With only a few days to the end of our season, it’s worth looking back at some of the highlights for 2010.

 A number of our groups early in the season, had to battle the weather to land at Cape Don as the storms continued well into March and April. The fresh water did help flush out the creeks and estuaries providing food for the Barra pilgrimage but the rain could have stopped a little earlier in the year.

Just leaving Darwin was sometimes a late, bumpy affair but it was all worth it once the guests arrived at the Cape Don lodge. The rain also played merry hell with the road from the lodge to Home creek with the on site team having to double as road maintenance crews to fix the wash outs. At the end of the day this is all part of the mystique of fishing in the Northern Territory. One good thing associated with the rains was the dust dampening affect on the airstrip and the greening of the Peninsular. Guests would often see traveling the 7k between the Lodge and the airstrip, the full extent of the National parks wildlife. Wallabies, bintang, lizards and countless birds were there on show for the guests most days when heading to the plane or of on a days fishing. 

Our boarding pontoons at Home creek installed in 2007 have added another degree of  guest comfort.  They withstood the influx of water at the front end of the season flowing in and out of home creek and continue to provide easy access for boarding the boats.  Australian and overseas guests generally fished with lures, soft plastics and some live bait but the variety of fish caught, was exceptional this year. Cape Don has always yielded a tremendous crossection of species to both  novice and experienced anglers willing to plan with the guide that and the next days fishing experience. The big GTs were also on the bite!!!

Along with the variety of fish caught, fish stocks seem to be healthy. In part due to the Cape’s catch and release policy and the amount of food available in and around the Cape . The big Queensland Gropers and other similar fish can be returned to the water for someone else to have the thrill of landing a monster fish. On more than one occasion this season these big fish were caught. In most cases holding them up for the photo needed two or more people and some………     

While saltwater Fly fishing isn’t everyons cup of tea, Cape Don produced  at least two recognised world records during the second half of the season. These were claimed at the same time as other groups were landing big Macks and huge GTs. The moon, tide, boat, guide and  wind must have been just right…well luck may have also had a part to play.

Fishing through out the 2010 season was exceptional as many of our groups would agree. From an operational perspective as with all remote locations, we had our share of flat tyres, rain instead of sun, big winds when we needed  no wind, broken or lost rods combos, days the plane was late, days when we should have had lettace on the plane and didn’t and days when the fish were there, but try as we might, we couldn’t land them.

2011 will be bigger and better. Come and join us at Cape Don  for what promises to be another season of unforgetable remote fishing experiences .    

Cheers…..The Cape Don Team

“October – Big Golden Snapper month at Cape Don”

October has been a big “Fish Fest” with many of our guests  delighted with the size of the fish and the large number of species caught in and around Cape Don. Great Golden Snapper also continued to be caught with the boys out of the big smoke wanting to come back for more.

The Thompson family brought over the side more than 30 different species. Ray, Lisa and the two girls just revelled in the fishing activity, with the girls showing Mum and Dad how its done.

Lisa who normally fishes Lord Howe Island and NSW waters fished Cape Don and netted good sized Coral Trout and a larger than life Big Black Dew fish.

“Snapper Bob” was delighted with this Triple tail catch and again was part of a large number of species Bob  landed during his stay at Cape Don.

Talk to us today about your groups booking dates for 2011. The season will again open in March and run through until late October November. You can also email us for your free DVD featuring fishing at the “DON”.

Bookings -   Call  08-89790030

Cape Don Manager – Jeff Clarke