Singapore and Darwin

 Back in Darwin I got a quick fix of salt water fishing from some high speed small GTs. A friend, Jamie who is a licensed coral collector kindly let me tag along for the day and what a day it was. Passionate about the sea Jamie is a fountain of knowledge about Darwin and the surrounding areas, having spent many years diving, fishing and exploring the NT's coastline. First stop was on a reef near the Vernon Islands to the east of the city which to be fair looked like fisherman heaven. On the out going tide water rushed down a deep channel that cut the shallow reef areas in two. A huge amount of water was moving on the seven metre tide which meant in a matter of minutes we would have to move on unless we fancied waiting a few hours for the incoming tide to submerge the reef again. Everywhere fish were busting on the surface, mauling shoals of bait fish, which were disorientated in the strong currents and of course that's where we cast. Fighting fit trevally came every second cast and seemed like they thought the poppers might be the last meal in the world. Darting behind the lure repeatedly striking until finally luck would run out and a hook would grab hold. Although the fish were only small the strong current meant fights were magnified somewhat.

After thirty minutes we once again sped over the sea's calm surface, heading further east in search of new grounds. To the north the low land of Melville island stretched for many kilometres along the skyline. Usually obscured in the dry season by the smoke haze from bush fires it was great to see such a view. A few dolphins lazily surfaced as we  neared the spot we looked for. By now the tide was nearly low, which is what Jamie needs to do his work.

 The reef we stopped on was quite magical. Immediately a turtle swam by and later we spotted a number of small reef sharks patrolling the shallows. With the reef now dry, huge areas of coral were exposed which made for interesting viewing and in the middle of it all were two blue lakes perhaps seventy metres wide and twelve metres deep; the coral just ends suddenly with a vertical drop. I don't know how these were formed but they looked like good places for fish to become trapped with the dropping tide. And after only a few casts with a roosta popper a large Longtom hit home and rocketed into the air. After a series of high jumps and cartwheels the fish threw the hook just as he came to hand. A few casts later and another Longtom had a go before two large Trevally arrived. Not huge but probably nearing twenty pounds, I was pretty unhappy when they turned at the last second, never to be seen again!

 Mitch waited in the boat making sure the strong tide didn't leave us stuck on the reef. The variety of coral and other creatures was quite outstanding. And it was funny the whole time we were out there never did another boat pass by. Later Jamie spent a while diving in a clear bay while Mitch and I kept a look out for sharks. There is also the possibility of Saltwater crocodiles which is the last thing you want to meet while diving. Surprisingly they can be found far out at sea and Jamie told me of another diver that had ended up as croc tucker.

 We'd kept a couple of the better Trevally and when Jamie was all finished the bloody water and frames were discarded over the edge of the boat. Not even five minutes later the first reef sharks were ripping into the fresh meat. A minute after that a huge black sting ray arrived and took over from the sharks. In only a couple of feet of water it made for good viewing. Thanks Jamie for a great day!

On the trip out to South Africa a quick stop over was made in Singapore to visit and fish with Nick. There was a chance of some landing some Peacock bass which have been introduced into some of the Singaporean reservoirs. With nick acting as guide we set off through the sweaty metropolis in search of some fishable water. In a matter of minutes the taxi turned off the main road and left the buzz of the high rise town behind. We drove down a quiet jungle clad road and suddenly it was hard to imagine we were still in one of the most densely populated places on earth.

A good Peacock bass from one of the reservoirs. bigger ones lurk around the snags

A small rushing stream ran under the road and emptied into a large reservoir that could be seen a few hundred metres through the jungle. Where the stream widened lush vegetation hung down to the waters edge and provided cover for bass attacks. Still early in the day sweat already dripped from our clothes as we began to cast. Nick chose to fly fish while I flicked a small Mepps spinner on the light rod.

First up was this small Peacock bass that nailed the spinner. A beautiful fish that made me think about the Amazon more than before!!

This pretty Tilapia was next up to have a go, just below the stream in the fast water. In between fishing we had a few monkey related problems, namely a cheeky ape trying to make off with a few lures. Its not a good idea to feed the monkeys in Singapore as the sign below shows. The lure box must have looked like a pretty tasty fruit cocktail to the troop that sat in the trees watching our fishing antics.

These monkeys were definitely up to no good

It didn't take long for Nick to induce a strike with the fly rod. And after all the stories of monsters on the fly I was fully prepared to land the biggest peacock bass in Singapore. So I was a little surprised when Nick hauled a Mickey mouse mug from the depths of the river. Quite a catch really! congratulations mate!

The Jungle where we fished was pretty alive with insects and birds. This little feeder stream was the home to plenty of fish fry and freshwater shrimps. During a little walk around the far side of the river three very large clouded monitors took off through the undergrowth before launching themselves into the water. Without seeing them, the splash could easily be mistaken for a crocodile as these big lizards were 5-6ft in length!

At last I landed a jungle perch or Sebarau. a good fighter with a design similar to a Mahseer the little fish fought well. Last time I came across these was a few years ago in the jungles of Malaysia where I came close to landing a monster. Unfortunately it wasn't close enough!

 MacRitchie Reservoir in Singapore is a beautiful spot to get away from the bustle of the city for a while. Unfortunately fishing isn't permitted but a few sneaky casts usually go unnoticed. This is where the biggest peacock bass live and fish have been caught to ten pounds plus. While walking around a pair of adult bass gave themselves away as they followed their fry. A large orange coloured ball slowly moved through the water, followed by the two attentive parents and like snake head a lure cast near to the fry should be attacked immediately. For some reason the fish weren't interested and blankly ignored the two anglers throwing lures at them.

This monkey was choosing his moment to come in for the attack!