Earlier this year, in the month of June, Michael and Stuart towed Michael’s boat (a galeforce) from Buderim Austraila to Perth Austraila. Stuart returned home from Perth and Michael continued the adventure by driving the final 1200 kilometres to Exmouth, Australia. After the fishing Michael put his boat and vehicle in storage with plans to return in July for a bit more of the same. Michael had arranged for a couple of his mates, me being one of them, to join him in Exmouth for two weeks of saltwater fly fishing. We would spend our time chasing bonefish and permit on the Exmouth (western) side of the Gulf and inside Ningaloo reef. When we arrived on the 26th of July, the shuttle bus dropped us off at the storage shed, which is about 10 kilometers from the airport side of Exmouth, where we picked up the boat and car and headed into Exmouth. We booked into a motel, got our fly fishing gear ready, fuelled the boat and headed out for a quick afternoon fish at our favorite Golden Trevally spot in the Gulf which we call “Monsters patch” in the Gulf. On the next day around lunchtime we left for the 26 nautical mile, 1 1/2 hour trip across the Gulf. We stayed at Wilderness Island, a safari camp on an Island on the eastern shore of Exmouth Gulf. We stayed 11 days, fished every day and caught about 34 different species of fish. Michael has put his boat and vehicle back in storage and is heading back there in October to chase sailfish and marlin on the fly.
Simply awesome! I am green with envy! Tuna, Golden Trevally and so many more beautiful species of fish .. all in one trip. I get great satisfaction these days, fly fishing for species of fish that I have never caught … and I think what I enjoy most is the pursuit and anticipation of catching a species of fish I have never caught before. There is then a very short lived but hightened sense of satisfaction when I do catch that fish .. but, as I look back through the species of fish I have caught it’s the thrill of the anticpation and the thrill of the pursuit of that first fish of any species that often proves to be the most fun .. and the sense of satisfaction gotten from that first of a species tricked with a fly that feels so rewarding. I have never caught any of those incredible species that you mention in your article! Hence, my long time dream to fly fish in Australia. The numbr of tuna species alone, that Australia has to offer, is astounding .. nevermind the volume of fish and numbers of other species and rich ecosystems. Australia seems to be a magnificent place from both a fly fishing and traveling/cultural perspective and I very much look forward to my first visit and hopefully just a portion of the “luck” you had! … Welcome to fliesandfins.com ..
Hats off! Those GT’s are on my life list, I have to lock horns with one someday. Looks like an incredible time and an outstanding fishery. Well done.
Great fishing trip and an amazing number of species. Great fishing with ones mates cures all worrys, congrats. on trip.
Wow what a trip 34 different species and amazing. The GT are killer. Great post.
Incredible, I can’t wait to fish those waters with such beautiful fish and so many options must be mindblowing.. Keep up the great work…Alex