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.
I am still serving my apprenticeship when it comes to catching barra both on fly and on the dark side but slowly I am getting a handle on these incredibly iconic fish and Awoonga as an iconic fishery.
This fly has been designed to have an obvious bait fish profile and is my ‘goto’ fly when targeting sighted big ambush predators or pelagics or when prospecting for the same predators around structure. This is a big fly with the #4/0 version being 11.5 cm long but because it’s unweighted it’s relatively easy to cast.
The set up of the jig hook and extension puts the tow point 15mm back along the fly so that a medium to fast strip will cause the fly to dart off in different directions much like wounded or fleeing fish. The 15mm of 8mm diameter closed cell foam tube above the hook eye give the fly neutral buoyancy so then when you pause the lure it basically suspends at or close to the level it was being retrieved giving predators time to attack.
I fish these lightly weighted “slow rollers” on an intermediate or fast sink lines and a 30lb Maxima Ultra Green leader of about rod length. If you can see fish holding amongst timber put in a good cast beyond the timber and then count your line down and then work repetitive slow roly poly retrieves through the area.
This is a variation of my very successful articulated swimmer and is my alternative goto fly when targeting barra in the relatively static water of Lake Awoonga and other barra impoundments. It can be fished on any line but my preference is a clear intermediate line. Retrieved with a slow roly poly or a long draw the fly has a nice shoulder role from side to side.
This bigger pregnant prawn fly is one of my goto flies here in Central Queensland estuary waters. I often fish it when targeting barra, grunter, jacks and flathead in estuary and harbour waters but it’s not unusual to hook up on queenfish, travally or other fish that eat prawns.
This is a fly which I developed progressively over the period from 2012 to 2015 to fill a gap in my arsenal of flies to target barramundi around Gladstone. As it turns out these flies are also great for other salt water species including mackerel, GT’s, queenfish and golden trevally.
Basically a mutant version of the quintessential fresh water trout streamer fly the Woolly Bugger this fly has and articulated shank and a down bib that gives the fly plenty of movement. One of my favourite prospecting flies that can be fished on any type of fly line. It is slowly building a reputation of being a great prospecting fly in both fresh water impoundments and estuary fisheries. Put in a good cast and work through a range of retrieves until you find what’s working on the day.
This fly is a down bib version of my ‘articulated swimmer’ range of flies and adopts the “sunburst colours” of a number of popular barramundi lures. Like those lures this fly comes into its own when fishing water that is tannin stained or carrying a lot of sediment.
