Arabic version: بطولة بارا كلاسيك تجذب مئات المتسابقين إلى مسابقة في نهر دالي النائي
Hundreds of anglers have converged on a remote stretch of the Daly River for the week‑long Barra Classic, the long-running Northern Territory fishing tournament that has been held on the same river since 1982.
According to ABC News, the event transforms a small tourist park into the centre of a major fishing week, attracting competitors from around the country and bringing a community atmosphere that draws repeat visitors such as Australian cricket legend Merv Hughes. Hughes, who has fished the event for nearly 20 years, said “The first time you do it, you just fall in love with the place” and called it “the premiere fishing competition in Australia — the Daly River, Northern Territory, chasing an iconic fish.”
Competitors reported a new challenge this year: sharks taking hooked fish before they can be landed. Skipper Rohan Short said “We’ve lost a lot of good fish to sharks, just can’t get them in fast enough.” Teammate Judy Ward recounted a catch that was taken by a shark: “It took off and I was like ‘this is bigger than I thought’, but really the shark had it…Wound it in and all I had was the head.” While the Top End is also known for saltwater crocodiles and crocodiles are a common sight along the Daly River, several fishers singled out sharks as an added challenge at this year’s event.
Charles Darwin University marine ecologist Joni Pini-Fitzsimmons, who specialises in sharks and rays, said the rise in shark sightings could be linked to record-breaking floods that hit the Daly River region in March and to the breeding season for many species found in the river. “We got a lot of runoff, that could be improving bait and different prey of sharks, so we could be seeing a little bit of an uptick because of that,” she said. She also warned sharks can learn to associate boat noise and struggling fish with an easy meal: “Sharks are smart. They can very quickly learn associations between boat noise, struggling fish, and an easy meal.”
Anglers and organisers said the March floods left new snags and submerged logs that have made navigation more treacherous. Veteran angler Alastair Shields said there are “lots and lots of fish … they’re fat, healthy, silver fish but it’s a bit treacherous with all the new snags and logs.” To help manage hazards, organisers have implemented a new app that lets fishers flag problem spots and capture coordinates; as participant Judy Ward described, when a snag is flagged and the coordinates are entered, users can scan a QR code on return and buoys will be deployed to mark the reported danger.
Related sections: Australia/استراليا | Australian Capital Territory | Northern Territory | Victoria
