We launched into part two of our fishing adventure with a flight from Cairns to the exclusive national park and resort of Lizard Island. Hinterland Aviation handles many flights between various Barrier Reef Island destinations with their fleet of  6 - 20 seat planes. The flight itself is a treat especially for those who may have no experience with the astounding beauty and size of the Barrier Reef. The low flying 14 seater gave us spectacular views on the hour long flight to "The Rock" as it is known to the lucky few who frequent Lizard. Our plane lined up on the single landing strip and winging over the luminescent crescent bay dotted with luxury yachts we dropped between the two peaks and onto the island's windswept tarmac.


Lizard Island, so named for the exceptionally large goanas ( lizards) who wander everywhere, has long been a gathering spot for wealthy and celebrity patrons and for 1000 pound Black Marlin. The twelve anglers destined for six days of extreme fishing gathered at the open air bar waiting for our guides to transport us to the mothership. The anticipation was tangible as we gazed over the crystal clear aquamarine water enjoying cold beverages. Shortly we were gathered up and settled on the 80 foot catamaran, Odyssey.


Rooms assignments and first fishing rotations were covered and, just like that, the fisherman were off. The water immediately surrounding Lizard is national park and cannot be fished, however, feeding the fish who appeared at anchorage is almost as entertaining. When the boats returned to the mothership that evening we all took advantage of fish frames and scraps. As we threw bits of fish and food to the back of the boat huge Giant Trevally and Grouper boiled and splashed which only served to ignite the guests excitement to get back out on the water the following day. This particular group of anglers included a Japanese contingent of 6 with more gear than I have ever seen in one place. They were so excited for the big GT fishing they could barely contain themselves, comparing reels and giant lures of every size, shape and color. With gear strewn on the back deck the anglers representing many countries happily shared and compared techniques used throughout the world to capture big fish.


Damon and Claire Olsen have made their ambitious dream a reality in Nomad Sportfishing Adventures. Damon helped design and oversee the constrution of his custom 80 foot aluminum catamaran completed in early 2005. It is ideally suited for the innovative plans they have. Damon's concept was to give his guests access to virtually untouched and unexplored fishing. To do this he would need to employ a self supporting transport system allowing the mothership to stay in remote destinations for weeks on end. The keys to the system are a seaplane and Odyssey's ability to carry large amounts of fuel onboard, not only for the fishing boats, but to refuel the seaplane that brings the guests to and from the mainland. Additionally concerned about preserving the variety and pristine quality on the reefs he fishes, Damon makes a point of fishing each reef only a few times each year and of implementing very strict " fish handling policy". Olsen wants as many fish as possible released and the impact of his client's on the environment light. This operation is tight, extremely well run, and provides one of the most amazing fishing opportunities in the world. To be able to fly into a comfortable base, often 200 nautical miles from the mainland, and fish untouched reefs is not only unique, but a rare experience not to be missed.

We moved the mothership to Jewell Reef the next morning. The fishermen were deployed 4 to a boat first thing in the morning and would meet up with the mothership in time for dinner. The wind was not our friend and the anglers struggled in big seas and bigger gusts. Persistence paid off with about 60 fish hooked and released for the first day including Spanish Mackerel, GTs, Coral Trout, Dogtooth Tuna and Red Bass. As usual, we were treated to four star dining. Our chef Brett, having worked in myriad high end resorts and hotels from London to Switzerland to Fiji, spoiled us with lamb and mushroom mini pies for starters followed by mackerel on white bean and garlic sauce with roasted veggies - superb!


Day two and the anglers were rotated to different boats with different guides. The fishing fleet consists of two 36 ft game boats and a 25 foot center console. For trips where more lagoon fishing is available the mothership also transports two18 ft skiffs which are fished with 2 anglers per boat ( see detail segments). As the weather forecast was not wind favorable, Captains Carl and Damon planned to move the mothership again, this time to Howick Island for a more comfortable anchorage.


We overnighted at Howick for 2 nights. The days continued on their abnormal pattern of strong winds. Although the anglers were challenged by weather the fishing was outstanding with each boat landing and releasing over 30 big fish each. Big on the Barrier Reef means from 40 pounds to well over 100. If you have tangled with a GT of any size you would be titillated by that sort of day. Trips focused on marlin may well provide you the rare opportunity to see a "Grander" - the holy grain of billfish or a 1000 + pound Giant Black Marlin.  To stand on the flybridge of one of the gamefishers and be able to observe the attack of a GT, or pack of GTs ( they are insanely competitive), makes you quiver to imagine being the target. These big powerful bulldogs chase and grab with lightening speed and pound for pound pull harder than any gamefish. It is no wonder anglers travel thousand of miles time and time again for the raw thrill experienced with this formidable fish.

On the water by 7AM the boats were generally returning by 4:30 only because of sheer (but happy) exhaustion on the part of our fisherman. The wonderful crew, however, never shows any sign of being tired, in fact they never show anything other than boundless energy and constant optimism.




As Howick Island offered an actual Island to explore, I ventured out with one of the guides in the 18 foot Kevlacat to do a little reconnaissance with my fly rod. Surrounded by heavy rock bars we lucked into high tides allowing access into mangrove filled bays. Color palattes of the Barrier Reef are difficult to describe, shimmering blues and greens so vibrant they seem surreal.For the first time in days I was not casting into a headwind. We motored along in crystal clear inlets peering under arching mangrove roots. A 5 foot shark lazed along and jacks would race past us periodically. Barracuda and Needlefish were easy catching on a little Clouser but the jacks defeated us.


Day five dawned with the ever present winds. The plan would be to move the mothership to Jewell Reef for this night and move again back to Lizard Island for the final night. In reality, although more difficult for the anglers, the wilder weather

conditions likely enhanced the fishing. Chasing voracious predators like the Dogtooth Tuna and GTs is accomplished through a variety of tried and true methods but with the addition of some constantly evolving lure systems. Fishing coral heads, lagoons or along steep marine drops, the fishers troll or make casts with big poppers and stick baits  or drop jigs. Rough weather makes the predator fish less wary and therefore more likely to attack like mad. A stiff breeze at your back can also add an extra 20 - 50 feet to a good cast increasing your catch potential. The menu of fish caught ( and released) on this trip was extensive to say the least and I am sure I missed some - GTs, bluefin trevally, tea leaf trevally, coral trout, maori wrasse, flowery cod, Spanish mackeral, barracuda, dogtooth tuna, mack tuna, long nose emperors, red bass, job fish, shark and shark mackeral.



Although we did not target marlin on this trip it certainly would have been possible. The most widely used method is a simple two bait troll. On the trip immediately preceeding ours they released a 600 and 800 lb black and lost what they estimate to be a 1200 pounder!


Popping, Jigging and Stick Baits

On this fishing trip to Jewell reef we were introduced to new methods, tackle, lures, lines, knots and terminology by GT enthusiasts from around the world. Most of new development is happening in Japan but a growing band of international anglers who target these ocean reef bulldogs is expanding quickly.  By throwing poppers and stick baits on heavy duty spinning rod outfits we are actually employing a light tackle method using a heavy tackle twist.  For those who have never hooked a GT on a spin rod loaded with 120lb braid with 30lbs + of drag let me explain that you will soon find your toes swiftly embedded into the front of your shoes. The casting outfits we use require some unique connections for joining the heavy braid and leader material. These must stand up to the intense pressure of a coral reef tug of war. The PR Connection, Mid Knot and GT Knot are some of the names of these Chinese trap style knots. All involve a lighter and sometimes a bobbin! The concept behind using stick baits and poppers is based on light tackle fishing but with equipment and especially lures which have been adapted to huge, powerful fish. Poppers in this arena can be as big as 12 inches long and over an inch in diameter painted in a rainbow of colors, some sparkly and festive, some nothing but jet black. The concave head of the popper and the design of the body make this giant lure skid and careen across the water causing huge amounts of splashing. To see this crazy moving bait suddenly being pursued by a 100 plus pound GT moving at light speed will get your heart pumping! Many of the Japanese anglers on our trip were testing new styles, colors and weights on their poppers - as mentioned before - this is a fishing style still under development. Stick baits on the Barrier Reef, as with their smaller bass and trout catching cousins, are baits resembling local baitfish that require the angler to create the movement - you will find this often referred to as "walking the dog". This walking or jerking movement attracts the big guys and you have the same effect as the poppers. Especially on the reef where you have super clear water, your visual fishing experience is

incomparable. To fish deeper water, anglers usually jig. This is the style of fishing using heavy soft plastics or skinny metal lures and bouncing or jigging them up and down to attract the fish. Each of these methods was highly successful but still being adapted to the environment and local species.



Sidenote:
Though now just making its way into American fishing circles the Japanese rating system for braided lines works better than the poundage rating because you have a standard for rod and reel manufacturers  to work with. The PE rating of gel-spun polyethylene braids which the Japanese have numbered from 0.6 = 0.14mm to 12=  0.7mm and are prefixed with PE (PolyEthylene) relate to line diameter not strength. In this case a reel rated to take 300m of PE8 line will always take 300m regardless of the line manufacturer. However this is not the same for the breaking strain of the line nor rod rating. For those confused by this and the metric system and, I'm guessing that is most Americans, a simple way to calculate the breaking strain of the braid is to mutiply the PE number by ten eg: PE8 = 80lbs. Where it gets tricky is when a manufacturer makes a line that breaks well above the rating but has the same diameter eg PE8=113lbs. So rods are rated  to fish the workable braid size and strength by the formula so a PE 10-12 rod is designed for that size line with 100-120lb of regular braid. By the way, this does not refer to the dead lifting power of the rod, that is another subject.

One the day of our return to civilization we were back at a Lizard Island anchorage. Anglers had the option of fishing for the morning, I opted to stretch my legs and climb to the high point of the island, Cook's Look. With a couple of boat friends in tow we summited in less than an hour and it was well worth the challenge - just as Captain Cook had done in 1770 - we were able to see the maze of islands and reefs spread out below us. Captain Cook used this opportunity to plan a sailing route off the island. We simply enjoyed the amazing view, some water and a Cherry Ripe ( excellent but odd Australian candy bar much prized among the crew!). A metal box contains a guest book should you choose to record your thoughts. I noticed this one only went back a couple of years. I wondered if the previous books were on the island somewhere remembering a day 10 years ago when my then Australian fiance, now husband, and I stood in this exact spot admiring the reef with equal amazement and signed our names just as we did on this trip.


We clambered back down to the beach, scrambling over giant slabs of granite. That crystal clear bay could not have been more enticing. Our feet hot the sand and like kids we started running and removing outerwear as we went, finally plunging and splashing into that gorgeous, wonderful water. It was such a decadent moment, we couldn't have been happier.
 One of the crew saw us coming down the hill and drove the rubber duckie over to the beach. We jumped in and headed back to the ship for lunch and to quickly pack up. Flying back over the reef toward Cairns I savored the beauty of the past week, the colors, the reef life, the wonderful food and my new

friends- another phenomenal fishing experience that was so much more. Like my fellow travelers I am already searching the calendar for my next free days...





Cairns - a great place to acclimate to your new time zone before going fishing or for a lay day on your way home.



A small, clean accessible town filled with great restaurants, shops and natural beauty. The esplanade and main pier have been recently upgraded is is a wonderful place for a jog or stroll. On Saturday mornings the main area transforms with the tents and stalls exclusively representing local artists. The sights and sounds are diverse and fascinating from fire jugglers to local lotions and potions to jewelry crafted from local opals. You can also take a dip in the 4800 square meter saltwater lagoon - this manmade phenomenon is filtered, clean and most of all safe from the creatures who call the beaches off cairns home. these include sharks, crocodiles and box jellyfish to name a few.


 Every night features the Cairns Night Market for those who can't face the daytime shopping - until 11PM you can also shop for a crazy assortment of local items from sheepskin and oilskin items to tatoos under one roof, not to mention the food. We also enjoyed a trip to the Cairns Night Zoo. A few times each week the local zoo hosts a group at the zoo for a dinner and educational tour of the nocturnal animals. Dinner was great, the beer was included and the tour guides were hilarious. We each had our own flashlight and we to tag along with the guides to various gathering spots where we would get up close and personal with say an owl, a Koala or a croc. Out in a wider enclosure we were treated to ecalyptus (billy) tea and damper cooked on an open fire. (In colonial Australia, stockmen developed the technique of making damper out of necessity. Often away from home for weeks, with just a camp fire to cook on and only sacks of flour as provisions, a basic staple bread evolved. It was originally made with flour and water and a good pinch of salt, kneaded, shaped into a round, and baked in the ashes of the campfire or open fireplace. It was eaten with pieces of fried dried meat, sometimes spread with golden syrup, but always with billy tea or maybe a swig of rum!) As it turned out we were in the kangaroo enclosure and they crowded around us begging for the fruit we were given for them and even more for the damper! It was an entirely entertaining evening.



Favorite hotel - Holiday Inn Cairns - clean, just a few blocks to the heart of town, laundry avalable and they have big barramundi in the courtyard!! This big fish have been there for seventeen years and they hold public feedings 3 times per week.


Favorite restaurants:
breakfast - Coffee Club
lunch - any pie shop ( pies here are the meat variety)
dinner - Villa Romana and Barnacle Bills

Lizard Island
Aboriginal History

Lizard Island was known as Dyiigurra to the Dingaal Aboriginal people and was regarded as a sacred place. It was used by the people for the initiation of young males and for the harvesting of shellfish, turtles, dugongs and fish. The Dingaal believed that the Lizard group of islands had been created in the Dreamtime. They saw it as a stingray with Lizard Island being the body and the other islands in the group forming the tail. The local Dingiil Aboriginal people call the island Jiigurru.

European History

The name Lizard Island was given to it by Captain Cook when he passed it on 12 August 1770. He commented, "The only land Animals we saw here were Lizards, and these seem'd to be pretty Plenty, which occasioned my naming the Island Lizard Island." Cook climbed the peak on Lizard Island to chart a course out to sea through the maze of reefs which confronted him and the island's summit has since been called ‘Cook's Look’.

By the 1860s the island was being used by bêche-de-mer fishermen who found that the waters contained substantial quantities of the sea cucumber or trepang which was a popular delicacy in Asia.

In 1879 Captain Robert Watson with his wife, two servants and baby son, modified an abandoned cottage left on the island by the crew of the Julia Percy. The ruins are still visible. Captain Watson, was a bêche-de-mer fisherman and during one of his absences Aborigines from the mainland killed one of the servants. Mrs. Watson was only 21 when she arrived at Lizard Island and is famed for her courage and endurance. After the attack, accompanied by her child and the other Chinese servant, she attempted to flee to the mainland in an iron boiling tank (it can be seen in the Queensland Museum - it is a large rectangular tub) used for boiling bêche-de-mer. The vessel floated away from the coast and all three died of thirst nine days later on the waterless Howick No 5 Island ( WHERE WE WERE!). Their bodies were found three months later along with Mrs. Watson's diary. The State Library of Queensland holds two diaries by Mrs Watson. One is about her last 9 months on Lizard Island and the other is notes documenting her last days. In retaliation to the attack, a punitive expedition was mounted against Aboriginal groups, but they were almost certainly the wrong Aborigines.[2] A photo of Mrs Watson (image 67193), the unveiling of her memorial (image 22232) and her memorial (image 194899) have been digitized and are held by the State Library of Queensland.
In 1939 all of the islands in the group were declared a national park, which is now administered by the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service. The island is also part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, administered jointly by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority and the Queensland Environmental Protection Agency. Permits are required for all manipulative research in the Lizard Island Group and the waters surrounding it.

The Trips

Trips to the Coral Sea offer you an incredible and unique fishing
adventure to some of the most isolated and pristine reef systems anywhere.
You fly up to 550km in comfort aboard a seaplane to a remote, submerged
Coral Sea atoll where your trip will be packed with superb fishing action
and spectacular scenery, all enjoyed from the comfort of the 80ft mothership
and an array of customised Sportfishing vessels. There is simply nothing
else like this. Coral Sea trips offer approximately 6 days of fishing and you can book in as an individual on up to a whole boat booking for 12 people.


Outlines of the four basic Coral Sea trip options are as follows:

1)            Coral Sea Ultimate Adventures
This is our premiun charter option, offering the ultimate diversity of fishing styles and species, as well as superior comfort onboard our 51ft gameboat, 2 x 25ft centre consoles and 1 x 18ft centre console. This option is best if you want to combine light tackle lurecasting, GT popping or general lagoon sportfishing with jigging for dogtooth tuna, trolling for wahoo, yellowfin tuna, sailfish or some heavy tackle marlin fishing. We cater for 12 anglers on these trips.
Trip cost is $7750 per person for 2009 and 2010, plus return floatplane flights for some locations. Floatplane flight costs vary depending on which reef you choose


2)            Coral Sea Lagoon Explorers
Lagoon Explorers focus on general sportfishing, lurecasting and GT popper fishing for species such as GTs, coral trout, spanish mackerel, longtail tuna and a whole range of other sportfish. The locations that we visit on these trips provide more sheltered waters for our 2 x 18ft and 2 x 25ft centre consoles to operate in.  We cater for 12 anglers on these trips.
Trip cost is $4950 per person for 2009 and $5500 per person for 2010, plus return floatplane flights ex Hamilton Island. Floatplane flight costs vary depending on which reef you choose

3)             GT Drive Out
Drive Out GT Special
This is a new trip option, in response to strong demand for an entry level Coral Sea trip. Drive Out GT specials are very similar to the Lagoon Explorer trips, except that you access the reefs by driving out onboard our mothership rather than by floatplane, and we cater for 14 guests.
Trip cost is $4500 per person for 2009 and 2010 ex Mackay Marina
The Reefs


4)             Coral Sea 2-4 Day Gameboat Trips
These are a shorter trip of 2-4 days duration using our 51ft gameboat, and departing from Mackay, Cairns or Lockhart River. These trips cater to all fishing styles and species, depending on location, and are an excellent option for anglers with limited time available. We cater for 5 anglers onboard the gameboat.
Trip cost is $1650per person for 2 days, $2450 per person for 3 days or $3100 per person for 4 days, based on 5 anglers


All the areas we fish are isolated, remote, and pristine ecosystems that receive minimal pressure from our operation. We only fish any given area for a limited number of weeks each year and we practice and encourage catch and release fishing, ensuring that we continue to experience excellent fishing into the future.


Capricorn Islands & Bugatti Reef
These locations have just an amazing all round fishery. Species include
Giant Trevally, Spanish Mackerel, Coral Trout, Yellowfin tuna,Wahoo, Red Bass, Amberjacks, Green Jobfish, barracuda, bluefin trevally, diamond trevally, cod, rosy jobfish, red emperor, red throat sweetlip, painted sweetlip, long nose emperor and many many more reef species. This is some of the most amazing popper fishing, jigging and sportfishing available anywhere in the world. Dogtooth tuna are also a
possibility at Bugatti Reef. Whether flying to the Capricorn Islands or Bugatti Reef, you
will experience some of the best sportfishing and lurecasting imaginable.

Flinders Reef
The is Black Marlin fishing at it’s best, combined with an excellent variety of other species. Favorites include big dogtooth tuna, giant trevally, wahoo and yellowfin tuna.

Marion Reef
Variety abounds  -  Dogtooth Tuna, Giant Trevally and big Coral Trout are what this reef is famous for. There’s also a whole host of other species available such as
Sailfish, red bass, green jobfish.

Diamond Islets 
This was the dogtooth tuna factory in 2007. We landed 31 "Doggies" over 100lbs in 2 weeks fishing, with the biggest one around 90kgs. Plenty of variety of other species as well.

Elusive Reef 
Variety again! Amazing GT fishing in an incredible location. Elusive has exceptional bluewater potential for doggies, wahoo and marlin, but the spanish mackerel, coral trout and GT fishing is incredible. This area is similar to the Bugatti Reef area.

Jewell Reef 
A stunning location, with every species imaginable in large numbers. Grander black marlin, spanish mackerel, coral trout, GTs, dogtooth tuna, the list goes on. Great for anyone wanting variety in their fishing or species hunting for their personal best list.

Bligh Reef 
One of the most remote reef structures on earth. This reef will produce lots of variety sportfishing for GTs, spanish mackerel, dogtooth tuna, and also the opportunity to target some giant black marlin.

Coral Sea Ultimate Adventures ( All other reefs mentioned) Additional Details:
- 5 full days and 2 part days fishing shared between all boats
- Departure location depends on which reef will be visited
- Air conditioned quad or twin share bunk rooms
- ALL rods and reels are provided
- Terminal tackle is available on a user pays or replace if lost basis, depending on the activity
- Fine dining is catered by our chef and hostess
- All non alcoholic drinks and keg beer supplied
- Spirits, wine and bottled beer can be purchased at our bar
- Non fishing partners can be catered for at special rates
- Scuba diving available with air and nitrox, via onboard compressor and full time dive master.
- We have an onboard tackle shop which stocks everything you need.


Coral Sea Lagoon Explorer (Capricorn & Bugatti Reefs) Additional Details:
- 6 days fishing (5 full and 2 part days) shared between our centre consoles.
- Fly out ex Hamilton Island
- Air conditioned quad share bunk rooms
- Twin share bunk rooms available on request
- Poppers, jigs and minnows can be purchased onboard
- Casting and jigging rods and reels supplied
- Fine dining is catered by our Chef and hostess
- All non alcoholic drinks and keg beer supplied
- Spirits, wine and bottled beer can be purchased at our bar
- Non fishing partners can be catered for at special rates
- Flights are aboard Cessna Caravan Floatplane
- Scuba diving available with air and nitrox, via onboard
compressor and full time dive master.
- Terminal tackle, lures and hooks are can be supplied on a user pays basis.

All inquires, information and booking your trip start to finish:
Australia America Fishing Connections, Inc.
www.gofishaustralia.com
415-785-2899