Alan Philliskirk

Or better known as

Fish

Fish's Fly & Sportfishing, Cape York

wildfish1@bigpond.com   

 

 

Alan has been fly fishing the top end of Australia (above the latitude which Cairns sits on) in Queensland and the Northern Territory for a very long time. His exploits in Weipa and Hinchinbrook have been published in Fly Life magazine (articles by Peter Morse), he has also appeared in a Rod Harrison video and the Wild Fish TV series by Peter Morse. Alan is a much sought after guide based in Weipa Queensland. He is truly one of Australia’s fly fishing legends.

 

Tip 1

 

A few tips when chasing Northern Bluefin Tuna -

 

Generally when Bluefin are feeding actively and crashing  bait you can approach the school at speed and not worry too much about spooking the fish. They are making plenty of noise themselves and won't be too concerned about the boat motor. This is the ideal situation as  getting a fly to the feeding fish is almost too easy. When the tuna are feeding more timidly however or have the bait balled up but haven't yet commenced the carnage, you may have to approach with a little more stealth.

 

Approach the school where possible from the windward side possibly having to cut the motor and drifting into the school. This will give you a better chance of getting a cast to a hunting fish. Late in the season we have large schools of small Mack Tuna feeding in the gulf, when they feed on these large bait schools, they do so shoulder to shoulder, and thrash the water to foam.

 

Most times when they do this we often see Bluefin eating the leftovers sipping from the surface like trout. They are spooky when they feed like this, so one technique is to approach right into the school of Mack Tuna from "head on" this should make them change direction which gives the boat cover to turn off and wait for the following Bluefin to continue cleaning up the debris. This will allow you plenty of time to ready for the cast.

 

Best Flies for Bluefin - Surf Candy and Clouser.

Best Colour - any, as long as it is predominately white.

 

Tip 2

Golden Trevally

When fly fishing for Golden trevally on the flats, especially if the fish are tailing, don't cast to the fish.

They may be spooky and be alarmed at the fly landing.

Try to pick the direction that the fish will travel when he starts to move and lead the fish by about two feet.

 

Good luck,

 Fish.