The Last Frontier Experience

Two week’s earlier when I was preparing for the upcoming Papuan Coast trip,inside of my mind, all I was thinking about is the epic fishing trip that I’ll be in. I was so excited because this is a chance for me to learn more about this system and especially know more about fishing.Before the first day of the tour we headed out early in the morning en route to the Papuan Coast heading straight to the Lodge with the SFPNG crew. The road going to the Lodge is not a walk in the park for it was a 5 hours’ drive from Port Moresby but interestingly full of amazing sights and sounds along the way.

We reached the Lodge just before Arvo and the whole team started to unload everything to prepare for the big day tomorrow. We also made sure that the boats are ready for next day by checking everything and off-loading all the boats in the river for a test run. With the help of our Papuan Coast Lodge guides,Thomas, Patrick and Francis and with a bit of music from their trusty speaker, everything’s ready for the epic fishing for the whole week.

The morning came and the group from Japan arrived just in time for the Traditional Sing Sing. The Sing sing was performed by individuals from the different villages in the Papuan Coast. It was a warm welcome and after a few dances and photos we then showed them their rooms and proceeded to eat their lunch and went to do a half day fishing.

The clients boarded our 3 tinnies with the boats going up river and to the river mouth. It was a refreshing sight for them after the long drive from Port Moresby. Before 6 pm all of the boats were back with the group landing one 23 pound Black Bass up river and 2 Metery Barras at 108 cm and 100 cm. They also caught a GT, Fingermarks and Threadfins as by-catch near the mouth.

The 1st day has ended and the guys settled in for a sumptuous dinner served by our in house Chef Derrick. It was an awesome night with lots of stories about their first day and a quick discussion of the plan tomorrow. After the dinner everyone eagerly prepared their gears and locked their drags for their 2nd day.

The group headed to some of our most promising spots for Black Bass with plenty of current feeding from the creeks. The 2 boats that went weren’t dissapointed with one boat hauling a total of 12 Black bass with the biggest at 25 pounds. The 2nd boat managed to haul in good sized Barras at 83 cm and 90 cm, 3 Black bass with the biggest at 18 pounds. The 2nd day was a good day and the boys are even more keen to go out for the next coming days.

Everyone decided to fish early for the third day and we got to admit that it was a hard day of fishing. Weather was a bit gloomy with light drizzles. Dr. Kazu Managed to hook a possible 40 pounder that broke his rod and unseated the reel on the lock. It was a tough day indeed but the group still managed to land a couple of Barras on the boat.

As the trip progressed to it’s 4th day, the team decided to go to the spots we havent visited on our past trips. This river system is a bit tricky for you have to get the right tide to ideally fish the area. The spot was a special place, for besides good fishing, the place was a sight to behold. The perfect sunset and view is like a standstill with time exposing the raw and ancient beauty of the place. Before 6 pm all of the boats were back with the group landing couple of Barras with the biggest at 108 cm and two Black Bass lost .

The last 2 days of fishing was focused on the fishing hotspots. Good fighting sized Bass and Barra’s landed and definitely a good way to end a fishing trip! The last dinner was filled with stories and experiences from day 1 that the guys will surely remember and tell their friends when they go home. After a couple of drinks the group then packed all their gears and bags ready to return early in the morning back to Moresby. Special thanks to the chaps from Big trout Japan who fished hard all day! A well-deserved applause too for the Papuan Coast Team for your dedication and passion for making every trip a success!