Dampier Peninsula

The land is a contrast between lush green mangrove-lined bays and barren red pindan cliffs towering over white sandy beaches. To the east lies King Sound and the Buccaneer Archipelago with its hundreds of islands and sheltered bays. To the west lies the wide open expanse of the Indian Ocean. In the middle is the Dampier Peninsula, part of the remote Kimberley region of Western Australia.

Late in 2009 I relocated from the windswept, west coast of WA to the Dampier Peninsula and its unique and diverse coastline. My intention was to experience what the Western Kimberly has to offer by living, working and fishing in one of its remote aboriginal communities.

My attention was immediately drawn to the vast tidal flats surrounding many of the islands, all connected by a network of deep channels. The flats here can be completely exposed during the lowest of tides, yet covered by as much as 12 metres of water a mere six hours later.

Timing the hot bite is crucial. Fast moving tides mean fast moving fish—schools of wary snub nosed dart (permit), blue bastards, queenfish and many species of trevally. Predicting where you need to be, at precisely the right time, is the key.

Fly fishing this region is full of challenges—the sheer remoteness, the searing temperatures, the unforgiving tides, the constant search for clean water—but the rewards are here to be seen.