Cape York

[MartinF]

Hi

I'd like to ask those of you who have fished Cape York before about the flies you used for each target species. Eg. Pink things in the snags for estuary critters, polar fibre minnows for pelagics, bongos on the beaches etc. Could you also tell me the time of year you were there.

I'd also like to know what time of the year the jelly prawns are about. And if you know the name of the bait fish that hang around the Seisia wharf, that would be handy?

Thanks very much
Martin

[Wesley_Pang]

Martin,

I used 2 types of flies for 90% of my Cape York fishing, clouser and gurgler.

Kinkyfibre clouser and gurgler on 1/0 or 2/0 hook. I recomment the Gamakatsu SL12S.

Gurgler are great for queenies and giant herring.

Clouser caught everything from Snub-nose dart, barra, queenies, jacks, trevally, giant herring, coral dwelling ooglies and cobia.

Cobia on 2/0 Grey/white kinkyfibre clouser


You could throw in surf candies for tuna, bendback, pink things, deceivers(to keep Max happy) for Barra. Flashy profile for G.T.

The fish up there will eat just about anything you throw at them. Just get a fly in front of their nose.

Wes

[dazza]

G'Day Martin,
I am only new to the fly game but the following works for me.
I mainly use yellow clousers - everything seems to eat them, but I have found anything that is presented in the strike zone will get eaten. The gold bomber pattern is also worth a go. I am buggered if I can get those bloody jacks out from under the snags, I keep getting bricked.
For the pelagics I use the same thing but a bit bigger fly- works for me. (the purists of this art are probably shaking their heads)
Off of memory the jelly prawn were really thick around march and april. The small trevalley are amazing to watch when they get into these. They get shoulder to shoulder and swim through the schools. I will keep an eye out and ask around to get a bit more accurate info on the prawns for you.
At the moment the tuna are really schooled up. Hopefully my new 10# will be here soon
Bring it On
Cheers
Dazza

[MartinF]

Thanks guys - got a number of flies popping off the vice already. will be up there in middle of Oct for 7 days.

[Maxg]

From what I've seen of tropical jacks the trick is to fish the creek holes at low tide. And use something hunky, like a 12 weight and preferably pretty stiff glass.
Fishing barra is a snack, with white flies, or black ones, try poppers and flop one in there with a big splash, pull it straight out, flop it back, out again and then back in and leave it there. Give it a bit of a gurgle and woopee. Or use a intermediate or sinking line, white Deceiver very full, cast it in the muck, point the rod tip at it, pull the line straight and flip the rod tip hard.Keep doing that three times and then put it back into the much. if no fish after three casts find another snag. Works pretty well.
Vary the size of your Deceivers, all white from 4 inches to 1.5 inches. Fishes seem to like very little white flys. Max

[Brett_Finger]

Max,
agreed.when fishing for jacks and Barra ect... i have found my faveriote is without a doubt a White lefty's Deciver,this fly seems to intice most fish into a response.
altough i and all my friends (and everyone else) use various fly's for various jobs,white seems to be the go!
Hookin,Brett

[PAYNE]

Fished Cape York a number of times and can vouch that the humble clouser will account for about 99.9% of fish!
I generally use #2/0's for most of the fishing and they will account for queenfish, tuna, trevally, barra, mangrove jack, sharks, cobia, snub nose dart, cod, saratoga, sooties and tarpon etc!
Tie on a variety of sizes though just so you have a choice in the fly box.
Sometimes even with the bigger fish the smaller flies work exceptionally well.
Colourwise, I'm not particularly worried about what I throw out, yellow and white, chartruese and white, grey and white or white (I'm not overly keen on red & white after this colour was rejected by a huge school of cobia and tuna while in Broome).
As for the jelly prawns, they are usually thick straight after the wet (April/May) though this year, they were scarce (would you believe they actually taste quite good raw?).
Along the beaches as well as clousers, I'll use a white deceiver tied on about a #3 hook. When the fish aren't responding to larger flies, I downsize and this works a treat, particularly on smaller queenfish, giant herring and dart. Prawn patterns also work well.
In the estuaries, I have used a great "Gold Bomber" fly tied by Jeff Skinner from Victoria. This fly was a killer on the mangrove jack and barra population (the Alpine Angler sell this one). Of course tried and true Pink Things and Deceivers will produce the goods.
If you have tied a selection of Polar Fibre flies, use them for sure! Believe me, fish aren't overly fussy in Cape York (if they reject your fly, it must be awfully bad!!). Flies made from polar fibre will outlast bucktail flies quite substantially.
As for baitfish around the Seisa jetty, didn't have a chance to stopover on the way to the tip but my guess would be they could be small froggies or rainfish (they are around the Weipa jetty/ramp area at Evans Landing)
All in all, you will have a fantastic time up north - the fishing has been picking up and should be close on fantastic in October. I fished there in November 2000 and found the beach fishing slow but the estuary fishing was quite good.

[Maxg]

A clouser works best on light spin gear. Casts better too, doesn't break rods. Catches Tommy Rough like crazy. Max

[Wesley_Pang]

Max,

I'll rise to this jib against Bob's masterpiece.

If you can cast a 1/8oz clouser 60 foot - on the nose of the fish with spin gear all the best to you. The rod need to toss such a small jig would not be able to subdue the crazy fish that climb all over this lure.

I'd admit the clouser is one of the greatest destroyer of expensive graphite.

Wes

P.S. The gold bomber clouser is great on Jacks.

[PAYNE]

A clouser works best on light spin gear. Casts better too, doesn't break rods. Catches Tommy Rough like crazy. Max

I don't think I'd like to use a light spinning outfit on the majority of fish at Cape York.
It sounds as though someone may need a flycasting lesson.

[PAYNE]

Whoops, the fly casting lesson comment was supposed to tee up with Wesley's post!!! I haven't done it yet but have seen plenty of rods that had been "clousered".

[Maxg]

I don't take offence at things like that, I don't cast fly lines, I huck shooting heads, and have done so for 30 years. There is a difference.
I think a 12# fly outfit, the stuff I use, equates to around 15/20lb spin gear, and the lighter stuff to 8/9/10#'s and the fish you talk about are caught mostly on 9# fly outfits. Spin gear is more efficient than fly rods anyway. Cast further, better reels, better drags, geared, rods are shorter, different tapers, better runners, better at catching fish.
It's all in the mind you know fly outfits are just fishing outfits, nothing more or less than that. Not better or worse that anything else, including handlines. VBG Max

[Steve_Ooi]

Wes if you want to make that clouser better , make it a flash tail clouser.
Much like the flash tail whistlers on Blantons board.
After seeing these at work, i'll definately be making up some, they seem to attract fish, like poop attracts flies .
They will be a killer on trevs and queenies and most other finned creatures...

Steve Ooi

[sydfly]

Hi Steve,been using the new Feltys flashtail clousers here in Sydney to great effect.They have produced the goods for clients where others failed,more power to em!!!!!Cheers, Justin Duggan.

[Maxg]

George Glazener will be pleased, I think he originated the flash tail things a few years ago. Cheers Max
I used flashtail Brooks Blondes one time. Not much chop really. Max