Join us in 2026/27

Tropical Sportfisher is a locally owned charter business based in Cairns, founded by experienced angler Rory Brookes. With over 25 years fishing the tropics, Rory established Tropical Sportfisher in 2018 to offer private, guided lure and fly fishing trips across Far North Queensland.

We specialise in private charters only, offering tailored single and multi-day fishing trips. Each charter is designed around the daily conditions—targeting iconic tropical species on lure and fly.

What We Offer:

Guided Barramundi fishing
Topwater and GT fishing
Saltwater & freshwater fly fishing
Rainforest Backcountry & river/estuary fishing.

Day trips run from Cairns, Port Douglas, and Mission Beach, with hotel pick-up, food, drinks, and premium gear included. Beginners are welcome—our guides are happy to coach you along the way.

Luxury Expeditions & Heli Fishing

For anglers chasing premium experiences, we offer multi-day private charters with all meals, accommodation, and personalised guiding included. These trips are designed for flexibility, comfort, and access to the best fishing Far North Queensland and beyond has to offer.

Our Great Barrier Reef mothership expeditions, in partnership with Aroona Luxury Boat Charters, focus on saltwater fly fishing for permit, topwater GT fishing, and remote exploration of Cape York. We also offer barramundi fishing at Princess Charlotte Bay, a world-class estuarine system set deep in Cape York’s wilderness.

We run heli-fishing adventures to remote freshwater and saltwater systems, accessing otherwise unreachable country via scenic flights. These trips are all about wild terrain, technical fishing, and complete seclusion.

On the Cassowary Coast, our flexible multi-day trips combine rainforest rivers, estuaries, and inshore tropical islands—ideal for anglers wanting to cover ground across multiple habitats.

Further afield, we’ve partnered with Ocean Dream Charters to host a limited number of elite saltwater fly fishing expeditions to the Montebello Islands—a remote, frontier destination off Western Australia, offering some of the most untouched flats fishing in the country

Eco Certified & Conservation-Focused

Tropical Sportfisher is an Eco Certified Tourism Operator, committed to sustainable practices and responsible travel. We practice catch and release , keeping fish wet for photos and handling them with care. We operate with a strong conservation ethos and aim to protect the places we fish for future generations.

Check Availability

Luke Cutler - Bathurst, NSW

We got onto plenty of fish and was so lucky to tick off some big bucket list fish. High light was a beast of a Permit after a great stalk. Rory really knows his craft, and offers lots of options. I will 100% be going back .

Mike Destifano - Long Island,United States

Rory is a fantastic guide and knows his stuff. We lucked out with light winds and he put me and my brother on our first GT, Queenfish and several other species.

Nicholas Bedford- Brisbane, Australia

Best guided trip I have done. Great fish, great guide. Very professionally outfit. Could not recommend more highly!

Martin Brenan- Townsville, QLD

Had a great trip fishing with Rory! He worked super hard the whole trip to make sure we had a successful fly fishing trip on the Tinaroo barras, which are bloody tough at times to coax a bite from (the other boats at the ramp who said they caught nothing that day will agree!). One of the best all round guiding operations I’ve been on and couldn’t recommend Rory’s services enough !

Evan Smith- Sydney, NSW

Had an awesome 3 days fishing with Rory a couple of hours south of Cairns. Location, Fishing, Food, and accommodation were well above expectations and got a heap of Barra and mangrove jack with upgrade after upgrade. Will definitely be back.

Scott Hannigan - Sydney, NSW

Had an excellent time doing a full day charter with my partner. Rory was a great guide, consistently putting us onto fish and helping us tick many species off the bucket list. Was a great day and would highly recommend to anyone looking for an amazing sport fishing experience!

Ted Lewis - Brisbane, Qld

This was easily the best fishing adventure I’ve had. I spent 3 days with Rory and we caught a heap of quality fish – big barra, jacks, queenies, cobia, tuna, and mackerel. Weather was amazing and saw some incredible fishing locations. Captain Rory knows his fishing and is a top bloke as well. Couldn’t ask for more. Truly memorable

Daniela Badea - Perth, WA

I thoroughly enjoyed our three days fly fishing with Rory. His eperience, patience and knowledge made our adventure complete. Good company, great guide, and now, considered a friend.

Ben Laverty - Melbourne VIC

The mothership and crew completley exceeded our expectations.

Raymond Stork - Sunshine Coast, QLD

If you’re up for a great adventure, see some amazing parts of cairns and likely catch some cracker fish this is the man to do it with. Our trip with Rory felt like going out with an old mate. plenty of good banter with professional service and guidance on where to fish, what lures to use and how to get the best out of them. I couldn’t reccomend him highly enough and my next trip north he will be the first i call to sort out a fishing adventure with.

Toni Stifanic - Tincan Bay, QLD

Rory’s knowledge and want to give you the ultimate fishing experience is second to none. My son and I had the privilege of spending a couple of days fishing with Rory who ensured we caught a variety of different fish, and was more than happy to share his knowledge. Absolute Legend! Can’t wait till next time.

Kelly Brownlie - New Zealand

Best guide I’ve ever had. If you get the chance to go out with Rory or his team then I would recommend taking it. We booked a 3 day trip and it was action packed from start to finish! Wanna catch fish and share good banter then Rory is your guy! Thanks again Rory and see you next year!

Ben Jobson - Sydney, NSW

Unbelievable experience in an unbelievable waterway, with an extremely knowledgeable & welcoming Skipper. Will return one day.

Duncan Hathaway - USA

The trip was above my expectations as we were able to cross off both a Barra and a mangrove jack on the first day, while also getting to see numerous good size crocs! The topwater strikes from all the jacks were amazing to watch and the views around the area we fished were second to none! Day two we went for jungle perch, in which Rory had me on my first one quite literally on the first cast. Overall I can’t wait to get back up to Cairns and get back out with Rory! A bonus too was that not only was he incredibly knowledgeable, but he also took some incredible photos that I can not wait to show everyone back home! Overall I can not recommend Rory enough and I highly encourage anyone to book a trip with him.

Matt Velluto- Melbourne, VIC

Great service which provided multiple angling options in a pristine location. Already looking forward to the next one. Amazing experience and top guide/bloke Rory.

Dan Bedford- Sunshine Coast, QLD

I highly recommend a trip with Rory and his crew. We spent 2 days chasing Barra and one day hiking for JPs and we were not disappointed! I won’t give away any secrets here, but make sure you book a trip with Tropical Sportsfisher.Dan