The day started like many others in the Pilbara however there was a tingle of expectation in the air.  The intrepid anglers left the safety of Cossack harbour at 4am for the hour and a half journey to the feted Jones River.  In pitch blackness they used the stars, their instincts and Navman GPS to negotiate their way to the creek mouth.  Finding the channel they made their way to a likely looking bank to throw the nets for live bait.

On arrival with the sun just making its way over the horizon Nicko jumped off the boat with net in hand and sighted a likely looking school of pink shrimp getting busted up by an aggressive group of predators.  A few throws of the net later the boys had a bucketful of live bait, mullets being the preferred choice of barra.  With that done they moved to the 'strike zone', setting up the boat and rigs and waiting for the tide to turn.

The action started shortly after - Ant being the first to strike with a huge fish breaking the surface after taking his livie.  However the monster from the deep cunningly used its razor sharp fins to bust off the 80pd mono leader.  Nick looked on enviously - would today prove to be another twig in the mounting nest of disappointment that was his barra quest?

A knowing smile caressed his face though, a nod of acknowledgment was visible under the shade of his hat as he remembered the pledge he had made to the barra gods.  The first barra that he managed to tame would be returned to the creek, to live to fight another day.  At that moment Nick and the barra were one, he knew his time had come.

Settling down under the shade of his hat he sensed the fish before it made its presence known, a gentle tug at the rod tip the first evidence of interest in his mullet.  The reel stared to tick as the monster below nervously approached its prey.  As the tension built the reel started to scream as the behemoth from the depths of the creek made its move.  Instantly alert Nick picked up the rod as the fish made its first blistering run, still unaware it was about to engage in an almighty battle with its most dangerous adversary yet.  As Nicko engaged the spool arm the hook stuck, in response the previously unseen predator instantly leapt from the water as if to cast off its pursuer.  The cry came up from the boat in unison - BARRA!

Nick, a bundle of nervous energy used all his guile to tame the beast as it proceeded on a series of blistering runs.  The battle ensued with no quarter asked or given by either opponent.  Finally, the defeated warrior was close enough to the boat for the first look at its golden flank, its scales a livery of colour, unsurpassed in the aquatic world.  As the defeated colossus was bought into the boat nick bowed his head and uttered a silent acknowledgment to the barra gods that had made this moment possible. 

As the prey and its hunter looked each other in the eye for the first time, time itself seemed to slow down, both realised they had made a connection that would change both of them forever.  As the golden wonder was returned to the water it turned briefly, acknowledging the moment and then disappeared with a flash of its golden tail.

This was surely a moment for the ages, Nick was not sure the sun had ever shone brighter, or the cries of the ocean birds ever been so distinctive. 

Nick was now the BARRA master.