The Entrance at Night - February 2013

The Entrance at Night by Chris Bannerman

Date: 16 February 2013

Well our traditional evening fish at The Entrance was on again. A few of the usual suspects were missing, preferring the cooler waters of the Snowies to the warm brine offered at this month's club outing. Still, we ended up with plenty of starters - myself and John Roberts, Ken and Mac, Richard and Murray, Stickerman, and Bob and Dave De Luca (otherwise know as "The Caterers"). With threatening rain (like that's something new) we headed out from the boat ramp and up towards the bridge. John and I started in the usual position just west of the bridge on the edge of the channel and with the water murky and still running out, decided to berly bread and have some sport with the local mullet population. Sticker was closer to the bridge and already having fun with the mullet. After putting out a nice trail of bread in the water and plenty of surface activity we cast out bread flies with expectations of quick takes and great fun. But the takes were there but not the hookups and we wiled away the afternoon in mild frustration. Occaisionally we'd hook a small bream, and John managed a whiting and one mullet but nothing spectacular. That was until John hooked a decent bream and we both rejoiced in the fact that was more down there than little buggers. It wasn't long after that I managed one of a similar size. John didn't want to stop at just one decent fish, so while the caterers arrived with boatside dinner he continued to cast while I berlied with chicken skin and bone. But the larger fish were still elusive and we managed nothing more than tiddlers. A change of tact was required once the sun disappered in a spectaular sunset. We changed to intermediate lines and attached clousers for some flathead action. After watching Sticker land a nice lizard we were keen but the flatties weren't so we moved over to the pylons and tried our luck there. Meanwhile we could hear cheers as Mac and Ken were amongst the EPs on the other side of the channel. Mac managed 8 EPs - a new species for him and done in style. Good on ya mate. The pylons provided some activity with an EP and a few other nibbles but far from the usual activity and by 10pm we joined the others in departing for the boat ramp. With an outgoing tide in full swing and dirty water, I'm not suprised that the fishing was mediocre, but the company and view more than made up for the lack of fish. Many thanks to the caterers for a scrumptious dinner, it also made the evening a great success.