So on Thursday I went on the charter you may have seen in the for sale section, with mate Ryan and new found mate Lyndon. The trip was a scoopon overnight charter, the twist you had to fly to Wallabi Island (flight was $296 return from Gero and scoopon $245 included meals, bait and sinkers). We headed over 9 am and were on the boat rigging up 40 minutes later. The boat was a reasonale size with heaps of shade, and there were two deckies plus captain and only seven of us on the boat (max 12, min 6). They had a tender as well (which was not used on our trip for fishing).

The flight across wasa real highlight, the views spectacular, and the speed and comfort really helped us out on such a short trip.

High hopes held for all, 10 kg luggage a challenge (rods not included)

Plenty of great aerial views, also heaps of whales spotted on way across

Pretty sure above is the East Wallabi Island with air strip and the jetty and boat at the end.

air strip about 50 m away from awaiting boat

On to the fishing. As the boat rarely goes back to Gero, supplies limited. Travel is about 8 knots, which can be seen as tedious or a great opportunity to troll. I go with the latter. As someone who does not get away much for fishing trips, with a young family, the two day trip was ideal. Trolling to the first spot, was stoked when my 190 red/white halco DD went off and pleased to bring in my first ever shark mackerel, first fish on the troll on my talica 8 which was great.

Ryan likes my style and grabs my outfit and puts it back out and is hooked up big time on something much more substantial. Colour is seen near the boat and it is a big spaniard (40 lb thrown out as a guess), but then the poor fella gets pinged on the tender. From then on tender pulled out of the way and the red head is the lure of choice for most.

We Ryan gets on to three shark mackeral, I get two more spaniards.

It is at this point I wonder why Ryan keeps running towards the camera every time we have photos taken, more to come on this. Lyndon also hooks up and pulls in a great yellow fin tuna

We get to a spot and fish with a little success, the other fellas land a 2m FAT bronze whaler shark and a few other fish come over the side, nothing too special.

Short troll to mooring for lunch of shark makeral and snags. At the mooring they say you can fish, I am dubious put drop over in shallow coral water, and baldies about size come over, so I change over to the light gear and we have fun landing red throats, baldies and chinamen. I was stoked to land my first coral trout on the light stuff.

We troll for a long time and fish a last spot which starts off slow but approaching sunset starts getting going and some reasonable baldies, a few dhuis, pinkies and more red throat come over the side. I think the second fish is a spangled emperor, feel free to correct me, I sent it back nonethelesss.

We trolled back to the mooring and was the first time we saw birds really diving and other fellas dropped a big mackie by the boat and immediately after Ryan straightened a treble on a big strike, cursing not upgrading trebles.

Despite the hot action we went back to moor for the night in fading light, a little disappointing but understandable.

Dinner was pinky, baldie and red throat with some tasty steak, few ales and happy campers. Early to bed on air mattresses on a big deck, comfortable but wind picked up considerably in the late arvo and next day was very hard to fish deepish.

Bacon and egg sangers in the morning and off to where we were the night before, for some success - reasonable baldies, I landed double header red throat, but blown off the spot quickly in tough conditions, though boat was quite comfortable and dry.

Trolling back to the mooring, stopping at many spots on the way for limited success, Lyndon thought he had a horse of a spaniard, and most were surprised to see a good sambo come up.

Back at the mooring day before some better fish came up with better sizes, I was happy to see a bigger dhui come up after a smaller one.

Then a real highlight as Ryan hooked up to pull up his first size dhui. We took this photo.

Both dhufish are the same cms in lenght, can you pick the guy standing closer? Ryan most pleased with his photo barging tactics, and super stoked with his first size dhui.

We had back to the jetty and pack and fillet, into the plane at 2pm, back in the car at 2:45pm back to Perth.

A quick trip, but a great trip. Abrolhos was a great place to see and fish, enhanced by aerial view. The charter made it comfortable and easy. While they weren't the best charter I have been on (limited rigging, sinkers and bait, some supplies weren't delivered (not the charters fault) so lacking coffee cups and a few minor things), we had a great time and were happy with the quality and range of fish we caught. Would have loved a few huge demersals, but could not fault the range of species. Also one person went down with sea sickness and one of the two deckies was left with them on the island with the tender. This limited the decky support, but was great not to see someone suffer, and the tender out of the way helped in tough conditions).

The swell was supposed to be over 3.5 m the first day and was not noticed at all, the wind up to 20 knots the second day was a hinderance, though there were bays that could be fished.

Fun times had by all.