Page 84 - Port Douglas Magazine 44

Hooked on

Adventure

WORDS by Nick Frewtell
We catch up with our resident fishing experts,
Nige and Nicko, to see what the team at Tackling
Australia have been up to and get some expert
tips to the best fishing in our region

Autumn has come around so quickly for the Tackling Australia On those days when the trade winds drop off, the entire region is
crew. We have been extremely busy with filming, and behind the hit with what locals call “flat seas disease”—meaning everyone is
scenes is where the real grind has been. Late nights in the edit down at the boat ramps at first light, heading out to the fish-rich
suite, Zoom meetings at all hours, and juggling everyday life have waters of the Great Barrier Reef. They’re chasing a feed of coral
made even a minute of downtime nearly impossible. In April, we trout, nannygai, red emperor, and mackerel. With the reef so close
began showcasing our second season—not only to Australia but to the coast off Port Douglas, even small trailer boats can safely
to the rest of the world through social media platforms such as reach these productive fishing grounds—provided the weather
Facebook and YouTube. forecast is checked carefully beforehand.
We have been on the road a lot since the beginning of the year, If the ocean isn’t your style, the local freshwater creeks are home
covering more than 20,000 km since filming began in February. to one of the most spectacular little freshwater species: the jungle
We have travelled throughout Western NSW, the NSW South perch. Catching these fish in crystal-clear rainforest streams is one
Coast, and the New England regions in search of a variety of iconic of the most peaceful and relaxing fishing options the region has
species—from marlin to Australia’s largest freshwater species, the to offer. And the best part? If you’re working up a sweat, there are
mighty Murray Cod. Of course, we have also spent plenty of time plenty of pools where you can cool off with a swim.
out on the most magical place on earth, The Great Barrier Reef. September marks the arrival of the big game boats as they make
The journey has not been smooth sailing, with many hiccups along their way to the northern waters in search of fishing’s holy grail: the
the way and possibly one of the wettest starts to a year in recent giant black marlin. The offshore waters between Cairns and Lizard
history. All these challenges have contributed to telling the story of Island—from September to December—are the spawning grounds
the real Australia and have made the adventure truly unforgettable. for these monster fish. More 1000-plus-pound black marlin are
In the coming months, the Port Douglas region will feature caught here during these few months than anywhere else in the
prominently, as the fishing and scenery here are world class. In world.
my humble opinion, there is no place in the world that can match Meanwhile, Nige and I will be loading up the four-wheel drives,
what tropical North Queensland offers and now that the rain has boats, and swags and head further north into the vast reaches
finally subsided, it’s time to start thinking about our favourite winter of Cape York Peninsula and the Queensland section of the Gulf
species to target. of Carpentaria in search of giant barramundi and the prehistoric
The Port Douglas region offers an array of fishing opportunities for Saratoga.
everyone from beginners to seasoned experts. The cooler weather The next few months are going to be massive for the crew, so as
brings great land-based fishing for bread-and-butter species such you enjoy your fishing adventures, why not follow along with our
as grunter (javelin fish) and whiting, which can be caught from the journey on our social pages @TacklingAustralia. Come with us!
beaches and rocks in and around Port Douglas. Fishing the shallow Now, if that’s not enough to convince you that this is Australia’s best
flats from a boat during high tides can also provide spectacular fishery—if not the world’s—then I guess I need someone to tell me
barramundi and mangrove jack action throughout this period. where else comes close!
If you’re lucky enough to get out on a calm, sunny day, there’s also
the opportunity to sight-cast to a variety of sportfish on the shallow tacklingaustralia.com
flats. In my opinion, this is one of the most exciting ways to catch
fish. The Port Douglas region boasts some of the clearest shallow-
water flats in the country, making it an ideal spot to target species
like permit, golden trevally, and barramundi on fly or lure.

86 Port Douglas Magazine & Travel Planner