Daly/Anson Bay 15-18th March
Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2017 1:32 pm
4 of us in two boats headed down the Daly for our 1st big runoff trip. Dropped off some gear at Banyan Farm and used their ramp. Started heading down to find some colour changes. By this time, it was almost the top of the tide so every creek was backed up. Made it to Lizzy and it had some nice tannin flowing so we stopped and flicked some big B52's. Mouth itself had a few boats so we flicked the snags 100m downstream. Half hr in and bang, lure gets crunched. Peels of 50 odd m and luckily heads out for the middle. Nice fight with half a dozen jumps and a 93 is in the net. 1st fish to kick off the trip.
Decky (Jono) changes over to the exact same lure as me and 10mins later lands a 75. Creek mouth was vacant so moved up caught 4 more legals and half a dozen rats. Decided A/C and a pool sounded pretty good @ Banyan, especially after everyone only had a few hrs sleep the night before.
Next Morn. Tanks were filled and the decision, after hearing some great reports, was to head down and check out Anson bay. Left in the dark and made it to Anson 1 by around 8am. About half a dozen boats there already. 2nd cast 90cm thready, couple more casts another, then anther. must have landed 20 between the two of us. Boat just in the mouth was getting a few good size Baz but everyone else was just monstering big threadies. The tide was dropping so the decision was made to try a Troll @ Redcliff but no luck. Headed up one of the other creeks for the low tide (lock in). Found a nice junction but the water was hot (37-38 deg). First 10 casts equated to 3 dropped fish in the 70-80 region. Spooked 'em for a bit but they came back on the bite around an hr later. Plenty up to 70cm. Jono put on a small slick rig and couple casts later, rods buckled over, "good fish mate - better get the net ready" After a good fight, with sweat pouring of us and legs trembling, somehow he managed to wrangle her away from the snags, two misses with the net but 3rd times a charm, a big fat 96.
Next session was down at the creek mouth - fished a couple livies at the bottom of the tide. Sitting on the sandy bank under the trees - it was a well needed rest and re-energised for the arvo incoming tide. Converted about 10 livies into 4 baz and 1 monster stingray. Tide started to rise and we pushed the boat off the sandbank and moved over to the last snag. Big B52 again – cast, cast and then cast again. Bait was coming in their thousands. Noticed a school holding up on the shallow side of the sangs. Put my lure right in the middle and one turn of the handle - i'm on. Got 3 in 3 casts pulled at least a dozen to 73. Went quiet for a bit so with left the other boat at the mouth and headed back up the junction. Looked rubbish, too much water so screamed back down the mouth. Best decision we made. Jono put on this monstrous strada and 3rd cast it got murdered. Some nice big jumps and everyone could tell it was a big girl. a 10 min battle ended with her sliding into the net and the loudest cheers and hollars that could have probably been heard back in Darwin. Put her on the lie detector (brag matt) 101! Jono’s 1st metery and 1st one on my boat, Cheering. Slept that night in the creek (well tried to), I got 3hrs, Jono got none. The mosquito hotel was buzzing and not only from the days events but from 3 million of our new friends ☹ Next morn flicked the same mouth – Another good session – lots of clean chrome specimens from the shallow water round the sand bar. Tried our luck for some goldies at Wade rock to no avail. So headed back to meet up with the other guys before the tide got too low to get back into the creek. Back up the junction round midday. Damn hot – I was well into the red it at this stage. Got a few fish – other guys got a few 80’s and a 90. Same as the day before rest on the sandbar with livies for a few hrs then back to the mouth for primetime. Few 80’s landed but couldn’t find the elusive 1m+. Could see a huge storm rolling in so we tarped up and hid in the trees. Not the best feeling with lightning all around (1 strike 10m from us) on a boat with 250l of fuel under the deck. SCARY. Luckily it passed and we headed out the mouth to get away from the mosquitoes. 10mins after hitting the pillow I was out, until sunrise.
Looked as if the monsoon was coming back so group decision to head back that arvo. Not before checking out some new ground. Headed to a likely looking drain we spotted the day before – got a few 70’s for the esky. Tried to get a few threadies from No. 1 again but were too late and their wasn’t enough water. Continued back into the Daly. Found a few nice creeks flowing tannin – couple consolation prices 60’s then headed to Clear. 1 boat in the 1st junction but didn’t look that good too much water. Continued to on up, every creek we passed had more and more boats. ‘Til Lizzy empty. Stopped for some beautiful pork scotch fillets for lunch, bit of mustard on top – delicious. Got drenched by a passing storm and decided to call it. Back to Banyan for a shower, packup and head back to Darwin. Home by 830. One of my best trips.
Decky (Jono) changes over to the exact same lure as me and 10mins later lands a 75. Creek mouth was vacant so moved up caught 4 more legals and half a dozen rats. Decided A/C and a pool sounded pretty good @ Banyan, especially after everyone only had a few hrs sleep the night before.
Next Morn. Tanks were filled and the decision, after hearing some great reports, was to head down and check out Anson bay. Left in the dark and made it to Anson 1 by around 8am. About half a dozen boats there already. 2nd cast 90cm thready, couple more casts another, then anther. must have landed 20 between the two of us. Boat just in the mouth was getting a few good size Baz but everyone else was just monstering big threadies. The tide was dropping so the decision was made to try a Troll @ Redcliff but no luck. Headed up one of the other creeks for the low tide (lock in). Found a nice junction but the water was hot (37-38 deg). First 10 casts equated to 3 dropped fish in the 70-80 region. Spooked 'em for a bit but they came back on the bite around an hr later. Plenty up to 70cm. Jono put on a small slick rig and couple casts later, rods buckled over, "good fish mate - better get the net ready" After a good fight, with sweat pouring of us and legs trembling, somehow he managed to wrangle her away from the snags, two misses with the net but 3rd times a charm, a big fat 96.
Next session was down at the creek mouth - fished a couple livies at the bottom of the tide. Sitting on the sandy bank under the trees - it was a well needed rest and re-energised for the arvo incoming tide. Converted about 10 livies into 4 baz and 1 monster stingray. Tide started to rise and we pushed the boat off the sandbank and moved over to the last snag. Big B52 again – cast, cast and then cast again. Bait was coming in their thousands. Noticed a school holding up on the shallow side of the sangs. Put my lure right in the middle and one turn of the handle - i'm on. Got 3 in 3 casts pulled at least a dozen to 73. Went quiet for a bit so with left the other boat at the mouth and headed back up the junction. Looked rubbish, too much water so screamed back down the mouth. Best decision we made. Jono put on this monstrous strada and 3rd cast it got murdered. Some nice big jumps and everyone could tell it was a big girl. a 10 min battle ended with her sliding into the net and the loudest cheers and hollars that could have probably been heard back in Darwin. Put her on the lie detector (brag matt) 101! Jono’s 1st metery and 1st one on my boat, Cheering. Slept that night in the creek (well tried to), I got 3hrs, Jono got none. The mosquito hotel was buzzing and not only from the days events but from 3 million of our new friends ☹ Next morn flicked the same mouth – Another good session – lots of clean chrome specimens from the shallow water round the sand bar. Tried our luck for some goldies at Wade rock to no avail. So headed back to meet up with the other guys before the tide got too low to get back into the creek. Back up the junction round midday. Damn hot – I was well into the red it at this stage. Got a few fish – other guys got a few 80’s and a 90. Same as the day before rest on the sandbar with livies for a few hrs then back to the mouth for primetime. Few 80’s landed but couldn’t find the elusive 1m+. Could see a huge storm rolling in so we tarped up and hid in the trees. Not the best feeling with lightning all around (1 strike 10m from us) on a boat with 250l of fuel under the deck. SCARY. Luckily it passed and we headed out the mouth to get away from the mosquitoes. 10mins after hitting the pillow I was out, until sunrise.
Looked as if the monsoon was coming back so group decision to head back that arvo. Not before checking out some new ground. Headed to a likely looking drain we spotted the day before – got a few 70’s for the esky. Tried to get a few threadies from No. 1 again but were too late and their wasn’t enough water. Continued back into the Daly. Found a few nice creeks flowing tannin – couple consolation prices 60’s then headed to Clear. 1 boat in the 1st junction but didn’t look that good too much water. Continued to on up, every creek we passed had more and more boats. ‘Til Lizzy empty. Stopped for some beautiful pork scotch fillets for lunch, bit of mustard on top – delicious. Got drenched by a passing storm and decided to call it. Back to Banyan for a shower, packup and head back to Darwin. Home by 830. One of my best trips.
