Fly Fishing is an excellent method of bass fishing for Niugini Bass.

Where are the Niugini Bass?

The Niugini Bass is limited to three major river basins in one country, Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea is located in the south Pacific, just north or Australia and it is so close to the equator so that the difference between winter and summer is negligible. The Niugini Bass can be found in the Fly River, the Sepik River and the Ramu River (see below).

Temperature and humidity are pretty much the same from one season to another in Papua New Guinea so the Niugini Bass are not effected much by the changes in temperature but they are affected by the rainy season.

The rainy season begins in December and continues until March. River flows increase and the river banks over flow, which drags more debris into the river. This all results in the bass being displaced. It also results in more difficult fishing due to the heavy rain, swollen and fast flowing river. Not the best time for catching Niugini Bass. We recommend fishing for Niugini outside of the rainy season and at night.

Fly Fishing

Fly Fishing is an excellent method of bass fishing for Niugini Bass and as we are talking about river techniques, we are just going to focus on fly fishing.

Fly Rod

A salt water rod is a must as the lower portions of the rivers do have high salinity levels. A minimum 12-weight rod should be used. Graphite is a good compromise, but if budget is not a limitation, go with bamboo for increased sensitivity, strength and lighter rod.

Fly Reel

Not much to say here other than it should be a salt water reel. Both Sage and Daiwa make good reels as do their competition. The main tip here is salt water reel…

Fly Line

A uniform sinking Teeny T300 or T400 are ideal for the niugini bass. If you are going to fish with the Dahlberg Diver, go with a non-sinking line like the weight forward floating line.

Flies

There are a multitude of flies. As you will be fishing in some weedy habitats, employ the use of a weed guard.

When selecting a fly, keep in mind what the Niugini Bass eats. Many of the same flies that work in North America can work here, but not all. They will also eat sardines, prawns, slimy mackerel, garfish, bonito, crabs, frogs, salamanders, snakes, mice, turtles and even birds. We don’t recommend looking for flies based on mice and birds…