[map state=”QLD”] Mast head and other off shore reefs Rundle Island (top of Curtis Island) Facing island reefs including Perl Rocks and Sable Chief Jenny Lind and Seal rocks Channel markers Gear options: 1) General fishing: 15/50 with 30lb braid, 50 flouro and a #4 fastatch clip. This can fish for “big fish” (particularly, barra … Read more
To enjoy and be successful in the task of catching big fish on fly a good starting point is to have the right back up gear, fly fishing gear and tools on hand. So here is my “check list” of the items I think you need on hand when targeting big fish on fly.
One of the most important things I learned in my competition fishing career was the importance of not forgetting to have items on hand that I needed in a competition session.
I developed this fly to fish both the snaggy rock and coral waters but more recently have found a place for it when fishing the open blue waters and estuary waters of Central Queensland.
Even for pelagics such as tuna, mackerel, queenfish & trevally matching the hatch is often critical to success. This fly is my version of a hardy head which is one of the baitfish that particularly tuna and queenfish target in Central Queensland but because of its form and function it’s also a good representation of some other small baitfish that these hunters target.
Depending on the water depth this fly can be fished on a floating or fast sink lines but my preference is to stick with a clear intermediate line with a rod length leader and a slow twitchy retrieve with various length pauses.
These flies are a great standby for when big queenfish, GT’s and goldens, that are either hunting on sand flats or are attacking blue-water bait fish , shun more natural coloured offerings and yet get turned onto chartreuse coloured flies.
This is the biggest pregnant prawn fly that I tie and is one of my goto flies here in Central Queensland when targeting barramundi in estuary and harbor waters. It’s not unusual to hook up on queenfish, travally, flathead or other species that eat prawns.
It doesn’t matter which of the larger CQ species your fishing for … at 13cm long and with a great swimming action more often than not my articulated bugger in Qantas colours is my goto fly.
This fly is designed as a bait to jig along the muddy and sandy bottom of local rivers and estuary bays when targeting fingermark, grunter and and flathead in particular.
