Bensbach is the best barramundi fishing on the planet by a country mile — and in 2027 we're fishing it on fly for the first time. As far as anyone knows, there's never been a dedicated fly week in the lodge's history. This is it. Most barra charters would kill for 10 fish over a metre in a year; Bensbach guests routinely beat that in a week — 2023 averaged 20 "metries" a week, one group landing 46. Now put that on a fly rod, and you're writing the fly chapter of fishing history. Between the surface eats, the endless floodplains and the wildlife, it's as good with a camera as it is with a fly rod.

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The fly fishing. Bring 9- to 12-weight rods depending on what you're throwing. Big beastie flies, NYAP poppers and proven streamer patterns all earn their keep. Snakehead are the main baitfish here — and the reason these barra grow so big. It's not sight casting; it's putting the fly into the spots we know hold fish, and onto fleeing snakehead schools as the big barra crash through them. When a metre-plus eats off the top, you'll understand the fuss. We fish catch-and-release, bar the odd one kept for the table and shared with our local guides, who still live off the land and the river.