The Ultimate Big Game

Giant Black Marlin - The Cairns area has long been recognised as the Black Marlin Capital of the World. Without a doubt, the area stretching from Cairns north to the reefs around beautiful Lizard Island would be the finest fishing region in the world. The Black Marlin of the Pacific Ocean migrate to this 240km section of the Great Barrier Reef annually to spawn. Beginning with the arrival of the first fish in early September, the marlin season extends through til late December. During the season our superb range of game boats and motherships are to be found on the outer edge of the reef in the Coral Sea. This quest is for the biggest and most powerful of all game fish - the legendary Black Marlin. There are various methods of fishing for the Giant Black, most successful being a live aboard game boat or game boat and mothership, providing flexibility to move where the fish are and not be restricted to a set area in this 240km stretch of the Great Barrier Reef. To overnight on the Great Barrier Reef has many advantages. Because these boats are located just minutes from the action, there is ample opportunity for the light tackle enthusiast or sportfisherman to also catch some table fish or battle with some of the speedsters that the reef is teeming with such as Wahoo, Mackerel, Barracuda, Dolphin Fish, Sailfish and Tunas, just to name a few! Or perhaps a morning dive or snorkel!

Live Aboard Game Boats - If not restricted by time constraints there are very definite advantages to be gained from overnighting on the reef. Firstly there is the opportunity to fish until later in the afternoon on day one, many of the skippers believe this to be the most productive part of the day. Secondly you avoid the trip home and then thirdly, the next morning you can be having breakfast, swim and snorkel on the reef before commencing fishing, while the day boats are travelling out to the reef. Our fleet of large sophisticated sportsfishing machines range in size from 12 metres to 20 metres (40' to 64') and are fully equipped with every conceivable comfort that one may require while at sea for any length of time.

Standard Packages include:
Fishing equipment (international standard), all meals on board, experienced crew (minimum of 3), while our Deluxe Packages also provide staterooms with ensuite, TV/stereo/video, fully airconditioned, ice-maker etc. Optional Extras: Dive equipment compressor, dive master-instructor, foreign language guide/interpreter.

Mothership/Game Boat Combination - This option provides the angler with even more luxurious accommodation. Our motherships range in size from 18 metres (60') to 33 metres (110') allowing the angler accommodation and cuisine to the standard of a five star hotel. Anglers live aboard the mothership and fish from our highly specialised game boats every day. As many as three individual game boats and their parties can use the facilities of the mothership.

Various motherships include:
1st class accommodation, highest standard meals (qualified chef), all drinks (open bar), scuba & snorkelling equipment/dive compressor, laundry facilities, windsurfers, waterskiing, up to 6 crew, seaplane transfer modern communication facilities.

Day Boats - For those preferring to be land based at night we have packages which include Lizard Island Resort or accommodation in Cairns. The anglers who regularly fish from a land base say that it is definitely worth having your feet on 'terra firma' each night. Haven't got much time? Don't worry, we also have fast day boats from I0 to 14 metres (30' to 46') capable of getting you out to the marlin grounds closest to Cairns in the shortest possible time. Very big fish are caught here every year and last season was no exception, when anglers on day trips caught Marlin over 1000 pounds. This is ideal for the visitors who want to fit in some of the area's other attractions, but still have a shot at that fish of a lifetime!

Medium to Heavy Tackle offshore lure fishing - (Adding a new dimension to fishing the Big Fish Capital of Australia) A recent development has been the discovery that sufficient medium to large blue marlin exist in the warm waters of the Coral Sea off Cairns to justify fishing for them as a target species. The really exciting thing about fishing the cobalt blue water above the deep canyons and sea mounts out off the edge of The Great Barrier Reef, is peering into the depths to get a glimpse of which marine missile it was that just exploded on to your lure! Is it a Blue Marlin or could it be a black? Or maybe a 150lb/68kg Dogtooth Tuna (imagine a Yellowfin Tuna with the teeth of a Rottweiler and the manners to match!) or a giant Wahoo, Yellowfin Tuna, Barracuda, Mackerel or Mahi Mahi. Plenty of variety, plenty of action! A very exciting alternative to the giant black marlin fishing that has made Cairns famous and importantly this season commences just as the season for the giant blacks comes to a close, effectively extending the period in which anglers can fish for BIG fish through until at least Easter. A charter for 2 days or more will be custom designed to suit your individual requirements.

Salt Water Fly... Why?

All species targeted with conventional tackle can be caught on fly and saltwater fly fishing is proving to be a fantastic fishing challenge on the Great Barrier Reef. Big fish, including marlin and sailfish and ultra light tackle…the world records are here just waiting to be broken. The action can be red hot and our guides are equipped and expert.