Oberon - October 2008

Oberon

Date: 24 -26 October 2008

Forecast: Friday: Increasing cloud, Temps -1 to 16, Early frost, Winds light to moderate westerlies. Saturday: Mostly sunny, Temps 6 to 21, Light to moderate W,NW winds. Sunday: Sunny then a late shower, Temps 9 to 22, Winds W to NW before change

Friday It looked good for our trip up to Oberon, for once we had the rotten weather before we left. Most of us arrived in the afternoon & around 4pm we headed off to the Dam. Recent rain had made a real difference in water levels, bone dry paddocks turning back into something far more fishy. Some went to the Reef while the rest headed off to Kellys Lane. A few club members had yet to open their account re Mr Trout & so it was with a small undercurrent of tension that we started fishing. While it was windy it still fishable & as the afternoon progressed some rises were spotted. Fish were caught too, with Stickerman well and truly breaking his trout drought with a rainbow & a brown. He was like a dog with 3 tails; he didn’t know which one to wag first. “Windy” Keating bagged a nice little rainbow ‘though he had left a day before the rest & had already caught a 47cm brown in a stream around Tarana. This is our family weekend & with partners & little ones to accommodate stumps were pulled early so we could gather around the Barbie. Over dinner the fish were tallied up with Kellys Lane ahead with 3 fish, while at The Reef Mac Lyall & Col Breese managed to avoid getting bogged down and bagged a rainbow each . Damian “Armstrong” Webber broke a new rod on the 1st cast. President Davo came to his rescue lending him a rod, reel & line, proving this club leaves no man behind. The rest of the evening centred on the “rowdy“ cabin where flies, lines, theory & strategy were discussed before the effects of the day took over & it was time for beddy bies. Saturday Who invented 4:00 in the morning? No relative of mine that’s for sure. After much mumbling & stumbling we were on the bank 3/4hr later. Walking through the field of “diamonds” that herald a frost was some compensation; learning the effect sleep deprivation & darkness have on casting was less inspiring. Half an hour or so later & said casting, which should have improved was actually going backwards. A glance with the trusty headlamp showed guides clogged with ice. No wonder the skinnier club members had mentioned the temperature so often, it really was cold. Those with their feet solidly on the ground took it in their stride. Dawn broke but it wasn’t til 7ish that the first fish was landed where it was promptly “glassed” as Murray the Mugger used an old discarded stubby as a priest. The light revealed some rising fish & also the huge amount of rubbish left behind by a couple of bait soakers from the night before. Sad, they looked like locals. Chris “ Bashful “ Bannerman did good [ rainbow] as well as Herr Hassel [ like-wise ] . Some ”Jimmy come lately” s turned up at the Reef as the early birds were leaving. Messer’s Hyatt, Hollet and Max “ Top” Gear were on the plot and a Jimmy [ don’t ask me which one they all look the same ] scored a well conditioned fish against the run of play as he [ they ? ] landed it at 10am. Rob Harwood also appeared so all the usual suspects were gathered. Time to regroup, otherwise known as breakfast & some preferred a quick bite as the local streams beckoned. 3 likely lads took off as the rest of us sorted out partners, kids or better yet, a real brekkie then a re-match with the pillow. Both the Jenolan caves & the Zig Zag railway are near Oberon & provide an opportunity to entertain the family. Those who are truly brave take them fishing . Like Chris, he took wife Deb & daughter Catherine to the dam & was rewarded with a fish; after he’d snuck away from the girls. While fishing with kids can be a pain in the creel there is an up side. As Chris made his way back he heard his 6 year old advising her mother on casting: You’re doing it all wrong mum! The future is in safe hands. Around 3:30ish we set out again, for more of the same; much effort with no real appreciation or respect shown by those rascally trout. Again our endeavours were cut short due to the traditional Chinese Din-Dins. Club Rowdy ruled after that with less tactics but more hmm, well, mature topics being discussed. Like can fish get so depressed that they’d let them selves get caught by Max; just kidding, he worked “dam” hard. The streams produced some good fish with Murray, Andrew & Richard all doing well, the fish coming from um, being caught at err,,,, I’m told they were all bagged in, ah…..water! Sunday Another gawd awful early start with most members banking on Kellys Lane. Mac, Murray & Pete set off to Mac’s secret spot in a state forest. The lack of shovels & body bags in the back of the Nancy Boy, sorry, Holden Rodeo inspired trust in our guide & it was well placed as he put us on a stream with bags of trout. Unfortunately they all hated real men & only Mac & Murray caught some truly gay fish. Meanwhile, back at the Dam, Richard followed a well beaten path & although he was the 5th or 6th person to cast from this spot that morning he landed the fish of the weekend, a 50cm ‘bow. Back to base & we gathered for a great feed around the Barbie. This had been our best attended Oberon trip yet and all but 3 of our members caught fish. Slowly people drifted away to pack cars & start the trek back to Hillbilly Heaven. The M3 proved a smooth trip for most. Personally I took the Wisemans Ferry route & it took no longer. A bit more bendy but far less traffic. A great weekend & as for those trout who refused my best offers; next time there’ll be no more Mr Nice Guy.