Experience fly fishing on the Ningaloo Reef for the first time with Karin Miller as she shares her experience of her trip with us.
Saltwater fly fishing can easily become an addiction and traveling to new destinations to chase different species adds to the thrill of it all. Permit and giant trevally are my poison. I’ll travel great lengths to target these two species, especially when they can both be found in the same fishery.
This was one reason why Western Australia’s Ningaloo Coast intrigued me. The area is also home to golden trevally, queenfish, bonefish, tuna, plus numerous other great species. The second reason I chose Western Australia (WA) was because of the fishery’s remoteness and pristine quality.
From the United States it’s easy to travel there, but it’s a long trip. From Denver, Colorado it took a total of about 30hrs, including layovers. When traveling that kind of distance to fly fish, you don’t want to feel like you’re fishing right next to another angler. You want to feel like the flats are your own and the fish are unpressured. This is exactly what Exmouth Gulf, and the Ningaloo Reef delivers.
To get there I flew Denver to San Francisco then San Francisco to Singapore. From Singapore to Perth was the longest leg that ended with an overnight stay in Perth. Early the next morning was the final and short flight from Perth to Exmouth.
Travel was long, but the connections were easy and everything went smoothly. I carried on my fly rods and reels, terminal tackle and extra lines, and a set of fishing clothes just in case my luggage didn’t follow. Luckily everything arrived with zero issues.
For flyrods I packed a Winston Air 2 Max 9wt, 10wt and 12wt and a Hardy Zan Pro 11wt. I probably didn’t need the 9wt but the flyrod ended up being the star of the trip. Leader material ranged in size from 20lb test up to 100lb test. I used floating lines on all the reels but also brought 2 extra reel spools prepped with Intermediate Sink Tip Lines that could be switched out quickly if needed. All of my time was spent casting from the boat on the 10wt and the 12wt.
I booked 10 days of fishing with the same guide and stayed at the Mantarays Ningaloo Beach Resort, which was fantastic. The accommodations were wonderful. The room was spacious and included a wet bar, sitting area and balcony that overlooked the nearby marina. The pool area was relaxing, and a long, beautiful beach was only steps away.
The resort had its own full dining room serving delicious breakfast, lunch and dinners, as well as an outside bar that offered cocktails, lighter fare and poolside service. Several nights we chose instead to venture out into town and try a few of the restaurants. All the food in Exmouth was great. We really enjoyed the local vibe of Froths Brewery where the drinks were cold, and the food was just incredible.
Weather is always a factor when traveling to a destination to fish. I traveled to Exmouth in early March. The days were hot, in the upper 90s, with a few climbing just over 100F. Out of the 10 days of booked fishing about a third of the time we delt with wind. But only on two days high winds really impacted fishing and where we could go. Exmouth Gulf is large and can get pretty rough and difficult to cross when winds are howling 20-25mph.
During my trip, nine days were spent in the Gulf and one day reef side. Most shots were at queenfish, golden trevally and smaller giant trevally. Only a few permit were spotted, but poor water visibility greatly hampered our sight fishing. I was assured this was not normal. Unfortunately, about a week prior to the trip, a large cyclone had sat off the coast for several days and really churned things up.
To offset the poor water conditions, we spent some time blind-casting for golden trevallies in the deeper water. While I prefer sight-casting, it’s good to know there are solid options for fly fishing when the weather is uncooperative. It was during an afternoon of doing this when feeding tuna showed up. Several busts were happening but quite distant from the boat, when suddenly, the water exploded about 60ft away. It was on my Winston Air 2 Max 9wt that I landed my first northern bluefin tuna, a true highlight of all my saltwater fly fishing experiences.
By the end of the trip I landed a few GTs, several beautiful goldens, a super nice queenfish, and my mind-blowing tuna. I had several shots at blue bastards but couldn’t get any of them to take. It was a great trip.
Would I go again? Absolutely. Far from the U.S., but easy to travel to, Ningaloo is a fantastic fishery and Exmouth is a relaxed and friendly small town with great restaurants and a wonderful resort. I might even bring my lucky 9wt again.
Karin Miller is the Owner/Founder of Zen Tenkara, LLC and Zen Fly Fishing Gear from Denver, Colorado. This was Karin’s first fly fishing trip to Australia.
Visit Australia on Vacation can help arrange trips to the Ningaloo Reef, Exmouth and the islands off the West Coast of Australia. We only work with reputable guides in the Australian Fly Fishing community. All guides we work with have been vetted and verified as providing top quality service.