So you're finally going to take the 'big trip' north into the fish-rich waters of far north Queensland. You have all the rods, reels and lines that you've been slowly collecting over the past few months; but what about the flies - there are hundreds of patterns out there! Well, here's a few 'ever faithful' patterns that will have you hooking fish in no time.

The Barramundi - that wonderful fish that everybody wants to tangle with on fly - will take a huge variety of patterns. The Pink Thing is excellent as long as it's tied on at least a 3/0 hook. These flies have plenty of 'movement' due to the soft pink hackle around the throat - a slow, short strip will be the downfall of many a barra. The best presentation is to cast upstream of structure and then retrieve so that the fly pauses as close as possible to the log, rock, or fallen tree. The other technique is to 'blast' the fly into the mangroves and again retrieve with a slow, short strip.

The Clouser Minnow is another of my favourites, especially when tied from synthetic materials such as pearl Crystal Flash and Holographic Fiber. Although the Clouser is almost 'snagless' because it is designed to ride upside down, I still recommend that newcomers use weed guards - heavy mono or wire - when casting in and around the mangroves. The Clouser and its derivatives are basically 'bucktail jigs' which are used when a little more depth is required. A short, quick strip will have the fly undulating in the water.

If venturing up north in the 'post wet', more 'visible' patterns like the Black-n-Barred, Mangrove Muffin and Grey Mullet Fly will be needed. These are used for barra and other species which lurk in the 'drains' that flow into the main river channels - the water can take on the colour of a weak cup of coffee! These flies are best retrieved in SLOW, short (30 cm) strips. They are usually tied bulky so the fly 'pushes' water from the head. This in turn will attract fish - they sense the movement, find the fly and, hopefully, eat it! In dirty water these flies are deadly.

Two other flies I would not leave home without are the Mylar Shrimp and Rattling Tropic Prawn - all tropical river species eat these flies! The RTP is one of my all-time favourites. Used around the mangrove roots and rock-walls it can be devastating. The trick is to retrieve the RTP in quick, short strips with a one or two second pause in between. The quick strip allows the 'rattle' to do its thing, which brings fish out of cover, quick smart! Mylar Shrimps are used in the winter for bream, jacks and tarpon when the water is super clear. When tarpon are seen rolling on the surface they will often take one of these.

In the upper fresh-water, where fish such as sooty grunter, jungle perch, tarpon (ox-eye herring), silver grunter, barra and jacks reside, fly selection is a little different. The grunter gang, for instance, will strike at almost anything that looks to be 'in trouble' on the water surface. One thing they just can't resist is a small Dahlberg Diver - tied on a #1 hook, in black and dark green colours with a few 'rubber legs' - these have accounted for more sooties and jungle perch than any other surface fly I have used.

A small Dahlberg or Popper, cast in as close as you dare to the bank or under shade-trees, will be eaten if retrieved in short, slow strips. Jungle perch and sooties will not venture far from their shady homes to eat, so the first metre of the strip is very important - the fly should 'come to life' as soon as it hits the water. Make the fly 'burble' along looking injured.

Small shrimp patterns tied on #4 to #6 hooks are also excellent in the 'fresh' - tarpon, in particular, will not pass up a good shrimp imitation. Another good freshwater fly is a small (50 mm) Clouser Minnow - tied with 'rainbow' Crystal Flash and medium chrome lead eyes.

The Rainbow Clouser can be used to stir up some action in the middle of the day when things are a little quiet. This fly also works well at certain times of the year when the fish are 'out' over weed beds in the middle of the river - long, accurate casts are needed so as not to spook them.

Now on to one of my favourite places - the flats! These wonderful areas are usually at river mouths. There is something special about waiting for the tide to turn in the predawn hours. As the tide begins to make you can almost 'feel' the fish coming with it! Armed with a few 3/0 or 4/0 fly-rod Poppers, the fun can be fast and furious.

Trevally, queenfish, mackerel, and even barra may be encountered. Lefty's Deceivers, in blue and white or green and white, are excellent patterns when 'searching' the flats. At times you will be sight-casting to a school of queenfish ripping into the hapless herrings that just happen to be in the wrong place at the right time, for you anyway! The Sea Habit - basically a Flashy Profile Fly - is another good fly, not only on the flats but also around the mangrove roots. This particular pattern has accounted for many tropical species. Likewise, the Bleeding Minnow is a good standby.

Most of the time when flats fishing you will be required to make long 60 to 80 ft casts to cruising or tailing fish. The retrieve is not all that important when casting to feeding fish. Certainly you can strip too fast, but hardly ever too slow. A bait fish (your fly) trying to 'sneak' away is certain to get eaten.

When fishing Clouser style flies on the flats, it is usual to allow them to sink to the bottom. With a floating line, each time you strip line in, the fly will lift off the bottom and fall back on to the silt raising 'puffs' of sediment. To feeding fish this is like a neon light on a dark night - it means food! Clousers are excellent for golden trevally and, when tied on small hooks, even bonefish. When fly fishing during the winter months the action can be a little slow due to reduced water temperatures. However, at this time of year the pikey bream will be present in abundance. These grow to around 2 kilos - they may not be the biggest fish in the river but are great fun on fly tackle. Crazy Charlies will catch pikeys, and they won't pass up a Furry Shrimp or Baited Breath - all are worth including for a northern trip.

To sum up, you don't need millions of flies in your box to catch tropical species - just a few tried and proven patterns that catch fish, not some of the time but most of the time. With the flies mentioned there are not a lot of, if any, tropical estuary species that you will miss out on. When feeding, most northern species don't muck about, they just eat!

When choosing your flies, try to get them wet, after all that's how the fish are going to view them! Does the fly take on a bait fish profile? Does it have lots of flash? Does the fly have eyes? And is the hook strong enough to stand up to constant abuse? All these questions will have a bearing on whether or not the fishing lives up to your expectations.