff Birtles recently enjoyed a weeks fly fishing here in Weipa. The tides and conditions were ideal for the beaches.

Among golden trevally, queenies, giant herring, bream, blue and threadfin salmon, Rod caught this magnificent 103cm Queenfish off the beach.




A relative newcomer to the sport, Jeff caught several small queenies and lost a couple of nice Giant Herring before staying connected to this great fish. Well done!! To prove it wasn't a fluke, he then went ahead to land another 3 GH's! The tunas were also in full swing this week (along with some sharks) and the guys also were treated to a hot spanish mackerel bite one afternoon, the biggest being about 25lb.

When the wind blows....

We are having some terrible weather at the moment, 30knot winds and a big swell making conditions along the coast less than ideal. However we are lucky to have some great estuary systems to spend the day in, targeting a wide variety of tropical species. Lurlene and Arthur Higson from the Sunshine Coast are spending a few days catching some quality fish this week. Pictured are the happy couple with a beaut mangrove jack that Arthur caught. Not to be out done, Lurlene pulled this barra from a low tide drain on a live bait. Other species caught today were fingermark, blue salmon, queenfish and the ever present sharks and catfish.

Quality Fish on Fly

It was one of those days where the fishing wasn't red hot but some quality fish were taken on fly. Here Stu Cottrell and Tony Stent, fly fishermen from Tassie, persisted over some shallow reef to tempt an assortment of tropical species. Tony released this barracuda, fortunately hooked in the corner of the mouth, away from those savage teeth while his fishing partener Stu, landed (for the table) this fine fingermark of 64cm. It should be mentioned that Stu also landed a smaller fish (55cm) and lost a monster fingermark estimated at over 70cm. Well dome guys! For the day 13 species were taken on fly while shots were had at another 5 or 6 species.

Big Fish - Great Fun, But Expensive!!

As Fish has already shown, we have had an amazing couple of days fishing among literally hundreds of Manta Rays offshore. Pictured here is John Wright, avid fly fisherman with the most expensive (and biggest) cobia he has caught to date. After 15 minutes of serious tug of war, sharks were beginning to show interest in the tiring fish, so John redlined his gear to the max - unfortunately for a moment too long. The 4 piece became a 7 piece, but luckily the fish was still able to be landed just as another JAWS episode was about to unfold. The broken rod topped off a more expensive day than usual with John losing a fly line to an unseen speedster (we think the backing loop was chewed through) and another sinking line was being untangled when a tuna ate the fly and pulled the mess into a super tight "WIND" knot!! It always pays to have spares in Weipa.

Specials

Hi guy's as we have still a few spaces left in July /August we have decided to offer a few specials for you to consider.
So if any one was thinking of slipping up for a few day's here is the chance.
Check this out!
Based on twin share includes GST and valid for July/ August 2006
4 Nights accommodation at the new fishing lodge including meals prepared by private chef.
transfers to and from airport
and 3 day's fully guided fishing
$1500 per person
There was some great fishing last July and August and the fishing hasn't really beenup to expectations through Mayand june so it just might happen a little later this year?

Nick Durant with a fine queenfish caught during August 2005

Peter Curro captured and rteleased this fine cobia from the behind a manta ray.

On this particular day we saw literally hundreds of Manta's some with cobia on them some others just feeding on plankton many miles from shore.

The tuna were al;so thick on this day and as you can see the weather was spectacular.

Certainly a day to go into the memory banks as one of the best.

Dai Yamanoi visiting famous japanese flyfisherman with a fine Goldie sight cast to on the Roberts creek flats











Dai's freind, Mr Imai with a tea leaf trevally. Both of these fine japanese anglers have vowed to return to Weipa next year!

Col Merriman's Weipa Trip

Col Merriman, from Southern NSW recently spent a week up here predominantly fly fishing. Although the fishing was a little tough at times, Col still managed some nice fish on fly. Having never caught a barramundi before, he was keen to fly fish for them on the low tide drains. Finding the barras wasn't as hard as it was to get them to bite. They were feeding on a particular small type of baitfish on a low tide drain and after several changes in fly, the "hatch was matched" and Col caught his first barra ever, about 30cm. To prove it wasn't a fluke, he then proceeded to catch another couple, the biggest, 62cm (pictured).

Windy's week

Windy Wilson from Mornington peninsular with his first blue bastard or painted sweetlip.

These fish can be caught sightfishing the shallows and are a great challenge as they do not alway's respond to the fly, hence the name blue bastard.

These fish are becoming a challenging capture around the country, as they frequent very shallow water and tail in the sand as they fossic the flats for crustaceans and the like.

What more could a fly fisherman ask for? Almost like a poor man's permit!

Windy has been trying to catch one of these for the past 3 years and caught 3 on this trip.

2 while wading and the first was cast to from the boat.

Congratulations Windy, a great fly caster! A very enjoyable day for me also, you as alway's were a pleasure to fish with.

Bill Jeans also made a few great casts that day to catch his first sight cast blue bastard.

With blue skies and clear water and plenty of fish generally makes for a memorable fly fishing day. On ya Bill!

Sunny Days

At last, some nice sunny dry season weather has given our latest group of fly fishers some spectacular sight fishing along the coast. Pictured here is John who has only salt water fly fished for a couple of days with a giant herring he spotted and made a perfect cast to.

Wet Season Scenery

The late wet season is producing some spectacular scenery here at the moment. Here a waterfall has formed at red cliffs with Fish guiding some clients in the foreground.

Bruce Scott trip

Bruce Scottbraved the incessant rain to catch this little barra on fly from a drain up the Hay river.

Scotty, with his first ever longtail tuna on fly. Last year was Scott's first year of saltwater flyfishing and he tried very hard to get one but either pulled the hook or lost them to sharks.
This year he caught and released this fine specimen to his great delight.

Illegal fishing

Yet another illegal indonesian fishing boat. This one being destroyed by customs. It burnt for over 4 hours before finally the remains below the waterline being extinguished by the sea.

The authorities are having a much larger presence here in Weipa of late with more and more of these illegal vessels being apprehended every week.

Maybe the plane ride home is not enough of a deterrant to keep them from returning.

Imagine if they captured one of our boats fishing illegally in their waters, do you think they would give us a free ticket home??

Maybe we are just a little too politically correct?

The wet continues

The last few days have been a little tougher with some more unseasonal rain and a low creating some large swell making the beaches inaccessable for a couple of days. There has still beeen some great fishing to be had though, with some great bait ball action to the south.
Pictured here is Clavin from Hong Kong with his first ever "Blue Bastard" taken on a Gotcha pattern. These fish are commonly taken while reef fishing on cut baits, however to fly fish for them on the flats is quite a challenge.

Some more of the Cooper's great fish

Steve with his first ever Permit on a crab fly he tied himself - first cast! This was on day 3 of a great 14 day introduction to fly fishing.














While we were having a cuppa, Tom spied a Giant Herring over the sand and aimed a perfect cast to trick this speedy fish.












It was David's mission to catch his first cobia on fly while in Weipa this trip and he was rewarded with this fine 15lb fish.