Table of contents for NAFA 41 in NAFA

“DALY” STRATEGISING A strategised game plan is essential for competing the big Daly River (Northern Territory) barra comps. The Barra Classic and the Barra Nationals are held over five days. This is a very exciting time of the year on the Daly River. After the Covid-19 pandemic cancelled the events in 2020, it was great to get back on the river in 2021 and catch some decent fish. Both of these events see friendships rekindled, new tactics developed and every angler forgets about the pressures of the outside world and concentrates his or her energies on catching as many decent barramundi as possible. Competition is fierce, and wins in these competitions aren’t easy to come by. Success comes by having good angling skills, well prepared gear and good strategy. Strategy…

Down in the halls of Queensland’s fisheries HQ, new data assessments carried out as part of the much trumpeted Fisheries Reforms have revealed deeply-concerning trends in our state’s entire fish stocks… SMART STATE …SHIT SHOW! Sadly, the chickens are finally coming home to roost with important Queensland fisheries failing and much of the state’s fish stocks in serious trouble thanks to decades of mismanagement. My personal involvement in fishing politics in Queensland goes right back to the 1970s. I have asked myself many, many times over the years why I bothered giving up thousands – no, more like hundreds of thousands – of hours lobbying for a better deal for ‘Smart State’ recreational fishers only to be left frustrated time after time by a fisheries department totally focussed on ripping…

In the Top End, 2022 will go down as the year the fishing tour industry came back, and this photo of Doug Blockey reflects exactly that. Doug’s catch is a 109cm barra from the Arnhem Land Barramundi Lodge, but his trip, like so many others in the 2022 Runoff, nearly didn’t happen. With literally 100s of anglers booked to visit the Lodge in late February to early May, the ongoing concern was about the Covid pandemic spreading through the Aboriginal communities across Arnhem Land. The community of Maningrida near the Lodge banned anyone from visiting who was not clearly an essential worker, and the Northern Land Council established bio-security zones across Arnhem Land. Fortunately, the Barra Lodge was able to operate under a Covid Safe Operational Plan that was submitted…

It’s almost impossible to have a productive barramundi waterway to yourself unless you share the same backyard as mine. Fishing in the Northern Territory is on every serious angler’s bucket list. I have had a few conversations throughout my international and interstate travels where friends express how much they dream about fishing in the Northern Territory, particularly for barramundi, our iconic sportfish. For most, it will always be a dream. How fortunate for me that I live in the Territory and have fishing destinations such as the harbours and the many remote river and billabong systems that I can access for a day out fishing and still be home in time for dinner. This is big pants country; most every insect or creature has the potential to cause serious harm…

“Through the pandemic we had our ups and downs; we even had to close for a couple of weeks, and we just never knew what was going to happen,” Trent said. “But we managed to get through the pandemic okay, and a major reason was the support of the Katherine community, so we put a lot back into the community to show our appreciation.” With Katherine’s perfect location, people can travel only an hour or so out of town and be camping beside a river or billabong, enjoying all the Territory has to offer. Rod & Rifle Tackle World is situated in Giles Street Katherine, a city at the cross-roads for fishing in the Northern Territory, with the Daly, Roper, and Victoria Rivers all under three hours away. Trent took…

Benifits of rhino linings Protects the boat trailer from the corrosive effects of harsh weather, salt and rust. Forms an airtight and watertight seal, preventing rust and corrosion. Will not crack, split, tear or warp like rubber mats or wood floors. Fully covers wood, metal or fibreglass surfaces. Increases the resale value of the boat or trailer. Maintenance-free, easy to clean; no more sanding, repainting or tightening of screws. Helps insulate the vessel from noise and vibration. Environmentally friendly and not readily combustible. Easily accommodates all types and sizes of marine vessels. Protecting your boat from the wear and tear that comes with exposure to water and the elements can be a challenge. With the potential for corrosion and rust high, applying high-quality marine coatings prolongs the life of your…

The Simrad® NSX is available in 7”, 9” and 12” display sizes and is based on a new Operating System built from the ground up to redefine boating experiences. The NSX™ features an innovative and modern interface with a new, intuitive touch screen experience with crystal clear views. Charts include powerful C-MAP® navigation capabilities and compatibility with sonar, radar and autopilot systems. Simple Setup Wizards guide users through each step during device setup, and Simrad® app integration makes connectivity from your smartphone easier than ever. “The electronics for boating navigation have evolved so much over the decades, but with this particular product we’ve really focused on making boating adventures and navigation both easier and more accessible than ever,” said Mike Fargo, EVP of Simrad® Yachting. “I love that about this…

CELLULAR TRAIL CAMERA FEATURES Trigger speed: 0.3 seconds Flash range: 100 feet Detection range: 100 feet Megapixels: 33mp Video: 1080p with sound Modes: photo, video, timelapse, time-lapse+ Cellular network: auto-connects to best cellular network - preloaded with two preactivated sim cards Flexible photo transmission plans from free to unlimited Included accessories: installation strap Sold separately: 2 to 512gb class 10 ultra-high speed MicroSD card, lit-22, 8 AA batteries STUNNING PHOTOS AND VIDEO The FLEX captures 33MP photos and transmits 1080P videos with sound to the SPYPOINT APP so you don’t miss a thing. The new responsive trigger automatically configures the camera’s settings to the exact conditions at the time of the photo to deliver the very best quality, every time. RELIABLE CONNECTIVITY VIRTUALLY ANYWHERE The true dual-sim configuration allows the…

Within the myCOOLMAN range there is something for everyone, from ‘The Transporter Model’ (30L) all the way through to ‘The Fisherman’ (105L). Whether you are catering for the casual weekend away with family or friends, a big weekend on the water, or a caravanner tackling our wide-open roads, there is a myCOOLMAN to suit you! To make your life easier, myCOOLMAN has recessed handles into the body of the fridge. This means you get that little bit more precious packing space when playing car-boot Tetris on your next trip. It also means you will never damage or break them because they are not sticking out and exposed. Because they are mounted at the very top, you can lift the fridge with your legs and not be completely bent over trying…

Completely redesigned and redeveloped, the all-new BF115, BF135 and BF150 offer VTEC™* and PGM-FI technology for rapid acceleration and outstanding performance. This joins an ECOmo system for greater fuel efficiency and Honda iST technology that delivers precise engine response. A REIMAGINED ‘DYNAMIC MOTION’ DESIGN With key features taken from Honda’s flagship V6 range, this reimagined large outboard engine range offers a balance of performance and economy in an exterior shaped to evoke Honda’s iconic heritage. The sharp and sophisticated silhouette is the result of Honda’s ‘dynamic motion’ design. Dramatically evolved from previous models, the progressive forward-wedge has slick functional styling and a high-quality finish. INTELLIGENT SHIFT AND THROTTLE® TECHNOLOGY The main technological advancement in 2021 was the addition of iST®, Honda’s Intelligent Shift and Throttle® (Drive by Wire) technology. Adopted…

An extremely successful season for Million Dollar Fish saw more than 38,000 fishos register to participate in the iconic competition. For every $10,000 fish that was caught, an extra $1,000 was donated to an official Million Dollar Fish charity as nominated by the winning fisho - accruing a total of $17,000 for charity at the close of Season 7. Cancer Council NT has been presented with a cheque for $5,000, which will go towards the Transport to Treatment program and nurse-led clinics to provide counselling and support for patients. Shoreline received a healthy $4,000 donation, which will enable the Territory organisation to continue creating programs and pathways to sustainable careers for young Aboriginal Australians. The Darwin Star Ball, supporting the Starlight Children’s Foundation, is the beneficiary of an $8,000 donation,…

NT Powersports principal, Inga Macfarlane, said the concept of opening a multi-faceted outdoors/watersports style business in a shopping centre worked well for Darwin, but she wasn’t sure it would work as well in Sydney, or any other capital cities. Darwin based and located in the Coolalinga shopping centre, NT Powersports is easily accessible to the surrounding areas of Palmerston, Humpty Doo, Girraween, Howard Springs, Freds Pass, Virginia, and Bees Creek. NT Powersports is a local dealership. Inga says it specialises in selling and servicing number one brands like Sea-Doo, Can-Am ATV and Can-Am SSV, Honda Marine, Seatrail, and CF Moto. “We have also taken on the Evinrude service and maintenance dealership for the region,” she said. As well as offering unbeatable Sea-Doo jet skis, Can-Am, Honda Marine, CF Moto ATV…

The caravan park has powered or unpowered sites for all, accommodating tents, vans and fifth wheelers, with space for boat trailers available. Recently the campgrounds were upgraded with new powered sites and six new family cabins. There is one cabin which is wheelchair-friendly with ramp and an easy-access bathroom. STAY, PLAY AND FISH NT-MARY RIVER WETLANDS REGION Stop in for a cold beer, enjoy a meal, stock up on ice and supplies, or make Corroboree Park Tavern your basecamp, spending a few days fishing and exploring the area. It’s a convenient place to stay, with nearby access to two major river systems, several boat ramps close by and spectacular fishing spots in the region like Shady Camp, Corroboree Billabong and the Adelaide River. The Mary River Wetlands region is most…

The Lowrance app now offers satellite overlay view for premium subscribers, enhancing situational awareness with the option to choose between full view or land-only. In addition, users can select the transparency level of the layer. Another popular update for anglers is the weather overlay on the charts, which includes data such as pressure, precipitation, air temperature, wind and gust. During route planning, users can see what weather is predicted at a specific time and location during the route, opting for the weather overlay both from main charts or during route creation. “Our weather and satellite overlay add another layer of information for anglers using the Lowrance app,” said Lucas Steward, EVP of Lowrance. “We’ve also added in the ability for notifications, sharing with friends across various apps and particularly useful…

Scattered across the northern tropics, indeed Australia, are long forgotten abandoned ghost towns, villages, shanty pubs, Cobb & Co relay depots and cattle and sheep stations. Most are remnants of mining booms that once housed several thousand people who could vanish overnight when a new gold find was discovered. The whole population would ‘rush’ the new field, taking only what they could carry and discarding what they had no need for. Hidden away in the bush are marked ‘towns’ on modern maps, but some in name only with most people, apart from historians, unaware of their existence. And only those who venture far off beaten tracks, mere pen scratches on paper, know the locations and historic times of past glories. It was in these remote places that lone wolf prospectors…

After WW2, the plant concentrated on sporting rifles, including the very popular Brno Model 1, and later the Model 2 and 3, which were all .22 rimfire rifles. The ZKK series, based on the original Mauser action, was launched in 1964 in three different action lengths to cater for small, medium, and large bore calibres. Today, the respected Brno label is owned by Czeska Zbrojovka (CZ), which was founded in 1936. CZ dropped the popular ZKK series in the 1990s and introduced a new line of centerfire rifles on its 527, 550 and 557 models. Unlike the Mauser style ZKK action, it had a push-feed bolt and continental-style stock. Sales were disappointing and it was dropped in favour of a new patented action, the 600 series that has a bolt…

Mother nature has provided all animals with certain survival methods to continue the species. Mother nature has provided all animals with certain survival methods to continue the species. From the spots on a deer, the stripes on a tiger, the shading on a fish, or the complete camouflage of a stick insect, all adapted to their conditions. MAN, THE HUNTER Through the mist of time, we see humans stand upright and develop a brain capable of making tools and implements, which led to the survival of our species. Early men and women became hunters and gatherers, adapting their behaviour to maintain the three basics of life: food, shelter and water. Hunters have used camouflage through the ages to help bring down game and feed their families. They soon realized that…

FEATHERED CANE TOADS An early bird the other morning, I joined the rest of Australia glued to the tele as Cameron Smith got off to a sensational start in the final round of the US Masters. The boy from Brisbane birdied the first two holes to be within a shot of the leader. I paid no mind to the annoying chirruping; maybe something in the manner of sit-com canned laughter when someone shoots a birdie …after all, this was America. Then, as a morning coffee kicked in, I realised I was watching the most solemn event in a game that is a stickler for tradition, so the bird noises were clearly not fabricated. And they were definitely not woodpeckers tapping away in the Georgia pines. It wasn’t until leader and…

It’s an interesting game to imagine how this vast continent of ours might’ve looked, felt, smelt and sounded a thousand years ago. A lot would obviously depend on exactly where the time machine deposited you. I’d suggest there are parts of the Kimberley, Arnhem Land, the Great Australian Bight, Cape York, or even the wild west coast of Tasmania, where it’d be nigh on impossible to detect any significant changes across the course of that millennium. Perhaps the absence of jet contrails high in the sky, boats on the distant horizon, or pieces of man-made plastic flotsam washed up along the shoreline might provide a subtle clue. In other locations — from Sydney’s deep, natural harbour to the floodplains of the mighty Murray River and far beyond — the contrast…

NAFA | How is Great Northern Zero performing, and what kind of trajectory do you see it being on for the year ahead? BH | We continue to be excited by the contribution of Great Northern Zero to the no-and-low (NOLO) alcohol category as it leads the segment in growth. NOLO alcohol has exploded over the past three years, recruiting new drinkers into the category. We expect this trajectory to continue to grow rapidly with consumers increasingly choosing to moderate, with the NOLO category projected to hit $138.2M by 2025. SOURCES | Brand Genetics Jan 2015 and Mintel 2014 (CUB Insights Zero Category Strategy Pack) | IRI | Liquor Weighted | Annual Value Data to end of year 2020 NAFA | Do you think no-and-low alcohol products are becoming more…

The myCOOLMAN Power Pack is a true portable and lightweight power solution in a sleek slimline body that seamlessly attaches to the side of your myCOOLMAN fridge magnetically. “We are so excited to be able to bring this new, innovative and revolutionary portable power solution to the market for our myCOOLMAN range of Compressor fridges/freezers,” said myCOOLMAN CEO, Paul Widdis. “Giving our customers the freedom to power their adventure’s further with a convenient and lightweight solution has been a success.” The myCOOLMAN Power Pack is Lithium Ion based, allowing it to be recharged more times than other type of batteries. A blue LED display allows the user to easily identify the remaining battery capacity. The Power Pack is the perfect accessory to take your myCOOLMAN fridge/freezer out for a BBQ…

As the old saying goes, “Oils ain’t Oils” – it does not matter what we buy these days, the devil is always in the detail. If the TV does not perform or the tip snaps on your new graphite rod, you might curse and take it back to the store but, when it comes to safety equipment, and particularly PFDs or lifejackets, a correctly-fitted and fully-compliant jacket is incredibly important. The three main national standards of PFDs are all measured on the buoyancy they offer. Each level is then paired with the undertaken activity, and the standards then have design variations to ensure they provide the best possible safety and compliance, or what is required by law. LEVEL 50 AND 50S The level 50 jackets are typically used for water…

The father and son team of George and Ronald Voukolos has long played a significant role in the evolution of fishing in Territory waters. It’s not unusual for Outdoors sports stores to start out as partnerships; this is an oft repeated common theme of established stores. Erskine’s Tackle in Cairns grew out of a partnership between game boat skipper, George Bransford, and tackle guru, Jack Erskine. In Melbourne, Jim Allen of Compleat Angler fame started in partnership with Bob Roles in 1967. Roles and Allen went the way of many partnerships and failed, so Jim went out on his own and started up the Compleat Angler chain of tackle stores. It’s not so different in Darwin. In 1972, George Voukolos was working in a sporting goods store, Keith Kemp Sports,…

The app has been redesigned as an easy-to-use one-stop tool to help anglers and boaters have a safe and enjoyable day on the water. New features include direct access to your current locations, tidal and wind information, with seven-day forecasts, as well as direct links to the Bureau of Meteorology website for more detailed tide and weather information. A new function based off the sun and moon orientation also predicts the best fishing times for your area. The app also provides access to up-to-date detailed information on fish species, size limits, possession and vessel limits, boating rules, safety gear requirements, artificial reef locations, and best catch and release processes. The interactive maps provide location information on boating and fishing restriction areas and notifications in real time. There is also a…

So many big barra get caught thanks to that erratic-action retrieve. Recently, I was having a discussion with a mate who invariably fishes for barramundi by casting soft plastic lures. He’s an accomplished angler who hits barra water almost weekly, but it’s been over 20 years since he caught a big one – a barra over a metre long. In my view, of which I’m quite adamant, the reason for his lack of metrey success is that he doesn’t fish with proven hard-body lures at least 15cm long. I’ve advocated many times and in many forums over the years that, if you want to maximise your chances of catching a big barra, you need to fish with bibbed, hard-body lures, and preferably troll them. One explanation for this is that…

Mike and Jules Stevens of the Essential Fly Fisher put this day together. Mike got in an early shipment of these new rods known as the R8 Core series, and true to the request of the people at Sage he kept them under wraps before the official launch date. I flew down to Tassie to be part of the launch, and this was to be the first time I’d cast the completed models. My interest in a new series had been whetted by an #8 prototype I’d been sent a year earlier, and I was excited about the changes, and the evolving design philosophy behind the new flagship series. Sage manufactures a wide range of rods, but the core series is the line-up of rods that reads like a history…

A baitcasting rod of this quality deserved to be matched with a best-quality reel and there was no hesitation in deciding that the Shimano Metanium 150 would be an ideal companion for the Conquest. Back in the ‘90s and early in the new section have a distinctive G.Loomis pedigree while millennium, G.Loomis high-modulus graphite rods were all the rage for anglers who wanted the best and could afford it. I had a bunch of them, and not only for barra fishing but for some pretty serious bluewater sportfishing too. The brand had the reputation for being the lightest and fastest-action fighting sticks on the market at the time. In subsequent years, other rod brands started to catch up and, although G.Loomis rods have always been strong in the marketplace, there…

‘Packing everything but the kitchen sink’ was once regarded as poking fun at those who over pack, but with ARB’s all-new Slide Kitchen, there’s no reason to stop there. The ARB Slide Kitchen is an integrated kitchen for your 4WD that sets up in 15 seconds. It features a bench top, gas stove, utensils drawer and a kitchen sink. It neatly tucks away into one of ARB’s standard dual cab drawers. It’s a full extension freestanding drawer – in fact, it hyper extends – and has an auto lock to prevent the drawer from rolling closed once you are using it. The Slide Kitchen has a 1,250mm kitchen grade stainless steel bench top and a healthy 30kg weight limit when fully extended, making it a practical platform for loading and…

“With the GPX 6000, I have been out 15 times and have 100% strike rate. The lightness and ease-of-use is amazing. Can swing all day.”~ JAMES P Many dream of that shiny yellow stuff that sends pulses racing. If it’s crossed your mind to find gold, you’ve probably pictured hours wading through riverbeds, panning for the tiniest fleck. Or if hitting the jackpot is more your mojo, you may have imagined metal detecting — dragging a clunky old machine around and burying your head in a manual just to turn the damn thing on. “The most sensitive gold detector I’ve ever used. 297 pieces in 7 days!”~ STEVEN S In 2022, times have changed, including metal detecting. Minelab, an Australian company at the forefont of metal detecting technology, is on…