Mackerel tuna are stubborn fighters when hooked, and can be recognised by a distinct and striking pattern of broken zig-zaggy lines on the upper sides of their bodies, and two or five dark spots above the pelvic fin.

They are in the Scombridae family which includes all mackerel, tuna and bonito.

One of the most prized catches for any fly fisherman is the Blue Bone, correctly known as the blackspot tuskfish or commonly known as bluebone. These fish live in the beautiful northern waters of Western Australia.

They are found along coral reefs and reefy flats hunting for food which include different varieties of crustaceans and  sea urchins including crabs, shells and sea critters.

This bluebone was caught on the flats in only 1.5 metres of water with a crab on the end of a fly.

This technique is lots of fun as is challenges the angler as they have to land the cast precisely on top of the fish. Once you are hooked, hold on tight because these fish will go for every hole they can find to try and snap your line and break loose.

Words & Photos by Nicholas Janzen www.nicholasjanzen.com

Coral trout are generally caught near reef areas and taken in deep water (upto 100m), however this nice catch was caught in water just 31m deep! 

Below is an impressive 81cm Coral trout caught on our boat Sal Canis.

“How do I begin to thank the staff at Sal Salis for such a magical experience. It is impossible to pick a single highlight when there are so many to choose from…. In the mornings as we ate breakfast on the deck, we watched dozens of humpback whales breaching and playing as they migrated south. The guides snorkelled with us each day (armed with a child each) which allowed me to enjoy the wonders of the reef rather than constantly watching the children. The guides were so knowledgeable about the reef and they inspired us all to learn and explore. We spent half a day on the fishing boat where we came close to the whales and giant turtles. A shark even tried to eat my tuna as we were about to pull it onto the boat! The kids tried their hand at fishing too. Between them they caught 7 different species of fish in under an hour (of course returning them all to sea where they belong). We had drinks and canapés as the sunset provided us with the most magnificent of displays. The food was amazing and we were treated to a feast every night.  We walked the Mandu Mandu gorge and Yardi Creek and saw some incredible views and lots of wildlife. We look forward to visiting again”.

The Shannon family enjoyed a full days fishing experience on our custom built sportsfisher- Sal Canis.

A couple of the most prized catches was a nice sized yellowfin Tuna and a stunning Sailfish.

Pictured below is Murray our fishing guide with the magnificent Yellowfin Tuna

Sal Salis guests Marco and his wife Virginie booked a half day’s fishing on our boat- Sal Canis. Our guests and guide’s Jimmy and Murray left at midday to enjoy beautiful weather. 

Before they had even reached the passage, Murray saw a school of shark mackerel eating some small bait fish.  On the first cast, Virginie’s reel was screaming as she was hooked onto a shark mackerel on stick bait. The water was so clear they saw the fish chase the lure and smash it on the surface. They were only in about 3 meters of water!

A few of our fishing guests enjoyed the spectacular display from a humpback on Ningaloo Reef – whilst out on our Sal Salis fishing charter.

The ‘humpback highway’ is in full swing along Ningaloo Reef with large numbers of humpbacks being sighted each day along with minke whales and orcas.

Humpback whales visit Ningaloo Reef twice annually, in the autumn when they head north and in the spring on their return journey.  During spring, the waters of Exmouth Gulf provide the ideal spot to see the humpback whales playing and nursing their new born calves.

Sal Salis Ningaloo Reef is offering a complimentary whale watching cruise when you book a 3 night stay from now until 30th October 2011.