Little Moonee Creek Working Bee - March 2012

Little Moonee Creek Working Bee by Chris Bannerman

Date: 18 March 2012

With only 10 members out of 40 turning up to the working bee at noon on Sunday we were always going to have our work cut out for us. The grounds required a lot of attention and the facilitites also needed work. After a quick tour of the grounds by Rob Harwood we split into groups and took on different tasks around the park. John Robertson, Jim Hollett and Richard Hassall went to work with the chainsaw clearing the casting platforms of shrubbery while Dave Witham and Rob took an early dip to clean the fish tank.

Trent Morson and Mick Dillon took to the grassed areas with brush cutters and Stickerman attacked the casting practice area and the walking track around the main dam with his trusty mower. Meanwhile Col Breese cleaned up around the main biuldings and weeded the top pond while yours truly got sutck into removing the blackberry that had started to take hold around the main dam.

By 2pm we had made some good inroads to the main dam but Rob and Dave were struggling with the fish tank. The cleaning tools weren't really doing the job and Dave had sprung a leak (in his waders). Not to mention he had lost the BBQ scaper which had been pressed into service as an improvised glass cleaner.

We all adjourned for lunch, enjoying a sausage sizzle and a drink before heading down to the main dam for a fish. Dave had thrown a few pieces of bread in to see if there was any activity and was met with massive swirls and chomps as fish eagerly took the offerings. We had soon rigged up and first casts were all that was required to hook a fish. I landed the first bass quickly followed by Dave with another and then a silver perch. All were taken on bread flies.

Richard was next onto fish with a good-sized silver. Fish were busting up where there was bread but they soon became wary and the catch-rate slowed. Those who weren't fishing bread flies were having no luck at all. With members spread around the lake it became apparent that the end nearest the buildings was holding the majority of the fish. This may have had something to do with the fact that the owner of the park comes down regularly to feed the fish at this end. No prizes for guessing what he fed them.

The fishing at this end continued all afternoon. The fish still eagerly took the bread but they became increasingly harder to catch, often refusing a floating bread fly but taking all bread off the surface around it. A few fish were caught on the odd nymph and woolly bugger but the majority were taken on bread flies. Luckily we had a supply of bread left over from lunch to get them berlied up. Dave, Col and I managed a fish each from the silver perch pond but once again after the fist few catches the fish became very wary and no more were caught.

By 5.30pm we had all congregated to the active end of the main dam, each one of us eagerly casting our bread fly to the dozens of surface splashes. Every now and then a cheer could be heard as someone hooked another fish. I gave it away a 6.30 with the fish still smashing the berly - I had a dinner to attend. Three species were caught on the day - bass, silver perch and golden perch. The bass averaged about 20cm in length with the odd larger specimen to about 35cm while the silver perch were all about 30-35cm. All pulled well on our light gear and everyone caught fish. Ample reward for the hard work put in earlier.

CFA Interclub - March 2012

NSW Council of Freshwater Anglers Fly Fishing Meet by John Humphries

Date: 9-11 March 2012

This year’s NSWCFA Fly-fishing Meet was moved forward to the earlier dates of March 9th to 11th and thirty four keen anglers attending to fly cast, tie flies, fish and socialize in pleasant conditions at Wallerawang. On Friday evening a finger food supper was served and Jason Baldwin, Supervising Fisheries Officer, Fisheries Compliance, North West Zone gave a power point presentation on some of the compliance issues that DPI Fisheries have been involved in recently. Saturday evening saw forty people enjoy a well presented two course dinner in the new Black Gold dining room. During the evening several fund raising competitions were held and all in attendance appeared to have an enjoyable evening. Unfortunately our special guest, Scott Levi, couldn’t attend as the ABC required him to report to Wagga Wagga to cover the flood crisis down there. Approximately $5000.00 worth of prizes were donated by generous donors, among these were cameras, fly rods, waders and tackle vouchers, portable fly tying benches and kits, flies, accommodation vouchers etc.; some of these were issued as lucky door and competition prizes while others were used to raise funds for the NSWCFA. Approximately $3111.00 was raised for the NSW CFA. Several local enthusiasts joined us for the dinner and prizes draw’s. Several cash donations were received from people that couldn’t attend but appreciate the effort that NSWCFA put in to maintain a sustainable freshwater fishery and we owe them a big thank you. Rob and Linda Cluff and their team at Black Gold continued with the usual high standard of hospitality that we usually experience for this weekend and I recommend it as a base if you want to fish the area as an individual or on a club basis. The Central Tablelands press gave the Meet good exposure and they are always prepared to print a press releases if the trouble is taken to give them one. Although the Meet is more a friendly social event there are four not so serious competitions and the results are as follows. Photo competition sponsored by ‘Fujifilm’: Angler with fish: Min McClelland, Fly Fish Bathurst (FFB) Fishing scene: Ken Colmer, Central Coast Fly Rodders’ Club (CCFRC) Humour: Murray Keating CCFRC. Fly Tying competition Sponsored by ‘Tiewell’: Open: Lewis Williams Sydney Fly Rodders’ Club (SFRC) Advanced: Ken Webster FFB. Beginner: Nathan Webster FFB. Novelty: Dan Engel Lithgow. Casting competition sponsored by ‘John Coles’: Distance Accuracy: Open: Greg Hayman Singleton Fly Fishing Club (SFFC), # 1 handicap: Roy Browne CCFRC. # 2 handicap: Steve Newman The Lakes Fly Fishing Club (TLFFC). Dry Fly Accuracy Open: John Coles SFRC/Don Salter Lakeside Fly Fishing Club (LFFC). # 1 handicap: Kevin Kai SFRC. # 2 handicap: Ray Tang CCFRC. Fishing: Longest rainbow: John Coles SFRC 53cm. Longest Brown: John Coles SFRC 44cm. Otto’s trophy for the longest fish: John Coles The fishing comp is catch & release. There were several fish recorded over 60cm but they didn’t qualify in the catch sheet time frame which was for Saturday only. The Ross Salvato Point Score Trophy was won by Central Coast Fly Rodders Club. The NSW Council of Freshwater Anglers are extremely grateful for the generous donations that were received for this event. My thanks to all the guys that helped me at the Meet particularly John Robb and Ray Tang who gave me terrific support.