Swansea - September 2009

Swansea

Date: Sunday, 20 September 2009

Forecast: Mostly Sunny, late shower Wind, NW to NE, light to moderate; Temp, Air 25, Water 18 Tide, High, 9.03am Low,2.48am ; Sea, 1m on a 1m swell; Barometer, 1013, rising

Once more into the breach dear friends, once more; Thus spake Shakespeare. And so once more we launched from Blacksmiths. We have come up [ almost ] dry here on the 3 previous occasions since we adopted this venue & yet Captains Ken Colmer, Damian Webber, Chris Bannerman, Rob Harwood, Andrew Waters, Gary Kent, Roy Browne, Barry French, Neal Williamson, Bob Williams & Richard Hassall toed the mark, ably supported by Bosuns Jake Browne, Jimmy Hyatt, John Roberts, Steve Bunney, Max Gear, John Robertson, Pete Frere, Paul McGrath & our wandering embezzler, oops, treasurer, Steve Tizard. For once conditions were in our favour & so it was straight out to Moon Island where large schools of Salmon could be seen on the surface. It was a sight some members hadn’t witnessed before; a patch of ocean 10 to 20 metres wide & nearly 10 metres deep black with fish. The sound they made as they mouthed the surface was equally memorable, something akin to a very fast running stream & quite loud. Needless to say the odd case of Buck Fever was experienced. Who hooked up first isn’t known nor does it matter. People lost count of the number of double hook ups such was the intensity of the fishing. Once hooked these Salmon quickly showed they were of a class not seen in recent years & those without 20lb tippets found themselves working overtime just to see colour. Rob & I in the dashing “Dora D” each spent 30mins to boat fish due to the lighter lines we used. I had started off with 10lb, which survived contact with the enemy for all of 3 seconds. I then moved up to 14lb, which was all Rob & I had at hand. This too lost fish, so it was a harsh lesson learned in the school of hard knocks. Speaking of hard knocks, how about the bruised knuckles inflicted by spinning handles when Mr Sambo decided he wasn’t quite ready to say hello? But who cares. It was a picture perfect day with b-all swell, the fish were co-operative [ for once ] & it could have been worse. I could have broken a rod. Like Ken, Jimmy, Sticker & The Rabbit. The other person to break a rod was Big Bob, in a hurry to bring one fish in so he could catch another. As the old ones told us; Haste makes waste. I tell you these fish were serious & more than capable of exposing weaknesses in gear or knot tying. They were also capable of raising the [almost] dead. Well Jimmy Hyatt & Brownie’s lad Jake certainly looked it but a bit of Salmon therapy worked wonders & had both casting to & fighting fish that were only slightly less green around the gills than they were. Stuff of champions. Less inspiring was the lack of boat handling skills or fishing etiquette displayed by some water-bourn boneheads who repeatedly; 1.trolled through the middle of the school, 2.positioned themselves between people waiting for the school to arrive & the fish, almost running over bright green [are they blind?] fly lines, 3.roaring right up the edge of the advancing school then wondering where all the fish went. And remember, their vote in the next state election is worth the same as yours or mine. However it was very satisfying to note the capture rate of fly v the rest was very much in our favour so for once instant Karma was working it’s spell on the oh so stupid. Despite this we soldiered on, some of us catching as many as 14 Salmon, a few bagged 5 or so while some like yours truly only managed to boat one. JR landed one using a 6wt then went up a couple of notches to something more suitable as did Paul who started the day with a 7wt. Damo even managed to snag 3 species, with a Yakka & a Silver Trevally to add to his bag of Salmon. Due to the aforementioned boating idiocy the school ended up getting smaller & smaller as well as more nervous as the day progressed. As the tide dropped the swell became more noticeable & by lunchtime we felt we had definitely had the best of it. So it was back to the ramp & a well-earned hot snag & onion sanger. The conversation was animated to say the least & all concerned agreed it was one of the best trips ever. One tip mentioned is worth repeating. Due to the repeated casting with heavier lines rod lengths’ may have come loose causing the rod to break near the join. A touch of the ‘Buck’ doesn’t help as details like checking your rod is tightly joined are easily forgotten in the excitement of the chase. Apart from that this is one trip that will be very hard to beat

Wyong River - August 2009

Wyong River

Date: Sunday, 16 August 2009

Forecast: Mostly Sunny Wind, NNW @ 31 kph; Temp, Air 24, Water 16 ; Tide, High, 4.02am Low,9.40am ; Barometer, 1010, falling

We had agreed to meet at Tacoma at 6am which meant most of us had to get up a 4.30am. Now let’s never speak of it again. In spite of the gawd awful early start we had a great turn out. We had 2 flotillas so I’ll start with the ‘Yak boys. Mac Lyall, Murray Keating [ Gentleman fly fisher & Adventurer] & Ivan Malby were joined by Rod Dillon who was on his first coast trip with the club. Rod lives near St Clair & when told he’d have a good chance of ‘accidentally’ catching a Bass he said to all & sundry he was sick of catching them. We put this down to his exposure to salty air & didn’t drown him. We’re such nice blokes. Setting forth in the larger vessels were Richard Hassell, David Miller, Ken Colmer, Craig Parker, Damian Webber, Paul McGrath, Dave Witham, John Roberts, Gary *‘Armpits’ Kent, John Robertson, Barry French, Steve Bunney, Roy Browne & Peter Frere. Rodger Fielden & Robb Harwood were non starters, one with car trouble, the other with jet lag. Never mind, next time boys. Brownie was nearly a no-show himself as he had come down with a dose of ’Nieghbourous Dickous Headous‘. His drive-way had been blocked but steeling himself with the courage of the fishing deprived he woke the offending person [6am, Sunday morn, that‘s guts] & managed to make it only a little behind schedule. By this time the club account had already been opened with Damian & Paul scoring a double header on Estuary Perch [ new species for Damo ] in less than 10 minutes from launching with Dave W also bagging an EP not long after. Ken had kindly taken me with him & Craig & being a true gentleman he allowed Craig & I to cast while he just controlled the ‘lecky motor. He sat with the control in his hands, steering the boat he says, playing a kind of fishy Xbox I say. Anyway I decided I didn’t want to cast shore wards anymore as the ribbon weed was making life a misery & plonked my fly in the channel instead. It was a bead-chain eyed black Crazy Charlie & took a while to sink on a floating line so I gave it 2-3 minutes. First strip & I connected with a nice little flattie. Then 2 things happened close together. A Pro fisherman went by & yelled out “Tailor” while holding his hands a good width apart. We had just started to discuss this news when Brownie turned up whereupon I trans-shipped to the “Roister”. It was decided that our latest info was worth investigating. Along with our 2 boats Barry & Steve tagged along for a quick run over to an island near the Entrance bridge. Tailor-ish boils were spotted & we were soon waving the wand much to the bemusement of the Ludderick fishermen already in-situ. All to no avail. The Tailor were there, you’ll just have to take my word for it. No? Then take Ken’s. Thought you would. Chicken. Meanwhile, up the river with a paddle our very own ‘Cockleshell Heroes’ [ it’s a classic, look it up ] were moving up stream under their own power. The upper reaches are as fishy as you’d want, with reeds & snags of huge proportions liberally scattered along it’s reaches. First cast Mac got smacked by something that didn’t take no for an answer. It was hit & pop goes the leader! So sudden & violent was this encounter Mac was convinced the locals were not only on the chew, they were ravenous. Ivan too was treated to this type of pulse quickening, faith rewarding disrespect. Like Mac, his accurate cast at a structure he knew just had to hold something good was hit by a brick with fins that first stopped his retrieve then doubled over his rod before snapping his tippet with ease. You can imagine the quiet smiles; OK, you won this round, the next one’s going to be mine. All the guys in this fleet are keen, competitive & in some ways breaking new ground as this is the largest group of canoes, ‘Yaks, speed bumps for real boats, what ever, they represent a new aspect of our club. Gary & “Big Bad John”, Robertson that is, in Gary’s Stacer Nomad also thought the upper reaches a better bet. All concerned plied every target of opportunity with casts’ a-plenty. Gary thought the slim hull boys missed a chance as when some H.U.A [Head Up Ass] boaties went past the lads didn’t take advantage of the free ‘barrels’ they left in their wake. On the lake the lack of Tailor action made for a change of plans. Brownie needed to commune with his fly box, at this point resting in his car, while the rest of the lads were left wondering; did we really give the river a decent go? So it was back to the river where, ammunition replenished not to mention a cuppa under the belt we attacked the banks with vigour & precision. We’d left the lake at the right time as the wind had picked up but in the sheltered waters of the river all was serene. Except for the lack of response our flies registered. Hmmm. What about that flattie I’d scored earlier? Brownie & I reached an arbitrary mark at which point we stopped flogging the banks & proceeded to the mouth of the river where we found Dave & J.R., who had wilfully blowflied my all-time, most bestest, favourite flattie spot in the whole wide world. It always has been, ever since about 7.05 that morning. Some people have no shame. Dave underscored this by catching my Flathead right in front of me. Repeatedly. Then J.R. hopped on the band wagon. These guys had no respect. Don’t get me wrong, I cheered when Brownie clawed one back against the run of play so I’m no nark. I even tied on a chartreuse Clouser just to humour Dave. It was my impeccable retrieve that caught my 2nd fish, it had nothing to do with those interlopers choice of flies. Even though Dave ended up with 8 flatties to go with his E.P. & J.R. bagged a couple of fish as well I still think it was a fluke. That plus the fact Dave knew what he was doing + he was using an intermediate line & years of experience lead him to select a particular fly, knowledge he freely shared with J.R. Yeah, well we’re fishermen & so never let facts interfere with a good story. You plundered my fish, Dave, but I forgive you, this time. Barry & Steve were also nearby but had no luck deciphering the Flathead code. Still they both felt that the lessons learned would stand them in good stead on future trips. By now it was after 11.00 & time to cruise back to the ramp. Here I found Gary waiting for us. I also found out that the ramp had a 1 to 2 ft drop off, something Gary had found out the hard way in the early morning gloom. He’d just backed his boat in & it was making lots of bubbles & watery noises at the stern, prompting me to ask if his bungs were in. As he’d recently lent it to his son he thought he’d better check which was when he discovered the afore mentioned drop off & went in up to his *armpits. He said he had a great time fishing in a towel while he waited for his shorts to dry. Apart from that he had little to report. It seems after the 2 incidents of fishy smash & grab first thing the upper reaches had been very quiet with no-one boating a fish. They weren’t alone however with a few of our members in the larger vessels also fishless despite ranging both inside & outside the river. I know that but for the small school of flatties I & a couple of others would have been in the same boat, so to speak. Mind you once gathered around the Barbie nobody seem at all upset. We’d all had a great day in the company of our mates & the snag sangers expertly prepared by master-chef Muzz proved to be the only way to stem the flow of conversation, albeit temporarily. It seems the old Christmas spirit had come early to some of us & they admitted to decorating the odd tree here & there. Lets hope ‘ Fishing’ Santa remembers this when he’s working out who’s been naughty or nice.

Off The Rocks - July 2009

Wybung

Date: Sunday, 19 July 2009

Forecast: Fine, clear, not too cold

It was a picture perfect winter’s day, not too cold & nary a cloud in the sky. We met up at the “Lizzie Bay Café” we being Paul McGrath, Jim Hollet, Dave Whitham, Mac Lyall, Jimmy Hyatt, Richard Hassell, Andrew Waters, Bob Williams, Peter Frere, Chris Bannerman, Ken Colmer & his Grandson [our newest member] Mitch Colmer. John Robertson put in a cameo appearance.He didn’t want to share his germs so he just waved from a distance. We set off for the head of the track where the journey began in earnest. Although the track had been scouted out 2 weeks before we still walked past it, such is it’s over-grown state. Once on track we battled really thick scrub complete with a wide variety of plants of the stinging, scratching, tripping & even the blood drawing type. Stuff botany. Now I know why I’m a fisherman not a gardener. Eventually it was a short drop down a waterfall [more of a water-trickle] & we were on the beach, a mere stroll to the ledge. Here we were joined by some stragglers, Barry French, Rob Harwood & Steve Bunney. Berly was soon in the water with bread flies a close second. Low tide was due around 11am so there was a “time’s a wasting” attitude & it was mere minutes before Dave hooked up with Paul hot on his heels. Dave’s effort was a fair one but Paul’s was more like the Pig’s legendary style of fighting; tough, tenacious, inch by inch stuff. It was a beaut, some 53cm & 2.9 kilos [on a 7wt ???? ] while Dave’s at 43cms & 1.49kg was nothing to sneeze at. Dave had his revenge when he landed a second Drummer albeit a smaller model of 1.35 kg. Chris & Rob were casting to some fish that on closer inspection turned out to be ‘Yakkas”. These fish have small mouths & could only nip at the large ‘Drummer’ sized flies the lads had in the water, much to Rob’s *#!ing frustration. Chris found a smaller bread fly & was rewarded with a Yakka. Meanwhile new member Barry had elected not to fish, instead he acted as our photographer & lent a hand as needed. We had spread out along the ledge when Bob decided some of us would benefit from his vast experience. He rounded up some of us & started off down rocks, pointing out good places to fish . By the time he reached the end of the platform there was only yours truly left for him to mentor. I had drawn the wettest spot which was ok; I was wearing a PFD + I had taken on the job of suppling the sink tips so necessary in these conditions. I’d knocked up some 14 of these in varying sizes, & they were really good; pity I left them in the car. Considering the track we used they may as well have been on the moon. So every wave I copped was a kind of penance. Bob hadn’t finished yet. He grabbed Sticker & Mac from a couple of un-productive holes then lead them to another ledge where Mac scored 2 quick-fire winners; a Drummer then a Ludderick, both fish a good size & new species for him. Back on the other rock Richard too was on the board with his first Drummer. However as the sun climbed the tide retreated. Luckily everyone had bought heaps of bread which enabled us to fish through the bottom of the tide & into the first 2 hours of the new one. This period proved quieter than the morning as only 2 fish were landed, 1 Drummer to Sticker while Richard bagged a Rock Cale, which while not a glamour species was at least a new one for him. By about 1pm it was time to pull the pin & struggle back up the hill, with plenty of pauses for the ‘cardiac challenged’. Ken proved himself once again to be a BBQ wizard while I belatedly distributed my hand made sink tip. If only I’d remembered to take it we may have seen more fish on the rocks. Still, even without sink tip fishing beats gardening any day of the week.

Lake Liddell - June 2009

Lake Liddell

Date: Sunday, 21June 2009

Forecast: Scattered Showers; Wind, Light N to NE Temp, Air, 12 -20. Water - 20 Tide, N/A; Barometer, 1021, steady: Moon, last quarter, New on 23rd

The Winter Solstice saw us at Lake Liddel. This has been a favourite venue for the CCFR in years past & this year it was more popular than ever. Not only did we have a huge crowd turn out we signed up 2 new members on the day with 1 more keen to join at our next outing. So it’s g’day to Dave Miller & Rod Dillon & encouragement to… …… John Howard! That’s right; John Howard the caretaker of the Liddel camping ground wants to swell the ranks of our illustrious club. Why wouldn’t he? As previously mentioned the roll up was great: Dave Witham, Bob Williams, Chris Bannerman, Paul McGrath, Gary Kent, Tony Iason, Mac Lyall, Damian Webber, Andrew Waters, Col Bresse, Jim Hyatt, Steve Bunney, Murray Keating, Max Gear, Rob Harwood, Richard Hassel, John Roberts, Craig Parker, Peter Frere & last but not least by a long shot Ken Colmer, without whom we would all be probably still be wandering in circles, starving, caffeine deficient, dribbling fisher folk. Once again Unca Ken saved the day & our stomachs. Cheers mate. The fog which blanketed the lake was starting to lift as people set off in various directions. 6 members brought boats which were used to ferry anglers to distant shores as well as targeting fish in the deeper water. Most fished on foot with a slight majority fishing the southern side. Rod & I grabbed a lift off Ken over to the old road, and then he & Max zoomed over to the hot water outlet. When this didn’t look too promising they were meandering back in the direction they left us when they saw fish & it was on. Max lost no time, boating three while Ken struggled with an intermediate line. Down 3 zip it was a no brainer. Ken changed to a floater & he was rewarded with several fish quick smart. Meanwhile things were quiet back at the road. We could see fish mucking about beyond casting range but nothing closer in. I too had fallen for the intermediate line trick. It had done wonders 5 weeks before but I had packed a floater just in case. However it was back in the car so it was a case of run what you brung. Rod hooked up first only to drop it at the rod tip. I managed to hold onto a 45cm specimen a short time later which I had caught off a blind cast. Mac & Murray were working their way towards us; we were heading back to the camping ground & they were heading away from it. When we met up they hadn’t done much better than us, a fish apiece, although they did finish the day with Murray landing 3 & Mac 4. Rod was at a loss to explain it. You see, Rod’s a local; he lives just 15 minutes away & is a member of the Singleton Fly Fishers. According to him we should have seen lots of fish by now but as they say in the classics “There they weren’t”. We battled on & got back to within 200metres of camp when we bumped into Stickerman & Bunney. It seems Steve is a Bunney by name but not by nature. This was his first outing with the club & he bagged his first fish on fly in Oz & it was arguably the biggest fish caught on the day, 72cm & 8lb. Champion effort. They had gone in the opposite direction to us for about the same distance but what a change in fortunes. By the time we met up they had caught 11 carp; Steve 6, Stick 5. Sticker had taken his role as guide very seriously, which is a defining feature of our club. ‘Newbies” are taken under the wing of the more experienced, mostly as an undiscussed, matter of fact, ‘I’ll do it’ type of thing. I believe we are a better club for it. One other example of this was when new Dave [last name Miller] embarked on his first club trip. Dave has wielded the wand before only many years ago & never for swamp trout. He had not one but 3 members to help his aim with his mate Damian, our Pres ‘Don’Daveo as well as Paul McGrath. Mr Miller proved that fly fishing is like riding a bike; once learned never forgotten. While the rest of the lads held back to give him the best chance he sighted then cast to a big fish. It all came tight & Dave was soon holding his first carp. A happy chappie? You bet! The other three then got on with it & each landed a fish before the decision was made to try another bay. This new spot proved barren & when they returned to their original place it to had gone cold. They knocked off for lunch & tried again but were unable to improve their score. The area near the railway viaduct has often proved a happy hunting ground & this day was no exception. Chris Bannerman also played guide to Craig & JR. Chris: "John Roberts, Craig and I headed over towards the viaduct and after climbing through a couple of gates, inspected the deep channel leading to the viaduct before reaching the lake edge. The water seemed pretty clear but no fish were initially sighted. We blind cast for about half an hour, making our way around the edge before John hooked his first fish followed shortly by me. Craig was getting the fly out there but not many fish were interested. We continued to move further around the lake edge and with a change of fly Craig landed his first carp. To say he was pleased would be an understatement. During this time we noticed large numbers of fish seemed to be schooling out around the deeper weed beds. Dozens of fish seemed to milling around near the surface with the occasional bird spooking them. Col Breese and Rob Harwood had appeared in their boat and we guided them to where the schooling fish were located (our lower angle of view seemed to give us the advantage in spotting them). Rob and Col had a few hookups but the fish didn't seem all that interested. As the morning wore on the schools became larger and more common. Sometimes they came a bit closer, teasing us, but they were always just out of range. I managed to cast to a few closer fish but again they seemed to ignore my fly and were more interested in gulping on the surface. As to what they were doing we weren't sure, but they may have been spawning. We managed a few more fish as we walked the lake edge before returning to the car and joining some of the others back at the camp ground around 2pm." Blokes in boats made up the rest of members & they too had mixed results. Bob & Gary fished the bay we all say we will; the first one you see when you’re still on the Highway heading to the lake. The boaties had some trouble seeing the fish due to the overcast sky. Still, Gary bagged 7 while Bob was hot on his heels with 6. Jim & Richard spent a quiet morning with both fish landed going to Jim. They returned to camp for lunch where they heard about the weird behaviour exhibited by the ‘viaduct’ fish. They headed over with Col Breese after he dropped Rob off & Richard broke his duck while Jimmy added 2 more to his tally. Tony had brought his family & took Brayden, O’Shah & Kohen out on his boat with him. He too told me that he couldn’t see the fish untill he was right on top of them & while he saw plenty he only hooked one. He hooked it then gave the rod to Brayden while O’Shah stripped the line the pair of them supervised by Kohen. Eventually Tony took over & landed a true team effort. Ken & Max also tried the ‘pelagic’ carp, so called as they reminded Ken of salmon. It seems there must have been a hatch of some sort as carp breed in October, when they start to pair up. Anyway Max & Ken ended the day Even Steven, 5 each. Which leaves us with a couple of gentlemen. Well at least that’s what they looked like in their snappy Tit for Tats. Col & Rob were alerted to the surface action by Chris & crew & they couldn’t believe their eyes. Bags & bags of fish on the surface, mouthing at something. Imagine, a large piece of water, the area marked out by the orange ‘O’s formed by big, rubbery, fishy gobs. This was a tempting target & Col & Rob had a ball trying to chuck a fly straight down a fish’s throat. They had a bit of success at this novel approach to carp angling with Rob landing 7 while Col bagged 8. Col didn’t think that swamp trout would be as much fun as they are but he’s a convert now. His biggest fish was guesstimated at 10lb, but even bigger fish were sighted so we can all live in hope. Most of us had called it a day by 3:00pm or so while a few diehards were prepared to fish on. However Mother Nature intervened by sending down the heaviest shower of the day which convinced them that maybe they could leave some fish uncaught ‘til the next time. Because there will be a next time. Once again everyone had caught at least 1 fish & once again everyone had a great time, which is why we will keep coming back to Liddel. P.S. It seems the behaviour of the carp may have been a breeding event after all. Research on the Internet showed mating carp swimming on the surface, mouthing away just like the fish on the weekend. While we may never know the exact reason of why they acted the way they did, this trip will live on in C.C.FlyRodder legend as the “Day of the Pelagic Carp”.

Wallerawang - May 2009

Wallerawang

Date: 15 - 17 May 2009

Forecast: Saturday: Possible Showers; Wind, S, SW fresh to strong; Temp, Air 6 - 12, Water - ; Tide, N/A; Barometer, - : Moon, last quarter Sunday: Mostly sunny, isolated early frosts & fogs. S, SW winds

Due to the success of the Interclub meet held at Wallerawang a couple of weeks ago & that this months trip targeted trout it was decided that we would return there. Mac Lyall organised some dormitory style accommodation, welcome news as the night time temps were in the single figures & small ones at that. Along with Mac, Murray Keating, Richard Hassel, Andrew Waters, Col Breese, Roy Browne, Max Gear & Jim Hollet turned up ready to brave the elements & tame those tricky trout. The elements were there in abundance on Saturday morning with winds reported as fresh (read blow the milk out of your tea) & temperatures equally “fresh“. Mac & Murray went to the Fish River where they found that while the trees were thrashing about on the stream things were much calmer. Col Breese & Richard Hassel had arrived Friday afternoon & went to the Fish River which they found low & slow. After spending several hours there without turning up so much as a scale they renamed it the Fishless River & concentrated on Thompson’s Creek Dam for the rest of the weekend. Saturday morning as mentioned before was wet, windy, overcast & bloody cold but Col & Richard soldiered on as only men who know they’ve used up a heap brownie points just to be there can. It’s no use complaining, She who must be obeyed doesn‘t give refunds. They used woolly buggers to good effect, catching Rainbows of 2 to 4lb on the windward shore. They put in some hard yards punching flies out into the teeth of the wind before deciding to fish the opposite side. Here they met up with Jimmy Hollet, who, having never been to this area before, had got himself lost & had been driving here & there trying to find club members. The day ended around 4.00 pm with Richard having caught 4 fish & Col 2. Jimmy had lost time driving around & he had yet to open his dam fish account. Sticker, Max & Browny arrived too late to fish Saturday but that didn’t stop them catching whoppers from the comfort of their bar stools when they gathered with the rest at the Commercial Hotel for dinner. Then it was back to Luft Stalag 17 for further mature discussion & contemplation, all the while paying homage to Bacchus, God of wine. The next morning revealed Murray taking on the chef’s role assisted by Stick & feeding the troops some truly delicious egg & bacon rolls. The eggs were donated by Maisie & Daisy, Mac’s chooks, and were acclaimed by all. Once again Mac & Muzz headed off to The Fish River while they rest went to Thompson’s Creek Dam. At least the weather had improved. Which one of the dam mob caught the first fish is unclear but get amongst them they did. Richard & Col almost shared a double hookup when Richard hooked a reel screamer then lost it as soon as he applied pressure with Col coming up solid about 30 seconds later. Richard did land a rainbow which he tried to release but for some reason his usually impeccable fish handling skills were of no avail & the trout floated off belly-up. A bloke of around Sticker’s size tried to snag it with his fly, not to claim but to eat but it eluded him. Andy moved to another spot when guess who came floating by? Even so Sticker’s enthusiasm was waning when a huge fish swam almost within touch in fairly shallow water. He reckoned it had no idea he was there. This had a galvanic effect on his gumption & he went on to catch 2 fish, live ones this time. Brownie is no stranger to this area & has done well in years past but on this visit the fish proved elusive, even dead ones. Max had a slow time too which is out of character for the club’s quiet achiever. I can’t remember a trip where Max hasn’t caught something. Jim Hollet did catch something though, & he broke 2 ducks in doing it. He finally bagged a trout in a dam & it was his first Rainbow, proving good things come to those who wade. In the end Murray caught 9 fish over 2 days, Mac 6, Richard 5, Col 4, Sticker 2 & Jim 1. Bare numbers never truly reflect the experience of getting out there & the camaraderie of like minded individuals pursuing their sport. Thanks to all the guys who put up with my interrogation in order to produce this trip report. Everyone enjoyed this trip & really liked the venue. Me, I can’t wait to fish it myself.

Lake Macquarie - April 2009

Lake Macquarie

Date: Sunday, 19 April 2009

Forecast: Showers; Wind, S , SE @ 12, gusting to 37 knots; Temp, Air 21, Water 22 ; Tide, High, 4.50pm Low,10.45pm ; Barometer, 1017, rising : Moon, Half waning

I woke in the dark to the sound of wind & rain . It was cold too. I’d hate to be out working in that I thought, thank Christ I’m going fishing instead. After completing my first magic act of the day, making a couple eggs on toast & a cup of tea disappear without the aid of a rabbit or a hat I then embarked on my second trick. Turning a fly into a fish. To this end I travelled up the highway to Gwandalan & the meeting place near the roundabout where I found Ken Colmer performing marvels of his own. It seems a few of our members had discovered prior engagements & had pulled out leaving Ken to work out a new boat/crew roster on the spot. Water off a duck’s back apparently as soon every one was teamed up & on the water. Ken took John Roberts , Bob Williams shared with Craig Parker , Rob Harwood shared the delightful “Dora D” with yours truly while Andrew Waters lived up to his party animal reputation by taking both Jim Hyatt & Mac Lyall on “Kamikaze, resplendent in her new livery. The wind was strong, the sky brooding, fishing a lee shore the best option. Most of the fleet tried the nearest southern point while Rob & I in the larger boat decided on a reconnoitre of Pulbah Island. The wind was swinging from SSE to SSW & left few places untouched by it’s presence. We rounded the northern point of Pulbah to find a few yachts & motor cruisers anchored up out of the weather. We found a spot, anchored up & started a berly trail. Jumping fish, the flash of scales, signs that drive fishermen on were there in front of us although the sounder was telling a different story, one far less hopeful. Lake Macquarie has fished well recently due to the commercial fishers licence buy back . There are reports & rumours of the many species being caught there, from Dolphin fish & Giant Herring to Kingfish & Hammerhead sharks. This day however the weather was denying us the opportunity to target anything that didn’t swim close to a sheltered shore. Rob & I chose to fish intermediate lines & we varied our flies often, trying to fish different flies from each other as we searched for something that worked. Bob & Craig braved the passage to the island. They had fled the slim pickings of the bay to try their luck on the wide. Our tale of woe left them undaunted & they were soon a dot on the horizon, proceeding no doubt to destination “X”. Ken & John turned up & Ken promptly gave us a slap on the wrist for using berly. It gave us an unfair advantage he said as he had left his prawn heads & bread at home. Right. When asked they predicted mayhem on Kamikaze which is what you’d expect on a boat of 4.3m with 3 Fly Rodders all waving at once. While we stayed put Ken & JR let the wind be their guide & drifted, casting all the while. Meanwhile back in the bay the 3 amigos had worked out a system whereby all of them could cast without drawing blood or bruises. Mac stood on the for’ard casting deck, Sticker had the aft deck while Jimmy as the best caster took ‘midships. What made this system work was Jim’s ability to perform a steeple cast, no mean feat in conditions which saw gusts over 30kts. The boys worked both sides of the bay up to Point Wollstonecraft, wisely forgoing a trip to Pulbah as the open water was quite choppy. As was the case they missed out on nothing by staying in the bay. By 11.00 Rob & I decided we had done all we could & had to admit defeat at the island. Both Bob & Ken had returned to the bay with neither they nor their crew hooking up. The trip back was predictably wet but with the ramp in sight we had to have one last cast. Rob has a passion for birds of the feathered variety & he kept a weather eye on any sea birds in our vicinity . He was hoping our luck would take a tern for the better. It payed off as his eagle eye spotted a ball of baitfish. We motored up & drifted back several times & while my white haystack attracted some follows & a couple of tail nips that solid connection remained elusive. A smaller fly seemed the answer so it was off with the haystack & on with a small Charlie. It was too late I’m afraid as 2 casts later the heavens opened & stumps were pulled. There was a surprise waiting for us back at the ramp. Paul McGrath & Richard Hassel had launched 1/2hr before the rest of us & were there now to welcome us back. They had done better than most of us, boating mixed bag of 10 fish. These were Bream, Tailor, Flathead, Pike, Trumpeter & Snapper, the latter being a new species for Richard. Two other members also bagged a new species, Craig with a Bream while Stickerman nabbed a Trumpeter. Jimmy too scored with several Bream & a Flathead. As for the rest, well there’s always next time.

Flies: Crazy Charlie (various colours), Golden Dog (weighted)

Lake St Clair - March 2009

Lake St Clair

Date: 14 -15 March 2009

Forecast: Wind, S turning to the NE @ 15 to 20 knots; Temp, Air 30, Water 25 ; Tide N.A ; Barometer, 1016, steady : Chance of storms

The St Clair Bass trip is a favourite of many of our members. The location is picturesque, it’s not too far from home & the inhabitants can usually be relied on to smash almost any offering. Accordingly yours truly set off on Friday in order to bags our usual spot. I arrived around 2pm & I couldn’t believe the crowd already in place. I mean it wasn’t school holidays yet it seemed half the state & his dog had beat me there. I still managed to secure some real estate near where we usually camp & awaited the troops. Recent rains had swelled the lake to levels not seen for quite a while, submerging some landmarks & transforming others. Next to turn up was Ken Colmer & while we were celebrating the all important positioning of the barbie with a well earned cuppa Col Breese arrived. Ken & I left Col to his setting up & went for a reccie. We tried lures (it wasn’t club day so to the purists I say “chewie on ya boot “) as well as surface, shallow & deep flies. There was no joy but it was early days & it was great to be back in such a top spot. Back to the camp & after dinner & a couple of quiet beverages it was time to turn in when I discovered my airbed had sprung a leak & was as flat as a tack. Col saved my bacon (not to mention my spine) by producing his wader repair kit. I had to wait 12 hrs for the glue to set properly so I suffered that night but the next was heaven. Ta mate. A cuppa or 2 was breakfast enough & we were off, Ken kindly taking me along as mobile ballast. Col had lent me a spinning outfit & as it’s been a while I thought I’d give it a go. A big bonus was the handle being on the right side for right hander’s, this being the left side. Soon after arriving at destination X Ken bagged a 28cm Bass. I opened my account on a shallow diving orange thingy about 3 casts later. The higher levels of water had made for some new tasty bass habitat all easily seen in the lightly tinted water. New bays & snags had been created every where making choosing “that” spot all the more difficult. It must have been confusing for the fish as well for while they could be discerned by the sounder they weren’t acting like the greedy guts, smash first & ask questions later bass we all know & love. 9:30 saw us back at camp & a chat with a member of the Valentine Bowling & Fishing Club revealed the extent of our fishing woes. They had been at the lake a day longer than us & in spite of the larger amount of water covered due to their greater numbers the result was much like ours. They had also tried soft plastics in addition to hard bodies & reported that even bait soakers were doing it tough. Nothing like a challenge. Dave’s Pajero was parked next to Ken‘s ‘Cruiser & the boat trailer was empty. He & Paul McGrath were out there somewhere & we could only hope they knew something we didn’t. Ken grabbed some drinks & munchables & headed back out while Col & I ducked into Singleton for supplies. We got back to the lake a couple of hours later to discover Dave & Paul had pulled the pin & left. I discovered later they went to Liddel where higher water levels brought the Carp in closer & they both bagged fish. Col & I attended to chores around the camp & before long guys started to turn up. Ken returned with nothing to report. Then Mac Lyall, Jimmy Hyatt, Richard Hassel & Max Gear arrived with Murray Keating & Gary Kent not too far behind. Gary brought his new toy, a 429 Nomad Stacer. A nice unit it is too with front & rear casting decks. He & Max wasted no time in launching it while the rest of us took a much more relaxed view & decided a very late lunch would be more in order especially as some very ominous clouds were looming closer. We copped some light showers after lunch then it was time to check gear & saddle up. Jimmy & Col teamed up as did Ken & Murray. Mac & I were the other team which meant Richard played a solo hand. Each boat load went their own way. Mac & I decided to attack the bank as did every one else. We mooched around for a while then headed over to a small inlet just before dusk & on my 2nd cast my black popper scored a hit & I was connected for 3 seconds. About 2 casts latter Mac was on but this time the Gods smiled & he boated a 29cm fish. Things were definitely looking up. We then tried the right arm of the inlet & again Mac got smacked. Unfortunately the line parted & Mac was without his now favourite (& only) popper. I had made 4 poppers 2 nights before so he was back into the action. I had another swipe & a miss then Mac was on again & once more the light [8lb] tippet parted. New tippet was the answer & as my popper box was looking a bit bare I voted for 50kg. In the end it was just too dark to cast with any confidence as between the bank & trees the odds of hitting the water were about 3/2. Back in camp & it was time to turn on the bush tele, once more supplied by Mac. Gary had opened his account with a bass as had Jimmy. Both on fly, & combined with Mac’s effort it proved we still had a chance. A couple of jokes later & it started to rain lightly but with the lightning flashing like paparazzo’s strobes we decided to retire to the ballroom of Jimmy’s Hyatt Hotel Du Wheels. I say ballroom because there wasn’t any. It then teemed. The comedy continued, complete with heckler, & it was late to bed perchance to dream. Morning came all too soon but caffeine, sweet caffeine made sense of the world & the task at hand. We set off as before, Mac & I trying the banks. Mac saw 1 tail slap on the surface & that was it for us. Young Mr Hyatt bagged a fish on a popper that he was too ashamed to let be photographed, such an ugly example of the tiers craft it were. The fish were so hard to come by I believe his tale that “the fly landed on it’s head” was not just to save our feelings. Well he’s never tried to spare us before so why start now? Elsewhere the same sad song was being sung; impeccable fly selection & millimetre perfect casting yielded no result. As usual breakfast was fit for the Gods & it gave us time to ruminate on our efforts. The brains trust came up with this equation: Too much water + too much food = very content fish & no joy for fishermen. Maybe Dave & Paul did know something we didn’t after all. All I know is once the level starts to fall in StClair I’m going back & this time I’m not so sure that 50kg tippets are such a joke. All that food is going to make for some bloody big bass.