1.4 Metre Barra on Storm Thundercrank – by Lord Izzlington – Issue 5

I was looking forward with great excitement to start another barra guiding stint for Aurukun Wetland Charters up at Aurukun on the western side of cape york.

The area is fed by the mighty Archer, Watson and Ward river systems. The last time I visited here was last November, where huge numbers of fish were gathering to start their spawning at the river entrances, adjacent beaches and rocky headlands. Catches of 200 fish per day between 5 anglers was more the norm than the exception. It is now May, and the fish have once again distributed themselves throughout the river systems.

Some upper parts of the Archer river can be quite tricky to navigate due to shifting very shallow sandbars and mudflats. As I have not been up there since the last wet, I asked another guide and friend Tim Orielly if he wanted to come for a few hours fishing with me to help me familiarize myself with the area. Tim spends alot of time at Aurukun, not only guiding but is involved with other local projects as well.

Tim has a very good knowledge of the local river conditions and informed me that the river had indeed changed and was particularly shallow in parts. I told Tim I had some new lures to test and he replied he was only too happy to help. I was very grateful for Tims help because in one spot the small channel was completley on the otherside of the river to last year.After we safely cleared this area we thought it was about time to have a fish as the river again was starting to deepen up nicely and we were close to one of our old fishing spots.

I’d been given some storm 10cm thundercranks to try,and Tim was only to happy to tie a fluorescent green one on. I threw in towards some logs sticking up about 5 metres from shore with a suspending 12cm x-rap in the bunker colour. The next time I saw that lure about 3 seconds later it was 2 metres in the air in the jaws of a 90cm barra. Tim threw in the new thundercrank which was immediately crashed by a similar sized fish. How goods this I thought, one cast each and already into fish most anglers would be happy to talk about at the end of their fishing trip.

We held our rods high trying to jump the fish off so we could get in and have another cast. My ploy worked with the fish going one way and the bunker the other.

Tims hooks held,but he had no trouble removing the barbless lure from the barras mouth. A very quick photo was taken and then away it swam.

Second cast,CRASH AGAIN! This time a one metre fish took to the air and raced off down stream. A large explosion was heard behind me in the water and I didn’t have to ask Tim what had happened to the new thundercrank. This time both hooks held and two, one metre barra were quickly photograped and released.

Tim was saying he hadn’t seen this many big fish at this spot before. He wasn’t to know it was only going to get better. My next cast tied me to an 80 cm specimen, and I felt disappointed as the thundercrank was hooked up to another close on 1 metre barra. Bloody hell, wheres the video camera when you need one I said to Tim.

In the excitement I forgot Tim had bought his HD video camera with us. Its up the front in the case he said. You fish I said and see if you can get a big one on the new thundercrank so I can show the boys back home. Tim cast into the same area again as I fiddle with the buttons on the compact camera. I’M ON!! yelled Tim, and then both our jaws dropped as the biggest barra both of us had ever seen lept out with the thundercrank looking like a small bream lure stuck in the corner of it’s jaw.

Our next comments were to coarse for this article, but as you imagine were related to the sheer size and power of this huge fish. The fish had a couple of snags to choose from in it’s bid to escape and decided to make a 25 metre run upstream against the current.

The brute of the thing was impossible to hold whilst doing this and easily made it into a snag just off the shore. Oh no I yelled to Tim, I’ll pull the anchor up and go over. Keep filming Tim said, she’ll come out, she’ll come out!! Tim was right again. Almost on que,the fish left the cover of the snag and headed for the centre of the river. You beauty I yelled, we still might get a chance to see  her close up. Steady, steady Tim I said, don’t pull the hooks now as they were already a bit bent from the previous big fish.

Once in the current, the fish was worked back towards the boat until when about level with us it decided that the snag 20 metres downstream was where it wanted to go, it tore away again at a frantic pace and we both held our breaths as Tim managed to pull it up just cms I reckon short of cutting him off. Tim slowly eased her back against the current and it looked like she might have tired enough for us to have a chance with the net. Not quite.

The barra was only foxing and when it came close to the boat about faced and leapt 3 quarters out of the water heading straight for the snag it was hooked near. Here we go again I thought as we once more held our breaths as Tim had to apply more drag than he would have like to have to keep the barra from reaching the trees. Tim was again successful in doing this and this time the steam seamed to have gone from the fish. The tired big momma barra was worked back to the boat where it finished it’s fight with a few lazy circles. She was then gently led into the net which took the both of us to lift aboard.

Some more unprintable expleitives were let go and then I realised that my knees were still shaking as well as Tims’. Some great photos were taken,then the magnificent fish was swum back to health and sent on her way. She measured just under 1.4 metres.

Not liking to overfish an area and with the tide dropping we decided to move down stream past the tricky shallow area and have one last quick fish before we head back.  Some large tree snags were once again selected and the storms thundercranks hooks were again slightly adjusted to do battle once more. Tims first cast was only halfway back when another close on 1 metre barra burst into the air. I don’t believe this yelled Tim. This is the best big barra fishing I have ever had. I could of sold him about twenty green thundercranks at that stage I reckon.

After the previous monster,even fish close to 1 metre were not big enough to cause great excitement. TALK ABOUT SPOILT. If you want big barra a bright green thundercrank would be on top of my tackle box.

The poor old thundercrank ended up being swallowed by a QLD groper,which liked the barra it was attached to more than we did.

A fantastic fishing session was had by Tim and I and I was fortunate enough to witness Tim catch his biggest ever barra. It was also the perfect time to test some storm and rapala lures.

THE ‘LORD’ AS HE IS KNOW AS IS FROM THE SOUTH COAST OF NSW AND HAS A WEALTH OF FISHING KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE. LOOK OUT FOR MORE FROM THE ‘LORD’ REAL SOON.

LORD IZZLINGTON!

The other small white lure featured in the mouth of some if these massive Barra is the Rapala Clackin’ Rap.

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