Homeside

Yeah, he's still making them. Got one myself recently, in gold. Had to replace the central locking nut though with an ordinary wingnut to make it more free spinning as tightening the original just acts like a drag on the spool.

Hi Steve, Thanks again for the great info. Could you please explain further what is the difference between estuary and sea-running blackfish when it comes to feeding habits? Also can you sketch out an annual timeline of general estuary blackfish behaviour? Cheers, Tony

Cheers Steve, OK, so they travel down to spawn. How far down would you think? As far down as Manly/Watson's Bay for example? I guess its the novice estuary fisherman in me talking as I am really picking up river fishing on the run so to speak (previously I have only ever really caught darkies from off the rocks). Same with burley, I do use it (is half a bucket of sand and a handful of shredded weed/sea lettuce enough for a 3 hour sesh?), but can't say conclusively what effect it's had on my success, or otherwise, so far this season. (Sometimes I fear I am actually driving them away from my bait because of a poor technique here.) They either seem to be there, or they're not. Thanks again, Tony

Hi Steve, Thanks for the follow up on the berleying technique. Regarding their movements, I've been sort of thinking along the same lines - that they should be way upstream spawning - and so have tried for them recently as far up as Rydalmere, but without any success. So your saying that, because the lateness of the season, they have yet to reach that far? Only it seems once you pass the area east of Kissing Point (both sides of the River) do they "suddenly" appear, but their enthusiasm does run hot and cold though. However it's worth the occasional dissapointment of a fishless day, because some of the fish caught have been huge, including a personal best of 45cm, and many at or slightly over 40cm regardless, a size of fish I've never encountered before, not even off the rocks. The best haul so far has run 11 fish caught in 3 and half hours, but usually about 3 or 4 landed per session, with many bust-offs (surgeons?) before the bite dies away. Still haven't got the handle on which tides work best - run in, or run out. (Does it even matter in this estuary?). Another thing, most fish have been snared using green weed flies which they seem to be absolutely mad for (not much luck finding the fabled Parramatta River weed having tried the usual haunts, and some that aren't). I would love to post some pics of the monsters caught but having also taken all photos on a camera phone I think the mini-USB connection has been corroded, as I cannot seem to get the camera to uplink to the laptop anymore. Might just have to take the SIM to Harvey Norman or something and get them transferred to disk. Cheers. Yeah, great specimens Steve! Thanks for posting this pic.

Hey, Sounds like you had a great sesh with the darkies. I've been chasing them up and down the Parramatta River with similar success this winter - some places which otherwise look promising are completely barren, whilst others with the same characteristics have held large schools of very big fish for months now. There's nothing like the pull of a 40cm+ monster to get the blood racing. I've got a question for you about these burley bombs please. Would you be able to explain your formula/method for deploying "chum" in this way? Cheers, Tony

Sorry about the dry spell there, I went through a similar phase in June (3 outings for 3 fish!). During July though the tables have well and truly turned and I have been having tremendous success using green weed flies in the Parramatta River. Just last Wednesday, for example, I hooked into 10 fish in less than 4 hours, of which I landed 8, several of which were over 40cms, one of which was a personal record - 45cms! What a brute! Also got smashed a few times either by even bigger Bronzies, or perhaps Surgeon fish. Who knows? They were like locomotives from hell... I'm sure you're luck will change for the better soon! Cheers, Tony

I find this works for me. Simply wrap the weed in a clean hanky, do not wring it or add any more liquid to it, of any type, then place it in an airtight container, like one of those Glad Wrap ones, and keep it in the fridge. Just don't put it on the lowest shelf at the back, as this may cause freezing to occur and damage the weed. Now, after every time you use the weed remember to simply re-wrap it, in the same hanky, and put into the same container back to the fridge. I've found the same weed can keep for many weeks, and still deliver fish, using this method of storage. Once it does goes off you can use it for burley.

Hi Littledinghy, Just fish either side of the ferry ramp right into the drink, (although apparently the Hornsby side of the crossing is best when they're running - both the fish and the ferry ). Let us know how you go! Cheers

Cool - BW is a beautiful place for a relaxing day, catching those fish was just a bonus. P.S. I have a feeling that the blackies were feeding a lot higher than the depth being fished because the downs that resulted in the ones caught went almost horizontal when taken. Next outing will start from 3' and move down as needed.

Hi All, Made it to Berowra Waters on Sunday and fishing the first half of the ebb tide on the Hornsby side of the ferry crossing, managed to lose one of those green weed flies from "Go Fish" I was experimenting with, get lots of furtive downs and eventually bag a couple of nice fish to 30cms from very aggressive bait hits towards the end of the session. Gear used was a standard 10' estuary rod by Viva, with a centrepin creation. Also a light float (running a 20mm trace to 8'-10' deep) and weed sourced from the Georges River for bait and burley. Speaking to the ferry-master, who is also a keen blackfisherman, he suggested coming back in another week or two as the main body of blackies were further downstream, and only now were starting to make there way up towards Berowra Waters and Calabash Bay for the breeding season. If anyone would like to join up in the near future for a bash out that way (mid-week?) it would be great to meet some of the other mad keen darkie fisho's from around here.

Will be using grass-clippings, bread and bran burley plus green weed flies for the fish tomorrow.

Hi All, Planning to take my 14 yo nephew to Berowra Waters for blackfish this long weekend. This will be his introduction to the dark art. However I have hit a snag with my plans - a lack of green weed to fish with. The big rain has decimated my usual haunts for the stuff, around Picnic Point. Any information on where I can collect some would be very helpful and appreciated, as I would hate to disappoint the young bloke, who is eager to try out his brand new Jarvis Walker Aurora Estuary rod on them. Warm Regards and Happy Downs, Tony EDIT: If anyone is willing to assist they can PM me if they wish.

Was speaking to an old timer just the other day, (who was chasing them without success out at East Hills), about this very matter. Apparently the inlet at Kelso Park was "treated" about 9 months ago by Bankstown Council for bamboo. In the bargain, weed, fish and waterfowl have now disappeared from there. However, the bamboo remains! Absolutely criminal behaviour in this day and age. After a couple of hours searching I did manage to score a couple of handfuls of weed of dubious quality around Picnic Point, but the constant rain appears to have played havoc with both the availability of bait and Blackfish in this part of the Georges River, the latter of which seem to have gone off the bite because of all the fresh water in the system. Anyone know of better when it comes to sourcing the green stuff? I'm thinking of turning to weed flies I'm so desperate!

Hi, Tony's the name, and I first learn't to catch these beauties off the rocks at Little Bay as a 14 year old. The technique used there back then (late 70's and early 80's) that I'd like to share with you, and which was practiced and developed by the old masters, was to fish it very, very light (8lb main, 4lb trace). Before the days of floating lines, it meant you didn't have to regularly grease up, allowing more time in the water to fish, the light rig also provided a better presentation, for better maneuverability in narrow channels, like "the gutter" and of course for the sheer sport of it! The technique also called for a short, extremely whippy rod of no more than 10 ft - typically 8' 6". All sorts of blanks were used, but by far the favourite was the Conlon. This short bendy blank would provide light rigs with the extra cushioning needed when a larger fish, or even the occasional drummer was on. Yes, you can catch and land drummer on such light gear, so long as you kept its head up and let its strength play out on the very springy, short rods used. Eggbeaters were never seen - nearly everyone fished an Avon or Steelite reel with the occasional wooden centrepin on duty. The old guys also favoured very tiny bobby corks, fixed in place, instead of running stem floats - submerged just below the surface by split shot. Although this was difficult to get a handle on initially when casting, in the narrow channels of Little Bay, the fish would typically strike very quickly, so there was no mistaking a down when it occurred. Below the float, as mentioned, small 0 and even 00 split shot was used for ballast, and at the terminal was a suicide pattern hook - size 10 or 12, again the emphasis on tiny. This allowed for a near natural presentation of a cabbage leaf bait, (secured by a half-hitch), which was the preferred favourite of both fisherman and fish - even bream during the wintertime, although whole rosettes were also sometimes used. One downside to fishing so light was that sometimes you just didn't know what hit you as big square-mouth, or drummer would just bust you clean off almost as soon as you connected. However the rigs were quick to replace (no swivel) which meant more time in the water, more fun and as a consequence - more fish. Even though I haven't fished the gutters at Little Bay in over 20 years, the technique taught to me there as a youngster I still apply in other areas till this day, when chasing Blackfish - except at Maroubra, (being home back then I also fished it, but never enjoyed it as much) which perversely required very heavy gear, because of its extreme roughness. Some fishos even sporting 14 foot rods, 10lb traces and number 2 ball sinkers for ballast on very long stemmed floats which rode well high in the water! An interesting thing about the fish caught at Maroubra was that they were typically a much lighter colour than for an average Blackfish, almost milky, because of the sandy bottom I guess. Cheers

Hi Grant, Thanks for the warm welcome! I've already had a bit of a sticky beak before joining up, and must say that I enjoyed reading some of the posts relating to Blackfish immensely. As far as my technique goes, which I picked up from the old masters who used to fish the infamous "gutter" at Little Bay, is to fish as light as possible where nxggxrs are concerned (8-10 ft rod, 8lb main and 4lb trace - even off the rocks) using the tiniest of bobby corks and suicide pattern hooks, instead of stemmed floats and snecks (presents the cabbage leaf, or rosette, more naturally). The number of strikes, even on the saddest of days, would increase tremendously, and although you'd get busted off more often as a result, this was more than compensated for by all the fish stuffing your gill threader, or keeper net.