Daly River - Northern Territory

I made the Mrs spend around 8 days camped at a Mango farm come caravan park on the Daly River in the Northern Territory one year while I hunted the elusive Barra. I consider myself a half reasonable angler but I must admit I thought that Barra fishing was just a matter of turning up and waiting for your boat to fill up. That is certainly how it looks on the telly…..

For those of you who share my ignorant view, here are a couple of tips from a guy who spent 8 days, 10 hours a day for just two fish (Barra that is no shortage of sharks, cat fish and crocs).

Lesson number one: water temperature and climate: The best time to fish is when you don’t want to be there…. When it’s hot, muggy, the water temp is up, the crocs are festive (mating season) and the mozzies and flies are thick. That’s when your elusive Barra is likely to take your $25 lure. Most of us prefer to travel north, mid-winter or later to escape the cold and this is when the fish are at their least active and you are more likely to float around contemplating your navel than having angling success.

Lesson number two: live bait ‘Cherepin’ (prawn like creature found in these parts). Don’t bother turning up thinking the old Barra is going to eat what our friends in the east will munch on (frozen bait). If it ain't moving, he ain't interested. Get yourself your legal quota of nets (about $8 each) and drop them in over night (with a mixture of bait (fish oil, chicken pallets and such), you should have a good number of Cherepin for a days fishing. Be careful not to steal anyone’s spot, locals tend to get a bit possessive of ‘good Cherepin hunting grounds’.

Lesson number three: Fish finder! Don’t worry about thinking you can read a river, snags, eddies, overhangs, shady holes and the likes. Get yourself a fish finder and drop the bait on their head or they’re just as likely to ignore you….. I spent 3 days fishing in and around many an attractive spot with not a sniff. I returned later with a kind fellow (who felt sorry for me) and his fish finder, to cast not 10 meters from where I’d been on several occasions. 2 minutes and a near 90cm Barra finds his way into the boat. Lesson learnt…..

Lesson number four: When you are bored, try a live fish for bait. There are heaps of sharks in the Daly River so you’ll get a bite in a minute with a live fish. Other fun catches include huge Catfish and Blue and Threadfin Salmon. Mind you the Catfish can get that big that they can damage your equipment if you are not careful. Read into that what you like….

Lesson number five: Spend a day with a guide. Do this first and you’ll enjoy the rest of your week a lot more.

I hope this helps. For what its worth, the Daly is another fantastic place where you can leave your boat safely in the water and therefore fish when it pleases you at the drop of a hat.

Good luck!