Expedition to Exmouth

Covid shift from Cape York to WA pays off

Jayden Donohue

For three years now, Craig Rist and I have been planning a fishing trip to Cape York. It was originally planned a year in advance but we couldn’t travel once COVID was introduced and lockdowns started. This year was much the same, we had our Spirit of Tasmania costs paid for in advance, but in the closing weeks to our departure date, we concluded that the Cape York trip wouldn’t be happening once again.

My partner and I were both invited for dinner a week or two before we were due to leave. Craig said across the table “what do you think about flying to Exmouth?” I then replied, “let’s do it”. I was eager to get North and do some saltwater fly fishing. I’d been dreaming about it for long enough, it was time to put a bend in my rod. Craig took care of all the hire and accommodation bookings, while I started thinking about organising my fishing gear, I only had an 8 wt and a 10 wt rod. My 10 wt was stuck together on all 3 sections, so how am I going to get a rod that’s stuck together across to Exmouth via a suitcase? I didn’t. I was fortunate enough to borrow one from Craig’s mate Simon at the last minute, which I’m very thankful for. I was very nervous at first, having used a rod that size only a few times before and that’s been practising on grass for most of that use! Now I would be casting the 10wt day in day out for the length of the adventure. Also with much bigger flies than I’m used to, with sizes 10, 12, 14 and 16 being my normal every weekend use. Now I’ll be casting 4/0 and 6/0 flies some even with a sinker added in the perfection loop. It takes only one bad cast and I could’ve shattered Simon’s rod, lucky for both myself and Simon his 10wt Sage come back in one piece.

What was I expecting?

From all the Youtube videos I had been watching, I was seeing all the great fish available in the area such as Marlin, Sailfish, Queenfish, Coral trout, Mackerel and Giant trevally. The main fish I expected to catch relativity easy would be Queenfish, Coral Trout, Tuna and Spanish Mackerel. I didn’t exactly know what I’d be in for or what to expect. I was just excited to be going fishing non-stop for three and a half weeks.

The first week

Arriving at the Learmonth airport Craig and I booked a shuttle that would take us to Exmouth hire where we had our hire car booked. Exploring Exmouth for the first time, I soon realised this place was nowhere as remote as I was first thinking, the place was buzzing, it was full of campers and fishers. We gathered some essential supplies for our stay and set up camp in a caravan park that we had booked beforehand. We got everything set up at camp and then decided to set our rods up and have an explore of some areas we’d seen on Youtube in the Perth airport. Almost straight away we polarioded some big Blue Bones milling around some flats from a distance. We had to get in and wade after the fish, from memory we had a legitimate shot each but they were quite flighty and didn’t want what we were offering. We had our first few days in Exmouth without a boat, after those few days we had a boat for every day after. We spent the first few days just exploring the shores wading, seeing what Exmouth had to offer. Mostly we didn’t see much, Craig spotted some tailing Golden Trevally but they were out of sight before a fly could be presented. I managed to hook up to a small bream sized Spangled Emperor, which gave a fight for its size but other than that land-based fishing wasn’t what I was hoping for at that time.

Finally, the day arrives that we get our little 4.2 metre hire tinny ‘Wood Duck’.

Where to go and what to do? We had come up with a plan the night before, searching some flats in the Exmouth Gulf we had read about earlier. The day was quiet until from a distance we notice two large Queenfish chasing bait on a shin-deep flat. This was incredible to witness, it was what I’ve come to see. We were never able to present a fly to those fish as we saw them motoring away with purpose. Later that afternoon I was at the bow of the boat polaroiding and I spot three sharks around a stingray, I sing out “Hey there is three sharks over there Craig” and the response was “BIG COBIA” so I immediately got somewhat of a cast out covering the fish, they weren’t interested, we were too close. I never thought I’d be crossing paths with a Cobia, I’ve got that memory imprinted in my head and I swore to myself that I won’t make that mistake again. Hopefully, there will be a next time.

First sailfish

Craig and I had a six-metre hire boat booked for our first weekend in Exmouth. The plan was to try and raise a Sailfish in the hope of getting a cast with a fly rod at them. It was a beautiful day and everything was feeling good, just a light swell and a blue sky day. When we got close to the area on the back of the Ningaloo Reef, Craig ran through some different scenarios as to what may happen and who will do what job to get the fish teased up and close to the boat, then the fly fisher can proceed to make the potential cast with the boat out of gear. I was at the helm trolling only for around five minutes and I hear “fish at the back of the boat” I couldn’t believe it, I raced to the back of the boat to do what we had just planned. Craig had teased the Sailfish in and clicked the motor out of gear, I then made my cast. Unfortunately, my fly got wrapped around an anchor point, and the fish was down at this point. I gathered my fly, cleared my line and put another cast out hoping the fish was still in the area, it came back up and ate my fly. I let the fish run, then pulling hard,

I struck the fish and set the hook strongly. The fish started to power off quickly and as soon as I got the fish on the reel the hook drops out! I wound in all the slackline, only to see I had rolled the hook point on a hard part of the fish’s bill.

We resharpened the hook and reset the spread. Back to trolling around! About an hour later I hear the same thing “fish at the back of the boat”, this time there was two Sailfish at the boat and they were hungry. My first cast was good enough, when the teaser got pulled and the boat was out of gear the Sailfish smashed my fly on the surface. I let the fish run and I did the same thing as before, gave the fish a strong hookset which gave my fingers line burn, then sang out to Craig, “I’m on yeeeaahhh”. The Sailfish did not like the hook and was going completely berserk! By the time I realised this one is hooked good, I turned to high five Craig who was already on the wheel ready to chase the fish. I looked down at my reel to see that the backing was fast disappearing. The fight was on, the fish was a long way off and still running. It had five or so really big jumps from the water shaking its head, making every attempt the throw my fly and escape. After wearing the fish down slowly we were getting close to landing. The only problem now is that two big sharks were hunting my fish for an easy feed. Craig did an incredible job driving the boat and avoiding the sharks. When the Sailfish was in range, he got the leader and made a quick lunge for the fish. This moment was a very nervous time for myself and no doubt Craig. I could see the fish starting to flap around on the edge of the boat as Craig sang out, “got him, I got it mate!”.

This was a completely epic capture, one that will live with me forever.

First queenfish

This one was special, mainly because I was expecting to catch Queenfish quite easily and I’d now spent close to two weeks without fooling one. We’d had a lot of near misses with plenty of fish chasing and turning at the boat, or swirling around our flies with no success. Craig knew local Exmouth fly fishing guide, Brett Wolf, from Tasmania, he had been guided by Brett some years ago on the Ningaloo Reef. We went and had a few beers with Brett and he gave us some tips on what flies to use and some different flats to look at. We went straight to the local shop Tackle World Exmouth after that and bought what had been recommended, a 4/0 black brush fly. We then went to some fresh flats in search of new Queenfish. Craig had tied the black brush on with a perfection loop as I soon spot two big Queenfish moving in from a distance around 30-40 metres away. I got myself ready with line stripped out and double hauled a cast as soon as the fish was in my casting range. The fish notices my fly and I stripped like crazy, the fish was nosing the fly the whole way, it chased right up until my leader was in the rod tip and ate right at the boat. As I strip strike setting the hook, my lines slack and the fish is gone. I’d broken off a fish on 24kg fluorocarbon, the knots slipped. I sat down and took the moment in. Time to rig back up, I’d lost the only black brush we had but I had a black bucktail 1/0 deceiver that was similar, so I tied that one on my tippet with a perfection loop. It wasn’t long before I found another Queenfish that I could present the fly to. I cast and start striping as quick as I possibly can, the fish boils all over my fly and the fly disappears. I quickly rip the line strip striking setting the hook, but yet again my knot had failed! It was time for another knot, Craig showed me the Homer Rhodes Loop knot he used on flies for Giant Tarpon. I then used that knot on a Mullet imitation that Craig had also used for Rooster Fish in Mexico. We drifted to the last section of the flat and came off into a channel. I could see Queenfish in numbers, so I quickly made a cast before they spook. I started stripping instantly, even before the fly hits the water. The fish chased and engulfed the fly without any hesitation, I instantly strip strike the fish then wait until it was turned and hit it again, making sure the hook is deep. The rod is completely loaded and the Queenfish takes a lot of line, jumping and finding ways to charge across flats, I could hear my fly line cutting through the water. It was everything I’d hoped for, this was the moment I’d been wanting! I finally gain control of the fish bringing the big queenfish to the net, it was a metre plus trophy. I did it tough for a few weeks, it’s definitely worth it now, looking back on those memories is incredible.

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What would I change?

For me, when I think about how I’d improve next time, there is so much that comes to mind, number one would be casting. I thought I wasn’t a bad cast coming from a trout background but Exmouth and sight fishing permit sent me back to reality. Seeing my first big permit come cruising straight at me, my nerves got the better of me and I completely butchered the cast. Or when I was leading permit too closely in spooky conditions and the fish fleas. There were times when I thought I cast within a metre to a permit on a flat in choppy conditions but the fish never sensed the fly because the cast wasn’t perfect. On the last day, I had a big pack of giant trevally heading my way in strong wind and I couldn’t punch the cast out far enough so I watched all the GTs swim off. I feel like every trip will have things to improve on but trying to push yourself to get these things right or at least improve will definitely improve the percentages of catch rates.

Jayden Donohue

Happiness is a successful days fly fishing!

The final stages of the fight of a big flats queenfish.

You soon learn how little time you have to clear the line when a fish goes berserk when hooked!