IN THE SALT FLY FISHING - ISSUE 11 by In The Salt Fly Mag

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ISSUE#11 // SPRING ‘19

Glorious Bastards CHRISTIAAN PRETORIUS

NEW ENGLAND STRIPERS JENNY TATES

NOT A TRIGGER Mickey “Finn” Shanahan

PALM BAY RESORT LONG ISLAND, THE WHITSUNDAYS

A L S O I N C L UDE D / / TIE ‘N FLY B OX // STU FF Y OU N EED

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ELEVE 12. NEW ENGLAND STRIPERS JENNY TATES

42. GLORIOUS BASTARDS CHRISTIAAN PRETORIUS

66. SPECIES SPOTLIGHT THE COLLECTION

24. NOT A TRIGGER MICKEY “FINN” SHANAHAN

56. THE TIE ‘N FLY BOX THE GIANT KILLER

71. STUFF YOU NEED FLY FISHING GOODIES

Fourway hook ups? NO WORRIES MATE! Photo: Al Simson

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72. PALM BAY RESORT LONG ISLAND, THE WHITSUNDAYS

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The calculating eye of a Blubber Lip Bream a.k.a Mud Emperor or Harry Hotlips Photo: Chris Bygrave

THE ED JUSTIN WEBBER THE ADS JUSTIN WEBBER THE EYE JUSTIN WEBBER THE WORDS JUSTIN WEBBER DAN CALLISON CONTRIBUTORS MICKEY “FINN” SHANAHAN CHRISTIAAN PRETORIUS JENNY TATES DEBORAH PLATZ GAVIN PLATZ DR. JULIAN PEPPERELL PHOTOGRAPHY AL SIMSON MICKEY “FINN” SHANAHAN CHRISTIAAN PRETORIUS CHRIS BYGRAVE

A tail of two fishies! Photo: Al Simson

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info@inthesaltflymag.com.au www.inthesaltflymag.com.au

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ISSUE #11

IN THE SALT

FLY FISHING MAGAZINE LUCKY LEGS ELEVEN Some say the number 11 is lucky...we agree! However, we are not here to talk about our luck. We are here to bring you the epic adventures and “luck” our band of superbly talented contributors have had over the past few months. I’m sure you’ve all heard of the award winning film, “Glorious Bastards” by Capt Jack Productions, well here is the play by play story told by none other than Christiaan Pretorius. We jet across the oceans to join Jenny Tates as she takes us on a Striped Bass adventure in some of her local waters off New England. Mickey “Finn” Shanahan gives us the down low on some insane Trigger fishing they had on a recent trip to Christmas Island. Gavin Platz gives us the step by step tie for the legendry fly patterns aptly named “Giant Killers” by Bill Catherwood.

Whitsundays called Palm Bay Resort and ofcourse much more! As always, thank you for reading our publication we hope you enjoy it as much as we do. Thank you to all our incredible contributors without which none of this would be possible. Thanks also to all our advertisers, new and old, we are super stoked to have you all on board and look forward to continuing this journey together. Please sit back, relax and enjoy this issue of IN THE SALT a fly fishing magazine dedicated to saltwater fly fishing and travel. Our amazing cover shot is of one of the many “Glorious Bastards” caught by the very talented Christiaan Pretorius in The Wessels while shooting for the award winning film Glorious Bastards.

Our species spotlight this issue recounts all the great scientific info on all our beloved fish that Dr. Julian Pepperell has given us over the past 10 issues. We also have a review on a great DIY desitnation in the

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NEW ENGLAND

STRIPERS IN THE SUMMER MONTHS, YOU CAN FIND STRIPED BASS, “STRIPERS,” HOLDING IN NEW ENGLAND WATERS. I COULDN’T AGREE MORE - THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE NEW ENGLAND IN THE SUMMERTIME.

Words and photos by Jenny Tates

I N T H E S A LT Stripers are originally native to the East Coast. Between its beautiful rocky coastline and its abundance of food resources, Stripers thrive in this environment. The summer and fall migration is something I look forward to every year as these fish move up and down the coastline in search of warmer waters. The ideal water temp for Stripers is somewhere between 55 - 68 degrees. Their feeding habits are based largely upon tidal patterns. Very rarely will you find them feeding during slack tide. They love moving water, sunrise, and sunset which makes fly fishing for this species so beautiful. There’s nothing like catching a stunning sunrise and a blitz of crashing Striped Bass all at the same time. Most of these fish found in a blitz are somewhere between 5-8 lbs, known as “schoolies” (though this nickname can be pretty misleading). Even a schoolie will give you a few solid runs with their speed and strength before tiring out. Stripers are an extremely durable fish and one of the coolest species to target on the fly.

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WHAT TO LOOK FOR:

THE SET UP:

Whether fly fishing from the shore or a boat, there are many different ways to target Striped Bass on the fly. My personal favourite is the surface feed. When on the hunt for Stripers, I’m constantly scanning the horizon for birds that are “working,” meaning diving in numbers for bait fish. This is a perfect indication that Stripers are feeding below. Laying out your fly line on a perfectly timed boil is a sure way to get adrenaline going and the heart rate pumping. When it comes to surface feeds, Stripers are not particularly picky with fly selection. They’ll eat just about anything that’s presented properly, though I do have a few favourite fly patterns of my own: the classic chartreuse clouser, purple & black peanut bunker, and lastly a white hallow fly. Tried-and-true patterns for success from my experience.

Having the right set up when targeting Striped Bass on the fly is key for success. Depending on the circumstance, a 9ft length for a #8, #9, or #10WT will do the trick. Because these fish vary greatly in size from 5lbs to over 20lbs, each size rod is applicable for different scenarios. If you’re going for trophy Stripers, size up to a #10WT. These rods are built for heavier line and larger flies.

“I believe the journey is just as important as the fish we find. “

Line selection is also dependent on a case by case scenario. For instance, if you’re fishing 20-30ft deep, sinking line is the best option. I generally use sinking line to get down faster in search of the bigger boys and girls cruising in deeper waters. If you’re sight fishing in 1-2ft of water, use floating line all day. In general, Stripers are not leader shy so a 9ft leader works just fine. Though I caution you if you are sight fishing on the flats, add a length of tippet to your leader.

I N T H E S A LT THE DOUBLE HALL & RETRIEVE: Efficiency of the double hall is extremely important to learn when it comes to fly fishing on the open ocean. Between the ocean swell, winds, and fast moving fish, the double hall is essential. This technique of casting helps anglers punch through wind, turn over a heavier fly, and ultimately reach fish at a far distance with accuracy. In terms of the retrieve, Stripers have a tendency to like a fast six inch strip. I also swear by “the pause” technique. Next time your stripping in the fly, throw in a pause before speeding back up. Your line will get tight on the hesitation. A common mistake is the inevitable trout set. The proper way to set the hook on a Striper is with a strip set. A strip set is done by tugging the line towards you when you feel the fish take.

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was contagious. It was a combination of spending time with my dad, beautiful Mother Ocean, and the excitement when we caught something that hooked me. To this day, watching Striped Bass hit the surface in abundance are some of my favourite times on the water. This early passion for fishing was the foundation for starting a women’s fly fishing company, FlyandFlow, in an effort to connect and encourage more women to get on the water and tap into fly fishing. I host specific fly fishing trips for women to various remote destinations around the world for all levels of female anglers. Nothing makes me happier than seeing these ladies’ lines get tight and sharing in the joy. I believe the journey is just as important as the fish we find. Tight lines,

Fly fishing for Striped Bass has been a long time passion of mine. As a kid I can remember watching surface feeds while out on the water with my father and being in complete awe. His passion for fly fishing

Jenny

The Essentia

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al protection you must have.

Visit www.d--ector.com.au 03 9553 4206 19

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Stalking the edges of a typical Wessels Island rock ledge. Photo: Christiaan Pretorius

A superb Cobia on the fly! Photo: Al Simson

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E T IT F T U O G IN H IS F Y L F R E T A W T L A S T IS L IA C E P S Y AUSTRALIA S ONL ‘

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NOT A

TRIGGER M I C K E Y F I N N TA K E S U S O N H I S A R D U O S JOURNEY TO DIALING INTO ONE OF THE M O ST E N I G M AT I C F L AT S F I S H W E TA R G E T, T H E T R I G G E R F I S H .

Words & photos by Mickey “Finn” Shanahan

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Hooks snapped clean in half, shredded leaders and snapped fly lines; these are just a few of the delights of chasing Triggerfish. It can be a struggle targeting these fish but after finding them, watching them and eventually catching them, you’ll come to appreciate Triggers as one of the foremost targets on the flats.

I’ve spent two trips chasing these ‘Pixar Character Fish’, but I’ve become beyond mildly obsessed with them. Triggers are enigmatic, they not only fall into that rare class of fish that have an awesome reputation as a species, but every individual Trigger seems to have its own character as well, making them doubly challenging and addictive. My first experience with Triggers was a fantastic introduction and also set me up for another challenge. My most recent trip was an awesome opportunity not only for myself, but to share the experience of understanding these fish with a great group of fly fisherman. We learnt a lot of lessons together and in the end we had plenty of success following a hunting pattern that worked well. It was fantastic helping a few excellent anglers achieve their goals on this last trip and as a bonus I got to fulfill my objectives as well. One of the best things about Triggerfish is that they are a wonderful ‘infinity fish’, once you think you have them figured out, they turn around and challenge you again. Firstly though, what’s a Trigger and where do you find them? My Trigger experiences so far have been on Christmas Island (Kiritimati, CXI) where there are four main species of Triggers to

target: Peach-Face, Yellow-Margin, Picasso and Moustache (Titan). The Peach-Face and Yellow-Margin species are probably the ones you’ll encounter most often. They look strikingly similar, the main difference being that one is slightly darker than the other. As far as I could tell these two species will feed in about the same way and live in the same areas, smaller ones in ‘Trigger-holes’ on the flat and the bigger ones off the edge of the flat in deeper coral. The Picasso species is the coolest looking of the whole family! Named because of their deep understanding and appreciation of Cubist art; they are also super aggressive and if they grew to more than about a shaka-length, the biggest I’ve seen, they’d be almost unstoppable. The Moustache (Titan if you’re from the Northern Hemisphere) are the big daddy brawlers of the coral reef and flats. You can see their tails waving about a kilometre and half away when a big one is really feeding. These are the main species of Triggerfish on CXI, however there are others distributed all through the tropics. One thing that all Triggers have in common though is that they’re basically dickheads; but like your best friend that can be a bit of a dick sometimes, you still love them anyway.

When I was introduced to Triggerfish, I stupidly thought they were nothing but a pumped-up leather-jacket, a rather plain and lame distant cousin in the Trigger family that I chased as a kid; but then again, I made a lot of assumptions on that trip. Firstly I thought I would simply spend my whole time on CXI chasing Bonefish and hoping for GT. I saw Triggers as a very secondary species. I also figured, as they were easy to see, that they’d be easy to catch. It took about two days for my plans to get completely turned around. Bonefish are fantastic, but once you get your eye in on them, especially smaller ones, they can become a little repetitive for guys like me (overly active weirdos). The GT’s roaming the island are definitely a viable target and we had some awesome shots and captures. However, Geets are best fished around very specific tide changes, so in between these tide changes while looking for greater catch variety, Triggers are the natural fallback. On the third day of my first trip I saw Josh “Hutcho” Hutchinson (the largest species of fly-fisherman in the southern hemisphere) cast to a trigger, watched it follow the fly for 15 feet, tail on the fly repeatedly, not eat it, go back to guarding it’s hole and then do the whole thing again.

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The second time it hooked up at Josh’s rod tip, I put down my #7WT and chased these fish almost exclusively for the rest of our trip. I worked hard and landed a handful but got busted off by a couple of big Peaches and one monster Moustache. I left wanting more; luckily, I knew I’d have the chance next year. Running annual hosted trips lets you build on experience and improve results; this was the case with my most recent trip to CXI. I was the host for six excellent anglers and all-around great guys. We got a chance to work together to come to a better understanding of these particular Triggerfish. Even though I thought this trip would kick off like Return of the Jedi, in reality it started off more like The Empire Strikes Back. It was a tough beat out of the gate on the Triggers. Although for the first couple of days our group was getting their Bonefish fix addressed, I always had my Trigger rod in hand just in case. In the first two days when we were primarily targeting Bones I spooked way too many Triggers and busted off two excellent big Peaches. I was essentially having a total shocker, putting more and more pressure on myself and not doing well at all. However, when a few of the other anglers in the group decided to switch over to Triggers our

prospects quickly changed. I went into guide mode for these fish and immediately slowed down. Showing the other guys these fish and how to catch them was the key to taking a step back and actually listening to my own advice instead of stomping off after the next Trigger after spooking the last one. After that it was like the moment Luke switches off his targeting computer and goes with The Force, I had ‘Hutcho’ like Obi Wan doing a voiceover, ‘wait for it to tail Mick… reach out with your feelings’. With me relaying the voices in my head to our group, we set off across the lagoon with new hope and our success rate went through the roof. First things first, there is a trick with Triggers (this is technically not a pun, alliteration is fine). Initially, you want to slow down, then slow down some more, then halve that speed. When it comes to Triggers if your stalking, positioning, casting or retrieving, you cannot move to slowly. Next, just watch them for a while. In general, Trigs are a big beautiful fish and not very hard to spot in the right conditions. When you do see a tail, a fish or a fishy shape, spend your time watching it. Triggers are not going anywhere in a massive hurry.

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I N T H E S A LT Watch the punk and see if it’s tailing, if it is tailing, you’ve got a feeding fish and a good shot at it. Triggers will generally feed up current, shifting position occasionally but usually coming back to an area that they either want to feed in, or that’s near their bolt-hole. Working together on our last trip Josh and I developed a bit of a game plan for the buggers, which isn’t anything that radical or new but good to keep in mind to calm yourself down when chasing that big tailing Moustache that you can clearly see 30 feet away. The boys on the last trip nicknamed it “Mickey Finn’s Trigger school” and they all graduated with advanced degrees. Each day on the flats once the tide was right, I’d take one of the guys out and purely focus on landing a Trigger. We’d move slowly, find a fish and then go through ‘the routine.’ Firstly, we’d watch the fish, Triggers will tail in a few different ways but basically if it’s head was down then it was cleared as a casting target. Then we’d pick the direction of the tidal curret, next we’d take our time to get into a position that would present a fly up-current of the fish, wait for it to tail again and present the fly right on the edge of the ‘spook zone.’ This zone would change magically for every fish but basically if it was deeper water and the fish was feeding really hard, we would cast close to the fish. If it was shallow water or not much current, we’d move the fly heaps further away. Then, let the fly sink, give it a moment, then wake it up with one short, sharp strip, then wait. If the fish played ball and the cast was good usually it would react to the fly, come over, and in the best case, just maul the fly. More often than not though this system would lead to a long drawn out retrieve, attempting to convince the fish to eat. One key to this retrieve was to slow the motion down. Most Triggers eat on a dead stop, not a moving fly, so stripping purely acts as a way to keep contact with the fly. The strike is often dictated by the fish’s attitude rather than feeling the distinct ‘pluck’ of a take. Triggers can notoriously destroy a fly without you ever feeling a thing, so along with line contact,

watching the fish closely is a must. Chances are if a fish tails so hard on your fly it falls over itself, it has it somewhere in its bone crushing jaws. We’d sort of ‘test-strip-strike’ six inches of line if we thought they had the fly and if there was weight, we’d follow through with the full arm length strip-set and hopefully hook up, if not we’d stop on that 6inch tester and let the fish come to the fly again, and again, and again, and again... The perfect example of how varied Triggers can be in their reactions came about when I was going through the program with Tim. By this point in the trip he’d already gotten a couple of Triggers but was keen to get a few more and maybe upsize. In one afternoon, he hooked six with me at his shoulder and landed the last two, both really nice Moustaches with one of them as his personal best. One Peach-face ganster that destroyed us really stood out from the rest. It was the third fish he hooked for that afternoon, the other two had a hook fall out and broke us on the reef respectively. This Peach we saw a mile away. It was tailing in shallow water over broken coral about 50 feet from the flat’s drop off. It was easily the hungriest and one of the biggest Triggers we’d seen all day. We moved into position between the drop off and the fish and got ready to cast. The first few casts were completely ignored. The fish either didn’t see them or just seemed so engrossed in what it was tailing on that it didn’t care. Tim cast closer and closer, nearly landing the last cast on the fishes head, which generally results in a spooked Trigger. However apparently that was all this fish needed, it immediately came to the fly and inhaled the crab. Tim ‘test struck’ and came up with no weight, so he proceeded to tease the fish which would occasionally lose interest and would need to be woken up with another short strip. This fish started about 50 feet away from us and ended up at our rod tip! We had to sneak backwards, duck into a crouch and almost crawl until we were basically going off the edge of the flat. Then to our surprise the Trigger gave up! It cruised back to its spot and started feeding again.

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So, we went through the whole process, THREE MORE TIMES! It was like Tim had this Trigger on a leash and it would do everything but eat. On the fifth presentation/ follow cycle we were about to give up (as we really were falling off the flat in chest deep water at this point) when the fish just snapped! It was like it finally reached a breaking point and proceeded to whack Tim’s fly multiple times - we were so close we could see its jaw working. To Tim’s credit he stuck the hook like boss. The fish then tried to run off the reef, found us in the way and headed back onto the flat at a rapid rate of knots. We circumnavigated it, cut it off before it reached the opposite drop off and had it turned on the flat in clear country. By this point we were getting ready to leader it and then the hook fell out… not broken, just slightly blunted, we’d probably been hooked between a tooth and a hard place and got unlucky. In a lot of ways though we were actually very lucky. Just to get the eat after playing a cat and mouse game with a fish like that was awesome and a big part of the Trigger addiction; everything has to go right and you have to be just a little lucky. At this point I have to mention something serious, fighting a fish usually comes into an article as an add-on, a little fact box filled with quotes such as “it pulled like a horse.” If you try to put a big Trigger in a little box he will beat his way out of it and destroy everything you hold dear in the process. Give these fish no quarter. If you want to catch a big Trigger (or even a medium or small one to be honest) you need to be able to deal with a big Trigger. A Trigger fight can be a shock to the system, this is especially true after fighting Bonefish which is so often the case in CXI. Firstly, like your cast, have a plan. Where will she go? How will you stop her? Is your gear up to scratch? Dave was woken up to just how hard a fish can pull when he hooked his first Trigger, a good sized ‘Stash.’ This fish didn’t muck around, it just ate. The first cast was spot on and everything went well. I’d been walking Dave through what to do even before

we hooked this fish, when we did though he automatically kept his rod high and let it run, like you would a Bone. A few friendly encouragements later (more like screaming “give it to him Dave!”), and after the fish had cleared way too much line, Dave got it back under control with low butt-bending power strokes on the road. You want to throw a Trigger off balance, don’t let it go where it wants, you dictate the terms. Throw the first punch and everyone after that, never let it make a move first. Tuck the butt of your rod into your gut and bend it till something gives. Dave took this to heart and threw the fish off balance, unfortunately it came back at us so fast Dave couldn’t keep enough tension on the line. As soon as it gained slack it bolted for a Trigger hole. These ‘Trigger holes’ are pits on the flats, usually with a big piece of coral covering the top of the entrance. It takes a lot of luck and some gutsy work to get a Trigger out of their hole. But Dave kept pressure on the fish, and I got to work. Note: DO NOT PUT YOUR HAND DOWN A TRIGGER HOLE. At least if you value your fingers, grasp the leader and do your best to throw different pressure angles on the fish, then pull as hard as you can. Luckily this fish came out, Dave turned it a few more times and we landed it. His first and best for this trip! It was pretty awesome. You basically want to fight these fish so hard that the guides are worried for your rod. A #8WT or #9WT is ideal, you can get them on a #7WT but to be honest you want the pulling power in the butt that comes from a heavier rod. Tie on a 10-12ft leader of 25lb fluorocarbon and you’re in the game. These are one of the few fish I don’t end up running lighter and lighter leaders for the more I chase them, in fact I tend to go heavier in most cases. When you do start to catch a few Triggers try to keep it rolling. Once you start having success you start to develop the kind of sixth sense you need to be consistent with these fish. You begin to know by observing how the fish is moving or acting what you should do. The

best time to get a Trigger is right after landing your last one. Usually if there’s one feeding there will be more on that same tide. Don’t give up when you inevitably get busted off and spook a ton of fish, they will try to destroy your soul, but the rewards of perseverance outweigh the constant losses. A perfect example of this was Steve’s first Trigger. After a few days and lots of spooked fish, Steve was reaching breaking point, I could see it in his eyes, they we’re desperate, and I was worried... We had plenty of shots to start our arvo together and for one reason or another they just didn’t come off. It was much more akin to copping a terrible string of cards in a hi-stakes blackjack game then fishing, it was cruel luck. But like a gambler who’d lost everything and was just about to give up, Steve found a $20 note on the floor and bet on Peach. We saw a really perfect specimen feeding away happily in the middle of the flat and Steve put his Flexo (that he’d tied excellently) about two metres up current, this fish ran over to the fly and we both thought instant hook up, but instead it played the game. It followed right in untill his leader was well through the guides, hearts in our throats, about to smoke it, then it shuddered, looked like it spooked and took off… Steve’s resilience was legendary, instead of giving up he tracked that fish (which really did look spooked) led it with a short roll cast, and it MONSTERED the fly. It was one of the coolest eats I’d seen. I also wouldn’t recommend kissing a Trigger fish but Steve in this case could do anything he wanted to. He put in the time, effort and risked a mild mental breakdown, which made it so much more special. Just a quick word on flies. As far as pattern, colour, or type goes don’t worry that much. Weight is much more important. It’s best to have some reliable Trigger patterns - Itchy’s, various shrimps and crabs, especially Flexo’s - in a variety of sizes and weights. Importantly on weight, have plenty that are lighter, one set of medium brass eyes are the best all-rounder (for CXI) but have some even lighter and some heavier. There’s

always plenty of chat before a trip on hooks for Triggers. Triggers will bite through pretty much anything, including any hook on the market. You don’t need to be obsessed about having something tied on a ‘Trigger hook’ a good old SL12s is fine (and the best hook for flexo’s) and the heavier hooks are great too. You’re kidding yourself if you think that having a heavier hook will save your fly though. As far as I’m concerned any fish is worth a fly, and you should tie, buy or steal twice as many Trigger flies as Bonefish flies for any mixed species trip. Triggers just destroy things, there’s no way around it. One final note on flies, get Flexo’s, just do it, they’re like Trigger crack. We had an all-time trip on the Triggers and really ended up coming away feeling that we all achieved goals. We landed 15 for the group, and I got very lucky with both a big Peach and monster Moustache. Hopefully this helps Trigger something inside you, to start sorting out your Trigger-nometry equation, also I hope I haven’t Triggered any bad memories for anybody and if you want to put in an application for Mickey Finn’s Trigger school, Aussie Fly-Fisher is currently taking applications for our 2020 hosted trip, so why not pull the Trigger?

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The hunt, this crab is ready for action! Photo: Christiaan Pretorius

“I BELIEVE I CAN FLY” This Queenfish shows off its acrobatic skills. Photo: Al Simson

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Glorious

Bastards

“A J O U R N E Y T O T H E M I D D L E O F NOWHERE, WITH A BUNCH OF LEGENDS” WORDS & PHOTOS BY CHRISTIAAN PRETORIUS

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There are so many things that contribute to making a trip extra special and unique. For one, I am drawn to places that haven’t seen a lot of fishing pressure, places that are hard to access and that only the die-hards get to see. It’s the language barriers and the cultural differences that excite. Best of all is to share these experiences with good friends. All these things put together make a trip memorable and unforgettable. As you have noticed I haven’t even mentioned anything about fish, well in this case my friends, there were fish, of different shapes and sizes…. many of them.

This adventure started with a simple text message from a good dude Joshua Hutchins, who is an Australian friend in the fly-fishing industry. It was a simple message asking me if I’d be interested in forming part of a group to go and explore an island chain better known as “The Wessels.” This island chain is situated roughly 80 nautical miles northeast of the Northern Territory of Australia. The island group lies within the Arnhem Land Aboriginal Reserve and the islands have caves decorated with Aboriginal art, unpopulated beaches, endless flats and potentially fish that haven’t seen flies before. Before asking any more details, I replied with a simple text “absolutely.” As the conversation kept growing and Josh announced the team, I was even more excited. It was Jako Lucas, Keith Rose-Innes, Jason Laverty, Josh Hutchins, myself and an epic crew to take on this adventure. The idea of this trip was to go and explore the potential of this fishery and see if it would be commercially viable to start doing more trips up there with the focus on fly fishing and conservation. We were also planning on having camera gear with us to film this journey. In order for us to even set foot on this land, we would firstly ask the permission from one of the Aboriginal tribal leaders to set foot on his land, which in itself was a cool experience. Months became weeks, weeks became days and we were soon on our way to the land Down Under to meet up with the rest of the crew. For most of us it was the first time to visit Australia and excitement was an understatement. Even though we all spoke English, for the most part we could hardly ever understand what the Aussies were saying. There has always been great banter between the Aussies and South Africans and there was no shortage of that during this trip too. After a lengthy travel schedule, we made it to Gove where we would board the beautiful Phoenix One Mother ship. She would be home for us for the next week. I have been on a couple of mother ships and this one takes the cake for sure. The afternoon was spent getting all our gear set up, not only fly fishing gear but also camera equipment. We had an impressive arsenal of gear to make ready and the excitement was all over the place. After a “mean feed” at the local restaurant in the marina, we were all

ready for bed and to start the crossing to the Islands. At sunrise it was great to wake up to calm seas and the sight of a small island chain in the distance, we were less than two hours away from hopefully casting our flies at some willing fish. After a delicious breakfast, we were all fired up and ready to roll. We split up into three groups and off we went. On arrival at the first flat, before even getting wet, we were welcomed by the ever-beautiful sight of an Indo Pacific Permit swimming right by, as if to say, welcome. Well, let’s just say after that it was hard to grab the camera instead of the fly rod. The great thing with a group like this, is that we all knew what needed to be done in order for us to nail the film, but also have our fair share of rod time. The balance was great, and I do honestly love filming almost just as much as casting a fly. This time round, I was the lucky one with rod in hand, we all got our boots on and started wading off in the direction of some tailing Golden Trevally. The sight of golden tips of tails flashing at us in the morning golden glow, was a pretty spectacular sight. It didn’t take long before our first hookup, a beautiful Golden Trevally. Not a bad way to get the skunk off. Not long after we had our first shot at a Blue Bastard, a fish that was high on everyone’s bucket list. One of those fish that almost everyone looks forward to pursuing when going to Australia. Hence the name, they are bastards. We definitely underrated them to a large extent; they are super finicky, super strong and just bastards in all aspects really. Challenge accepted. I was lucky enough to get my first Bastard to hand on day one. These Bastards on the other hand threw Keith curve balls, busted leaders, chafed fly line in coral heads, you name it. Apart from the Bastards, the Permit also sparked everyone’s interest, they always do. If they don’t spark your interest, then we are probably not friends. Well, after our first day we were nothing short of blown away by not only the fishing, but the remoteness, the pristine environment and the endless flats to fish. We had shots at some amazing fish, and we capitalized on most. We were over the moon to get a couple of Blue Bastards and Permit to hand, enough reason for the cold beers to go down much faster when we reached our mother ship. Sharing stories of the day’s events is always a part of the excitement. For me, one of the highlights was when Jako casted a popper to a saltwater

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crocodile thinking it was a rather large shark. We have a saying as South Africans that when it moves, it sees a fly. Well, Jako took that saying to the next level. These trips are by no means a holiday, we have to work extra hard to get all the content we need in order to make a film. That also means making sure the camera gear is always charged, the lenses are clean, the drones are updated etc. Then there is dumping and processing all the content of each day, it’s not difficult to run out of time at the end of each day. In saying all that, we were in bed pretty early on day one, a much needed rest for sure. We fell into a pretty solid routine for the coming days and the best thing about this fishery was that there were so many flats to choose from. Every day felt fresh and exciting and revealed another treasure. By the end of day two, everyone had caught their Blue Bastards, not to mention many other firsts such as Queenfish and then also the Trachinotus Anak, which is part of the Per-

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mit family. The Anak was definitely high on my bucket list and on day two I managed my first one, stoked was an understatement. On this day, we got three Permit to hand, nothing short of a spectacular day. Unlike most other flats destinations where Bonefish are the bread and butter, here at the Wessels it’s Blue Bastards and Permit that become the go to. Then there was also the ever-elusive Tusk fish. They could have easily been part of the Bastard family, so much so that we never ended up landing one during our week. We saw some, hooked some, well I think you get the picture. All in all, I think the trip was a massive success and I cannot wait to get back out there in the near future. For those who have seen the film, it’s clear that amongst all the hard work to get it done, we had a ton of fun and the banter was never ending. The crew of the Phoenix One, managed by Waterline Charters, was nothing short of spectacular; they nailed all aspects of this trip and made it an extra memorable experience.

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As someone who makes a living from the fly fishing industry, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always exciting to see that there are still relatively untouched fisheries out there. There are fisheries that have not seen human pressure, fisheries that are clean and pristine. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s experiences like these that make me want to fight even harder to try and protect the ocean and make sure these fisheries stay the way they are.

The â&#x20AC;&#x153;Glorious Bastardâ&#x20AC;? in its natural environment. Photo: Christiaan Pretorius

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THE

FLY BOX FLIES BY

Gia nt K illers As tied by Capt. Gavin Platz A REAL LEGEND – BILL CATHERWOOD Bill Catherwood was one of the New England area’s originals of the saltwater fly tying scene. He had articles written about his innovative saltwater fly patterns as far back as the 1950’s. His series of Big Fly patterns were named the “Giant Killers “ because Bill found it very hard to get the right sized feathers & colours of feathers to tie his patterns so he started raising his own birds & dying his own feathers to get just the right colours for his “Giant Killers”. He even raised his own black-faced sheep, so he had the right wool to create his large patterns. He was infamous for bringing live roosters to fishing and outdoor shows where he would be tying flies. I doubt that would be allowed these days! Bill wrote many articles for United Fly Tyers Roundtable magazine on the use of Partridge, Duck, Grouse and long saddle hackles for tying trout flies. He would happily share his ideas and teach his techniques to anybody who would listen. Bill Catherwood was one of the first, if not the first, to bring the technique of spun deer hair to saltwater fly tying from the Trout & Salmon fly tying arena. He was innovative and progressive during the 1950’s, his Giant Killer series or his oversized baitfish imitations, which are a mixture of marabou, hackle and hair influenced entire generations of saltwater fly tyers. I doubt if any fly tyer can claim ‘Complete Originality’ in the design of a fly pattern. When we all sit in front of our fly vice to create, we borrow ideas from all the fly dressers who have come before us and Bill Catherwood is no exception. The Giant Killers are versions of Muddler Minnows but tied huge. The Muddler Minnow is one of those archetypal fly patterns that reinvents itself every few years. It was developed in the late 1930’s by Don Gapen from Anoke, Minnesota. It represented a bot-

tom feeder which looked more like a lizard than a fish called a sculpin. The pattern very quickly evolved into countless variations sporting marabou or Zonker wings and even spun wool heads for better sink-ability. Some of the modern day streamers like Kelly Galloup’s Zoo Cougar, Armand Courchaine’s Mud Deceiver, Eric Leiser’s Angus and of course Lou Tabory’s Snake fly are all variations of the Muddler theme, a spun head with different wing and tail materials. Bill Catherwood passed away in November 2013 at the age of 88, he was a WW2 Veteran who earned the distinction of a Demolition Expert, Rifle Sharpshooter & a Machine Gun Marksman. A member of the 150th Combat Engineers who personally earned six Bronze Stars.

A real life war hero. He was very well respected in the fly fishing industry and was a co-founder of the United Fly Tyers Organization in 1959, the oldest fly tying organisation in the USA and he also received a Lifetime Achievements Award from the Federation Of Flyfishers for his contribution to our sport. This fly tie is not an exact Catherwood tie but my own take on what he was aiming at when he developed his Giant Killer range. Lets get started & I hope you enjoy it, Have fun

Gavin

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MATERIALS

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Hook - Hook SL12S #8/0

Shoulders – Marabou Plumes Tan & Grey, Peacock hurl.

Thread - Flat waxed Nylon

Head – Deer Belly Hair Natural

Tail - Artic Fox fur orange, Marabou Plume tan & Grey

Eyes – 3D stick on to suit

Over Wing – Ewing Hackle Tan Grizzley Step 1 - Tie in a clump of Artic Fox Step 2 - Tie in a Tan Marabou Step 3 - Tie in 6 Hackles flat wing Plume in flat wing style & surround style, till they surround the maraat the bend of the hook. that feather with clumps of Grey bou tail. To the length required. Marabou. Tie in a small bunch of Artic Fox underneath.

Step 4 - Tie in more clumps of Marabou.

Step 5 - Tie in 6 pieces of Peacock Step 6 - Sin Deer Hair to fill the Hurl the length of the fly. rest of the hook shank and trim to the desired shape.

Step 7 - Add 3D eyes to suit

You can see Catherwood’s style of tying not only makes a great fish catching fly but also makes a pretty looking fly. I believe it’s really important to try and make the flies you tie to a standard that makes you think they look fantastic. If you don’t think that, then the fly you have just tied will never get tied on to your tippet. A fly must look good to an angler before it will ever catch a fish, fact of life I’m afraid. So have fun tying!

Sonjha Forbes with the one of the holy grails of fly fishing, a Permit, Trachionatus Anak. Photo: Al Simson

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Chris Bygrave with his beloved “ Mud Emperor” Photo: Chris Bygrave

Jako Lucas “on the set” of Glorious Bastards with a beautiful Wessels Permit. Photo: Christiaan Pretorius

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pass me some

sea saLT

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AUS & NZ DiStribUtioN: Kickelly P/L Email: antti.vappula@visiongroup.fi | tel.:+61 4020 51759

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Catching a special fish is awesome, but sharing it with mates is what its all about! Keith admiring his Wessels Island Blue bastard Photo: Christiaan Pretorius

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LONG ISL AND, THE WHITSUNDAYS

PA L M B AY RESORT

P I C T U R E T H I S ; Y O U ’ R E LY I N G I N Y O U R P R I VAT E B A LC O N Y H A M M O C K , C O C K TA I L I N H A N D, I T ’ S 5 P M A F T E R A F U L L D AY O F F I S H ING AND THE GT’S ARE PUSHING BAIT FISH UP ONTO THE BEACH… I ’ M T O O T I R E D T O G R A B M Y R O D S O I J U S T TA K E I T A L L I N .

Words & photos by Justin Webber & Palm Bay Resort

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This is one of many experiences I have had at this idyllic luxury self-catering resort which is nestled in the gorgeous Whitsundays. Palm Bay Resort is mere minutes from the Shute Harbour boat ramp and can be accessed by private boat, ferry, float plane or helicopter. It boasts a host of private villas set amongst the palm lined beach which slips away into the tranquil turquoise waters of Palm Bay Cove. If self-catering is not your thing, they do have a small restaurant with delicious food made from locally sourced produce. With only 25 rooms, no cars or other modern-day distractions Palm Bay offers a naturally beautiful and relaxing retreat from your busy world.

“Tuna are literally on your doorstep!” If you’re a fly fisherman looking for something a little different be sure to look these guys up. There are lots of fishing options around the island with a short walk you can reach large sandy flats where you can target anything from Permit to Whiting depending on the tide. If you have your own boat, you can head out around the islands in search of the vast array of pelagics that frequent these waters or try your hand at trying to land one of the very large Tusk fish that inhabit the mangrove lined bays. Tuna are literally on your doorstep and a short paddle on one of the resort’s kayaks could see you tussling with one of the large Longtail Tuna that call the passage home.

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Once you’ve had your fill of the fishing for the day, why not stop in at the pool for a refreshing dip and a welcoming cocktail. If you feel like taking the day off, you can laze around the pool or take in some of the amazing views around the island. There is also a day spa at the resort, so a massage or treatment is always an option. There’s a variety of external operators that offer day trips ranging from visiting the reef, snorkelling, sailing and helicopter and sea plane experiences. If you are after a guided fishing trip Mackay Fly & Sportfishing do guided trips and can fetch you directly from Palm Bay on request. Paul has put many of his clients onto large fish in this area, just jump onto his website to get a taste of what’s on offer - www.mackayflysportfishing.com.au

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This is a place I could not recommend highly enough for fly fishers who are happy to just get away for the weekend and enjoy the beautiful Whitsundays. So why not give the team at Palm Bay Resort a call to book your next weekend away! Reception 0477770133 Email: reception@palmbayresort.com.au Website: www.palmbayresort.com.au

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Al and Dave enjoying the unreal double hookup on plus sized Permit! Photo: Al Simson

Keith Rose-Innes takes his time admiring a beautiful Wessels Island Permit. Photo: Christiaan Pretorius

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Final Offering

From the editor

LUCKY LEGS - ISSUE 11 Its been a while between drinks but the content keeps on coming! Personally its been a challenging past few months but spring is well underway and the fishing is getting better everyday! With 2020 just around the corner its time to start planning an epic, off the grid trip with close mates. I’ll be swinging dry flies in freshwater streams and lakes for Trout soon in and around Wanaka, New Zealand. Something I haven’t done in over a decade so I cannot wait for that! As always it is our sincere hope that you all enjoy reading this as much as we do! Thank you all for your support and we look forward to bringing you even more fly stoke with every new issue. In closing, please practise catch and release as often as possible helping sustain our incredible fisheries and those that we visit. Be sure to like us on Instagram and Facebook. Sign up to our newsletter to get this publication delivered direct to your inbox and also stay up to date with what we’re up to. Till next time, tighten those drags and give them nothing! Justin Webber Editor & Publisher

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Big, Bad, Barra on the fly! Photo: Al Simson

IN THE SALT FLY FISHING - ISSUE 11

Articles inside

PALM BAY RESORT

TIE 'N FLY BOX

GLORIOUS BASTARDS

NOT A TRIGGER

NEW ENGLAND STRIPERS