aami

Thankyou for the badge. I can not put it into words. The moment I felt the rod load up and I felt the power and force on the end of my line I knew I was onto a big fish. I will be honest I didn't know what to expect. This fish pulled like a freight train and there were many of times I thought I was going to loose grip of the rod. The moment I saw the fish on the surface I was in total disbelief. Almost like I was in a dream. The vibrant red colours and patterns stood out. Once the fish was tired out I too was spent. My arms were on fire but the worst part was yet to come. I still had to get in the water. I'm not the most confident of swimmers and knowing there were piranha and caiman in their I wasn't game but I also wasn't going to miss the opportunity to touch and be up close n personal with my magnificent River Monster. A memory that will last forever.

Sorry Neil, Not my quote. Belongs to the above "Nutsaboutfishing" Cheers

Welcome to my first fishing report! Sunday was the day. David and I had registered to participate in the Pirtek Fishing Challenge. We had been talking about it for weeks discussing ideas on where we should fish and couldn't wait for the species list to be released. On Sunday morning we both bounced out of bed before dawn, loaded the yaks and we were off. We had planned to be on the water when the challenge officially started. As we drove to our remote destination on the Nambucca River, I lost hope as the river levels appeared low. As we got closer I noticed it was low but was running well and was surprisingly warm with plenty of insect life around which is always a good sign. We launched the kayaks and within a few metres the casting started. I was using a Taylormade Nippy nymph and David was using a zman grub. After just a handful of casts David had a bite and landed the first fish of the day! He had a small 16cm Bass but he was determined to measure and photograph in the case it was the only fish he caught. Feeling positive that there must be bigger fish around I landed a cast straight up the middle and BAM I had a fish. I should mention this was the second time I have ever been yak fishing and this was the first fish I have hooked from a yak so you can only imagine the excitement as I reeled in my catch. I was stoked, a nice 32cm Bass and a decent catch to log on the board. In true competitive style, all niceties were off .. I had caught the bigger fish.. So the competition was on between us.. The banter was thrown as we both made casts along the river, over rocks, under tree branches, casting every opportunity we saw. David had diverted my attention to an eagle soaring above us and as I stalled he landed a perfect sneaky cast up in front of me where I was about to aim. You can imagine what I was thinking. I wasn't going to let him steal my thunder so I fired a cast landing not far from his on some duck weed and before I could blink my lure was gone. With the shear shock I let out a huge squeal, flung my rod back in fright and I had unknowingly set the hooks. Regaining my balance I could tell this wasn't a small fish. The fight was on. Remembering I am a novice, I haven't quiet mastered the art of controlling the yak, so at this point I had started doing 'donuts' in the water as I was being towed around by the monster on the end of my line. I happened to catch a glimpse of David, he was sitting back watching it all unfold laughing so hard at me. After what felt like a lifetime of struggle, I finally landed the fish in the yak. I was beyond excited as I had caught a very healthy sized Bass at 42cm. Now I was well and truly in the lead. I could see the frustration in David's casts. As all hope was lost and he had basically given in to defeat, he had a half hearted flick into a dark and gloomy log and from out of nowhere there was a splash, his lure was being chased and was snapped up. The look of relief was priceless when the fish was landed. Patience and persistence in this game does eventually pay off. He had a nice 36cm Bass. Out came the camera! By now the sky had come over cloudy and it was starting to sprinkle rain so we decided to turn around and head back. On our return trip I managed another three smaller Bass taking my days total to five and David had two. I had definitely earnt bragging rights..!! We both had a fun and eventful morning on the water. Cheers for now, Amy x