Now I know what a Clayton’s Monsoon is: it’s the monsoon you’re getting when you’re not getting a monsoon.
That is pretty well the scenario we’ve experienced over the past week.
According to the Bureau of Metrology, the past two weeks have seen increased tropical activity across much of northern Australia, although monsoon onset was not finally observed at Darwin until 7 February.
This is the latest onset since records began in the 1957-58 wet season, surpassing the previous latest onset date of 25 January (during the 1972-73 wet season).
But this modest monsoon has already scampered, and it’s made picking where to go fishing very much a coin toss.
Notwithstanding, I have been able to gather some information which may help anglers decide where to go this weekend; ie if they are after a nice barra or two.
The Daly River seems to have been the main focus of attention.
Dating back to last week, Shane Compain from Top End Tackle World ventured all the way to the mouth of the Daly, but reported there weren’t any significant feeder creek colour changes.
Stuey Brisbane from Daly River Barra Resort said much the same based on what he’d heard.
As an aside, Stuey told me the local crocodile egg collectors have been having an absolute bumper season, especially when they expected the opposite given the poor wet season.
It seems there’s been enough rain along the Daly and lagoons in the area to stimulate crocodile romance, and lots of eggs laid, but not enough rain to wash the eggs from their nests.
Currently the Daly is rising around 8m over the crossing.
A more recent report this week was from Jim Keogh who went down to the Daly with a mate for a couple of days, and did very well.
Better still for them, they were the only boat on the water.
Shady Camp has also been getting its share of angler attention, but the rewards have been scarce.
I understand boat launching stills needs to be managed around the tides for the bigger trailer boats.
The water downriver has been dirty and, although anglers with forward-facing sonar have been sighting big barra, they haven’t been biting.
Out Kakadu way, the South Alligator has been getting its fair share of rain, and is pumping nicely from the top.
Apparently there are plenty of small barra on the chew, with the occasional 80cm-plus fish.
So, what can we expect in the way of rainfall from now going forward?
The bureau reckons that, for the fortnight beginning 15 February, rainfall is likely to be below average across the Northern Territory.
That’s not exactly what we want to hear; hopefully, by the end of February we’ll finally get a serious drenching.
In the meantime, there are options this weekend, and a reasonable prospect of staying dry.
Sam Chambers PB 117cm barra was caught on a Seaducer Mullet.
Ashlea Compain’s upper Daly River barra succumbed to a Jackson Jester.
Thang Hoang fished land-based at Dundee Beach where the blue salmon were biting.
