OVER the years, friends have told me about the fantastic fishing inside and outside the group of reefs known as The Swains, located 110 nautical miles east of Roslyn Bay in Queensland. I had also heard how more and more anglers were exploring the area to find quality sportsfishing.
Along with a group of friends that I have been game fishing with some since the 1970s, we set off from Sydney on board a 65ft vessel with a 4.5 Boston Whaler on board as our fishing platform.
After six days cruising we arrived at The Swains and at our very first anchorage we were greeted by approximately 20 GTs (see video below). Our aim was to release all fish we caught except for what we could eat that night. After 14 days spent sports fishing on light tackle we released GTs, Spanish mackerel, albacore, wahoo, black marlin and coral trout – all caught trolling or casting. The reef is pristine and ideal for snorkelling.
Our best catch came when we exchanged a carton of Beelgara wine with a trawler skipper for bugs, scallops, squid and prawns – we did well!
During our stay we encountered three days of winds up to 34 knots from the south east, but found many safe anchorages that were fishable on their northern side during the blow. In brief the sport fishing in this beautiful, relatively untouched area (compared to other Queensland Reefs) was mind blowing and well worth the long journey.
