The AFO crew are winding down for their season 2014. The second half of the year saw great weather, some cool fishing and some new clients. One stand out for the season was a special day when Capt. Clinton Isaac (as our US guide mates like to call him) worked with regular AFO client Rod Kelley to pull off an Aussie Inshore Grand Slam of epic proportions. Clint and Rod headed out early morning, fishing the shallow mangrove shorelines for a couple of barramundi and blue salmon - a great start. Once the sky cleared and the sun climbed higher they headed to a couple of sand flats in pursuit of permit. However instead of permit, the guys initially discovered a big tailing golden trevally on a yabby bed. Rod made the right cast and already it was a great day…
The duo then moved to another flat and encountered one of Hinchinbrook's big fatty queenfish. Armed with a different fly Rod again made the right cast, the big queenie slurped the fly down and after a monster battle they had another ripper fish boat-side and photographed.
The tides are very important at Hinchinbrook and there are plenty of days through our year we won’t book because of this. This was obviously not one of those days and when the tide suited, Clint took Rod to yet another flat with a permit in mind. We get both species of Indo-Pacific permit at Hinchinbrook but the larger of the two, T. Anak, is by far the most common. The guys found plenty of permit on the last flat and cast after cast was made until Rod landed the perfect presentation, a permit ate his offering and after an anxious battle Rod landed his second-ever permit. A perfect end to the perfect day.
Whilst there is plenty of good fishing up here through summer, to avoid disappointing bad weather in Feb-March, our season doesn’t really kick off again until April. We will be sure to send in the odd summertime blog.
