Crocs, sharks and an Aussie cricket legend: All the action from the Barra Classic

The remote Daly River in Australia's Northern Territory has once again become the hub for the annual Barra Classic fishing tournament, drawing anglers from across the nation. This year marks the 44th iteration of the week-long competition, which has been a staple on the river since 1982.

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The first time you do it, you just fall in love with the place.

Among the many participants is Australian cricket legend Merv Hughes, who has been a regular at the tournament for nearly two decades. Hughes expressed his enduring affection for the event, calling it the "premiere fishing competition in Australia" and highlighting the unique experience of chasing the iconic barramundi fish in the Northern Territory.

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This is the premiere fishing competition in Australia, the Daly River, Northern Territory, chasing an iconic fish. It doesn't get any better than this.

While the competition is known for its fierce angling battles and camaraderie, this year's event has introduced an unexpected adversary: sharks. Competitors have reported sharks interfering with their catches, sometimes managing to steal fish entirely as they are being reeled in. Rohan Short, skipper of the team Bad Karma, noted that sharks have presented a significant challenge, leading to the loss of many good fish.

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We've lost a lot of good fish to sharks, just can't get them in fast enough.

Judy Ward of the team Angry Birds shared a similar experience, recounting how a shark took a fish she had hooked, leaving her with only the head. Marine ecologist Joni Pini-Fitzsimmons from Charles Darwin University suggested that recent record-breaking floods in the region might be contributing to an increase in shark activity by improving bait availability. She also noted that it is currently the breeding season for many shark species in the Daly River, which would naturally lead to higher numbers.

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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 … it was pretty funny.