EVENTS
WINNING WAYS: Three Dams, Three Strategies
The Australian Freshwater Masters is a unique tournament series that pitches teams of anglers against each other across a time frame of several months at three very different venues, targeting a trio of iconic native species. Jo and I competed in The Freshwater Masters for the first time in 2015/16, and were fortunate enough to ultimately win the event… Here’s the inside story of exactly how we did it: The Australian Freshwater Masters is an innovative tournament series first conceived by well-known Aussie lure maker, Wayne Lennon, some two decades ago. Wayne successfully ran the annual event for many years before handing the reins to Dave Silva. Later, Dave Shelton picked up the baton and, in more recent times, has been ably assisted by Matt Cunneen, creator of Gangster Lures in Wagga. As of last year, Matt is now running the event largely by himself. The Masters is a brilliant concept, with three rounds taking place on three very different waterways, targeting a trio of our most popular and iconic freshwater natives: golden perch, Australian bass and Murray cod. Teams consist of two anglers, and their cumulative scores carry forward from one round to the next, eventually deciding the overall champions. It’s definitely a concept that rewards versatility, determination and consistency of performance. The Masters is a lure-and-fly only event, with both casting and trolling allowed and, naturally, it’s all about catch-and-release. Live fish are photographed on standard issue Fisheries measuring mats and, where possible, witnessed by another team, although the welfare of the fish always comes first, so if there are no witnesses nearby, a date-stamped digital photo is acceptable. While ostensibly an invitational series, expressions of interest from new teams are invited every year and are generally accepted, at least until the current cap of 40 teams is reached. My wife Jo and I competed in the Masters for the first time ever in 2015/16 and I’m rather chuffed to report that we were able to bring home the Champion Team trophy. Here’s how it went down: WINNING WINDAMERE The first round of the 2015/16 Australian Freshwater Masters was staged in early November 2015 on the waters of Lake Windamere, near Mudgee, in central western NSW. The target species for this opening round was the golden perch or yellowbelly. This impoundment has a well-earned reputation for being one of Australia’s premier venues for big goldens, but it also attracts a great deal of intelligent angling effort these days, and most regulars would agree that the fishing isn’t getting any easier, despite the presence of excellent yellowbelly stocks in the dam’s waters. Sure enough, there’d been a string of competitions in the weeks leading up to the Masters, and word on the street (or rather, at the boat ramp) was that the bite was very tough indeed, with many anglers struggling to pin even a fish or two for a full day on the water. Over the course of several seasons working Windamere together, both socially and in the annual Golden Classic, Jo and I have developed some proven strategies that seem capable of scoring us at least a few fish on even the toughest of days. Our “go-to” method is to target the 5.5 to 7 m depth band adjacent to sloping shores and points. This puts...
read moreBluewater Masterclass Oct 2017 – Cobourg Peninsula, NT
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 just any old fishing trip… if you join us for this four day, fun-packed foray into some of the country’s most isolated waters, you’ll be joining the inaugural Tropical Bluewater Masterclass, where the cliff-top, outdoor sunset bar will play host to bluewater fishing clinics, with unparalleled opportunities to pick my brains about all things tackle and tactics. Sound good? Let’s have an imaginary gander at what this trip will be like… WELCOME TO COBOURG COASTAL CAMP — HOME OF STARLO’S TROPICAL BLUEWATER MASTERCLASS This unique safari-style camp is nestled amongst savannah bushland overlooking the bay of Port Essington on the northern coast of Garig Gunak Barlu National Park (Cobourg Peninsula) in northern Arnhem Land. The safari-style camp is nestled amongst bushland and overlooks the bay of Port Essington, your fishing playground for the next four days. You’ll enjoy the creature comforts of home, while still feeling close to nature at all times, thanks to the Camp’s innovative and ingenious layout and design. The central open-plan dining area is a relaxed place to enjoy meals and a chat, while the quaint safari-tents boast first class single beds… perfect for a comfortable nights’ sleep after a day leaning over bent rods. But the piece de resistance is surely the amenities, with Livistona palms playing host to hand basins and mirrors, while all shower rooms are cleverly screened for privacy whilst allowing you to shower in the Aussie bush. Even the toilets all have their own, unique views! Whichever way you’ve chosen to arrive (fly in or drive in… more on that later),...
read moreSTARLO & JO WIN THE AUSTRALIAN FRESHWATER MASTERS!
The third and final round of the hard-fought Australian Freshwater Masters tournament series was staged in mid-February this year on the waters of Lake Mulwala, a picturesque impoundment straddling the NSW/Victorian border, an hour or so west of Albury. This unique, three-stage challenge targets a trio of iconic Australian native species at three very different venues. The first round of the latest Freshwater Masters took place last November on Lake Windamere, near the NSW regional town of Mudgee, and was devoted to the pursuit of golden perch or yellowbelly. A few days later, round two was staged on Glenbawn Dam, in the Hunter Valley, with Australian bass as the nominated target species. Finally, almost three months later, competitors gathered at Lake Mulwala to hunt the elusive Murray cod. A catch-and-release series devoted entirely to lure and fly fishing, The Australian Freshwater Masters challenges its field of two-person teams to measure, photograph and release up to 10 legal specimens of each target species at each arena over the course of two days’ of intensive fishing. Cumulative point scores (one point per millimeter) carry forward from round to round, ultimately deciding the outcome of the event. This year, the eventual winners were Team Starlo’s Squidgies, consisting of high profile fishing communicator, Steve ‘Starlo’ Starling, and his wife Jo. Consistent performances in rounds two and three allowed Starlo and Jo to hold onto the significant lead they’d amassed on Windamere’s goldens in round one (where Jo was also the individual champion angler), finally giving them an 800 point break over the second-placed Jigheads Team of Mitchell Skeers and Brad Gardiner. A further 1,300 points behind in third place was Team Windybanks, made up of Simon McAlpine and David Dobson. Overall Champion Angler for the Masters was Mitchell Skeers, nearly 1,000 points ahead of Starlo in second, with Simon McAlpine finishing third and Jo Starling fourth. This series also saw the biggest fish ever recorded in the event, with Scott Hartley releasing a stunning 110 cm cod during the Mulwala round. First conceived almost two decades ago by lure-making legend, Wayne Lennon and later run by Dave Silva and then Dave Shelton, The Australian Freshwater Masters is today a well sponsored and superbly organised invitational series with its field strictly capped at 40 teams. Anglers wishing to lodge an expression of interest to be considered for an invitation to the next Masters should send an email to the current chief organiser, Matt Cunneen of Gangster Lures, at mcunneen@dodo.com.au, or give him a call on 0418...
read moreTHE LURE OF TROUT WORKSHOP
The “Lure of Trout” live-in workshop that Jo and I ran at Lake Crackenback Resort & Spa in the Australian Snowy Mountains during early November, 2014 was a great success and seems to have been enjoyed enormously by all participants. Watch the short video below for a taste of the workshop’s highlights. We’re planning more of these residential workshops for 2015 and beyond, so if you’d like to be involved, lodge an obligation-free expression of interest by clicking here. You should also check out our other hosted trips to exciting destinations by clicking here....
read moreIntroduction To Trout Fishing : 7-9 Nov 2014
Fishing for trout has long been a passion of mine. Now I’d like to share with you what I’ve learnt about trout and how to fool them over my four decades of fishing for these wily immigrants.
read moreNihiwatu, Sumba 2015 or 2016
Does a 6 night luxury bluewater adventure sound like you? Well, considering this is some of the best, untapped fishing I’ve experienced, you have every reason to get excited! FIND OUT MORE by clicking the “go to link” icon that shows when you roll over the image above.
read moreOwen River Lodge, New Zealand 2015 or 2016
Fancy joining us on a fly fishing jaunt to NZ? Enjoy 6 nights of 5 star accommodation, all meals and some of the best sight-casting for browns that you’ll find anywhere. FIND OUT MORE here…
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