Author Archive

Bottom Bashing

So here is my set up for bottom bashing.

Bottom bashing outfit

Diawa Sundowber SD 171. 6-8 kg 1.85 meters. Snapper rod.

Shimano Stradic C5000 XG
50LB Aldi yellow braid

To the end of the braid add two rod lengths of 80 lb of Sunline System Shock Leader to the braid using
a FG knot. At the business add a Black Magic 60kg Rolling swivel size 1 using an unlocked blood knot. The idea of this leader is to give you a bit of stretch in the system and something to hold onto when landing a fish ... you obviously can not grab onto the braided leader for that purpose.

FG knot
A

  1. Cross the braid over the tip of the mono or fluro
  2. take turn over the back side mono then the front side. Repeat that 3 time
  3. Stretch the braid to make sure it is tight

B

  1. Repeat A 5 time to give 20 turns of the braid over the mono.

C

  1. Take on half hitch over just the braid.
  2. Then take 2 double hitches over the braid and the mono.

D

  1. Stretch out the braid untill it changes colour and locks into the mono.

E

  1. Trim the tag end of the mono tight with the end of the FG knot

F

  1. Take a further 4 double hitches

I tie my leader from the business end fist.

If I am using only 1 hook I tie that on using an unlocked blood knot.

If I am using two hooks I tie my snelled hook on first and then add my point hook just 3 inches clear of the snelled hook using an unlocked blood knot.

Cut your tippet from the tippet spool, add the lead sinker and the tie it to the leader swivel using an unlocked blood knot.

Chatto’s articulated slow roller

This is a variation of my very successful articulated swimmer and is my alternative goto fly when targeting barra in the relatively static water of Lake Awoonga and other barra impoundments. It can be fished on any line but my preference is a clear intermediate line. Retrieved with a slow roly poly or a long draw the fly has a nice shoulder role from side to side.

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Pregnant prawn – size #2/0 9 cm long

This bigger pregnant prawn fly is one of my goto flies here in Central Queensland estuary waters. I often fish it when targeting barra, grunter, jacks and flathead in estuary and harbour waters but it's not unusual to hook up on queenfish, travally or other fish that eat prawns.

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The dark side

There is an increasing number of fisho’s up here fishing the fly but in every discussion I have had with those people I have been surprised to hear that they share their sports fishing time between fly and the dark side … I am now beginning to understand why.

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Trailing hook fly – for use with articulated popper head

This fly is designed as a simple yet effective fly to be fished behind my articulated popper heads.

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Articulated popper head

Poppers are a bit harder to cast than a normal fly because of the wind resistance but if you slow your cast down a little I'm sure you'll soon get the hang of it. Once you do you have another tool in your arsenal which is useful in three diverse situations:

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Protected: Stephen Chatterton – medical information

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Articulated swimmer

This is a fly which I developed progressively over the period from 2012 to 2015 to fill a gap in my arsenal of flies to target barramundi around Gladstone. As it turns out these flies are also great for other salt water species including mackerel, GT's, queenfish and golden trevally.

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Christmas Island Special – pink

There are a lot of colour combinations of Christmas Island Special (CXI) flies that my mates and I have seen on our various trips to Christmas Island and Aitutaki. Some work sometimes and not others and some work more often than not. This is my list of CXI flies that more often than not consistently work.

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Tidal flats shrimp – tan

This fly is basically my original mud prawn that I released in 2003 and have now miniaturised and modified so as to represent the sort shrimp that you find on tidal flats in tropical waters. As an aside I note there is anecdotal evidence that there are permit and even bonefish on some of the local Central Queensland tidal flats so the search is on to find them. This tan version is the most translucent of my tidal flats shrimp and is my go to version for crystal clear water.

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