Ian Jacobi with a cracker mangrove jack that also decided to join the ‘bent’ brigade.
Chilling out at Cape York
C
H I L L I N G without the chill! That describes winter on Cape York well. Comfortable balmy weather, occasionally a bit windy, but still warm enough to go for a swim in the croc-
Trip to the Tip by DAVE DONALD
odile-free spots, such as Twin and Fruit Bat falls at the top of the Jardine River National Park.
Locals start reaching for their jumpers here once the minimum temperature gets below 20C, but that
A barramundi fell for the Bent Freakn Minnows! Ian was stoked with this well-conditioned fish. Page 66 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing July 2022
doesn’t happen very often… mainly before the sun comes up at the various camp sites along the Peninsula Development Rd. And the tracksuit bottoms usually come off before morning tea! It’s been a crazy wet season up this way. Weipa topped the rainfall totals with around 2.5m of liquid sunshine from early December to midMay. But the rain has been very patchy, with some areas remaining dry until late in the season. The PDR has been opened and closed more times than a fridge door at dinnertime, with a big burst along the east coast in early May flooding bridges and culverts from the Hann to the
Jardine River until mid-month. Early season travellers became trapped between r ivers, prompting several evacuations of stranded groups. One family who visited Portland Roads for the four-day Easter break were still there almost a month later. In the Weipa area, it’s been the best wet season I can remember, with rain falling steadily from late November to mid-May. The monsoon wind was rarely heavy and any cyclones fizzled out, so getting out on the water was a popular pastime. A prolonged wet optimises the breeding opportunities of important local species such as barramundi and queenfish.
continued P67
www.bnbfishing.com. au
