Top 5 target species on tropical sand flats

As a youngster, I gazed in awe at glossy images in books and magazines of US anglers chasing tarpon, bonefish and permit in such an idyllic, faraway setting, not guessing for one moment that similar opportunities lay on our northern doorstep.

While there were certainly a few earlier pioneers, it wasn’t until the 1990s that reasonable numbers of Aussie fishers began to seriously explore the extensive flats fishing potential of inshore waters stretching all the way from Hervey Bay in southeastern Queensland to Shark Bay in Western Australia.

Related content:

What they found turned our preconceived notions upside down and kick-started a phenomenal fishery that continues to grow, throwing up exciting new challenges to this day.

What follows is my pick of the five most thrilling target species to “sight fish” for on lures or flies across the shimmering Aussie flats.

Golden trevally

In many ways, goldens are the species that kick-started Australia’s modern flats fishing boom during the 1990s.

It was the discovery of a vibrant sight fishery for these chunky, vacuum-lipped trevally in the shallows of Hervey Bay by pioneers such as Sid Boshammer that lit a fire under keen sport fishers across the nation, and began a stampede north.

Sadly, those Hervey Bay stocks — whose yellow tails once waved in vast numbers across the flats inside Fraser Island — have since been decimated due to commercial fishing pressure on the species.

Luckily, however, plenty of goldens still haunt the shallows further north in Queensland, as well as right around the top of the country and well down past Exmouth, in WA.

Goldens can run the behavioural gamut from keen, hungry and dumb to nervous, flighty and fickle, depending upon location, conditions and fishing pressure. But when hooked, they always give a wonderful account of themselves, especially on light tackle.

Wherever they occur in tropical and sub-tropical waters right around the globe, the various members of the Trachinotus clan widely known as permit evoke awe and respect among the ranks of keen inshore sport fishers.

Our two local Indo-Pacific representatives of this breed are no exception.

Notoriously difficult to tempt with a fly or lure, these bulbous-headed, pewter-flanked members of the dart family are also unbelievably tough fighters when finally hooked, often winning their freedom after making numerous long runs towards deeper water.

Every permit pinned is an achievement to be savoured, with many experienced flats fishers still able to count their scant victories over this species on one hand at the end of a long career. You earn every permit you pin.

Something of an unpredictable ring-in, and rarely a species flats fishers can realistically go out to target, diamond trevally are nonetheless always a welcome addition to the catch list when they do turn up.

Once hooked, these striking-looking critters are one of the fastest fish found on our flats, screaming line off reels in long, sustained bursts before slugging it out using those deep, pearlescent flanks to doggedly resist capture to the very end.

Sometimes spotted shadowing feeding stingrays on the flats, diamonds rarely refuse a well-presented fly, soft plastic lure or small bucktail jig.

But once you light that blue touch-paper, stand back and hang on!

Giant herring

I don’t mind admitting that this long, cylindrical bar of pure fish muscle with an oversized tail at one end and an equally large mouth at the other is just about my favourite thing on fins, especially when I’m holding a fly rod.

Known in other parts of the world as a springer, ladyfish or “ten pounder”, the giant herring is closely related to both the bonefish and the milkfish.

It’s as fast off the blocks when hooked as either of those iconic speedsters, but throws in unpredictable direction changes and crazy, free-form aerobatic displays that leave the other pair of performers looking a little pale by comparison.

Giant herring are quite simply the craziest animals you will ever hook, and also extremely adept at throwing hooks. One thing is for sure, however: win or lose, you’ll never forget an encounter with one!

Barramundi

While perhaps not the first species to spring to mind when thinking about inshore flats fishing around the northern half of the nation, barra definitely haunt the warm shallows along our tropical beaches, around rocky headlands, and over adjacent sand, gravel and mudflats.

This is especially true during the hot, sultry weather that accompanies their pre-spawning movements: from late October until January or February (check the closed season first).

But barra can turn up in skinny water along the shoreline at almost any time of year, and provide an exciting and spectacular target for lure and fly casters when they do.

A barra's distinctive yellow tail is the battle flag that so often reveals their presence, and a well-placed offering is usually pounced upon with gusto, heralding a memorable encounter that’s as likely to end with the fish jumping and twisting free of the hook as it is with a victorious grip-and-grin photo.

Regardless of the outcome of any encounter, you’ve got to love mixing it with the mighty barra!

As with all such lists of favourites, this one is personal and subjective, and I’m sure some anglers will disagree with my selection.

A bunch of other species only just missed the cut. For example, if bonefish were a little more widespread and easier to find on our flats, they’d certainly have made my top five.

Other near-misses include the cheekily named “blue bastard” — a wily and challenging member of the sweetlips family — as well as giant trevally, queenfish, Indo-Pacific tarpon, threadfin, blue salmon, milkfish, spangled emperor, tusk fish and a few less frequent flats ring-ins such as cobia and tripletail.

Nonetheless, the five finalists I’ve selected here certainly represent a worthy target list — one that I would happily spend the rest of my days pursuing!

Steve ‘Starlo’ Starling is one of Australia’s best known and most respected fishing communicators.