Yet another mighty long journey to get to a remote river to experience a fresh perspective. Unfortunately this time the gods were not on our side as the tough natural conditions made it difficult to find fish, but we made the best of it...
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| Just getting there was a major battle. The consequence of searching out remote angling destinations... |
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| Putting together a crew and boats were another obstacle... |
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| And of course there was logistics... |
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| In our dugout canoes and natives as guides, we set out on our way... |
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| When it was time to cast, the conditions were tough and the fish not cooperating. This sole Archerfish on the IMA Little Stik was the only result in session one... |
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| We had plenty of light taps on our large lures and discovered that these Scads were the culprits. They attacked lures like this DUO Realis Jerkbait 120SP which were meant for much larger fish. They possessed mighty big mouths though... |
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| Finally after a thousand casts we get a glimmer of hope with this first Barramundi on the DUO Realis Jerkbait 100DR. The high, discoloured water really sucked our confidence out of us and this fish restored that somewhat... |
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| We threw big lures like the DUO Fangbait but in these parts even small fish were ultra aggressive. This Goliath Glassfish took on a prey its own size... |
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| We switched techniques to try an d find that niche. When it comes to fishing cover, the Jackall Break Blade always produces. And here it does again with a nice Common Snakehead... |
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| In between proper strikes there were always Scads to keep the heart rate up... |
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| The occasional flurry was provided by these magnificently conditioned freshwater Barramundi. Just look at those colours... |
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| When all else fails, the DUO Realis Jerkbait 100DR always turns things around... |
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| Most strikes resulted in rather small fish but we got shots at good fish on the rare occasion. We also had the task of putting some new prototype rods through their paces so fish like these were definitely welcome... |
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| On this trip the DUO Realis Jerkbait 100DR would shine bright during our darkest hours... |
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| We rummaged through our tackle boxes and passed whatever DUO Realis Jerkbait 100DRs we could find around so everyone could get a shot at a fish. This angler played beneficiary and his Major Craft MSX performed flawlessly against this nice Barramundi... |
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| These fish fight hard regardless of size. Note the missing hook on the DUO Realis Jerkbait 100DR... |
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| We plugged away with the DUO Realis Jerkbait 100DR and luckily found some fish that were out on a hunt... |
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| When they really wanted to, they even took topwater pencils like this DUO Realis Pencil 110, but the bites were few and far between, adding to our frustration... |
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| Meanwhile the little hits kept coming, courtesy of the Scads with ridiculously oversized mouths... |
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| Camping in the wilderness was an experience in itself, but the locals did their best to make sure we were comfy... |
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| The magic of visiting these places was to indulge in cultures foreign to us. Swimming in waters which held Crocodiles? No worries... |
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| One fish we were not exactly expecting to find here was the Sooty Grunter, but lo and behold, this one snatched the IMA Pin Jack 200 crankbait passing its snag... |
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| Every cast at a snag drew major anticipation. But these Archerfish would be the greatest anti-climax after an explosive strike which got the pulse racing. We could only smile. Special mention goes to the hand-made FCL Labo Keshal 63 crankbait and its abilities in tight confines, it is to be experienced... |
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| Another firm favourite for us of late is the IMA Pin Jack 200 crankbait. It has produced in adverse conditions and thus has earned a permanent place in our tacklebox... |
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| On the light Evergreen Kaleido spin stick fish like these gave a good run for the money. If only there were more of them... |
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| In freshwater they take on an amazing gold colouration unlike their salty brothers in the estuaries downriver. Again the FCL Labo Keshal 63 finds the mark... |
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| We tried other options like fishing deep with lipless cranks like the DUO Realis Vibe 68 but only found the ever-willing Scads... |
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| So it was back to throwing DUO Realis Jerkbait 100DRs in the sticks. This one got sucked in good and after a thoroughly anxious fight we got a good fish to the boat... |
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| As luck would have it, after days of trying tirelessly it finally pays off with a big brooder Barramundi. The fight was amazing and to get up close with the beautifully proportioned specimen was a privilege. Can't say enough about the new prototype rod from Major Craft which we will reveal in due time... |
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| Another look at the first and only proper Barramundi of the trip... |
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| On the last day in the final hours we had a good take on the large Jackall Ponytail swimbait. It fought strong and stubborn but it wasn't the Barramundi we were expecting to see... |
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| Instead an epic Catfish reared its head. It was a big one! |
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| Even on heavy gear this fish went really hard, uncharacteristic of our typical Catfishes and more reminiscent of their Amazon cousins... |
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| With that nice Catfish taken on the last cast it was time to wrap things up for a very tough trip. And time for the long journey home into the sunset... |
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