A fishing adventure 50 years in the making

OzFisher’s Harry Chapter President and Project Officer in Tenterfield got stuck into a fishing adventure of a lifetime chasing Barra in North Queensland. Here’s what they got up to celebrate reaching that infamous half-century.

This year I turned 50, my best mate Fitzy and I decided to go on a fishing trip to all of the impoundment dams in north and central Queensland. It was to be our dream trip chasing barramundi, sooty grunter and hopefully a saratoga or two. We headed off and travelled 3200km visiting Lake Monduran, Kinchant, Teemburra, Eungella, Bedford Weir, Pioneer River and the beautiful Lake Awoonga.

Camping and travelling light, our route took us through many different habitats including rainforests, coastal woodlands and the semi-arid landscapes of central Queensland. We enjoyed some of the most stunning sunrises and sunsets our 50 years have ever seen.

We were awestruck by the natural beauty on the rivers, especially the jungle-like Pioneer River. We fished a creek running into it which was surrounded by massive fig trees and giant mango trees, and so many different species of kingfishers. We both felt the essence of our lucky country.

Our biggest hope for the trip was to hook a mighty barramundi and we can happily report it was achieved.

In total we landed nine barra (only losing about twenty-five). We were also lucky enough to land two great river fish in addition to our impoundment catches. Fitz snagged a 74cm barra on the Mackenzie River at Blackwater and I hauled a 45cm sooty grunter on Pioneer River, it was an absolute brute of a fish.

Days were long, 3am starts and 10pm finishes were the norm. Because we had limited time, we had to crack the pattern fast and make sure we had all the right equipment. After a few gear and lure failures, we paid a quick visit to the Mackay BCF store and picked up some Skitter Pops and Zerek Flat Shads for our next impoundment contest.

We got back on the road again and headed to lake Awoonga for the final few days. It’s an absolutely breath-taking destination and where Fitz landed the biggest fish of the trip, a 95cm barra at Awoonga on a Molix 140.

With our trip drawing to an end, we had one more morning session on the flats. I caught a 70cm barra on a Swimbait and just as I landed it, two absolutely regal brolgas paid us a visit.

The natural untamed riparian zones with excellent river ecology on the trip were a real treat to see.

I was personally blown away by the birdlife we encountered. The bird book had to come out many times to identify species we had never seen before. Species included Australian bustards, crested jacanas, swans, magpie geese, sea eagles, falcons, goshawks, wedge tailed eagles, many different kingfishers, and the brolgas.

Another highlight was getting to spend time with other fishos and learn more about perfecting our craft. Even with all of the years fishing I have under my belt, there is always something new to learn from every angler that you meet. One bloke taught us how to properly use Livescope and it really was a gamechanger.

With a year that has been very hard for everyone in this country, it was an absolute gift to share this experience with my best mate. I will never forget the memories and the experiences we had on our 50th fishing adventure. Sharing it with a fellow passionate OzFisher’s was a dream come true.