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Tully River Canoe Trip

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Tully River Canoe Trip.

After I had so much fun fishing the freshwater on the Murray, my good mate Chris Jones (Chris has asked me not to put in that he’s Mr Nice Guy as the blokes at the “Seafarm”have been on his case!) suggested we fish the Tully River at one of his secret spots (No 21!). We would be using his canoe as it was quite a big lagoon, I wasn’t to sure about fishing from a canoe but it sounded like fun.

We left real early Saturday morning and arrived just after sun-up, it looked great plenty of snags, rock bars and overhanging tree’s plus the Tarpon were working in the middle. ”Yeah Baby”! We launched the canoe with out any drama’s, well there was a bit of rocking from yours truly .The plan of attack was to work up stream and come down with the current, no complaints from me as Chris was doing most of the paddling!

I was using my red and white “Popper” and Chris a silver ”Micro-mullet’, as the water was crystal clear we could see all the action, which suited me. It wasn’t long before Chris had teased a small ‘Sooty” out of a snag, not much but at least it was a start. I pelted the “Popper” underneath some low branches and had the great buzz of seeing my lure hammered by a good size fish. A nice size “Sooty” was bought to the boat a quick pic and released.

From then on it got real slow, we saw plenty but they were very spooky in the clear water. We had drifted down to a large snag, as we came close I saw some real big Barra swim off spooked by the boat, now I was keen, one was a 1m plus fish! I suggested to Chris that we come back to this on the way back. We fished the rest of the lagoon for 0ne small “Sooty” and paddled back to the “Snag”.

I changed lures to something a bit bigger and would get down amongst the fish. First cast and “bang” I’m on, for a little while anyway dropped it! Second cast, on again and dropped it! Bloody hooks broke! I neglected to mention that by this time I was standing up in the canoe to fish but when the hooks gave I found my self horizontal in the canoe, breaking a stay at the same time. Chris had the good sense not to say anything but paddle for home, with an  “I’ll be back” from me.

Well true to my word I pestered Chris to go back but I had to wait a week or so as the opening of the Barra Season got in the way. Same deal, we left early in the morning arriving at secret spot 21 to find a little bit more water and not quite so clear, now this looked the goods! I had come prepared this time, grabbing a gold “Flatratz”out of the tackle box and a “Manns Stretch 5+” that fisherman extraordinaire, Dave ”Lumpy” Milson had sent down for me.

“Right mate, straight over to that snag that’s holding the Barra” I said. We paddled quietly over and it was every man for himself, I flicked the “Flatratz” out wide of the snag working it up to it when “Thud”I had hooked a train, no chance of doing anything it,

just straightened the split ring out and left me wondering! Serves me right should have checked the terminal gear out, why do lure makers persist in sending lures out with second rate gear on them. We pay enough for them as it is with out changing all the hooks and rings! Now I was left with just the “Manns” to fish with!

We let that snag settle down and fished the rest of the lagoon, the slightly darker water had the fish confidently biting on all the snags. Chris hooked into a nice” Jungle Perch “which gave him some hurry up on his light gear, unfortunately he dropped it at the boat, so no pic was taken but still a nice fish. I was fishing out wide having fun catching and re-leasing “Tarpon”. Well, they were doing most of the releasing but it was fun watching the aerial antics. They really whacked the lure, most times before it had settled in the water, good stuff.

We had worked our way back to the snag that was the main objective, now I knew we had no chance with the big fella, he was away sulking but one of the smaller Barra would do me. I flicked that “Manns’ out before Chris had taken up his rod, ”no shame in my game” when it comes to fishing for Barra! The lure hit the surface and had hardly started to sink when it was monstered and before I could take up the slack it was out of the water! ”Nice Fish” says Chris ”better get that rod down”, ”Yeah, Yeah” says I. Not much hope of stopping it on a 4-6kg outfit but I put some pressure on anyway. Next second its turning the canoe around, I sat down rather suddenly, breaking the seat this time, to his credit Chris had all ready started to back paddle but to late she was in the snag. I was still losing line so I figured I had a chance, a bit of pump and wind and we saw some color, luckily she had only swum into some weeds which broke away allowing me to work the fish to the boat. A quick pic, a measure and a 70cm + Barra was released to fight another day. ”Yeah baby”!

By this time I was feeling a touch guilty and was doing most of the paddling. Chris had switched to a small gold ”Bomber” and was immediately rewarded by being hammered in a snag by a good-sized fish. His fish immediately ran for cover and tied itself around a branch, mumblings from Chris, I paddled in and Chris poked around with the rod tip in the snag, next minute all hell broke loose as the fish ripped out to the middle, with a bit of work it was at the boat, a really nice “Sooty” at about 1 ½ kilo’s maybe a touch more.

The sun was really up by now and the weather was a bit tropical so we decided to call it a day. For the 3hrs we worked the lagoon we were rewarded with 15 fish, mostly “Sootys” with Tarpon, Jungle Perch and a nice Barra making up the total. I can tell you it doesn’t get much better than that!

Jim (Jimbo) Lee  -  www.un-reel-sportsfishing-adventures.com.au