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Borroloola, which lies deep in the Northern Territory's Gulf region, is the launching place for some very hot and fast fishing action for the visiting angler. It was with some degree of excitement and anticipation that Des Donovan, myself and three others set out for a return trip to this unique area of Australia's outback for the 1992 Easter Borroloola Barra Classic.
It is 3,600 km from our home base at Colac in Victoria's Western District, and for the benefit of other anglers we knew would surely wish to travel the same route, accurate records of fuel costs and availability were kept. There are ample fuel stops for both LPG and petrol all the way up to the Centre, with the price increasing the further inland you go and up towards the Top End.
As an example of the expected cost associated with such a trip, the following figures may be of some help to anyone contemplating a trip to this region of the territory. All up, the cost for fuel for both the car and the boat was $ 950. This cost was made up of 6500 km travelled on LPG and 900 km travelled on petrol. Boat fuel usage was approximately 30 L per day, per boat on the river fishing section. If a couple of anglers club together to share the expenses, then a fairly cheap trip can be enjoyed.
The vehicle that we chose to travel in was a Falcon Fairmont Sedan fitted with LPG and air conditioning, the latter proving invaluable as the temperature climbed the further north we went. We had left Victoria's autumn with temperatures of 20-25 degrees C, and as we travelled up the temperature climbed to the mid to high 30s. To us, this heat was very 'moist'.
The road surface is excellent all the way and is fully sealed and except for a short section from the town of Borroloola to the camp site on the McArthur River there is no need to leave the bitumen at all. A conventional vehicle is all that is required to fish this fabulous area of Australia, and unless you intend to go well off the beaten track a 4WD vehicle is not required.
Some forward planning is essential of course, to make the trip both comfortable and successful. For this trip we chose to take a DeHavilland 3.8 m car topper carried inside a 5 m fibreglass boat so we could cover all fishing options in both the river system and out around the islands.
A good mosquito net and an adequate supply of Rid is essential due to the fact that at this time of the year the wet season is just finishing and all the swamps and water-holes are full of water, and insect life is very active. Some of the new Gazebo style tents with sewn in floors and roof with all four walls constructed of fly and insect proof mesh are ideal for those who wish to camp on the river. We also carried 20 L of fresh water with us on the trip for both emergency drinking water or in case of a radiator leak. Sleeping bags are not an essential item for camping at this time of year, as the temperature at night stays around 30 degrees C. This time around, we took with us a small suitcase-type generator and two small electric fans which proved invaluable at night in the tents and enabled us to have a good night's rest. A large tarp is a useful item to have with you as this can be stretched out between trees providing a useful shade area. Do not forget to pack a good hat and ample supply of sunscreen, because the intensity of the sun is a lot stronger than we are accustomed to down South.
As far as food goes, we found that unless you are equipped with a good portable freezer it is far easier to buy what you require at Borroloola on a day to day basis.
Our fishing tackle for this trip consisted of two outfits each. Des elected to take a 1 kg and 4 kg outfit. while I chose to take a 2 kg and 4 kg rig. This may seem to be a bit undergunned for the area we were to fish, but as we intended to concentrate mainly on the river/estuary system we found them satisfactory.
We took the usual supply of lures comprising mainly minnow type, both floating and deep diving, spearheads and rattlers were also amongst our selection. What we found on previous visits and again this trip was that the price of lures in Borroloola was comparable, and in fact in some instances, cheaper than we could buy them in Victoria. There was an added advantage about buying at Borroloola in that we could check with the locals as to which lures were the most effective at the time.
The township of Borroloola has changed over the last few years as there are now several stores that have outlets for food, fuel and ice. The local hotel (which has been recently remodelled) is the cultural centre and local meeting place. The stores are all well stocked with all your requirements but as is to be expected, you will have to pay a little extra for them as they have to be freighted in from Darwin and Mt. Isa. We found that the Malahdari store was the most convenient for our use, but that is not to say that other stores are not as good.
The locals are typical Territorians, being both unhurried and friendly and always ready to offer useful advice. Of course, courtesy should be used ? and a beer or two offered for this useful information.
For visitors who may not wish to camp-out, there are several options available to them. The hotel has several air conditioned units to let, there is also a fully equipped caravan park and holiday village. Both offer a good standard of accommodation.
For those set up for camping, then the place to camp is on the McArthur River at King Ash Bay. This is also the headquarters of the Borroloola Boat and Fishing Club and the site of the Annual fishing classic, which is run over Easter.
I would strongly advise anyone camping to join the local fishing club for $20 a year. Membership in the club allows you to use all the facilities, including showers, toilets and other conveniences.
We were greeted with both open friendship and people who would go out of their way to help us in any possible way. One of the executive members of the Club, Chris Andrews, as most residents have done was captivated by the area and has decided to stay. Chris can be contacted by phone on (089) 75 8736 ah, or Peter Fittock of Crockspot Tours on (089) 75 8721. Peter also runs fishing charters on both the river and around the islands for anyone wishing to avail themselves of this service.
Chris is willing to answer any queries by visitors intending to visit this area and it is a wise move to spend a few dollars before your departure to check on the conditions at the time.
Fishing in the area can be categorised into two distinct areas ? and I will attempt to deal with them as such.
River and Estuarine System:
From the boat ramp at King Ash Bay, which is now a splendid concrete affair, it is approximately 35 km to the waters of the gulf travelling either the McArthur or Carrington Rivers (see map). Care must be taken if you venture down either the Carrington River or Batten Creek as both have rock and sand bars in them. It is important for the first time visitor to be aware that there is a large variation in tidal depth, even 35 km upstream, and care must be taken when exploring some of the smaller arms and creeks that you don't become stranded by the rapidly falling water level. It is in this situation where a flat bottomed boat is ideal. On our previous visit to these waters we fished lures only and the results were excellent, with the next fish to strike the lure being anything from a gill flaring jumping barra to a lure crashing jack or a queenie.
The variation of fish that is available in the river system never ceases to amaze me ! In fact, we have landed upwards of 15-20 species in this river. The main species taken is the barra, and while these have not been monsters they have averaged 4-8 kg. Mangrove jack, fingermark bream, queenfish, turrum bream cod, threadfin salmon and of course the ever present catfish are species that are regularly captured in the river system. A small boat of 12-14' with an outboard of 15-20 hp is all that is required to regularly catch all these tropical speedsters. It has been our observation that we only really hit a hot session when there is a marked tidal movement, in either direction, but our preference was always to fish on the rising tide as this seems to get all the baitfish moving into the mangrove creeks.
It is during these times that the predatory fish, such as barra and jack, can be seen crashing into the schools of baitfish with great veracity. Our tactic which has proved to be successful in this situation is to slow troll a small Rebel lure as quietly as possible in this area, as we found that any rattle or noise in the outboard would result in no strike for the offered lures. During our visit in April, our 15 hp outboard would not idle well and was very noisy at troll speed, so our first day out was a non-event, with very few fish taken.
Following a change of motor to a smoother running 10 hp, our success rate changed immediately and barra were once again falling to our trolled lures. We had outstanding success using the small 10 cm Rebel in a bright pink/shade ? the only trouble being that as the lures had small hooks, several fish threw the lures during aerial displays. Changing to different hooks altered the lure's action and the strike rate was reduced dramatically.
Our best spots for barra always seemed to be tucked in tight beside the mangroves in the last 3-4 km from the river mouth, right up to the mouth. Choice of tackle is a personal thing, but a good reel and matching 3-6 kg line would be all that is needed to handle the majority of fish encountered. A short trace of 15-20 kg is also advisable.
During this visit the annual run of prawns was in full swing and a few casts with a cast net resulted in an abundant supply of prawns for our bait fish episode in one of the many channels that run off the main river. We would, of course, have had a lot more prawns if we could have mastered the art of those baffling cast nets!
With a supply of bait we headed up a likely looking channel for 4-5 kg and just drifted along with live prawns on unweighted line out the side.
The results can only be described as fantastic. Mangrove jack, fingermark bream, big stud picky bream, grunters, tarpon, cod and off course catfish were all encountered on bait, and it was non-stop action from start to finish. It was well worth the time to spend a few hours exploring the creeks and runs, with bait as well as lures. The barra seem to have preference for small baitfish 10-15 cm long in these small creeks.
One thing that must be stressed is to be sure to have plenty of fluid with you to drink, as the amount you lose during a day's fishing is hard to believe ? and lost fluids must be replaced to prevent dehydration.
The Sir Edward Fellow Group Of Islands:
This group of islands provided us with some of the hottest, fastest action that I have encountered for a long time and it has no equal in or out of southern waters. I was fortunate to be able to enlist Neville Andrews to take us on a tour of the Islands, and to show us just what the Gulf had to offer. Access to these islands is best via the McCarther River.
After an early start from the boat club we ventured downstream to the mouth of the McArthur River, and out into the gulf. The water here is shallow and care must be taken that you stay within the channels (which are well marked). Once clear of the shallows it was up and away towards Centre Island. During the trip to the Island we were rewarded with several Dugong playing in the warm water, which was an unbelievable 94 degrees F.
Centre Island is the site of a weather station, monitoring wind speed, temperature, cloud formation, etc., for the Mt. Isa mines. The station is manned by a jovial and friendly person, Keith. Keith would have to have one of the most enviable jobs in the Territory, with a fantastic view, ideal fishing and lots of visitors to his abode. If you visit this area, call in for a chat and I feel sure you will be rewarded with his sense of humour ? but don't touch his pet fish near the house.
After a quick look around Centre Island we set forth for North Island and a mass of birds that could be seen working a school of baitfish. What we found when we arrived was a sight that to us was almost unbelievable: a school of Queenfish in the 3-5 kg range passed under the boat and started to work a pod of bait. Lures were soon rigged and over the side and after'a quick circle of the school we started our troll. Queen's were soon fighting over the lures and the result was a double hookup and total mayhem as Des and I tried valiantly to keep the fish apart, my fish threw the lure though I only had a couple of turns of the reel and I was on again, finally we were able to subdue our quarry and two queenies Df 3 kg and 4 kg were bled and dispatched to the ice box. After several more fish were accounted for and some lost to the reef sharks we set forth to the top of North Island for a spot of bottom fishing.
Our first attempt resulted in turrum and more queenfish. Further on we again anchored and the resulting captures were outstanding, mangrove jacks to 2,5 kg and large coral trout were taken with every bait offered. Spotted cod and more queenfish were also present.
For the more adventurous angler, camping is permissible on North Island at an area known as Paradise Beach. This offers lishos' the opportunity to fish these waters for a few days without the necessity to travel the long haul from the river each day. Care must be taken as to where you camp on the island as a large part of the group have been classified as Aboriginal Sacred Sites and as such access is restricted.
It is wise to check with the locals before hand and heed their advice as to where you should set up camp as the situation is always subject to change.
Borroloola Fishing Classic:
The classic is now run each year over the Easter weekend and offers visitors a chance to participate in a very well run and friendly competition, with many classes of fish and categories to enter. This year's classic was no exception with some excellent captures recorded in all categories. We were fortunate to win the Gamefishing section when Des Donovan landed a 3.8 kg barra on 1 kg line, and a threadfin Salmon also taken on 1 kg.
The facilities set up by the best club are excellent and the advantage of showers onsite save th 90 km round trip back to town. Meals are available on all comp days for a small charge and the bar is open virtually all hours of the day and night as it is the norm that more fish are caught and lost here than in the boat.
Classic 1992:
Barramundi ? open
M. Warendor 13.2 kg
Barramundi ? junior
Tracey Mawson 5.6 kg
Jew fish ? open
Tim Zannes 20.8 kg
Cod ? open
Helen Barnes 8.7 kg
Salmon ? open
.... Dave Chamberlain .... 3.9 kg Queen fish ? open
Geoff Smith 6.8 kg
Mangrove jack ? open
K. Gearo 1.8 kg
Snapper ? open
Tony Wynn 3.2 kg
Shark ? open
H. Klaassen 13.2 kg
Shark ? junior
Leonora Fry 7.5 kg
Bream ? open
Des Shadforth 1.8 kg
Largest Other: Golden trevally
H. Klaassen 6.4 kg
Barramundi ? ladies
T. Mawson 4.4 kg
Jew fish ? junior
Scott Zannes 4.6 kg
Game Fishing
Des Donovan 490 pts
Total entry comprised 247 anglers from all states except Tasmania.
All that remains to be said is that I can recommend this area of Australia's vast fishing scene to anyone with the time to travel there, and I am sure that they will be as impressed with the area as we have been. In fact it has become some what of a compulsion for us to return there to renew friendships and tangle again with those Tropical speedsters.
Footnote: One area of concern from my own personal point of view which is also supported by some local residents is the issue of professional fishing in the region both for barra and mud crabs. While I am not against professional fishing as they have to try and make a living as well, I would think that the value of the tourist dollar to the territory would far exceed that of the professional barra dollars. Granted, pro-fishing has been restricted in some areas, I still feel that greater control and possible government buy back of licences would be beneficial as it would be unrealistic to expect those with vast amounts of money invested to wish to surrender their licence without adequate compensation. Far more damage is done to the fish stocks in this area by professional crabbers than barra netters, as there are some 200 pot licences valid in the region and with an average of half a kilo of fresh fish in each pot per day, for the whole year this amounts to an awful lot of juvenile fish stocks that are committed to crab bait each year (approx. 40-50 tonne). It has been said, but I can not say as fact, that a lot of these juveniles that are netted for bait comprise a fair percentage of both barra and salmon and if in fact this is the case it is easy to see why the availability of adults of both species can be very quickly reduced, and without suitable fishing being available in a given area tourists will not come in the same number and the viability of several tours would soon suffer.
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