The Barramundi saw the fly as it hit the water and swam out from underneath the log to investigate. "Twitch the fly" I instructed Dusty as he made the first strips of the flyline. The fish looking up cross-eyed as he nosed the FPF suddenly decided it was time to eat this "thing". "Stick it mate ,your on" I said while putting the electric motor in reverse, drawing Mr Barra from his home amongst the sticks. Dusty a excavator operator from Oregon USA and a mighty fine flyline caster commented "you really need to work the fly". Certainly now he had understood the importance of enticing the fish to strike, inhale and eat. Both Dusty and his mate Kennedy another Oregon bloke whom is a gymnastic instructor and keen flyfisherman both started to unlock the rivers secrets using the Koolatong Keys PPPD, Preciseness Presentation, Persistence and Deceit.



Being able to cast a fly into precarious yet productive fish holding sticks and stones is a bonus while fishing any location but understanding how to deceitfully get a fish to eat one is another story and thats why its called fly fishing not fly casting. Its hard to flip flop fishing hats as you get off a plane from US trout waters ( flying across the ditch is similar in feeling as to being a tampon and twice as likely to cause you toxic shock syndrome) jump into the flames of 95 to a 100 degree temperatures of the remote Arnhem Land flood plains provide by the wet season build up and cast 4/0 and 6/0 flys all day amongst snags , timbers and under tight fish holding brushes overhanging the river edges. Both guys did it tough for the four days in camp but did it in style anyway. Very little complaint was heard as Brenton Hurt (owner and proprietor of Territory Buffalo Safaris) and I had them constantly casting and working different areas of the Koolatong River system with varying results. The fish were slow at first and of course the inevitable "snagged" fly on submerged logs, overhangs or errant back cast in tight quarters caused some unwanted grief and disturbance of prime spots. However the building tides saw movement of fish from the lower stretches in to the freshness of the river. Silver fish too but not with the brightness of salty barra's of the coast made there way through the maze of logs and longtime tree growth that protects the fresh from visitors on the other side of the first impassable rock bars. Still as tough as it was we caught fish not hand over fist but certainly every one was pleasurable. To put it plain and simple and in my own opinion there is nothing that comes close to the set up up we have at the Koolatong. A pristine river system where the water can be drank by sticking your cup over the side, copious amounts of fauna and flora to observe and document, no people, wild barra, sarra and other species to fish for and of course a spa bath in camp
The fish caught will be cherished memories and firsts time captures for Dusty and Kennedy as will special moments like the hundred of thousands of bats drinking at dusk (Little Red Flying Foxes Roost in group of up to million) , the expression on a dingo's face when it looked over the bank edge and went "huh?' whilst Dusty cast to Saratoga in Hidden Lilly Creek, driving the quad bikes to the billabong, crocodiles making a commotion when being scared from their lair, the flood plains at night and our favorite Russell Coight quotes from "All Aussie Adventures".
I think that John Williamson song "Aussie Balladeer" sums up the Koolatong feel best with the classic line " Where the shimmer slows you down and you find the time to dream, to open up your heart to the spirit of the land"

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