WHAT’S A HOSTED TRIP? It was sheer fate that first led me to fish the pristine waters of the Cobourg Peninsula back in 2011… and I’ve been working on getting back there ever since. Why? If the spectacularly vibrant, cliff-fringed coastline and secluded azure waters weren’t enough to stimulate my senses to overload, the fishing tipped me over the edge. (If you missed my blog about this first trip, read it here.) Spoilt for choice between reefs, rocks, estuaries and flats, it was difficult to choose what to focus on when we sat down together at each evenings tackle preparation session. This hidden gem at the very top of the Top End is a tropical bluewater fishing paradise—and we want to share it with you! Read on and learn more… Australia’s Hidden Fishing Gem At the very top of the Northern Territory, the Cobourg Peninsula thrusts into the Arafura Sea—it’s red, rocky cliffs standing defiant and proud under the scorching sun. The contrast in colour is really striking and unlike anywhere else we’ve fished. Garig Gunak Barlu National Park (pronounced Gah-rig Goonuk Bar-loo) encompasses the entire Peninsula, the surrounding waters of the Arafura Sea and Van Diemen Gulf, and some of the neighbouring islands. This relatively small national park is pulsating with life, demonstrating the great job it’s doing in protecting rare species, including the dugong and six marine turtles (loggerhead, hawksbill, Olive Ridley, leatherback and flatback turtles). Pristine white sandy beaches, colourful cliff-lines and sparkling blue waters that absolutely teem with life make this one of the most spectacular fishing destinations you are likely to come across. So, what would it take to make this the ultimate fishing adventure? To qualify as an “ultimate” fishing adventure, this needs to have something out-of-the-box, right? Well, it does! This is not...
STARLO PRO LURES
posted by Jo Starling
My new range of STARLO PRO Lures has now been released, just in time for Christmas 2013! Exclusive to BCF stores right across the country, this beautifully finished line-up of hard-bodied lures is intended to provide champagne performance at beer prices, allowing every Aussie angler to have a crack at modern, finesse lure fishing without breaking the bank! But remember, these lures are only available from BCF stores and via that chain’s on-line outlet (join Club BCF to learn more about shopping on-line, as well as receiving regular offers and updates, or find your closest BCF store by clicking here: store locator.) All of the lures in this range have been personally hand-picked and extensively field-tested by me. Each lure, each size and each colour suits a wide range of Australian fish species and Australian angling conditions (in both salt and fresh water), and fills a particular niche in the Aussie angling world: from finessing bream, flathead, perch and trout to brawling with big barra, mulloway (jewfish) and kingfish… They all work! (Please note that while I offer target species listings in the lure-by-lure rundown on this page, it is possible to catch a far wider range of fish than those nominated… The sky really is the limit, and fishing is full of surprises!) USING MY LURES Wherever possible, attach these lure directly to your line or leader using a proven loop knot or a strong, round-radius snap clip. Test swim the lure briefly before fishing, and again after each encounter with a fish or snag. If the lure lies over to one side or swims off-centre, use long-nosed pliers to carefully bend the tow-point eyelet a very small distance in the opposite direction, then test it again. Remember: a tiny tweak (less than...