That’s what a feeder creek is: a bottleneck from which floodwaters are funneled back into the river.

Now you don’t have to be Ernest Hemmingway to deduce that the flow from the floodplains will also carry the tucker that barra like to munch upon.

Nor should you have to think long to work out that the most likely places for this to happen is right there at those bottlenecks: at the mouths of the feeder creeks.

But how can you tell that the flow is from the floodplain to the river, and that there might be some barra tucker traffic and, better still, some hungry barra ready to gobble up the funneled offerings?

The answer is simple: look for a colour change; a different-coloured water emanating from the feeder creek to the colour of the main river water.

If that different-coloured creek water is protruding out into the main river, then you know it is flowing in a receding direction; it is funneling from the floodplain.

Mind you, sometimes it is not that easy to detect a colour change because the difference might be subtle, or hidden by river foliage, or even backed up by the tide.

That’s why it’s not a bad idea to pull up and have a close look at a feeder creek mouth that is not obviously pumping.

Feeder creeks are not the only bottlenecks along a river where feeding barra might be located.

Sometimes the funneled water will flow straight over the river bank above the river’s height; in other words, like a small waterfall.

Although generally not as reliable as a solidly-pumping feeder creek with a distinct colour change, waterfalls along the river are always worth a few casts to check them out.

Finally, remember also that tidal river heights change four times daily, so the impact of a flowing creek on the main body of river water can vary from aggressively significant when the river is at its low-tide height to significantly retarded when the river is backed up at the top of the high tide.

Make no mistake about it, tides are just as important during flood and run-off as they are late in the dry season when tidal influence is the only influence.

That's because the tidal section of the Mary River - all those waters below the Shady Camp barrage - will be open for fishing for the first time since October 1st last year.

Opening day this year will be a bit different to the last couple of years. That's because water levels in the Mary River have dropped below floodplain height and the channels are all exposed and navigable.

According to Dean McFarlane from Point Stuart Wilderness Resort, the river height at the Shady Camp barrage is just past the fish cleaning table.

Subject to more rainfall between now and next week, although you won't be able to walk right across the barrage, you will be able to get to the concrete and cast lures out to the middle on the tidal side.

Normally, at the end of January, the Mary is gushing over the barrage and you'd get washed in if you tried to wade across to the other side.

There is definitely a lot more water required on the Mary River catchment to ensure optimum fishing during the run-off.

Notwithstanding, the conditions are optimum for hooking into some big barra early on Tuesday morning off the barrage.

A big tide will reach the barrage within a couple of hours of its opening, transporting both mullet and the predators up the River, following the scent of freshwater all the way from the mouth.

When they get to the barrage, they won't be able to go any further, at least not until the water rises over the barrage.

From a mullet's perspective, that's bad news, very bad news indeed, but for the barra it's a smorgasbord - under cover of dark, able to ambush hapless mullet with nowhere to go.

And for the anglers, it's good news all the way.

Don't forget the special management rules that apply to fishing from the barrage.

For starters, within 100 metres of the barrage, bait is not allowed and only lures or flies with one single hook may be used.

However, there is every reason to expect that some big barra will be hooked off the barrage on big, single-hook soft plastics.

If you catch a big one, get a photo, weigh it in a net if you wish but it's not advisable to hold a big heavy female barra by the mouth without some sort of additional lower-body support. I've already spoken to some anglers who will be taking a boat to Shady for the opening, and that's not such a bad idea.

For anglers who intend launching a boat into the tidal section, the prospects are excellent downstream.Don't forget also that the lower Daly river - from the outlet at Moon Billabong all the way to the river mouth and beyond - will also be open to fishing from next Tuesday.The Daly is also dropping, but that could easily change with more rain.

I understand the going was tough last weekend for competitors in the GS Marine Challenge at the South Alligator, catching only four fish between eight boats. However, with the river so flooded, that was to be expected.

Without doubt the best fishing trip I heard of from last weekend was the one undertaken by Michael and Jo Reiter, Brad Hewton and Melanie Hooley.

They'd won a weekend trip to Arnhemland Barramundi Nature Lodge courtesy of Air North and caught 78 barra up to 94 cm fishing in and around the Tomkinson Rivers.

For anglers keen to fish as locally as possible, there has been an exceptional run of threadfin salmon in Buffalo Creek.The successful anglers are using unweighted soft plastics - with a single hook and no lead - and twitching them across the surface on the incoming tide.No boat required here as the best action is happening by simply casting from the sand.