Fishing Report: darwin Harbour by Richard Carter

As we were travelling in boat between locations offshore of Darwin Harbour NT Australia - off to our left I spy a flash of something floating in the water in the choppy waves
We circle back to have a look
It looks like a dead fish floating on the surface in amongst the algae surface scum

Peter casts his big 'dark side' knife jig near it - it does nothing.
Despite my bagging him about it never reacting to the lure - he casts again
Is it actually dead?
But no - proving me wrong again - the fish chases the big lure across the surface to right near the boat
Before it dives out of sight and we think its over
But a few moments later we spy it again playing doggo on the surface a little further away

This wakes me up from my stupor of trolling lures - instantly
I grab a rigged fly ro View more...As we were travelling in boat between locations offshore of Darwin Harbour NT Australia - off to our left I spy a flash of something floating in the water in the choppy waves
We circle back to have a look
It looks like a dead fish floating on the surface in amongst the algae surface scum

Peter casts his big 'dark side' knife jig near it - it does nothing.
Despite my bagging him about it never reacting to the lure - he casts again
Is it actually dead?
But no - proving me wrong again - the fish chases the big lure across the surface to right near the boat
Before it dives out of sight and we think its over
But a few moments later we spy it again playing doggo on the surface a little further away

This wakes me up from my stupor of trolling lures - instantly
I grab a rigged fly rod - an intermediate line on an 8w with a silicone surf candy on it and start casting furiously
This with quite poorly casting skills sets on display - much to Peter's enjoyment! the sledging was on big time!

I eventually get the fish to follow the candy cast past it and allowed to sink a touch - but after a few meters following the fly it again dives deep out of sight. But then reappears 50m away laying on its side just under the water surface, like it is sunny itself (been told they act dead to attract small baitfish who shelter under its shade - then catches and eats them??)
I change over to a small shrimp pattern size #1 and start casting again
Peter suggests some casting practice to a plate in the backyard - thanks Pete!

About the 10th cast later (trust me as I am sure Peter was counting every bad cast aloud!) the fly placement is finally perfect and it reacts and swoops on the fly
The fish was U-G-L-Y! to also say the least (like chew your arm off ugly, so you don't wake it kind of ugly!)
It turned out to be a 48cm Tripletail (Lobotes surinamensis)
The fight was a little weak to say the least in my opinion (in some web sites it speaks of good fight and lots of leaps that tripletails are capable of)

So another species to add to the captured species list

darwin Harbour

Comments:

Scott Hamilton

Guide, Fly Tying instructor, Casting instructor - United States

darwin Harbour

Comments:

Scott Hamilton

Guide, Fly Tying instructor, Casting instructor - United States

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