queensland Sweet water life

[Farawayfishing]

I'm hugely lucky. I live in one of the most isolated parts of the country with the Great Barrier reef at my doorstep. It's often a world of incredibly diversity displayed in technicolor and a lifestyle that more often that not gives you the time to let your senses run a muck with the pleasure of it all.

With the lack of people and huge diversity of piscatorial life, the Barrier Reef has always been known as a fishing hotspot. Though, as much as I love spearfishing and reef fishing, activities I have indulged in nearly my whole life, there is just something special about the sweet water.

About 24 months ago after a trip to Tasmania I was hooked on fly fishing...I know, I know...

All I can say is that I have spearfished, lure fished and bait fished with spearguns, hand spears, woomeras, hand lines, tata's, whaaps, rods reels and everything in between since I was literally in nappies and I have NEVER been as hooked on anything as I am on fly fishing.

Its not easy and anyone who tells you it is, is either ; - A freak or; lying.

Even sillier still is the type of fly fishing I enjoy the most. Ive landed a few Tuna and Mackerel, caught Barra on surface bugs and Trout in Tasmania. Whilst all that is great, for me, I love the sweet water.

A world clogged with vines and forrest canopy, animals and unadulterated serenity, it often is truly as it has always been. However, this poses another element to fly fishing. As though it wasn't already complicated enough, fly fishing in a heavily fletched rain forrest is no easy feat. The canopy lazes endlessly to the ground and and vines seem to have a knack of finding your hook point at the best of times. You would never believe the strength in a leaf 1/20 000 of an inch thick until you have spent some time trying to get a size 2 wooly bugger out of it.

Unlike like fly fishing in lakes or open water, in my part of world, you can't simply stand down stream and roll cast flies up current. That is unless you like being up close and personal with oversized handbags. It never ceases to amaze me how far up stream and out to sea those Wiley reptiles will go as they begin to breed at the first lightning storms.

The challenge is what I think keeps me coming back. The Gin clear water, large flies, long rods, the heavy cover and tight spaces combined with hard fighting fish like Jungle Perch, Coal Grunter, Sooty Grunter and Mangrove Jacks make it an exciting, insatiable and frustrating delicacy every time you venture into the unknown or uncharted forrest. Though, at least you see some beautiful places.

Farawayfishing

[Angus]

Love that second last shot...

Angus

[samsteele115]

Far out Cal, fantastic report and photos. Love it! Keep em coming.

[ryanyoung]

I have just ordered a 8' 4wt outfit to hit up the twiggy water down my way, and must say I am pumped to get into this alien type of fishing lol. This report has gotten me even more keen to get stuck into it. Good pics mate, keep em coming.

[Glenn S]

Excellent write up mate! Great photos too! I'd love to tick a jungle perch off my bucket list one day!

Cheers, Glenn.