NT Fishing Report
with Alex Julius 6 December 2011
I’m in Sydney watching the cricket on tele late on the second day of the final Ashes test, wondering whether I’ll get to use my ticket for the SCG for the fourth day, Thursday (today as you read this).
I should be okay, but I fear it will ne only to watch the Poms smash us yet again.
However, I can report with far more certainty – following calls to Darwin tackle shops, to the Bureau of Metreology and to my own office – that the Top End wet season continues to be a beauty.
That’s mainly because of the super, early start which has raised river levels prodigiously across the Top End, virtually assuring a bumper run-off. Of course, we’ll need the rain to continue.
Fortunately, the bureau is predicting a return to monsoonal conditions early next week.
In the meantime, how good is it that the Daly River actually exceeded 10m above the crossing between Xmas and New Year. And there were some barra caught too.
The South Alligator got its share of the rain too, and mainly up on its floodplains and across its catchment.
Almost as if the barra are equally appreciative of an early start to the Wet, they’ve been biting nicely up the top of the South.
In fact, not only are there quality feeder creeks flowing, but even the mightly Nourlangie Creek is pumping strong colour change into the main river.
The Mary River hasn’t been quite as dramatic in terms of flood levels and fish bites.
Conversely, there have been a couple of tragic fish kills.
The first took place in Corroboree Billabong before Xmas, down around the S-Bend. The second was happening last weekend at Shady Camp. These fish kills are symptomatic of reduced oxygen levels in the water.
Late in the year, when water temperatures are high, sometimes a stretch of water will be stratified will poor oxygen levels in the lower layers.
Suddenly, strong rains assist in the “churning” of these water layers and – during a worst-case scenario – the overall mix does not contain enough oxygen to sustain fish life.
At Shady Camp, immediately above the barrage, it’s an annual event, and is nearly always preceded by a fierce barra bite as the fish congregate against the barrage on the top side as the water level rises.
If it rises quickly, over the barra go, but this artificial impediment seems to be just that bit too high… the water stagnates and the barra suffocate.
Closer to Darwin, there’s been little news from the Adelaide River, but no doubt plenty will try it this weekend, if only because it is such an easy day trip.
Even though the monsoon should burst forth again next week, there could well be a window of fishing opportunity across a wide spectrum this weekend.
It seems winds will be light-to-moderate from the north-west, with squally conditions not expected until after the weekend.
In fact, conditions might even be good enough for a sortie offshore.
Certainly, the mid-afternoon low tides on both Saturday and Sunday are pretty good for Darwin Harbour.
At 1.4m, Saturday’s low tide is the pick; but if you are looking for a more neapish tide, then Sunday’s 1.8m might suit.
Photos:
1. Ryan Fowler caught this 105cm barra – his first metrey – at King Creek last weekend.
2. Andrew Gray bagged this terrific golden snapper during a break in the weather.
