A fantastic wet season, following a strong Wet the previous year, has provided a boost for outdoor businesses that depend on the ebbs and flows of barra numbers in NT waterways. Darwin’s Fishing & Outdoor World, like other stores in the Territory, is capitalising on the opportunity.
Look for the two big barras.
Situated on the the corner of Cavenagh and Knuckey Streets (look for the twin barras), Fishing & Outdoor World has been servicing the needs of the Territory’s fishing, camping and shooting aficionados for more than 50 years.
Store Manager Ronald Voukolos said two years ago the Territory endured close to its worst ever wet season, and some rivers were drying up. All that changed, and both last season and this one have been excellent for barra fishing.
“Places like the Daly River fished well for barra, and the saltwater coastal barra fishing has been excellent,” Ronald said.
“The so-called ‘active target’ or ‘live scope’ fishing had taken off with anglers hooking ridiculous numbers of barra.
“Active Target fishing has been like a gift from above for many anglers. I know of anglers who have taken years to catch metreys, and then caught a dozen or so in the past couple of years,” he said.
Business has been brisk, and the shop was going well, and they had been able to maintain a good level of local staff, normally 15 including part timers, although staff numbers were always under pressure due to the demand for tradies.
Sourcing knowledgeable staff isn’t easy: “Fishing and hunting is a religion in the Territory and hunters and anglers are switched on, so we need staff who know what they are talking about because bullshit doesn’t go far in this business.”
Ronald’s father, George Voukolos, and Col Stringer started the store in 1972. Col left the business, selling out to George in 1978, and moving on to become a pastor. George continued.
Expansion is never ending. Last year, another bay was installed in the shop to display the new soft plastics that have been released onto the market. Six or seven years ago, the shop premises crossed from 27 Cavenagh Street, literally, moving from a tight, overloaded shop of 220m² to a new facility offering more than 1000² of shop and warehouse space.
“Active Target fishing techniques have led to a change in soft plastic preferences,” Ronald said, adding: “Irukandji, Sicario and Berkley Shimmer Pros are popular.”
“The Irukandji pre-rigged lures do well as they have quality components and don’t tear apart easily.”
Ronald said there was still strong support for hard body lures with the Barra Classic in green popular. Gold Bombers and the Reidy’s B-52s (which run slightly deeper than Gold Bombers) are ever popular.
Product range is key to bringing customers through the doors, and Fishing & Outdoor World has everything anyone with fishing or hunting in mind could desire. Rods and reels from companies like Shimano, Daiwa and Dobyns; lures from popular stables like Reidy’s and Classic; plus walls of soft plastic variations.
FOW stocks an impressive hunting range.
Shimano has a great product range while Daiwa baitcasters and rods have been making inroads into the market. Daiwa designed a range of rods to cast heavier weights reflecting the move to big soft plastics. The Daiwa Tatula 150 is a baitcaster that Daiwa engineered to be more saltwater resilient and to that end replace metal bearings with hard wearing nylon bushes, and Ronald said the reels stood up well to heavy saltwater use.
Yeti products are as popular as ever and Ronald is pleased the store got in early and is a premium retailer of an expanding range.
On the hunting side, waterfowl like magpie geese and ducks are a favourite of local shooters and the bag limit has increased over the years.
“When I started shooting in 1992, hunters were allowed seven geese and seven ducks and there were limits on how many birds you could have in the home freezer,” he said.
“These days the limits have increased to seven geese and 10 ducks, with an unlimited number allowed in the home freezer.”
Sourcing ammunition for the waterfowl season continues to be challenging, and Ronald advised customers to get in early.
He said people who live in the Territory were so lucky to have politicians who recognise the value of hunting and fishing to the community.
“Shooting is still strong in the Territory and for that the Government should be given a pat on the back,” Ronald said. “And both sides, Government and Opposition, are committed to a restructure of the commercial barra industry.”
Fishing & Outdoor World business is built on return customers. “We know people are likely to come back if they have a good experience,” Ronald said.