THE west coast of the Cape York Peninsula extends from Australia’s tip to Karumba, a region that features Australia’s biggest tidal flats and flood plains, massive mangrove estuaries fed by spring-fed rivers and huge freshwater wetlands.
Getting there is not easy as some roads and tracks remain impassible for up to five months of the year. As elsewhere in the tropics, the Cape enjoys two seasons – the wet and the dry. In line with the Top End it has a run-off season when the rivers, swollen by monsoon rains, drain into the surrounding seas. But the Top End has a network of bitumen roads ranging out from Darwin that make it easy to access the rivers and estuaries much earlier in the season than is possible on the Cape.
In some instances, bush tracks may not be trafficable until mid-June. This means that the barramundi and other fishes are in shut-down mode due to the cooler weather conditions. Or are they?
The Gulf of Carpentaria, which bisects the west coast of the Cape York Peninsula, is accessed at Seisia, Weipa, Pormpuraaw and Karumba. Elsewhere it’s reached by boat, via estuaries, or rough bush tracks that are impossible to traverse until the Dry is well advanced.
For the traveling angler this can present difficulties when wanting to fish the run-off. Seisia, Weipa and Karumba have guided fishing operations, which means you can fly in anytime for the best fishing. While the bitumen is creeping ever closer to Weipa (Karumba is fully sealed), there is enough dirt remaining to have the road closed by seasonal flooding. Karumba is not immune from this.
This means that the anglers wanting to tow their boats up must wait until the roads are open. Or ship your rig by barge to Seisia or Weipa from Cairns. Cabins are available so that you can travel with your rig. There is a lot of merit in this because you can pick your arrival to time the best fishing and tide periods.
THE LOWER WEST COAST
Pormpuraaw is a small indigenous community on the lower shores of the Gulf of Carpentaria. It is situated between the Chapman River and Mungkan Creek. About 8km of beach separates the streams. Good campgrounds are found there. They give total access to the tidal sections and both streams, being net-free zoned, provide excellent fishing for barramundi, salmon, jacks, queenfish, trevally and others.
Camping permits are available online (www. porpuraaw.qld.gov.au/camping) or at the Pormpuraaw Land & Sea Rangers office – if available. The community has most facilities and a wet canteen, where visitors can consume a six-pack of mid-strength beer or equivalent. You must be signed in by a member, but the locals are friendly and helpful. As elsewhere on DOGIT zones, the region is alcohol-free zoned, which means you cannot take your own booze in. It’s policed and penalties are severe.
Further south is the Kowanyama community (www.kowanyama.qld.gov.au). It has campsites on the Mitchell River and Topsy Creek. Charges for community campsites range from $35 per night, per vehicle. For that you get a site and a shared drop toilet, though both the Chapman River and Mungkan Creek campgrounds have cold showers and firewood supplied.
Pormpuraaw controls the Coleman River campsites, some 30km south. They are situated on the tidal flats with a narrow strip of couch grass between the river and the tidal flats offering sanctuary during King tides. The Gulf has 24-hour tides, with a low and a high every 12 hours, but every five weeks there is a change-over or neap tide that runs in for about two hours, runs out for another two, while sometimes there appears to be no current at all. This period last for three to five days and due to the small flow, the water stays clear, unless there are high winds.
These are the best tides to fish the Gulf estuaries with. The adage no run, no fun, does not hold true here.
FISHING THE GULF ESTUARIES
The 200km long Pormpuraaw Road from the Musgrave Roadhouse on the Peninsula Developmental Road is maintained and generally in good order. Any boat towed with a solid off-road trailer and a reliable 4WD does it easy. It’s expected that by 2020 the PDR will be sealed to the Musgrave Roadhouse, only about 50km remains now. This will provide easy access to Pormpuraaw and the Rinyirru N/P.
The Chapman River has a boat ramp 150m from the campground. It’s only a small system that forks near the top of the flood plain. It’s easy to travel up the right fork with a 4m tinnie to fish the run-off if early in the season. At the Mungkan Creek campground its beach launching only. Both systems have top fishing. Further north from Mungkan Creek is Christmas Creek, which is similar in size. It does get netted, but we enjoyed excellent fishing for barra, mangrove jack and threadfin salmon. About three kilometres directly to the west of it is a rubble ground in the Gulf. It provides top fishing in four/five metres of water for coral trout, nannygai, queenfish, cod and juvenile red emperor.
The only problem is getting the tinnie back into Mungkan Creek on the outgoing tide as it is very shallow. Almost every Gulf creek and rivers shallows at the mouth with some having sandbars extending 4km from shore. Don’t ignore the channels on an incoming flood tide between the sandbars because they hold a lot of fish including big barra and queenfish. Pick a spot opposite a flat run-out channel and fish in about 4m of water for Javelin grunter.
THE COLEMAN-MITCHEL CONNECTION
There are about a dozen campsites on the Coleman River. Its reached by a part-maintained road just south of Pormpuraaw. If you don’t have permits pick them up at the Ranger station in town. It’s best done online for a guaranteed site. They are very helpful with information and advice. The campsites are rough, while boat launching is directly from muddy banks into the river. High tide is best for the launch and recovery. Take Bushman insect repellent gel and it will keep the mossies and sandflies at bay. Freshwater is obtained from a pump at Chillagoe Pocket billabong enroute.
The Coleman River is part of the Mitchell River complex, one of our largest estuaries. Access is gained, via a narrow channel, about 4km downstream from the campsites into the North Arm of the mighty Mitchell River.
Upstream from the camps, the Coleman has several creek mouths, channels and rock bars that can turn it on. There is a small delta region upstream where poking about small mangrove islands, connected by narrow and shallow channels, hold a lot of good barra that are holed up in the numerous snags. The upstream tidal flats fish well for threadfin salmon on an incoming evening tide. Just drift with it and cast surface lures, rubbers and poppers in the shallows and magic things can happen.
Downstream, below the junction of the North Arm access, is a deep rockbar that is best fished with lures that swim at 10m or so. Rapala X-Rap and Halco Crazy Deep Scorpions have given me the best results over the years. Much of the river to the mouth is very fishable. The sandbars hold good grunter and salmons. It also easy to get into the mouth of the North Arm, and creeks that flow out of it, from the Coleman River mouth but be aware its shallow.
The only problem with the Coleman-Mitchell system is that it is netted and at times fish are hard to come by, especially when the weather cools. The nights can be cold so take warm weather gear. The camps are totally exposed to the elements, sun and wind. But people keep returning time after time because when the fish are on it makes it all worthwhile.
THE MITCHELL RIVER
It’s some 30km downstream, via the North Arm, to get to the Mitchell proper, a huge system, 2km wide. When the tide comes in big balls of baitfish, actively hunted by hordes of big queenfish and trevally, are targeted by fly and lure fishers from the mouth down. The action last until the fish disperse on the first bend. There are rock bars and fallen mangrove trees along the south bank from where big barra ambush the incoming food.
The local “rock” bars are nothing but compressed shell middens from a bygone age. They hardly show up on sounders and lures must be bounced and jerked about on the bottom, or no fish. Big deep diving lures are best.
The river mouth and the many sandbars hold good grunter and fingermark. A big creek turning south near the mouth is worth the effort as is the rubble ground in front of its double entrance where Spanish mackerel, black jewfish and barracuda join the fray.
Farther upstream from the Mitchell are more channels, rock bars, sand flats and mangrove fringed banks where casting lures about is rewarding fun, while the rock bars are exploited by trollers in search of “meteries“ which are not uncommon in the system. The South Arm is set aside for Indigenous use only and no fishing is permitted.
GEAR NEEDED
Good barra baitcasting or spinning rods and reels loaded with 20/30lbs braid and backed with a 60lbs leader are ideal. But they are too light to effectively work the afore-mentioned big lures. Another factor is that many big barra caught on light gear die from exhaustion, the reason I upgrade to a Silstar 601 rod, Shimano 400 Calcutta reel, 50lbs Fins braid and 80cm long 80lb leaders when trolling deep diving lures for big fish.
That may be an overkill in the eyes of purists, but such an outfit make the big Rapalas and other lures perform as they should because fishos complain they don’t work properly when trolled with a light outfit. That is so because there is not enough power in the rod tip to jig-jag the lure, thus the need for a stronger rod. Troll the lure just fast enough to have the rod twitching and continually jerk it to ensure it bounces from the bottom. Use wire leaders during strong tidal flows to reach bottom, they give about 2m extra depth over mono leaders.
Take a variety of lures. If you don’t have any buy them in the tropics enroute, they are cheaper than in the south and the local counter jumpers know their fish and provide the best advice. A range of soft lures is also recommended. Don’t rely on one type, buy a variety, especially colours, size and swim depths.
INSURANCE
When fishing remote regions back your gear up with another outfit because if something breaks you have wasted time and money. Also take extra lines, leaders, hooks, sinkers, etc. because you can’t replace anything in the bush. Take crab pots and a cast net for fresh bait.
Carry cash money because ATM and Telstra outages may be out at remote roadhouses and communities.
Most off all have your 4WD serviced, good A/T tyres, range of spare parts – fan belt, radiator hoses, wheel bearings and two spare tyres for both the vehicle and the trailer.
The Cape has many fishing places that are easily accessed in the Dry. Both the east and west coast, several national parks, plus several Indigenous communities have fishing access. There is a heap of information available on the Web, just Google “Cape York” and you will be carried away by a wealth of information to add to your wish list. Above all be independent and prepared to enjoy wilderness fishing like nowhere else. And please don’t rubbish the Cape.
And most of all think crocodiles when fishing on the Cape – you will live longer…
