Images in a Northern Estuary.
Rob Sloane joins Graeme Williams for some tropical estuary fishing.

Right on deadline for the March issue, when I really didn’t have time to yak about fishing, I answered a call from Graeme Williams, a renowned tropical fly-fishing guide and long-time supporter of FlyLife.

“G’day Rob. I was just calling about that DVD I sent down the other day. Did you get a chance to look at it?” I paused for a moment then vaguely acknowledged that I had seen it in my in-tray under a pile of last minute items that were infinitely more important than watching yet another fishing video.

I didn’t say all that to Graeme of course, but after a long chat (what other sort of chat do you have with a Territorian?) I promised to dig it out and see what he was banging on about. Just talking to Graeme made me think of the Top End: the heat, the tides, the drains, the mangroves, the barra, the crocs, the smell of earthy water. It was a long time since I had headed north.

So at knock-off time, with a cold beer in hand, I sat down with Ian Ainslie and watched 57 minutes of tropical estuary fly fishing on Ian’s 17-inch laptop. And I must say, apart from Ian getting a bit restless through the latter part of the threadfin salmon footage, it held our attention with some genuinely original sight-fishing action. There were tuna leaping in all directions, high-flying queenfish, bruising trevally, shark attacks, and a passing parade of dolphins, crocs and diverse bird life. All nicely packaged with some decent camera work, editing and didg’ music, with minimal narration and some subtle humour.

Although watching baitfish flying in all directions can get the rod-arm twitching, it was the close encounters with threadfin and barramundi on the tidal flats that got me off my seat. Even Ian could see the attraction of tempting barramundi in clear view, cruising about in the shallows, and he’s never fished water that’s more than 20 degrees.

Some of the clients’ presentations were clumsy at best and left us itching to have a shot, and laughing about what it must be like to be a guide! Even so, some crude presentations were still engulfed by snapping jaws, and right next to the boat too! It just goes to show that, with a good guide onboard, you don’t have to be an expert to catch fish on fly in the tropics.

Although it’s full of useful ‘insights’, the production could hardly be classified as instructional, or a full-blown professional documentary, but for a taste of the sight-fishing on offer in the tropical estuaries you wouldn’t find a better primer.

So if you are thinking of heading ‘up north’ with a fly rod, or need a reminder as to why you should go back, then I reckon this would be 35 bucks well spent.

Log-on to www.insightflyfishing.com.au for a preview. Images in a Northen Estuary by Graeme Williams & Barry Anderson can be ordered from FlyLife Publishing. Price $35. www.flylife.com.au