Pete and Robyn enjoyed a morning out on the water in Hervey bay recently.

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What happens when you take an old man fishing thats done more than the average joe when it comes to fishing and he catches a nice mackeral, well he says “its not as big as the last one I caught over in Gove is it Peter”? I say “maybe not but still a good fish by any standards”, estimating its weight at an easy 15kg.
Eric has fished a number of times with me back when mothershipping out of Gove with Top End Expeditions and some great catches of brassie Trevs and a stonker jack taken up around the Wessel Islands.
Although hampered by weather over the weekend we stil managed a nice golden trevally to top things off, a fish Hervey Bay is renowned for

Dave from NZ tackled a couple of longies recently saying they were “slightly different” from the trout back home and being his first saltwater fly species he was very keen to pursue a few different ones upon his return home. He managed a nice little estuary cod on the next morning prior to his departure.

Well June is almost over and winter now in full swing and Inskip has been fishing well, Phil from Woolongong enjoyed catching his POB longie recently. A beautifully fat healthy specimen and an additional mac tuna. Both these fish species are terrific fun on either fly or medium spin gear.

Evan enjoyed a great day out up along Fraser Island recently catching this beautiful golden trevally off the back of a dugong that we came across feeding on the flat.

Well done Evan, top fish on light spin tackle and released to fight another day.

Mick and Lee came to experience the bay a couple of weeks ago, caught lots of spotties and mac tunas, the longies were a little alusive and mention of marlin on the flats was almost scoffed at however 2 days later in Mick’s own boat they managed to do just that, catch their own nice little black off the flats of Fraser.

Mother-shipping and marlin on the east coast of Australia are somewhat synonymous with each other, but marlin fishing and flats fishing are certainly not. However a little place called Hervey Bay, just a short flight from Brisbane, not only has little blacks on its flats but bonefish in the bay as well. In addition to this the area is home throughout the year to a plethora of sportfish species from 30kg longtails, smaller mac tuna, three species of mackerel (Spanish, spottie and schoolie), three species of trevally (golden, GT and tea-leaf), yellowtail and black kingfish, queenfish, snapper and red emperor.

Four anglers (brothers Tom and Nick Young, and two more brothers, Peter and Mick Trevaskis), two guides (Mark “Bargy” Bargenquast, and myself, Pete Fry), a mothership (“Whalesong”), captained by Jason Brigden, and Sid Boshammer, the man responsible for much of Hervey Bay’s flats fishing momentum over the years, experienced an awe-inspiring 5 day fishing adventure. Half an hour into day one we were chasing tailing goldies on the flats, while day two saw us pursue four little (20Kg) blacks across the flats, then celebrate the capture of several bonefish.

By day four we had been successful with a couple of blacks, approximately 30 and 80kg, which put on an impressive display, and by the week’s end fishing Hervey Bay the brothers had chased abundant tuna, both macs and some quality longtails, spottie mackeral and snapper too to round out a sensational and unforgettable south-east Queensland holiday.

The spotties have shown up in full force, the last 2 days have seen double and triple hook ups. The weather has been kind with light northerlies, plenty of mac tunas still around but fortunately the spotties usually out run them to lure as pods of both fish feeding together are common. In saying that the mac tuna is still fun to catch as they make your reel sing with their speed and determination to get away.

Whilst most fish were released, this one made it to the dinner table for a nice feed.

The longies have been a little illusive but worth pursuing as many fish sighted this week are over the 20kg mark.

2009 looks like an absolute cracker when it comes to the fishing scene.  Please be sure to check back here often for updates as to what I have guided my clients onto on every trip.

Put yourself in the Picture!

Cheers

Pete