Iconic fishing competition draws anglers to the Northern Territory's remote Daly River

Australia Broadcast Center

08-05-2025

From a packed tourist park on the banks of Daly River, anglers in teams of three venture as far as 50 kilometres downstream in search of a prized barramundi.
About 150 competitive anglers from around the country have travelled from as far away as Melbourne and the Pilbara to this remote river in the Northern Territory.
They are here for the popular annual event the Barramundi Classic, a tag-and-release tournament targeting a fish favoured by anglers for its elusive behaviour, and what many describe as an exciting fight once hooked.
Over the five-day event, about 3,000 fish are expected to be tagged, with competitors earning points based on a combination of the size of the fish they catch and overall quantity caught.
While many serious competitors arrive towing expensive boats boasting the latest and greatest technology in sport fishing, for most, the event is a chance to connect with friends and enjoy the scenery on stunning Malak Malak country.
Masters angler Gaye Silva first came to the Daly in 1999 and has returned to the Barramundi Classic every year since.
Despite gender stereotypes associated with the sport, more women than men fish in the Northern Territory, something Ms Silva said was slowly being reflected by the number of women who fish competitively in the Barramundi Classic.
'Back in the day there may have only been four or five women fishing, but now there are maybe 20. A lot of women fishing,' Ms Silva said.
She adds that the sport is 'fully embraced by everyone'.
All barramundi caught during the event are tagged to assist in scientific monitoring by the NT Department of Agriculture and Fisheries before being quickly released, making it one of the biggest contributors to barramundi tagging data in the region.
Competitors use a bespoke tool to insert a numbered plastic tag under the skin of the fish, making it identifiable should it be caught again.
Information, including the size of the fish and the location it was caught in, is recorded and entered into a database supplied to Fisheries, contributing to the sustainable management of the popular fishery.
Alex Julius, a lifetime member of the Amateur Fishing Association of the Northern Territory (AFANT) was involved in establishing fish tagging at the Barra Classic in the 1980s.
'It was really the start of serious recreational tagging for barramundi in the Northern Territory and has proven to be very beneficial to gaining knowledge of the fishery,' Mr Julius said.
Mr Julius says the tagging of barramundi made the competition unique.
"The only other tagging competitions that take place are for billfish," he said.
"As far as I know, there's no other tagging program for smaller sport fish like the barramundi."
Even with the right precautionary measures, hours in the Top End sun can take a toll on competitors, especially the tournament's more experienced anglers.
Now in its second year, a masters competition for anglers over the age of 60 is held concurrently, running for three days instead of the main event's five.
Lifetime member of the Darwin Game Fishing club, Leigh Halprin, said he hatched the idea for a masters division after seeing exhausted older competitors return to camp after a long session on the river.
'A lot of the older guys who had been fishing for a long time were [saying] the days were getting longer and hotter and we can't sort of keep up all the time,' he said.
'So, I took it on board and started thinking, well, maybe we need something to keep them fishing in the classic if we made it easier for them."
While competitors in the masters competition start at the same time, Mr Halprin said a shorter day fishing allowed older competitors to enjoy the event as much as other fishos.
'Lines out is a couple of hours earlier to give you time to get back to the campsite, have the first hot shower, have the first beer, relax, be able to tie up the boat to the pontoon before everybody else gets back,' he said.
The inaugural masters competition last year attracted six teams.
The Barramundi Classic runs until Sunday.