Glorious rain is flowing throughout Cape York

CAPE YORK Tim O’Reilly

wildrivercompany@gmail.com

The heavens have shone through in 2023, not with sunshine but copious amounts of rain. Glorious precipitation throughout Cape York. It will be a battle to the end who wins the golden gum boot and April may well be the month that clinches it. Remember a cyclone up until mid-April is still very much a possibility and access can realistically be challenging until June in extreme cases.

The fishing in normally superb in April. Besides being a month of lush green and fresh water charged rivers, it is also a time of abundance for all wildlife including fish. Traditionally, Aboriginal tribes throughout the Cape would be well and truly emerging from their wet season slumber and once again traipsing the full extent of their territory.

Coastal groups would relish the chance to roam freely with less stingers, less and the coastal flats would be back on the cards. Game of all sorts will be thriving and this includes molluscs and crustaceans which would have sustained many saltwater people. Birdlife would be abundant flats, meaning low tides can still produce huge variations in water levels. It takes years to get your head around catching fish in a spot which spends 4 hours of each day completely high and dry.

Remember the transition winds (Sou-east and easterly), the offshore brigade will have their options open and shut depending on the alignment of high-pressure systems further south. April is a transition period and pockets of calm conditions mozzies, less midges, less flooding and less chance of being nailed by a croc in murky water.

Hunting and gathering around swamps, billabongs and perhaps the greatest challenge would be the geographical spread of resources during this season of plenty. A fantastic attribute of Cape York is the connection to country and sea still in existence. April will be the month you start seeing more locals out and about doing their thing.

The Cape does not experience quite the same run-off as the Northern Territory, however the same of fish is what often produces the hottest bite and never more so then this time of year. Instead of being holed-up as is often the case during the dry (July-Nov), fish will be out actively hunting and moving around in search of easy prey. Water temperatures will still be warm right up until the first cool southerly change, which normally occurs somewhere in May. Barramundi fishers will be utilising this movement of predator and might still be expected. Over on the West Coast, a pattern of extraordinarily settled conditions commence and carry through for the next six months.

Most of the charter operations in Cape York will be in full swing by April. A small handful braving the eastern coastline and a few extra over on the West Coast. Although the pelagic fishing for bluewater speedsters might be a little slow, April principles apply. Without the larger tidal ranges, that boom and bust drain and run-off fishing is a little more limited. However, the Cape is largely a shallow series of bays and coastal prey to target their quarry, often in shallow water.

On the East coast of the Cape, April should provide a great diversity of fishing options. Depending on the commencement of trade should provide a fantastic cross section for travellers wishing to try their hand at everything from crabbing to spear fishing to chasing the iconic barramundi of Cape York.