By Bob Ives
When it comes to fishing, if you can’t find it in Australia, you
probably can live without it. Australia is so chock full of rivers,
streams and lakes that make for great trout fishing, bass fishing, bream
fishing and more. These waters are typically fished with traditional
rods and reels, or one of the big favorites, fly fishing gear. But,
freshwater fishing is only one aspect of angling on this beautiful
continent. Saltwater fly fishing in Australia is very much the rage and
for good reason. For starters, some of those great freshwater
fisheries are closed in the winter, so saltwater fly fishing keeps you
and your rod and reel active during this time. All you have to do is
head north. In fact, the first time you ever get your fly hooked in the
jaws of a Tarpon or a Mackerel, you may start to think ‘trout – shmout’,
and have a hard time going back to freshwater fly fishing. Whether
it’s fly fishing for Tuna on the Kimberly Coast in Western Australian,
fishing the Gulf of Carpentaria at Queensland for Barramundi, or even
fly fishing for Bonefish on Christmas Island, there’s enough to keep you
busy for a lifetime. And if you think you’ve fished it all, there are a
few saltwater fly fishing guides in Australia that can teach you some
new tricks in some new locations (even if you are an old dog). Now, to
be sure, if you’re not use to fly fishing, you first need to get a good
grip on that before you your gear out to the briny. Fly fishing is
challenging for beginners, and you would be very discourage if you got
on a fishing boat out at sea and discovered you could cast well enough
to get your fly into the right spots. Plus, the wind can play a bit of
havoc on the water, so you need to have good control over your casting.
But don’t let this scare you, let it motivate you. Saltwater fly fishing
is so darn fun and rewarding that it’s very much investing the time into
learning it. The better you are at it, the more fish you will catch (and
bigger ones, too) and the more fish you catch, the more fun you will
have. Right? So if you are a decent fly fisherman and planning a visit
to Australia, hook up with a guide who can make the most of your time by
showing you the fly fishing hot spots. If you live in Australia and find
yourself not able to fish in the winter due to closed fisheries, have no
fear. Head up north or out west with your fly fishing tackle and get on
with it. Who knows? You might actually catch a trophy fish; the biggest
fish of your life! |
