(^60) FLYLIFE
off a few metres and then appear to
start behaving normally again. Trust
me, once they know you are there, it
doesn’t matter how much you try to
persuade them, they are not going to
give you that ‘oh so satisfying’ eat.
SHALLOW WATER TAILERS
These fish are the pinnacle of blue
bastard fishing, but this should not
be interpreted as easy. When the tide
pushes in and you are wading the
flats, seeing a glistening tail appear
from knee-deep water in the morning
light gets the adrenaline going, some-
times too much. Relax, take a nice
deep breath, there could be more fish
between you and that tailer in the dis-
tance. These fish are actively feeding,
but in shallow water they are on edge.
The shallowness of the water that
they will push up into is truly amazing
for the size of the fish, but on the first
of the flooding tide the tasty treats on
which they feed are exposed and vul-
nerable, so it makes sense that they
are pushing up as far and as hard as
they can.
All your skill and perseverance is
needed here. Some more nice deep
breaths and watch the fish carefully. A
bit of wind chop or silt can be helpful
here, as crystal clear and calm water
only adds to their flighty behaviour.
Your fly needs to land not too close
(not on their heads!) but close enough
to get their attention, requiring the
most delicate placement, even if it’s
with a 1/0 VGDC with dumbbell
eyes! The presentation is crucial — we
aren’t trying to grab attention and slap
Pilbara Blues... continued
A solid BB on a 6-wt outfit, used for a lighter presentation.
WHEN THESE FISH HOME IN
ON A FLY, THEY WILL EAT.
Oyster rocks in the background provide ideal habitat for BB prey.
SILAS BRISKEY
BRENDON WEBSTER
lu
(lu)
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