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Captured - North Australia Page 1

One of the hardest parts with anything new is coming up with a name that is going to work. When I first had the idea of an online magazine to cover all aspects of north-ern Australia, the title had me stumped. How do you describe something that ‘captures’ fishing, four-wheel driving, camping, hunting, scenery, nature, boating, and more? After toying with a num-ber of titles, it hit me one

night. CAPTURED. That name covers it all. You capture your fish, you capture your hunting quarry and you capture the sheer beauty of this country. And, most impor-tantly, this is all CAP-TURED on film and in the articles.The next thing was trying to put it all together in a format that was easy to read and would hopefully appeal to all walks of life. While the first edition may have a lot more con-

tent on fishing, boating and four-wheel driving, the aim for future editions is to make sure we cover an even spread through-out the publication. Don’t forget to let us know your thoughts on the content in this edition and if you do have a story or a few pics to share then be sure to send them in so we can also “capture’ those for you.Happy reading.Anthony GomesE: [email protected]

This buffalo was ‘captured’ by bow by the editor on a recent solo hunt in a remote part of Arnhem Land, NT.

Editorial


Mudcrabs

By Anthony GomesManingrida

I am sure that at least 90% of the readers on http://cruisecastcatch.com/ would share my love of mudcrabs – heck, I have just finished another meal of chilli and garlic mudcrab that I caught this morning and figured I would put pen to paper while the flavour is still fresh in my mind.For as long as I remem-ber, I have enjoyed eating mudcrabs, but it is only recently that I have actu-ally taken a real interest in catching them in pots. Sure, years ago, when liv-ing in Cape York I used to scoop them up in my land-ing net in the clear shal-low waters while fishing, but I had never really seen the value in using a pot. I guess there were too many stories about people raiding the pots or stealing them altogether that had turned me away. And then there were the crocs to contend with too.That was until a few years ago when I met a profes-sional crabber in Karumba while on a trip with John and Jennifer Mondora. We met up with Mark and Julianne Grunske, from

Croc and Crab tours in Karumba and I got talking to them about just what was involved in chasing these tasty crustaceans. Not long after, I moved to Maningrida, in the North-ern Territory, and decided that I had better give this crabbing thing a go.My first phone call was to Mark Grunske to ask him for some advice on ex-actly what to do. Not only did Mark give me some great advice but he also put me in contact with a fellow by the name of Mike Conroy. Mike lives in south-east Queensland and was a commercial crabber who now makes crab pots for a living. His business is called Crab N Gear. Mike is an absolute wealth of knowledge and I have spent hours on the phone with him. Given his background as a commer-cial crabber, he is certain-ly qualified to make pots in my opinion.Once I had all the gear, I set out for my maiden crab pot adventure and returned with a total of 15 legal crabs out of 5 pots and all in 2 hours. To say I was hooked was an under-statement. Since that time, I have slowly refined what I do and have relied mostly

on talking and listening with others on what they have found to work for them. I recall reading an article by Dan Kagel-lis about a crabbing trip he did during a cyclone crossing the coast and this got me thinking that dur-ing the wet weather, the crabs move further out of the rivers in search of the more saline water. I then applied this to my area in the Northern Territory during the wet and guess what? It worked.I guess what I should be saying here is that the majority of my knowledge has been learned from others and all that I have had to do is to apply it to my area. So, lets go into a few of the basics and see if they can help you with your catch rate.

Pots:There are a huge vari-ety of pots available in today’s market and you must firstly choose a pot that aligns with the regu-lations in your area. What I mean here is that some pots have two openings, some have three and some have four. Check with the legislation in your area about how many openings you are allowed to have. While you are at it, also check to see how many pots you are allowed to carry and how many you are also allowed to have in total on your boat.Going back to pot de-sign, when I first started, I didn’t think there was that much to it. Now I know that there is. A well-designed pot will outfish (or outcrab) the others and that is where the info from Mike has come in very handy. He makes a col-lapsible (pop-up) pot that is an absolute piece of art. These pots collapse down for easy storage when not in use and are so easy to assemble that even my six year old daughter can assemble them. In actual fact, Mike originally came up with the idea for the collapsible pot primarily for the older generation.A well designed pot will also allow the crabs to easily enter the pots while also making it difficult for them to exit. I guess at the end of the day, you get what you pay for and a $20.00 cheapie may catch

a crab or two but I would confidently put these pop-up pots against them on any day.Lastly, make sure you have a float fixed to your pot. This will also need to comply with the legisla-tion in your area.Baits:I have heard more about the ‘right’ bait to use in pots over the years than any other aspect of crab-bing. Some of the ‘best’ baits include: tins of cat food, rotten fish frames, pork rind, kangaroo meat, chicken (whole or in pieces), cow/beef pieces and a myriad of others. When you stop and think about it, crabs are primar-ily a scavenger and the best bait is really what they would find in their natural habitat. I don’t know about you, but I certainly haven’t seen any cat food tins (or any of the above) in my local waters. In my mind, the best bait is fresh fish frames, and you don’t need to fill the pots with bait. An average sized reef fish will easily be enough for at least two pots.While on the subject of baits, think of this. If you are using a bait that is not natural to the area, then consider the possible negative side effects that this may have on the habi-tat. A tin of oily cat food leeching into your local estuary may seem enticing to you but think about the side effects that not only

A pop-up pot is deployed along a river bank in the Northern Territory on a rising tide.

The front 90litre compartment of my 4.1 Polycraft is ideal for storing crabs. I make up a slurry of saltwater and ice to put my crabs into so that they are a lot easier to

handle.

The art of crabbing....

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the contents but the tin may have on the area. In this day and age, sustain-ability should be high on your agenda.Tides:I guess this is just like fishing and all tides will produce fish, or crabs. To date, the best tidal stage I have found is the last hour or two of the run in tide. That’s right, I only leave my pots for a maximum of two hours and then pull them up. Our trip this morning had us pulling the pots in an hour after we had set them. Crabs do not need a long time to find the bait – especially if you have used the right bait and the right type of pot and also placed it in the right area.This leads me to another point and one that has been stressed to me by a few people in the ‘trade’.Do not leave your pots where they will go dry at low tide. Not only is this against the law, but this is where you will encounter the most chance of croc attacks. Sure, a croc may attack a float as it dances in the tidal surge, but you certainly raise the risk of a croc attacking your pot if it goes dry at low tide.Theft:Share farming, robbing, pot theft, call it what you will. There really is no excuse for this type of

behaviour and it unfor-tunately happens in all areas. Years ago, I heard of a farmer who used to watch his pots with a shotgun under his arm. Another story was told to me of a fellow that tied rusty fish hooks to his ropes. Now, we all know this is not the right thing to do but there really is no other way to stop a certain type of low life from do-ing what they do. In all se-riousness however, if you only leave your pots for a short period of time and stay close by, then you are minimising the risk of losing your catch and your pots. Make sure you mark your pots clearly and even put something on them that distinguishes them from others so that, in the unlikely case that they do get stolen, they are a little easier to distinguish and a little harder to conceal.In closing, I should add that the above is only a very small part of what I have learnt so far. If you are serious about increas-ing your catch rate, then consider what has been covered and talk to others who have also had some success with chasing mudcrabs. Once you get the hang of it, you will be surprised at the difference a little attention to detail can make.

Captured - North Australia Captured - North AustraliaPage 3 Page 4

Mudcrabs FishingThe art of crabbing.... Fishing for Future Benefit

By Dan BowaterMount Isa

On Sunday 20th Feb-ruary the Mount Isa Fish Stocking Group (MIFSG) organised a social sign-on competition based at Lake Moondarra. In the lead up to the event many anglers insisted that the local barra fishery had suffered dramatically as a consequence of cold snaps and flooding in recent years. After living in this outback town and fish-ing Moondarra for three months my experience generally supported these comments. In several extended trips I had only scored a relative few fish in the 60-75cm range and nothing larger. This is all the more reason to enter a competition support-ing stocking efforts that enhance the quality of fishing. A showing of 21 boats set out for the morning; the 2pm deadline favouring anglers that got out early. The only requirement for entry was proof of mem-bership and a camera. By 8am my v-nose punt was hammering toward a set of weed beds where I had tasted success in a previous session. The dam is a maze of weed that

requires careful naviga-tion. Moondarra’s weed beds are best described as ‘walls of green’. Some of these walls rise into the centre of the main basin claiming foolhardy scalps from the ski boat brigade. Like wiser boaties I had plotted a safe track on my gps unit, and some simple concentration would al-low a safe passage. That was until I felt a ghostly rush of cool air sending an unmistakable shiver through my lucky fish-ing shirt. From behind a fast approaching mass of black clouds enveloped the signature jagged hills of Moondarra’s sou’ west corner. All locals know this means trouble, though it is not immediately evi-dent- the tall flanking es-carpments tend to obstruct view of the skyline from many locations. In haste I threw out my sand anchor to get the nose of my barra punt facing the inevitable on-slaught of waves brewed up by the encroaching bad weather. Amid the chaos some promising com-motion behind my boat inspired an unlikely first cast of the day. My lure was aided by gale force winds as it soared about double the expected dis-tance. The disturbed water

then erupted as a barra appeared just under the surface. Even in such un-pleasant rough conditions the power and adrenalin rush of the strike rendered all else momentarily insignificant. One cast, one fish- so much for tough fishing? The netting attempt could have been described as comical with blinding rain obscuring vision and howling winds leading to foul swoops. When finally landed the barra displayed an amaz-ing gold colouration and measured 69cm. Interest-ingly it was missing its dorsal fin- this is a sur-prisingly common genetic deformity in domestically spawned fish. When I

worked in barra fingerling production we called these fish ‘silverbacks’ since their weird smooth back appears as a luminescent silver stripe.Any red blooded fisher-man would be mad to leave a spot producing this kind of action. So after a few more fruitless casts (a ‘few’ being a relative term in impoundment fishing terminology) my secret weapon came out. This was one of the new ‘snake head’ weedless soft plastic jig heads released recently by TT lures. When rigged correctly your lure flut-ters and dances with every subtle movement of the rod tip. The angler is able to keep their presenta-tion directly in the strike zone- this is a helpful as-set not only in weed beds but also heavily timbered environments. I’d loved to have had a few of these on hand when fishing the extensive rock bars and heavily timbered sections of Innisfail’s tidal riv-ers. In Lake Moondarra your lure brushes nicely through corridors of deep weeds; each clearing an opportunity for the soft beating tail to entice a bucket mouth response. By this time the sun had emerged causing school-ing fish to hold deeper and attack only within arm’s reach of structure. Slower

lifts and retrieves eventu-ally saw my rod abso-lutely slammed to water level and my locked up drag surrender five un-easy metres of line. Once coaxed from its weedy lair the fish continued hard fishing tactics boat side. Here I eased the drag by a quarter turn of the star- unjustified heavy handed fighting results only in nightmare flashbacks of torn hooks or popped leaders. Before long a well-conditioned 73cm fish was photographed on the brag mat. Competition rules stated only two barra could be recorded so I found myself in the predicament of searching for an ‘up-grade’. It became evident that fellow competitors were heading for Barefoot Gully located a few hun-dred metres from the dam wall. Moondarra is shaped like a horse shoe; it could almost be described as two different lakes con-nected by this narrow passage of towering cliffs. My temptation to fish there was irresistible- the obligatory fifteen minute boat trip allowing for some fresh air and reflec-tion on the great fishing I had just experienced. Ru-mours of smokings at the entrance to the gully also attracted my fishing mates Carl and Keith. They were

A nice rusty buck destined for chilli mudcrab.

All fish from the day were released unharmed just like any normal day on my boat!

The Author with a 73 cm barra caught using soft plastic techniques. www.tropicangler.com.au

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Fishingquick to start the friendly banter “how many me-teries Dan?” to which I replied “just a couple of 70’s eh”. The blokes looked at each other for a second and fired back an interesting reply “you’ll shit it in mate”. Having a background in other impoundment competi-tions it is expected that fellow anglers will impart mind games not dissimilar to the art form of cricket pitch sledging. Assum-ing the lads were pulling my leg (and probably had a couple of forty pound-ers in the bag) I refocused on working the below depth contours renowned for attracting feeding barra. Here they knock off unsuspecting bait schools moving in and out of the gully. Being relatively feature-less the rocky bottom exaggerated the rattles from my scorpion lure. A tremendous jolt was felt through my line as I had seemingly easily cracked the code with a large gully barra. For perhaps thirty seconds I held on for dear

life while repeated runs had me hunched over a wicked bend in the rod. Then my hopes were tragi-cally diminished as the ‘cattie arcs’ set in. Anyone who has caught a Moond-arra catfish knows this disappointing feeling of the cattie’s fork tail plug-ging away endlessly in vain. Nearby a contingent of boats had parked on the grassy shoreline of Black Rock picnic area awaiting the 2pm presentation. The more I began talking with the guys it was clear that most had struggled with the inclement weather. Some fleeting responses also emerged like “I’m just here for the sausage sizzle”. Despite being a pretty casual event it was great to see a day where rec-ognition went the way of actual fishing accomplish-ment rather than simply the loudest foghorn voice and/or biggest oversized beer gut. At the same time it was absent of diehard tournament fishing seri-ousness- this can lead to a dry unpleasant atmo-

sphere. My prize consisted of an Ian Miller Jewel series rod with a Shimano Elf spin reel. There were also several other good prizes in the women’s, and junior categories. The ultimate goal for the day though was for us to in-crease the member base. I have been told that around

thirty new people put pen to paper. Congratulations to those people and for anyone else in the Mount Isa area considering join-ing I would strongly rec-ommend doing so. For a small sum of $10 per year for an adult or $20 for a family it is a great invest-ment. The small member-

ship fee not only allows participation in great events the MIFSG also awards larger prizes to yearly champion anglers. Of course, the biggest incentive lies in support-ing the stocking efforts of the lake. The more people on board the better our fishery will become!

The condition of Moondarra barra is usually very good, this fish was no exception.

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CrocandCrab09.indd 1 17/8/09 10:37:28 PM Captured - North AustraliaCaptured - North Australia Page 6Page 5

Boating6.7meter Hooker Pro FishermanBy Anthony DaviesCairns

I guess I am starting to bore regular North Queensland Fish and Boat readers with my continual praise of the boats com-ing out of John Margett’s Hooker factory in Cairns. But the continuing suc-cess of the Hooker prod-uct in an increasingly competitive marketplace speaks for itself. At a time when many Ausssie boat manufacturers are strug-gling, even closing their doors; Hooker is going from strength to strength with a reputation for performance, quality and above all durability that is second to none.Backbone of the current Hooker range is the Pro Fisherman series of hulls. Over the last few years I have tested a number of these boats; most recently the flagship 8 metre walk around cabin model. Boat Scene of Cairns were kind enough to give Fish and Boat test access to the 6.7 metre centre console Pro Fisherman; a boat more within the capacity of the average family budget and towing capacity of the average family car than its bigger brother. One of the first Hookers I ever

tested was the original 6.7 Pro Fisherman, the current model boasts a few improvements over its predecessor. The most radical change is that the entire deck/floor/inner gunwale assembly is now a single moulding, provid-ing a seamless interior for ease of cleaning. Some moulded cockpits lack the thigh support so important on an offshore boat; but the Pro Fisherman has toe slots moulded into the cockpit sides at floor level to provide “toes under” support. The transom on the new model is higher and has been re-angled, that and repositioned bait station and wet wells have increased cockpit length by a whopping 400mm!These changes notwith-standing, the 6.7 continues the familiar streamlined “semi longboat” style of the Pro Fisherman range. This is a full on fishing boat but functionality doesn’t compromise its good looks, the big white hull and big black out-board made a real fashion statement. The test day was grey, overcast and blustery; Trinity Bay was choppy rather than seri-ously cut up as this was the first “bad day” of a weather change and the typical rolling sou’easterly

swell had yet to build. I’d driven the camera boat; a Bar Crusher 5.6 metre centre console (test write up coming soon!) out to the middle of the channel so we could get some on-water performance shots of the Hooker. That task accomplished I joined Editor Anthony aboard the big centre console so we could put the boat through its paces. Stability of the Pro Fish-erman was excellent as is usual with the wide chined Hooker hulls; transferring a couple of crew back and forth be-tween the two boats was easy and safe despite the “channel chop” whipped up by the rising 15 knot

breeze. Once on board I ticked off the Hooker’s impressive list of standard features, including a stain-less Targa top and bow rail, plumbed deck wash and bait tank, all “luxury options” on most boats. A transom door is another new addition to the latest model. The centre console was huge, plenty of room for electronics on the dash and enough room for 3 skinnies or 2 fatties on the matching reversible helm seat. Hooker have incorporated the ubiquitous insulated cooler into the helm seat, but another 2 person cooler/seat forward of the console is a practi-cal feature. Personally I like to keep the food and drinks separate from the bait and catch. Most North Queensland offshore fishos like to carry a reef pick and sand or plough anchor ready for deploy-ment at a moment’s no-tice, so dual anchor wells are another nice touch. As always fit and finish were immaculate; right up there with the very best of the imported glass hulls.The test boat was powered by a big black Suzuki 200 HP four stroke, getting towards the upper limit of the hull which is rated to 225 horsepower. We actu-ally tried to start the motor while it was idling, just to

give you an idea of how quiet it was at idle. Even at full throttle a conversa-tion was possible :“I’m scared now” “Yes me too! “ At that point – 5500 rpm and 40 knots on the clock – we throttled back to a more sedate 20 knots and 3200 rpm, more economi-cal and far more sensible in the choppy conditions. I hasten to say that the performance of the boat was impeccable; a prob-able top speed of 45-50 knots at the maximum 6000 revs was prevented only by the cowardice of the two boating scribes at the helm.Even at 40 knots the ride was dry and cushioned at any angle to the half metre chop; the Green Island ferry’s wake allowed us to get the Hooker partially airborne; but re-entry was soft and controlled. Despite the brisk cross-wind we both stayed dry throughout the test. I have run the 8 metre version in quite appalling condi-tions and I’m convinced the smaller boat would perform almost as well offshore.Other performance fig-ures were dead slow troll of 2.9 knots at 600 rpm, pelagic troll speed of 7 knots at an economical 1800rpm, and a fairly high planing speed of 14 knots

Like all Hooker models, the 6.7 rides beautifully in the water.

The console is certainly large enough to fit all the newest gadgets to find the fish.

at 2800 rpm. This is a hull that travels very well once up onto the plane, how-ever; as the 20 knot cruise speed for a handful more revs demonstrates.I was very impressed with the all round fit, finish and handling of the 6.7 m Pro Fisherman, as was Editor Anthony. The only sour note to the test happened while Anthony was wait-ing for me to rejoin him at the Tingira St Pontoon; a Challenger 5 came up to the pontoon at speed, on course to sideswipe the brand new Hooker. Anthony managed to fend the boat off, badly barking his thumb in the process. The Challenger’s skipper had come in way too fast, and had failed to allow for the stiff following breeze. Likewise, his crew made no effort to fend off; in fact they stepped back from the gunwale when a collision was imminent! Dunno where you come from, mate, but around here it’s manners to APOLOGISE when you stuff up like that.As Graham and Rob from Boat Scene hauled the Hooker out I couldn’t help but notice the handsome Aussie made Aluminium Dunbier trailer. This multi rollered beauty took all the hard work out of re-trieving the boat;

Anthony was able to drive the boat right onto the trailer with minimal guid-ance.I was sufficiently im-pressed to make a few notes. The new Dunbier ASR 7.0 M is up to 23% lighter than an equivalent steel framed trailer, not to mention the superior corrosion resistance of a fully rolled and welded aluminium frame. The light weight means a big payload out of the Dunbier’s whopping 3.5 tonne gross trailer mass, as the trailer itself only

weighs 550kg that leaves room for a whole lotta boat!Other features included the proven and reliable Hydrastar “Brake-A –Way” braking system coupled to 4 wheel disc brakes; heavy duty 900kg rated radial tyres on stylish alloy rims; and of course the nifty multi roller system previously mentioned. Low Main-tenance LED lights are fitted as standard, and all steel components are either hot dip galvanized or Dacroment coated

for corrosion resistance. Moulded polymer mud-guards and bearing protec-tors with “top up” grease nipples are a couple of standard features on this trailer that would be usu-ally be “Owner Add-Ons” on a boat trailer.The super trailer complet-ed a very desirable pack-age; check out the Hooker Pro Fisherman 6.7 at Boat Scene in Cairns or at your local Hooker dealer.Technical StuffHooker 6.7 metre Pro Fisherman centre console Fully foam filled GRP

construction with NO tim-ber used in hull or decks.Length 6.7 m Beam 2.4m Draught 300mm Height 3.1m Hull weight 1000kg, max motor weight 270kg max HP 225 Maximum Passengers 6 fuel capacity 380 litresMotor as tested:Suzuki 200hp four stroke fitted with 20”x 20” stain-less propTrailer;Dunbier ASR7.0M-14THEBoat Size: ….up to 7mLength 7.1m, width 2.35m

Boating6.7meter Hooker Pro Fisherman

The ‘Big Sister’ in the Hooker range. This is the 8mtr model.

Captured - North Australia Page 7 Captured - North Australia Page 8

TouringA true Cape York adventureBy BatPunsand Bay

As the ‘world econom-ic crisis’ (don’t you just love the media jargon) takes hold, and our politi-cians squabble amongst themselves to gain politi-cal favour (and no doubt, personal gain) you could be forgiven for thinking we are all doomed to a life of drudgery. A life where we are subservient to emails and the internet, where the news is rarely good, where traffic and road rage is the norm, and where the telemarketer has the uncanny knack of asking your opinion just as you relax and crack your first icy-cold bever-age after a hard day ‘on the tools’.Well, I’m here to tell you, there is hope my friends. There is still a place where people will offer you hand if you need it, will say g’day as they pass you by, and where the phrase ‘time poor’ will cause confusion amongst the locals. A place with limited exposure to poor media, little or no mo-bile phone coverage, no emails, no traffic lights and the accompanying traffic hazards, and most important, no discussion of the same old politi-

cal rhetoric. Cape York Peninsula is the place, where you can leave all this behind, and discover so much more. A wiser man than I once told me “Everyone has character, but on Cape York, your character is allowed to run free!” Cape York is an icon of Australiana. In Australian history, the Cape was seen as an unknown, vast and dangerous frontier, suit-able only for its indige-nous inhabitants. As white Australia spread its wings, gradually the Cape began to reveal the hidden won-ders it contained. Pioneers like Edmund Kennedy, Robert Logan Jack and the Jardine family paved the way north. In the late 1800’s, the government of the day had concerns of possible invasion from Europe. In July of 1883, a party led by John R Bradford set out from the Endeavour River (Cooktown) for Somerset, the settlement established by Frank Jardine. His goal was to survey a route for a line of communication, which would eventually be con-structed between Patter-son (just north of Seisia) and Cooktown. This ‘line’ was completed in October 1886, and known as the

Overland Telegraph Line (OTL). The line brought communication to the cape, and provided the only track to the north. It wasn’t until 1942, when the line was upgraded as part of the war effort, that the original track saw an increase in traffic, and the track began its’ transfor-mation to a road.The upgrade was com-pleted before the wet in the same year, and the modernised telegraph line became a critical part of Australia’s defences, being the basis for all communications between Horn Island and Towns-ville. The air force base at Horn Is, (Qantaslink operations to Cairns and

Weipa as well as smaller air services to the outer islands of the Torres Strait still operate from Horn today) was an integral re-fueling stop between Iron Range (Lockhart) and Port Moresby, and saw more bombing raids by the Japanese than anywhere else in Australia. Also, should the Japanese have been successful in reach-ing Australian shores, the first step in the implemen-tation of the controversial ‘Brisbane Line’ would have been initiated via communication from this tropical outpost. Thankfully this never occurred, and today the OTL forms part of the main artery for transport to the north. The Penin-sula Development Road (PDR) still follows the ap-proximate route of OTL, though considerably more user friendly (save for the ever present corrugations), being considerably wider, and continually upgraded and maintained.What’s left of the original OTL today are the north-ern and southern stretches of the track, starting at the Bramwell Junction, cross-ing over the PDR north of Cockatoo Creek, and continuing north to the Jardine River, from just south of Fruit Bat falls. The access to the cape in 2009 is vastly different

to what it was only sev-eral years ago. Changes such as the bridge over the Wenlock River, and the general improvement of road conditions north of the Weipa turnoff, has made what was once seen to be ‘out of bounds’ to the less hardened Aus-sie family, now an easily achieved option for the ‘novice’ adventure trav-eler. Cape York Peninsula, and the islands of the Tor-res Strait, have become a ‘must see’ on the lists of adventurous travelers from all walks of life, and all parts of the world.In every street, in every suburb of every city in Australia, many 4WDs’ have been purchased in the hope that one day the family will find the time and energy to leave the bitumen, and venture into the dusty unknown of our world renown outback. Cape York in 2009 is just the place to start.One of the beauties of the Cape is not only the diversity of nature and the seasons, but also the abil-ity to make your journey as simple or as challeng-ing as you desire. Firstly, the seasons in the north are simply ‘the wet’ and ‘the dry’. Typi-cally, the wet begins in December (although it can be earlier, but not in the last seven years) and

In the second half of the year, the traffic is low, the road dry and the adventure good.

Heaven on a stick, a beer and the crystal clear rock pools of Canal Ck.

Touring TouringA true Cape York adventure A true Cape York adventurefinishes approximately at the end of April. The dry exists for the remainder of the year. The duration of these seasons relies on the movement of the Monsoon Trough, around the equatorial plane. This said, to attempt the OTL mid-April, compared to early November, would be like comparing a dog to a cat. The same journey at opposing ends of the ‘dry’ season is a vastly different prospect. In November, you could travel the entire OTL comfortably in a day, where in April depending on the extent of the ‘wet’, the same track could take upwards of a fortnight!With the roads continu-ally improving, so too are the options. Mid year it’s not unusual to see people traveling north in two-wheel drive ve-hicles, mostly on the Peninsula Development Road (PDR), with some even attempting the OTL. Admittedly the majority of these are backpackers looking for adventure, but such is the road these days, that it is doable, though not recommended! Even on the OTL the more difficult crossings, such as the infamous Gunshot Creek, and No-lan’s Brook can be cir-cumnavigated via various

bypass tracks. In short, there is some-thing for everyone, and you don’t need the big-gest, flashest, or newest 4WD on the market to enjoy what the Cape has on offer. In fact, most residents on the Cape tend to operate older style vehicles which don’t rely on a computer, to keep the motor running. The idea that you need a vehicle with ‘all the fruit’ is a complete misnomer. What you need is relative to what you want to do, where you want to go and basically, what luxuries you want to take with you. A classic example of this is the 12 volt fridge. I should mention at this juncture, that I have an amazing ability to break anything! In the past, I had the pleasure of using an Engel 39 litre fridge. They are a great unit. They are good value for money, are very efficient when running on 12 volt from the vehicle, equally good when operating on 240 v, and more impor-tantly extremely durable. Should I purchase another fridge, an Engel would be my first choice. That said, unfortunately, mine was not ‘Bat Proof’ and for the last couple of years I have

gone without. Instead I have relied on a pair of Tropical Ice boxes, one for tucker, and one for…refreshments. These boxes will hold ice for up to 5 days, if treated well, and have never let me down. Put simply, with most things, it depends on your budget, and there are plenty of options on the market these days, and plenty of avenues to save a dollar (Trading Post, on-line shopping etc), if, like me, you don’t sweat cash and every dollar counts. So what do you need? Again it depends on when and where you want to travel. The list could be

enough to fill three ’cruis-ers. The following list covers the most basic essentials. 1. One of the most important things to have with you is a good map. The RACQ provide excel-lent maps at no cost to members. Alternatively, Hema produces detailed and up to date maps avail-able for around $10. They have also released a Road Atlas specifically for the Cape, which I gather has good information. Cape York, An Adventurers Guide, by Ron and Viv Moon is another valuable resource. It has not been updated for a few years, but has plenty of relevant info, including trek notes (good for GPS junkies), that covers the whole Pen-insula north of Cooktown.2. Before leaving the bitumen and head-ing north, a service is a good idea. If done by your mechanic, tell him where you’re going, and tell him there are a billion nasty corrugations (a very small exaggeration) between his workshop, and your des-tination, ‘the tip’ of Cape York. If you’re doing it yourself, start with check-ing/changing all your fluids/filters (oil, water, brake, clutch, air filter etc). Grease front to back.

Be sure to check your wheel bearings. Check and tighten all the nuts on your running gear, bull-bar, aerials, wheels, spot-ties, canopies, accessories etc. If you have a snorkel check the seal where the snorkel joins the air filter box. A small split can be a costly oversight. All this may sound like overkill, and tedious, but it’s all simple stuff and better to check before you leave, rather than wish you had after you’ve left. 3. The Vehicle. Any 4WD in good mechani-cal condition (and a few that aren’t!) will make it to the tip. Many say it’s necessary to have dual batteries, modified sus-pension, HF radio, 33” wheels …etc. Well, the truth is, you don’t. All the bells and whistles definitely make life easier, and in some cases will get the driver further off the beaten track, but for the general traveler, the well maintained family 4WD will do just nicely. One modification that to me is essential is a snorkel. For around $500, your motor will appreciate it, both in the water, and the dust. 4. Camping Gear/Bedding etc. This type of thing is up to the individ-ual. You certainly don’t

need one of the many Camper Trailers on the market, but for some it’s an option they prefer. In the most basic camp, you need a swag (with bed-ding), a couple of chairs, tarp, an esky, food tools (knives, plates etc.), table, cooking utensils (billy, frying pan etc), a gas burner, and a shovel for your toiletry needs. Very basic for sure, but still comfy and easily packed and stored.5. Tools etc. This area is covered in all the 4wd mags, and will always be argued amongst travelers. Consider this; Murphy’s Law is very ap-plicable when you’re out and about on an adven-ture. With this in mind, chances are that no-matter how much gear and spares you’re carrying, the one you need, is the one you left at home. Murphy has the last laugh again. Still it’s good to cover a few bases. Include in your tool box basic tools like a decent socket set, full set of open end/ring span-ners, screw drivers, pliers, multi-grips, shifters etc. For spares, I’d have some radiator hoses, oil/fuel filters, oil, fluids (brake, clutch, steering), an old set of bearings (keep the ones you replace), tyre

plugs, some Knead-it, and some water (specifically for the radiator). Heavy zip ties, some fencing wire, and some recoil starter rope are worth packing. Recovery gear should also be included. At the very least carry a snatch strap and a couple of rated D-shackles. You may need a tow from another vehicle, and from the ‘towers’ point of view there is nothing worse than having to unload, use, clean and repack your own stuff, because the person who’s stuck didn’t have their own. For those with winches, a tree protector, and prob-ably a snatch block will be helpful. The options are endless, and that is the basics. I would also include a quality high lift jack, two-spare tyres, tyre pliers and compressor, and a compact but strong spade.Most of the time you can minimise vehicle dam-age and/or gear failure, by driving to the condi-tions, and minimising speed. This will reduce the amount of tools/spares you carry, and minimise the gross vehicle weight. Any vehicle, no matter how modified the truck or experienced the driver, won’t enjoy one of the

many un-signposted DIPS littered between Lakeland and Pajinka when encoun-tered at 120km/hr. In the scheme of things, the risk of driving with a heavy foot on an unfamiliar road really is pointless for the time it may potentially save. A puncture or acci-dent will quickly dissolve the little time gained.In fact time seems to be the greatest enemy of most travelers to the Cape. All too often, you see people that have allowed themselves a week to travel Cairns-the tip-Cairns, break a heap of gear, return exhausted, and wonder what the

point of it all was!Even those with a longer time frame try to fit too much in. Personally, I reckon you’re better off seeing less and enjoy-ing more. The size of the Cape and the treasures it hides can ensure that a lifetime of travel will never unearth all the gems on offer. Your first trip north should be consid-ered a ‘reccy’ for the next, and to that end should not be rushed.The part of the year you travel is an important consideration. Because so many travelers are fami-lies, school holidays are the ‘peak‘ season, particu-larly the June-July holiday period. Idyllic camping grounds such as Loyalty Beach and Punsand Bay can accommodate 70+ ve-hicles in these peak times. With so many visitors a trip to the washing ma-chine, could easily war-rant the inclusion of half a dozen of your favourite beverages. It’s great for the kids, and interaction with fellow travelers, but for those seeking a bit more seclusion; it’s not the ideal time of year to visit.The ’better’ time of year to enjoy Cape York, is either May-June, after the roads have opened, or to-

wards the end of the dry, October through to De-cember. The earlier option is more suited to the more experienced four wheel drivers. The washouts can be spectacular, and many creeks deserve respect and careful consideration. Even the ‘DIPS’ can be cause for caution. Many traveling early in the season do so with other vehicles in case of the in-evitable bogging, and the basic tool and spares kits required, would obviously be a little more expan-sive than the basic kit described earlier. All said and done, early travelers have a ball, with plenty of opportunities to use diff lockers, winches and the humble shovel, to work up a thirst. For a more casual but equally enjoyable trip, September to December is by far the best time to really enjoy the Northern part of the Cape. Fewer people means…fewer people, and everything from a pristine water-hole, an empty campsite and even the odd hot shower, can be enjoyed all to yourself. Camping grounds and the facili-ties they offer are all still trading, the fishing is on the boil, and everyone is generally more relaxed, as

The sun drops to finish another hard day on the Cape. Peaks Pt is in the foreground. The fishing can be a bit strenuous at times! Craig Birrel with a cracker giant trevally.

As the temperature heats up so does the fishing, Penny holds a tidy spanish mackerel. Punsand Bay is one of the many beautiful places to relax while you enjoy your trip.


from the headland. If you choose, the mouth of the Jardine is only a stones throw away, and may ap-peal to those keen to wet a line. Day four is your chance to see Thursday Island, and the abundant local history. A daily ferry departs the wharf at Seisia, and Pun-sand Bay also offers a fer-ry service. For those who haven’t been it’s worth the look. The tiny island offers a lot in historic and cultural value. For those keen to avoid the masses, the best way to experience the place is to organise a personal tour with one of the many taxi drivers. A couple of hours with a lo-cal driver is well worth it, and leaves the balance of the day to enjoy a counter meal and a beer on tap, at

one of the many pubs, or do a bit of shopping on Douglas St. At 2.30pm, you’re back on the boat to return to Seisia, and a change of camp.Loyalty Beach is only a few kilometres up the track, and has excellent facilities, including an outdoor restaurant and bar. After a hot shower, and a long day, it’s an ideal location to watch the sun set as you sit down to a meal.By now you should be starting to unwind, and the 5th day is a great chance to see ‘the tip’, do a bit of four wheel driv-ing, and enjoy the beach run south of Somerset. After packing camp, head to Punsand Bay, right on the beach 7km to the west of the Tip. The location is

beautiful, with views to the tip, and Horn Island. Hot showers, an above ground pool, cold beer, a restaurant and tour desk with eftpos are some of the services available. When checking in, grab a mud map of the area, which will help with local navigation on the many bush tracks. After a quick set up of camp, it’s off to the tip, to stand on the most northern point of mainland Australia. One of the best features here is often overlooked. The convergence of currents and tidal movement from the east and west coasts, provides an ideal food source for a variety of aquatic life. All too often people rush out to the point, snap a couple of photos, and rush back

to their vehicle, before hurtling off to the next destination. For the more observant traveler, an hour sitting above the tip, gazing out into the blue, can reveal much to those who look. The elevated position is a perfect van-tage point to see turtles, fish, crocodiles, dugong and sharks, to name a few.After the tip, it’s worth the drive down to Som-erset for the history, and then continuing along the five beaches to the south, before completing the loop back to the main road. From here it’s a short drive back to Pun-sand, and a relaxing late afternoon on the beach or in the pool. Day six is set aside for piscatorial pursuits (fish-ing), but for those who

prefer solid ground, a walk on the beach for some beachcombing, lunch, a good book and an afternoon nap, may be equally appealing. Today is the last day on the NPA, and a quick look over the vehicle, before heading south is always a good idea.After packing up, it’s time to start trekking south, through Bamaga for fuel, food supplies (ice if you need it), and on to the ferry at the Jardine River. Admittedly your time spent north of the Jardine was brief, but it should have given you the op-portunity to have a look around, and more impor-tantly have the time to enjoy what you saw.Once across the Jardine, the next few days will be

the tourist season comes to an end.The road too, is a lot friendlier. By this time all the treacherous washouts have been repaired, the bogs dried up, the creek crossings are rarely waste deep, and oncoming or following traffic is virtu-ally non-existent. Even the more popular spots, such as Fruit Bat, Elliot, and Twin Falls, can be enjoyed all to yourself. The difference of just a few months is significant. The evening showers typical to June-July give way to cloudless star filled nights. Admittedly, later in the year brings higher temperatures, day and night, but this has its advantages. Crystal clear creeks (check for crocs!!) become a welcome haven in the middle of the day, and equally enjoyable in the early evening. For the fisherman, the warmer weather increases fish activity, and October-December are the best months to fish on the Cape. Fishing charters, and a boat hire at Cape York Ice and Tackle, will cater to those keen to get away from the boat ramp, but there are many land based fishing op-portunities all over the NPA (Northern Penin-sula Area). The wharf at Siesia is a great place to start, but also places like Somerset, Fly Point, the beaches in the early morning and evening, the mouth of the Jardine River and even the ‘tip’ itself, are all worth a look. So if you and your part-ner were going for a two week trip, ex-cairns, to the Cape what would you do and where would you go? Well, of course each to their own, and everyone has their own preferences, but if some-one were to ask me how I would do my first trip to the tip, and I still wanted to have a holiday, the fol-

lowing is a bit of a guide-line.NB: Alcohol restrictions exist and are enforced on Cape York. The Peninsula Development Road (PDR) does not have restrictions, and provided you do not enter a community which does, the carriage of alco-hol is the same as the rest of the state. Many com-munities have different rules and limits, so prior research is worth the time. See http://www.atsip.qld.gov.au/communities/alcohol-limits/communi-ty-information/ for further information for each com-munity.Also, yes there are croco-diles in the waters of Cape York. Much has been written on the does and don’ts of camping near crocodile territory. All I will say on the subject is that common sense should prevail. If you cannot see the bottom in a creek or waterhole, assume it‘s home to a large “snappin‘ handbag“. When you are not sure, err on the side of caution.Two weeks may not sound like a long time, but it can still be long enough to see a bit, and recharge the batteries. On a holiday, the last thing you want is to be rushing around so much, that when it’s over you feel like you need a holiday. Once your gear is packed and the car is ready, the following two weeks will be a fortnight worth remembering. On this trip, the only area with an AMP (alcohol management plan) is the NPA, so stock up your refreshments for the trip home.The plan is to get to Seisia by the end of the second day. This is not as ex-treme as you may think. By leaving Cairns at 7am on the first day, you will arrive comfortably at the Archer or Wenlock River by 5.00pm, still allow-ing for lunch and comfort

stops. Of course there is some good stuff between Cairns and the Wenlock, but for a limited time frame, I believe you’re better off getting there fast, and taking it easy on the trip south. After all, for the second leg, grav-ity is on your side!! Day 2 is a casual 7 hours to Seisia. Remember to bury your goodies (excess beer and spirits) on the south-ern side of the Jardine River crossing. This is the norm these days. As most vehicles have a GPS on board, a suitable spot is found, marked in the GPS, and contraband buried for later retrieval. On arrival in Seisia, check into the camp ground for the night, check out the

action at the wharf or enjoy a cold beverage, as you watch the sun drop into the sea. The hard slog of traveling is behind you, and the remainder of the fortnight is yours to enjoy. For the rest of your trip you won’t travel more than 300km in a day.Day three, you emerge from your swag to the sound of waves at your doorstep. Today is a per-fect time to organise the next few days, see some of the local sights, and begin winding down to Cape York time. Remem-ber, it’s not a race! After brekkie, book your trip to Thursday Island, stock up at the local supermarket and check out the fish-ing charters available.

Some operators stick to the estuary, while others specialise in blue water fishing. Depending on your preference, see what the different operators have to offer, and where they will take you. It pays to enquire. If you’re dreaming of your first bar-ramundi, then there is no point fishing the reef! By lunch time you could have seen some of the local plane wrecks, circa World War II, and arrived down at Muttee Head for lunch. Muttee is a great spot, and was the location of a Catalina Flying boat base during the war. Today the skeletal remains of the jet-ty and radar remain, and the views of the islands to the north are brilliant

Touring TouringA true Cape York adventure A true Cape York adventure

A Green Turtle prepares her nest, Punsand Bay, Cape York.

At the end of the dry season, the remaining bodies of water host an abundance of life.


spent with minimal travel, and maximum enjoyment. First things first, go to the spot marked X and dig up/recover the treasures you buried days earlier. From here, you cut across to the top end of the OTL. Refer to your maps, or talk to the people at the ferry if you are unsure where to go. The northern section of the track is arguably the most beautiful, and home to Eliot, Fruit Bat and Twin falls. The many crystal clear creeks, and the odd hidden water-fall, provide excellent respite from the heat of the day, and all are excel-lent camping spots. Many vehicles are drowned on this section of the OTL early in the season (No-lan’s Brook in particular), a lot due to not walking the crossing first. Later in the year, these crossings are a lot simpler, though checking creeks on foot first can avoid a lot of digging later. The track itself is slow going, and will provide a few chal-lenges, including the log bridge at Cyprus Creek. This is not a problem, and will add to the adventure, as careful driving and common sense will avoid any hassles. A great spot to camp this night is at Sam Creek. The spot has a great waterfall, crystal clear water and a good camp spot on both sides of the crossing. Best of all it’s only a couple of hours drive (including swims and a beer at each crossing) south of the Jar-dine, and only a few km

north of Elliot falls. Day 8 starts with a swim and some breakfast, then another swim! Time is on your side, as today you only have to travel 4km, south to Canal Creek. Canal is one of my favou-rite camping spots on the Cape. Not only is it close to the waterfalls (Eliot, Twin and Fruit Bat), but a feature of the creek is its endless rock pools. For the energetic, a walk downstream will take you to Eliot Falls, and upstream has some awe-some photo opportunities for those willing to get off the beaten track. With the other waterfalls so close to your camp, you now have the opportunity to really enjoy them. Twin and Fruit Bat Falls are sensational. Both have a nice beach, clear water and great swimming. It is very easy to spend a couple of nights here, especially when you have it all to yourself.After two nights at Canal, the 10th day of your holi-day will see you crossing back over the PDR to the southern section of the OTL. The track presents the odd challenge, with the first creek, Cockatoo, a fair indication of what lies ahead. Tonight’s destination is the Dul-hunty River, only a few hours down the road. This popular spot is a beauti-ful camp, the sound of the waterfalls a great way to round out your day. The fishing can be good here also, and is definitely worth a cast.

After leaving the Dul-hunty, the trek south continues, this time to Coen. This is a longer transit than the previous few days, approximately 290km, but is a relatively cruisey trip. Along the way a swim at the Wen-lock River and an Archer Burger at the roadhouse are a must. About 3km north of Coen, are the banks of the Coen River. There are toilet facilities and good drinking water here, and the waterfall upstream is worth some exploring.From Coen it’s on to the Split Rock Galleries, 12km south of Laura. Again the 260km is easy and should take around 3-4 hours. The Ab-original art located here is world renowned (Quinkin Art Reserve) and sections are open to the public for a nominal fee payable to the local Ranger. Opposite the turnoff to the galleries, there is access to a water-hole (depending on the extent of the wet) which is a great place to camp, and if time permits, worth soaking a bait. The 60 odd km from Lau-ra to Lakeland is made all the more sobering as you bid farewell to the dirt, dust and corrugations of the PDR, and return to the bitumen of the real world. Prior to living on the Cape, I viewed the bitumen onslaught with some trepidation, as it signaled the return to the ‘rat race’ and the end of my holiday. Now I look forward to a strong locally produced coffee and ham-

burger from the Lakeland Coffee House.Next stop, and your last camp for the trip, is the famous Lions Den Hotel on the banks of the Little Annan River. The pub in itself is a wealth of his-tory (built circa 1875), and the walls scribed by many travelers before you, can soak up many hours while enjoying your preferred beverage. The camp ground is well maintained, the ameni-ties clean and the showers hot! Situated at the north-ern end of the Bloomfield Track, the pub is an ideal place to camp prior to traversing the last leg of your trip into Cairns. Unfortunately, you‘ve reached the last day of your trip. The trip to Cairns begins with the spectacular Bloomfield track, winding its way through the rainforest down to Cape Tribulation. The track is proof of the cliché, ‘where the reef meets the rainforest‘. The views over the ocean from the track are as amazing as the world heritage list-ed rainforest itself. Time should be spent enjoying the scenery and watching for wildlife. From Cape Trib, the road returns to bitumen, taking you to the ferry on the Daintree River via Cow Bay. After crossing the Dain-tree River at the ferry, it’s only a couple of hours drive into Cairns, cruising along the coast before ar-riving at Cairns northern beaches.Hopefully you arrive

back in Cairns without the holiday hangover, and have already began think-ing of your next trip up the Cape. Admittedly, the itinerary outlined above is very basic and only scrapes the top of what the Cape has to offer. Places like Chilli Beach, Iron Range, Virilya Point and the Weipa area, are all worth a visit, and rela-tively accessible, but to stay only a day at these places just doesn’t do them justice. The point of this article was to highlight the ac-cessibility of one of Australia’s last frontiers, while still enjoying your holiday. There are many options available to do a similar trip, and the itinerary covered above hopefully will give some insight as to what’s on of-fer, without breaking the bank. A trip like this for a couple, including fuel, food, camping fees, ferry fares, a few beers, some spare parts, a fishing trip and a couple of counter meals will come in com-fortably under $3500, not bad for a two week adventure holiday.Sure, Cape York is not for everyone and for many, it will be their one and only trip to the tip. However, if you’re keen to explore, enjoy some history, wet a line, relax with a good book, and experience an environment different to any other, a trip like this will be the first of many to come, each trip enticing you back for the next. Cheers.

TouringA true Cape York adventure

Who said there are no crocs in the ocean. This 18 ft croc is a local to the area around ‘the tip’.


w w w . c a p e y o r k e r . c o m4 w w w . c a p e y o r k e r . c o m 5

PREMIER

Get $50.00 off the Premier 9000 Winch Simply print this page and present it at any of the following TJM stores; Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Mt Isa, Darwin, Brendale.

Offer valid till: 30.04.2012. Limit of 1 per customer. For retail customers only.

hurt on many decent fish that call Cape York their home.The cosmetics of the rod were the sole responsibil-ity of the Cape Yorker magazine which ended up with purple thread and green metallic trim. A bit on the other gender side I thought, but after building the rod, as you can see, the colours compliment each other for an eye catching product.At the end of the day it does not matter what you put on the rod, the most important aspect is having the right combination of components to ensure the rod performs the way you intend it to. This design has worked for my needs and the needs of Cape Yorker magazine and has been tried and tested over the past couple years.I am certainly looking for-ward to next year’s trip, which I am sure you will

hear about in due course. Considering Cape York and Darwin are around the same latitude, the fish-ing is completely differ-ent. So the challenges and learning curves of fishing different locations are very rewarding.RecipeBlank – United Compos-ites USA “Pioneer SHX” UR56HRear Grip – AAA Cork 165mmFront Grip – AAA Cork 60mmReel Seat – Fuji ACS 16mm 11.5mm I.D Graphite insertALPS Guides – Zircon InsertsGuides – BLXNZG –16mm, 12mm, 10mm, 10mm, 8mm x 4Tip – BDPZT – 8/2.2mm

SPACING from tip89mm, 100mm, 109mm, 134mm, 148mm, 168mm, 217mm

Captured - North Australia Captured - North AustraliaPage 17 Page 18

RodCraft RodCraftCape Yorker “Embley” Cape Yorker “Embley”Words and Pictures by Larry Lockwood

A couple of years ago I went on my first trip to Cape York with a mate of mine who is the founder of the Cape Yorker maga-zine. Our aim was to fish some of the more remote and pristine locations found on the Cape. I had not visited the Cape for nearly 20 years and the last time I wore a green skin and no fishing was done, so I was a little ex-cited. I had read many ar-ticles of fishing the Cape, primarily those of Warren Steptoe and his ventures north so the anticipation was high.We spent 7 days fishing various locations and meeting a few fisher folk who have since become good mates. Fishing from both land and boat gave me a great appreciation of the terrain and fishability of this unique wonder-land.The locations we concen-trated on were the upper reaches of the Wenlock River (on foot) and the Embley river (by boat). The Embley River is the main river in Weipa. We also fished the Pennefa-ther River by boat and on foot. Seven days was not long enough and I made a

vow to return the follow-ing year.One of the highlights was fishing the Embley with fishing guide Jim Borth-wick who managed a few hours to show us the hot spots. We had a ball catching a few barra and queenfish before returning to shore for a few coldies.Anyway, as a result of this first encounter I have re-turned at least once a year to fish the pristine waters of the Cape and conduct field testing. I like to call it business, as I have designed and tested quite a few prototype rods. I have been working with the Cape Yorker magazine and developed a range of rods specifically designed for fishing the Cape.We have tested a number of designs and blanks with the aid of fellow’s fisher folk and Jim Borthwick to come up with a series of four rods. Based on two bait casters or lure casters and two spin rods. These rods will cover most of the lure work the Cape has on offer. The rod I have selected for this build is based on the Cape Yorker Baitcaster aptly named the “Embley”. This is a rod that covers most of the lure fishing needs cutting down on the amount of rods required for the trip north.

Rated at 4-6kg and built on the United Compos-ites USA blank, formally known as Hasting, the blank is from the SHX range of blanks. These blanks were the pioneer series using the single helix construction and 33 million modulus graphite providing the perfect plat-form for a mid range rod with high range perfor-mance.The blank is 5’6” in length with a fast action, but with a parabolic taper making this a great stic for braid. Great for flick-ing light to medium lures in tight places, this short

bait caster or Lurecaster as some call them, has proven itself over the past couple years.The construction of the rod is fairly straight forward with a few minor changes to enhance per-formance and ergonomics. I have utilised both Fuji and ALPS to come up with an extremely satisfy-ing fishing tool.The rear grip is shaped 165mm premium cork which has been touched up to fit like a glove in the hand. This also mar-ries well with the reel seat. This area is often over looked because if the grip and reel seat are not properly joined, it allows room for water intrusion and, ultimately, an unpro-fessional appearance.The trigger grip is what I have looked into on a more serious note and have settled on the new Fuji ACS ergonomic seat. I have made a small change, however, which reflects on the diameter of the blank itself which has further enhanced the feel of the rod.Because the blank has such a small diameter I have inserted a piece of carbon tube inside the ACS reel seat, basically

a sleeve. By doing this I have been able to provide a more suitable fitting.I have found this particu-lar reel seat to be one of the more comfortable to fish with providing a bet-ter ergonomic design than its predecessor. Every rod needs a fore grip, well most any way, and I have used a 60mm piece of shaped cork to fit the bill. In front of the fore grip is an aluminium winding check to add a bit of class and a hook keeper which seems to be missing from most factory built rods.The guides I have selected are the BLXNZG ultra light weight guides from ALPS with the strip-per guide being the only under binding on the rod. The remaining guides are over bound as this is all that is required and assists with keeping the overall weight down. By keeping the thread and epoxy to a minimum you retain more of the natural action of the blank which enhances the performance which is why we have custom rods built. Com-bined with the right stuff, and just enough of it, this light weight stick is more than capable of putting the

- Quality and affordability in a custom made rod

- Custom rods = performance and individuality

- Lure, fly, gamefishing, jigging, offshore and popper rods

- Rods to suit every angler from a light weight bream rod to stand up game fishing

LJ Custom Rods proudly make the Cape Yorker Pro Series Rods

Contact: Larry LockwoodLJ Custom Rods

[email protected]

Mob: 0400 263 207Ph: 08 8931 2965

This big barra was taken on the Cape Yorker Wenlock on a recent trip to Cape York

There are several species of long clawed Macrobrachium (Latin for “big arms”) shrimps in Queensland tropical freshwaters, the two biggest are usually re-ferred to as Cherabin, although in my youth most people in the north called them “yab-bies” or “Mitchell River crayfish”. Of course they are giant freshwa-ter prawns, not cray-fish. They can be found in almost any tropical Queensland waterway but numbers are great-est in the relatively eel free western flowing streams like the Mitch-ell and the Walsh, the big long finned eels of the eastern streams are a devastating predator of cherabin and red-claw crawfish. I once caught a 6 kilo long finned eel that was full of large, freshly bitten off mudcrab legs!

Male cherabin have a very long pair of claws which are “double jointed’ and can reach around to nip and draw blood from the careless handler. They are ag-gressive, territorial and cannibalistic; domi-nance is established by claw size. This means that if you catch a big cherabin it’s worth con-tinually resetting the trap in the same spot, you will then get the next smallest and so on. In clear water the beam of a torch will often show a big cherabin on the bait with a g r o u p o f small-

er specimens circled around, too frightened to enter the trap. You can get more than one female or juvenile in the trap, of course, but the big males grow up to 320mm in body length and can weigh almost half a kilo, definitely the best choice for eating!

I have actually hooked and landed cherabin on a line when trying to catch baitfish with tiny hooks, but the most productive tech-nique is to use “opera house” folding traps at night, checking every couple of hours as rec-ommended above. To be legal in Queensland these traps must have “turtle excluding” wire rings of no more than 100mm diameter built into the entrance fun-nels. Cherabin are car-nivorous, so meat or fish is the best bait. One trick is to use very small tins or foil sachets of cat food, pierced with several holes so the smell can waft out into the water. The cat food needs no refrigeration till opened, lasts for at least 24 hours without going rotten, and has limited appeal to eels, turtles and crocodiles that might wreck your trap.

Like all prawns cher-abin are delicious boiled in salted water and served chilled, or simply grilled on the BBQ hotplate, they do need a little more salt than their marine cous-ins. This recipe makes

maximum use of a modest catch of cher-abin so that the whole camp gets a taste. It also works with large salt-water prawns, redclaw crayfish or yabbies. The quantities given make a soup course for 4 to 6 people.

Ingredients6 large cherabin (or

a dozen small ones) - about a kilo total weight

Couple of table-spoons of butter or margarine for frying

1 cup waterSalt and pepper1 cup milk & ½ cup

cream (UHT long life is fine when camping)

one medium potato, diced finely (optional)

Couple of pinches of finely chopped chives (fresh at home, dried in the bush)

A tablespoon of cornflower, stirred into a half cup of water till there are no lumps.

MethodPut the cherabin on

ice for a few minutes to kill them. Remove the tails and peel and de-vein them. Don’t throw the heads away yet! Cut the tail meat into fairly large bite sized chunks; say two to six chunks per tail depending on the size. Put into a bowl and refrigerate.

Take each head in turn and separate the top carapace or shell from the “bunch of legs” section. OK that sounds a bit gross, but cherab-in have outsized heads and we don’t want to

waste all that flavour. Dispose of the carapac-es. Wash the innards out of the remaining section, rubbing off the gills as one does when cleaning a crab. Cut the long claws into three or four sections with pli-ers or poultry shears. Cut the “leg bunch” in half lengthways with a heavy sharp knife. Re-frigerate.

Melt the butter in a camp oven or large saucepan at a low to medium heat. Add the tail chunks and cook gently for a few min-utes, watching and turning constantly until they are cooked through and just start-ing to colour. Remove the tail chunks from the saucepan and return to refrigeration in a clean bowl. Add the cleaned head bits and claw sec-tions to the pan. Add the water, cover and bring to the boil. Re-duce the heat to low and simmer with the lid on for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully

remove all the bits of shell. Take out the big bits and pour the liq-uid through a strainer if you like; I’m usually too lazy to be that fussy! This is when we add the diced potato if you want a heartier chow-der. Increase the heat to medium, stirring con-stantly until the potato is cooked and the liquid has reduced by about half. This is our stock. Return the pan of stock to a low heat. . Add the chunks of tail meat and simmer covered for an-other 15 minutes, stir-ring occasionally. Add the cream, milk and salt and pepper to taste and heat until almost simmering. Do not boil or the milk will curdle. Add the cornflour/wa-ter mix little by little till the chowder is thick enough for your tastes. Keep warm until ready to serve, the longer you wait the better the chowder will be.

Sprinkle a pinch of chives on top of each bowl of chowder be-fore serving.

The above recipe has been printed here from the Nationally distributed “Flavours of Sea and Sun - Catching and Cooking Queensland Seafood” which features both entree’s and main meals, all using seafood that is readily accessible by the average angler. Recipes include; BBQ Butter Pipis, Cherabin Chowder, Spicy Thai Mackerel, Chilli Mudcrab, Baked Barra in Sour Cream and Chives and Smoked Queenfish with Juddrah to name just a few. This is the ideal cooks companion for those contemplating a trip to the Cape. Author, Anthony Davies has compiled an excellent range of meals and presents them in this book in both a simple and entertaining way. Be sure to get a copy for yourself by visiting the website: www.flavoursofseaandsun.com

Flavours of Sea and Sun

Catching and Cooking Queensland Seafood

From our table to yours:

Over 48 pages of tried and tested recipes.

By Anthony Davies

$12.95

CookingCherabin Chowder

Captured - North Australia Page 20Page 19

FishingFly fishing – breaking down the barriersBy Anthony GomesManingrida

Let’s face it, fly fishing has been around since Moses was a kid, yet, there are many people out there (maybe even you reading this article) that still don’t know much about it.Maybe because you think it is too hard, or too ex-pensive, or even because you think it is only for catching baitfish or fish in the freshwater. There are even some people that think fly fishing is only for top-water fish like trout – and I am not referring to the coral trout either.For all the reasons men-tioned above (and I am sure there are more), fly fishing really isn’t that hard or that expensive. In the simplest of terms, fly fishing really is just another way of fishing and is not that different to lure fishing. In fact, I would argue that the only notice-able difference between lure and fly is the actual delivery of the lure/fly. Sure, you can argue that is it a ‘specialist’ form of fishing, but so is lure fish-ing in comparison to bait fishing.Before I confuse you even more, lets have a look at the basics and try to break

down some of the barriers that may exist. Now, for those readers who already know about fly fishing, please excuse me for go-ing into too much detail, but we all have to start somewhere.I guess the first real no-ticeable difference is the type of rods used in fly fishing. These are general-ly nine foot in length and can range from one-piece rods up to six pieces (or more). There are shorter and longer fly rods out there, but to keep things as simple as possible, lets focus on the most com-mon – the nine footer.Why is the rod so long and ‘whippy’? That is probably the most com-mon question. To put it simply, you need the length to make casting and fighting a fish pos-sible. If you break the rod into two pieces (figura-tively speaking), the top (‘whippy’) section of the rod is primarily designed for casting, whereas the bottom section is used to apply power to the fish while fighting it. This can be demonstrated by tak-ing a two-piece rod and casting a flyline with just the tip section. It can be easily done and I would argue that anyone learning to cast, or even the more

experienced fly anglers should give this a try as it really helps to emphasise just how important the tip section is in relation to casting. So why does the rod need to be nine foot long? Put simply, when fighting a fish, you do need some power in the rod and that is where the butt section comes into play – just like fishing with an overhead or spin rod. Once hooked up, you are best to lower the tip of the rod and apply pressure through the butt of the rod. This is best done by rolling the rod off to one side and fighting the fish low to the water. Sure, high-sticking a fly rod (or any rod for that matter)

may look impressive, but you will lose a lot of en-ergy and power and also risk breaking the tip of the rod. That won’t look impressive!The next part of fly fishing that looks ‘out of place’ is the fly line. Before I go any further, remember that when compared to lure fishing, it is the weight of the lure that aids in your casting. Now a fly is not that heavy at all, so we rely on the weight of the line to load the rod and therefore cast the fly. If you keep this at the back of your mind at all times while casting it will make your job a lot easier and a lot less frustrating.In short, a fly line is around 90 to 100 foot in length. The back section of the line (running line) is usually about 50 to 60 foot in length and is quite small in diameter. The remainder of the line (the ‘belly) is a larger diam-eter and this is where the weight comes from. Keep in mind that there are a multitude of fly lines and specialty tapers. To keep things simple, the descrip-tion above is for a typical weight forward taper.The next thing to consider with the fly lines is their sink rate. To again keep things as simple as pos-sible, you can break this up into three main catego-

ries. Floating, Intermedi-ate sink, and Fast sink. For the majority of fishing and applications the most popular line is the weight forward floating line. If you are starting out with fly fishing, then this line will be the one for you. I still use a weight forward floating line for a lot of my fishing.The only other thing to consider in regards to the line is your leader. This is simply a length of mono (you can use fluorocar-bon) that joins your fly line to your fly. Feel free to make the leader as long or short as you like. Most people use a leader around nine foot in length. Keep in mind that a shorter leader is a little easier to cast and will have less chance of getting ‘wind knots’ particularly when starting out.Hang on, 100 foot of line is not enough to stop that fish of a lifetime!That is where the backing comes into play. Back-ing is simply extra line (monofilament, braid, Dacron, etc) that fills the rest of your spool and also allows you to play a fish that wants to run. A word of caution – if you do decide to use braid for backing then make sure you keep your fingers clear of the line when that fish starts to run. As a gen-

Postcard perfect. Casting a fly line off a remote beach as the sun sets on another day in paradise. More on the art of casting in a future article.

This barra was taken on fly in the shallow while fishing near the Pennefather River, Cape York.

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eral rule, 300 metres of backing is ample for the majority of applications.I am not going to go into detail in this article about what knots to use when joining your backing to your fly line and your leader. That will come at a later stage.Fly reels also look a little out of place next to your low profile baitcaster reels or spin reels. In fact, they look more like an Alvey reel. Fly reels can be as simple as a single spool direct drive reel with no drag right up to direct drive reels with carbon drag washers. You can also get anti-reverse fly reels with some impres-sive drag weights. To keep things simple (as we are trying to do here) the standard direct drive fly reel with a moderate drag is all that you will need for the majority of the fishing. Going back to the comparison of the Alvey reels. If you have ever used one while beach fishing, you may recall

having to ‘palm’ the reel to apply extra drag pres-sure to that big fish. This same principle can be used in fly fishing too. Just be sure to keep your fingers clear of the handle if you are using a direct drive reel.One other aspect that I need to cover here is probably the area that causes the most confusion with people wanting to get into fly fishing. This is the fact that fly fishing equipment is not sold with the recommended line weight that you are used to. By saying this, when you pick up any other rod you will see that it has a breaking strain. For ex-ample, 3-4kg or 6-10kg. As I mentioned above, a fly line is nothing like a monofilament or braided line because it has a run-ning line and a belly or taper. Therefore, they do not advertise a ‘break-ing strain’ but more so a weight rating. This same weight rating is also ap-plied to the rod and the

reel. For example, a #7 weight fly line is matched to a #7 weight rod and a reel capable of holding a #7 weight fly line, with backing. Weights can go from #1 right up to #18 or higher. The higher the line weight, the heavier the outfit, and the harder it may be to cast.For most general applica-tions, a #8 or #9 weight

outfit will be just fine. I love fishing lighter outfits. The majority of my lure-casting is done on a 2-3kg rod and the majority of my fly fishing is done on a #7 weight. In my opinion, a lot of it comes down to proper technique.There is a lot to still cover here, like casting, fly selection, techniques, etc and these will all be covered in future articles

so keep an eye out. I hope I have helped to dispel some of the myths while not scarring some people away. If you do have any questions or just want to clarify anything please feel free to contact me through email ([email protected]) as I am more than happy to help out. And remem-ber, there are no stupid questions………

FishingFly fishing – breaking down the barriers

This image shows the correct way to apply pressure to a fish on fly. By keeping the tip low and applying a low sideways pressure, you will be sure to tire the fish a lot faster.

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