THIS is a seriously exciting time of year! For while barramundi in tidal waters remain off the target list, the reefs and headlands on both sides of epic Cape York are now beckoning. Doldrums weather generally rules at this time of year, having taken over from the blustery ‘mango winds’ (there can be exceptions though). Nothing is quite like boating …

APART from the Chilli Beach/Iron Range area, coastal northeast Cape York doesn’t get a lot of attention from travellers. This is partly because of limited road access, but is likely also the result of the relentless southeasterly trade winds that blow for much of the dry season. They can make life fairly uncomfortable to say the least and blow a …

It still works beautifully despite having a hard life on Cape York. Apart from the shelter it provides, my favourite feature of this rig is the table that slides out from under the fridge slide. Along with the Disco’s tailgate, this provides a really good area for preparing food and performing other tasks. In fact, we find we don’t need …

So in many areas drains, gutters, small creeks, small waterfalls and cascades should all continue to fish well into July, barring any cold snaps. These sorts of features can be hugely exciting and productive to work with soft plastics, hard-bodied lures and of course the ever-popular live baits of fish and prawns. Never discount fishing at night too, using a …

Swamp sedges and often pandanus trees signal water above or below ground, and small waterholes perched in the dunes are relatively common along many parts of eastern Cape York. In other places, underground water is signposted by damp ground and/or green patches of grass, and simply accessed by digging a hole. Use a metal mug, flattish rock or shell to …

The weather had already warmed and the days were into the mid to high thirties, and the barra, while not leaping onto the banks, were definitely getting their appetites back to the extent that they were enthusiastically taking dead mullet baits. Some of Sam’s family from Tassie caught their first-ever barramundi, which of course is one of life’s real thrills. The …