By Martin Derek Bristow

I fly fish in the Cairns region in Australia, for Barramundi, GT's, Mangrove Jacks, and a heap of other toothy critters. Crocodiles are all around, you have to keep you eyes open, and the main thing is don't get in the water with them!!!.

I had a friend come and visit me from Brisbane (South East Queensland) and took him the the Daintree river, which is about an hour and a half drive North of Cairns. Lots of Crocs, we got a few on video, as the fish weren't too co-operative that day as the weather was a bit cold. My boat is a 4.5 metre "Barra" boat similar in configuration to your guys' bass boats.

We had just seen a 5 metre plus croc slide into the water, even that big they hardly leave a ripple, they are real sly. We kept on fishing, casting lures into the snags on the river bank. About 50 metres past where the big croc was, I got snagged up on a log just under the surface. I nosed my boat in, and stood on the very tip of the bow, and tried to nudge the lure free with the rod tip. My friend, (not to sure if I should call him that) on seeing me get the lure free, decided to reverse the boat back. Not being used the my controls, (or maybe not a boat driver's butt) he gave the engine a bit to much, and yours truly did some good ballet for what seemed like an eternity, before falling head first into the water, complete with custom built G Loomis and Calcutta 250. (Aust $700.00 which at the moment is about $20.00 US).

That section of the river was about 3 to 4 metres deep, and on coming up, (still with loomis in hand) I saw my friend?? standing on the bow of the boat, screaming out as loud as he could "Croc!! Croc!! F***king Croc!!!!" Now after seeing that big fella a few minutes before hand, I decided to get back in the boat as quick as possible. Not all of us Aussies can swim like Ian Thorpe or Grant Hackett, in fact my style was more like that of a large house brick. Now, imagine a house brick trying to swim whilst holding a rod and reel, and the house brick sees that the boat is still in reverse, and the so call friend is still on the bow screaming out obscenities and mention of a prehistoric cold blooded snapping handbag, I dumped the rod and reel.

To my joy, mate? eventually puts the boat in forward gear and collects me, some how without running me down, after I spent what seems like and eternity in the water, wondering what it is going to be like being eaten by a croc. Would it do a death roll and rip me apart?? Will it get my head in its jaws and crush my head like an egg?? Not to be. Whilst all this is going on, a tour boat of Japanese tourists are getting a free show, probably thinking it is the Australian version of their torture TV show.

What could I do??? when I saw how much the mate was shaking, and how he couldn't talk for 10 minutes, what else could I do but laugh. It did get better, as three hours latter we got the Loomis and Calcutta back, using part of a net, some sinkers and rope, hooking the lure and then the rest of the rod. Thank god the thumb bar wasn't depressed!!

Mate decides he wants to go home, but stuff him, after he has tried to live bait me, I tell him we are going to catch fish the proper way on lure and fly!!. A couple of nice GT's (giant trevally) a mangrove jack and a big cod made the day. The mate has to explain to the wife that he failed in the attempt to get the insurance money for her..............

Related Links:

The Doc's Prescription
Discussions on wolves, kids and their flies, and chicken ranching, Doc Knoll provides an informative and always entertaining perspective.

Flyfishing Guides & Holidays
Travel tips, guides, and holiday fly fishing suggestions from around the world.
Last Week On All-About Flyfishing:

A Sport Of Olympic Proportions
It may not be an olympic sport, but in some parts of Australia, its intense, exciting, and if you don't follow the rules, you could be dead!

It Glows In The Dark
'Flash your flies' might become an interesting flyfishing expression, if Jean-Guy Cote's new product takes off. Last Year On All-About Flyfishing:

Should Bait Fishing Be Banned?
A new study provides evidence that we seriously need to re-think bait fishing.

Fishing In The Third Millennium
They're giving away a Grand Prize worth over $900.00 for your ideas! Two Years Ago On All-About Flyfishing:
A Glimpse At Glass
The development of fibreglass rods and what's available today.