Photos

Aussie Adventure, Part I

By Ben2

Updated: October 28, 2008

Aussie Adventure, Part I

In 2006, SWS editor Ted Lund had the chance to chase a variety of species on fly and light tackle in the Coral Sea more than 300 miles northeast of Cairns, Australia. The group he fished with spent nearly a full month exploring these virgin seas, while Lund had to return to work after 14 days. Here are some of the outtakes from this trip of a lifetime. Arriving in Cairns after a 22 hour flight, we checked into the Marina Resort on the water front. Capt. Ted Lund

Aussie Adventure, Part I

We had a day prior to boarding the mother ship and decided to take care of any last minute needs at world-famous Erskine’s since we’d be 350 miles east of Australia in the heart of the Coral Sea. Capt. Ted Lund

Aussie Adventure, Part I

Erskine’s is one of the most complete tackle shops I’ve ever been to – anywhere. Capt. Ted Lund

Aussie Adventure, Part I

And then, we needed provisions. Capt. Ted Lund

Aussie Adventure, Part I

We weren’t sure if we had enough tackle for the 21-day trip. Capt. Ted Lund

Aussie Adventure, Part I

Buddy Sowers of Richmond, VA makes sure his gear is strapped down on truck one. Capt. Ted Lund

Aussie Adventure, Part I

Truck one, fully loaded. We estimated there was about $150,000 worth of fishing tackle on board the mothership… all brought by the anglers. Capt. Ted Lund

Aussie Adventure, Part I

Truck 2 is loaded down. Capt. Ted Lund

Aussie Adventure, Part I

Then, it was off on a 45-minute ride through the Outback to the marina where the Boss, our mothership, was waiting. Capt. Ted Lund

Aussie Adventure, Part I

The mothership Boss and the Don’t Ask Me, one of our three gameboats, await our arrival. Capt. Ted Lund

Aussie Adventure, Part I

Once on board, we rigged our tackle and found places to store it. This is actually the gear for three anglers.

Aussie Adventure, Part I

Then it was time to store the rodtubes.

Aussie Adventure, Part I

And time to start rigging lures and tying flies.

Aussie Adventure, Part I

A late-season typhoon was sitting where we were trying to go (Willis Island). But our crew had a plan. We’d fish the ribbon reefs for black marlin until the weather cleared. They had plenty of rigs ready to go.

Aussie Adventure, Part I

A narrow-barred scad that fell for a trolled, lipped, lure.

Aussie Adventure, Part I

Which promptly became bait.

Aussie Adventure, Part I

Big baits are the order of the day, and only take a few minutes to rig.

Aussie Adventure, Part I

A rainbow runner, ready to be deployed for Her Majesty, the black marlin. Note the rubber band used to stiffen up the bridle.

Aussie Adventure, Part I

We also had a chance to live bait, and mate Carly Smithson mans one of the rods, ready to drop back on a bite.

Aussie Adventure, Part I

Soon, we moved on to light tackle fishing. This is my friend Buddy Sowers, who spent a lot of money to go on this trip. This was his first catch – some sort of small grouper. Things got better from there.

Aussie Adventure, Part I

A red bass, similar to the mangrove snapper of the Atlantic. They hit a variety of lures, including vertical jigs and topwaters.

Aussie Adventure, Part I

Sharks are a problem anywhere you fish in the Coral Sea, especially with light tackle.

Aussie Adventure, Part I

One of the most beautiful fish I’ve ever caught – a coronation cod. And they are great eating.

Aussie Adventure, Part I

Small vertical jigs like this accounted for a number of species, including this coronation cod.

Aussie Adventure, Part I

Bluefin trevally were also prevalent.

Aussie Adventure, Part I

The green jobfish is a beautiful fish – and good eating, two. Like a combination between a snapper and a tilefish, they eagerly travel up the water column to smash topwater lures.

Aussie Adventure, Part I

The green jobfish is a beautiful fish – and good eating, two. Like a combination between a snapper and a tilefish, they eagerly travel up the water column to smash topwater lures.

Aussie Adventure, Part I

Buddy Sowers with a hefy coral trout he managed to wrestle out of a coral head with a spinning rod.

Aussie Adventure, Part I

Buddy Sowers with a hefy coral trout he managed to wrestle out of a coral head with a spinning rod.

Aussie Adventure, Part I

Everywhere I go, I catch grunts. Aussie was no different. This is a spangled emporer, very similar to our porgies in the Atlantic.

Aussie Adventure, Part I

My first dogtooth tuna – on fly. One of the hardest fighting, most savage-biting fish in the ocean.

Aussie Adventure, Part I

Robert Trosset (right) and Buddy Sowers with a hefty wahoo that struck a large, swimming plug. It was one of the first fish we hooked after arriving at Willis.