(^58) FLYLIFE
T
he fish moves over to the fly
slowly, watching and waiting.
Tiny twitch, puff of sand, and it
tips over on the fly. Keeping con-
tact is hard with the movement of
the waves. Does it have the fly?
Gentle pulling back on the fly line and
watching intently... the gills flare as
the fly is pulled past those rubber lips.
A strip strike as tension comes tight;
the ‘blue bastard’ shakes its head to
dislodge the fly; another pull to let it
know it’s hooked. The fish wakes up
and tears off across the shallows as
the fly line sings through the guides,
followed by the backing. Success!
But this is not always the way
it plays out. I haven’t mentionedthe five casts to get that successful
take, or the spooked fish prior to
that magic moment. Every summer
in the Pilbara, these frustrating but
rewarding fish (Plectorhinchus caer-
uleonothus, now officially recognised
as the ‘blue bastard’, a new spe-
cies of sweetlip) push hard into the
many rocky and sandy flats of the
islands.
I have learnt a lot when targeting
these beautiful fish, a subtle species
that defies the typical smash-and-
grab style of so many other saltwater
fly-eaters. By categorising some of
the common situations encountered,
I hope to share some of these hard-
earned lessons.MILLERS
Typically you will come across these
fish on the bottom of low tide, as they
sit in a channel or hole waiting for the
tidal ‘push’ before they head up onto
the flats. If you find a school of blue
bastards not moving with purpose
and seemingly just ‘milling’ around,
my advice is to leave them. Let them
be; your best option here is to move
slowly away and ensure your pres-
ence is not noticed. Wait for the tide
and these fish will transform from
millers to shallow-water tailers!
If you really must throw a fly at the
moment, be subtle, pick out a fish at
the edge of the milling group, and
sometimes you might get the take.Pilbara Blues
John Robertson shares the rewards and frustrations
of targeting ‘blue bastards’ in Western Australia.
Mangrove and rocky shorelines provide plenty of food options.
On the incoming tide they will be tailing hard in the discoloured water.AARON PORTEOUS