5 minute read
Hook, Line & Sinker
THE GULF PHWOAR
The Hook, Line and Sinker crew finds a fishing nirvana in the Gulf of Carpentaria.
We have been travelling the country poking cameras (and gaffs) at and into fish for over two decades. In that time, we are happy to say we have visited most of Australia’s popular fishing hotspots. So when the opportunity came to road trip into a part of the Top End we’d never seen before, we jumped at the chance.
The trip of 3500km would see us leaving Airlie Beach in Queensland, which is where the mighty HLS Bar Crusher 730 and our bright red D-MAX X-TERRAIN had been stored for a few months between filming commitments, and heading all the way to Darwin. But we’d be making one exciting stop along the way—to one of Australia’s most remote fishing clubs at King Ash Bay. Never heard of it? You’re not alone. But it’s a beauty.
King Ash Bay (kingashbay.com.au) is found at the bottom of the Gulf, about 1000km east of Darwin. To get there from Queensland, you turn north at the Barkly Homestead and follow the road for about 500km. But here’s the best bit: that road is sealed. Perhaps it’s not exactly a highway, and more like a bitumen driveway in most places, but it sure does beat the red dirt and the corrugations that would no doubt take its toll on such a big trailer boat at some stage during the drive.
Our trip to King Ash took the best part of three days, stopping for overnight stays in Charters Towers and Mt Isa. The final day from the Isa to King Ash was the longest stretch, but we arrived safely at about 5pm, just as the sun was setting.
On top of the sealed road (except for the last 21km), King Ash Bay is great for those travelling in the region because it has a well-stocked shop with fuel, ice and plenty of food. And even better still, The Groper Bar, a refreshing stop that serves ice-cold drinks and great meals. We even had live music on the Friday and Saturday nights.
Accommodation for us was a wellappointed cabin, but visitors also have the option to hire houseboats if that’s more their style. Most people camp, however, as the whole site is set up for comfort and is found on the banks of the MacArthur River, just meters from a two-lane boat ramp. Luxury.
We launched our big Bar Crusher 730 boat into the river early the next morning and made the 45-minute trip to the mouth. Here we ventured along the coast and fished one of the smaller rivers running into the Gulf. I was joined by a couple of mates from NSW who have been here many times and we soon landed some big Threadfin Salmon and a couple of silver Barra. Having a couple of lads with a spot of local knowledge was important. If you’re turning up for the first time, do your research and talk to people in camp. These are big rivers and it’s easy to get lost, sunburned, mosquito bitten or swallowed by saltwater crocs. None of which seems fun.
The fishing wasn’t easy, but consistent enough. We were visiting in early April and it was hot—40 degrees every day. On the plus side, we’d been expecting the humidity to have been so bad that the fish might’ve been able to swim through the air. Instead, it was rather pleasant.
The next day we set the compass for a boat ramp on the coast called Bing Bong. This was a bit of a rough road, but well worth it—and not just for the name. From the launch location you have easy access to the Sir Edward Pellew Islands.
Clean water is often hard to find in the Northern Territory, but the bottom of the
gulf around these islands is beautiful, blue and crystalline. We fished lures and caught a huge variety of fish including a tremendous feed of coral trout.
I’m not certain of Heaven’s exact GPS coordinates, but I’m pretty sure they’re in Australia. And I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re less than a stone’s throw from here.
So whether you’ve hitched up your D-MAX or MU-X with a caravan or a boat, or you’re just roaming free and easy, put King Ash Bay on the list of places to visit. It took us two decades to get there. It won’t take us that long to go back.
