Impoundment Barramundi 'on Fly'

[cy_taylor1]

Hello,

Has anybody had any experiences with impoundment barramundi 'on fly'?
Hooking and landing large impoundment barramundi on conventional tackle is quite a challenge in its own, yet fly fishing for them among tight spaces of wood seems impossible to me!

Does anybody have any experiences with these large creatures with fly gear?
Can you give me any tips as to what leaders and flies I should be using?
How is the drag pressure applied amongst the timber?

I use a 8/9 weight outfit, with intermediate line.

Thanks

[Awoonga]

First off l know nothing about fly fishing.....But l was at Monduran yesterday and there where two guys catching barra on fly gear...landed two...The where on Bett Jones charter boat...Send him a pm...goes by the name of stillwater on this site

[FentonW]

Mate if you are after some info on the Dams and flasts around here there are a few of us in the Mackay area that are pretty dedicated fly blokes. If interested give me a bell on 49429324.
Cheers, Fenton.

[Mozza]

Gotta post a story here:

Some 8 years ago when I was living in Darwin, I went down to the wiers on the Ross River when on holiday in Townsville with my newly acquired 9wt GLoomis fly outfit with a stubbie in one hand and a couple flies in the other.

Having done plenty of fly fishing for trout and bass(American) back in S.Africa, I was keen to try my luck on barra. I don't know if the stocking had started then and it was also in the middle of a drought so the weirs were really low. My in-laws who lived on the river were very sceptical, and I had no expectation of catching anything anyway. But I was itching to test out the new rod and standing on the wall watching the sun go down with beer and rod in hand seemed like a good idea.

I have 2 favourite barra fly patterns namely (Givens) Black-and-Barred and the 'Pink Thing'. Most shops seem to stock them.

Anyway I can't remember how long it was but I was doing a slow retrieve with the Black-and-Barred when I got monstered right at my feet.

After the heart attack and many nervous minutes, I pulled in a FAT barra around the metre mark.

Unbelievable, best holiday at the in-laws

Mozza

[A_DIFF_PERSPECTIVE]

I have done my share of fly fishing over the years in both fresh and saltwater. I have run classes for middle-aged kids on this topic, but i don't put my hand up and claim to be an expert. I have fly fished quite a few different salt water species, as well as impoundment barra, but not so much in the later years. Flies will catch barra, its proven, but here in lies a debate which could spark a mass fire among anglers.
Flies, if presented correctly and in the right circumstances, taking into mind, topography, water clarity, fish mood, etc will outfish a hard bodied lure hands down. But on saying that, from my experiences with lures, i find it difficult to accept that a fly can produce the same 'fish attracting denominators' that a hard bodied lure can. eg, a firm, moderate yet strong rattle, a strong vibration that stimulates barra, and an erratic sideways movement with a strong flash of reflected light that moves through the water column at varying angles. lures with these attributes will pull barra from water looking like pea soup. Flies would have difficulty.
Awoonga has both , areas of clean and dirtier water that holds barra. Flies can be tied with mild internal rattles attached, and some of the best fly fisherman that have fished Awoonga that i know of, seem to use very simple, and sparse flies to great effect outfishing hard bodied lures on their day, and at times, every day on the right fly fishing grounds. Areas i know that produce fish on a regular basis, are those areas that i have persevered with fly fishing. I have used big flies with success, as well as flies around the 3 to 4 inch mark with quality results. My first attempt at Awoonga saw 2 barra landed in 2 casts. Barra have proven to eat any mid-sized lure in Awoonga when they are hungry, so i don't seem to think that a big fly is required. Correct placement, line sink rate etc, and retrieve will be the major governing factors in relation to strike rate, but i wouldn't be attempting a serious session with a 2 inch fly. 4 inch sounds a great happy medium.
If fishing amongst timber, (plenty of areas without timber to land barra at Awoonga) drag would applied by hand as during the 'strip' the strike usually comes, and not necessarily early. Excess line on deck or in a strip basket won't allow you to fish off the reel as by the time you wind in the slack, the barra will be back inside the wood before you know it. Pull the fish clear by hand, and if the barra runs open( use electric to help find open water), you can use the reel to catch up then! leaders need to be quite firm, no less than 40 , and no need for more than 80 in most scenarios. (60, 70, would be fine to begin) 30 lb line for lure fishing is fine, so your chosen fly line would be close to this mark anyway. Late afternoon/dark/early morning sees a lot of barra moving and wandering about in a nomadic fashion. Constant casting in suitable areas will bring you results if you are patient. The rewards are worth it! 20 kg is common in Awoonga, plus the myriad of 50 to 80 cm fish is excitement on its own.
Best of luck.
Johnny Mitchell
Lake Awoonga