kenmare

Hi there Humkyle, Looks like a "pig" (rock blackfish) to me. They'll eat almost anything, hence the name. I've never heard of one being caught on a gulp though. Well done. Bob

Hi Klainz, Well done -- an excellent report. There's a lot of important lessons for new or less successful fishos in what you wrote. I'm a member of the older generation, but I can still recall when I used to spin and bottom fish the rock a lot in the 70s. Amazing the number of times when blackfish and pigs, caught on cabbage from the rock pools, or bream, taken on fresh caught crabs fished on light tackle in the washes, saved what would have been a fish-less outing. Good luck with that first pig. Regards, Bob

Hi Slinky, Mat and BM have given you a pretty good run down. And as pointed out, the area's copped a real hiding during this long drought, which finally appears to be ending. Conditions are now much better than they have been for many years. The Fish River at Tarana is a good place to start if you're interested in river fishing. Nice water and access through public reserves and travelling stock routes, although because access is good it is heavily fished. But most importantly, if it rains or gets too hot, you can quickly retreat to the Tarana pub. For lake fishing, consider basing yourself at Wallerawang, west of Lithgow. As well as being very close to Wallace and TCD, it's only a short drive to Lyall. There are two pubs, and also a Chinese reataurant and an excellent pie and pastry shop. Fishing's great, but even better when you avoid hunger and dehydration. Regards, Bob

Hi Wammo, Just because there were lots of fishermen it doesn't mean fish were being caught. More likely, there's easy access and they don't know where else to go. I used to fish Narrabeen many years ago. Always had more success on flatties fishing up the back of the Lake, around the sandflats and weedbeds where the creeks run in, near the Fitness Camp. It was best on an afternoon when a stiff North-Easter had stirred up the bottom a bit, so the water was a little coloured. It's still pleasant fishing, because you're fishing near the protected shore-line. If you keep your lures small, you may even pick up a nice bream or whiting. Should be easy to lanch the yak at either creek entrance and paddle out into the lake. If you can find some firm sand (be careful, some muddy areas can be "boggy"), might even be worth getting out and quietly wading around, casting towards the weedbeds. Hope you and the young fellow catch a few. Regards, Bob

Hi Gibbo63, Yes, good to see the fishing on the Coast is starting to come good. Often seems to around this time of the year. Hope you catch plenty. But please leave a few for us locals, who will be fishing for them in the New Year. Regards, Bob

Hi Roberta, While everyone (including me at times) can't resist overhead casting, usually with much false casting and hauling to alert the fish, in many situations a roll cast is a better option. Overline your rod a line weight or two (say #7 line on a #6 rod) and it's possible to present a fly to promising lies on most streams without the need for a bush-grabbing back cast. The roll cast is probably more useful when fishing nymph or streamer, but can also be used with a dry. Much better than wasting time and losing flies in encounters with streamside bushes. Regards, Bob

Hi Roberta, Spot on. In dry fly fishing, the concept of "striking" is completely misleading, and usually results in missed or broken-off fish. How much force is necessary to drive home a size 14, fine wire chemically-sharpened dry fly hook? Not much. Regards, Bob

Hi Roberta, By standing well back (so you don't need to wade), using a long leader with fine tippet, and fishing the close-in water first, you can successfully fish a 7 or even 8 weight outfit with the dry fly; people used to do that all the time until tackle manufacturers and retailers convinced almost everyone they needed to buy additional ultra light outfits in order to be successful. Still, that's commerce. IMHO the secret to dry fly fishing is really good fly line management, in particular achieving a drag free drift of the fly. Unless you can you can do a reach cast and a good upstream mend you can be wasting your time on most trout streams. Regards, Bob

Hi Roberta, I've always found taking trout on the dry fly a little like fishing for blackfish: far more fish are missed by trying to set the hook too early than setting it too late. A trout needs time to take the fly into its mouth and turn down, then it's time to set the hook. There's an old book, by an American fellow named Vince Mar...? called "The "Ring of the Rise" which is worth looking at if you can locate a copy: amazing underwater photographs of a trout taking a dry fly. Just like when luderick fishing, you can usually judge how quickly to set the hook by the enthusiam with which the trout engulfs the fly. In fast water the fish has to take the fly quickly, or it's past and gone, so you usually set the hook quickly. On slow flowing pools or around the edges of lakes, however, a trout can take its time, so you usually need wait a second or so (like estuary luderick fishing?) before tightening. Yes, there's some cheap accommodation to be had. I was down Jindabyne in May with my trout fishing club, two to room and about 8 or nine to a lodge, and it was very reasonable. Pity about the fishing though. Fly fishing the shallow tidal lakes around weed beds for bream and flathead is good casting practice. I used to fish Narrabeen Lake a lot twenty or so years ago. In my experience, bream are more difficult to fool than flathead, which often seem willing to have a go at anything. My most successful fly for bream was a self tied #6 fluro orange seaducer, very lightly weighted with bead chain eyes, which I tied trying to copy the colour, size and proportions of a successful lure. Bream used to take it on the drop! I assume it must have been mistaken for a nipper. I've read that small clousers, crazy charlies and shrimp patterns also work. I found it was much easier to fool the bream if a stiff North-Easter had stirred the water up a bit, so it had some colour; they were next to impossible if the water was clear. A 6 weight outfit with floating line should work just fine. Good luck: hope you wet your backing. Regards, Bob Hi Windy, I guess your local knowledge proved useful. Recent reports from my fly fishing club indicate many fly fishers are still struggling a bit. I know I found fishing much easier before the long drought, when there were expansive shallow bays and big weed beds. Want to share the bad news about Lake Eucumbene? Regards, Bob

Hi Roberta, Nice report. I share your friend Kim's sentiments about the Snowys. It's not only that high summer temperatures and lack of rainfall during this long, long drought have devastated the fishing, it's the sight of the parched countryside and what's left of our once magnificent dams and rivers that really hurts. My last trip to Jindabyne was in May, when all I managed was one rainbow in the Threadbo River during several days of intensive fly fishing, including hours "flogging" the Lake. Haven't been able to justify another trip since, with high cost of petrol adding to cost of accommodation. But things are definitely looking up. If we get another wet winter like the last, and a few more mild summers, like this one is shaping up to be, then Kim might be surprised how quickly the fishery recovers (does she still recall the drought of the early 80s?). And further good rains are forecast for this summer. Lakes are now rising, and many streams have decent flow for the first time in years. It's amazing how the hardy browns survive, probably by retreating to deeper holes or falling back into the lakes. And while stocked rainbows usually perish, they are the focus of restocking efforts because they grow at a phenomenal rate if conditions are right and there's plenty of food. I've been told by a reliable source that rainbows can grow from fingerlings to mature fish that weigh in excess of a kilo in two to three seasons. So I reckon it's time to dust off the trout fly rods, or buy a new one or two like I just have -- well, it is Christmas. My trout fisherman's instincts tell me the good times will soon be here. Or perhaps old trout fishermen are just perpetual optimists? Regards, Bob

Hi Ads, Went out on Sunday morning for little result. I was mainly running-in my new motor, plus a huge high tide and lots of floating weed (the two go together) made fishing difficult. Fishing reports in the local paper confirm what Arked said, other than for a few crabs, soapy jew and the odd flattie, not a great deal happening as yet. The weather has also been a bit wild in recent weeks, with lots of wind and storms. Hopefully, the weather will settle down and fishing will improve in the new year. Many of us locals lie low over the Christmas and New Year holiday period, when the local waterways become crowded with lots of visiting holiday makers. Much better towards the end of January, when the school holidays end and it's nice and quiet again. Often more fish around as well. Regards, Bob

Hi Roberta, I had the handles replaced on my Avon Royal II. Unfortunately, that was about 30 years ago at Bob Niven's in Campbell Street near Central Railway in Sydney, which moved on a long, long time ago. As you observed, the problem with a lot of the pommie centre pin reels we used to use for luderick fishing was that they were made for freshwater "course" fishing, and didn't respond well to being drenched in salt spray every second weekend. A good engineer should be able to drill out the old handle spindles and replace with new. There are still centre pins made in the UK and, I'm told, the equipment used to make the Avons was eventually shipped off to the Far-East somewhere and is now used to make the Shakespeare centre-pin reels available in some tackle shops. So it's highly likely that replacement spindles, handles and screws can be easily sourced. On the other hand, it might be be more cost effective to buy a new reel. Doubt whether it would have the character of an Avon Royal though. I'm unlikely to part with mine (at least not while I still draw breath). Regards, Bob

Hi Roberta, Welcome to the world of the Senior. The upside, of course, is that you can always claim to have had a "senior's moment" when things don't go right. Been there, done that. Ohh, and be sure to make multiple copies, so you always have one to hand when the others choose to disappear. I find that becoming a creature of habit also helps: everything has its "home" and should always be there. On the otherhand, perhaps I'm an obsessive compulsive. But best not to go there. Better to just keep on fishing and enjoy the moment. Regards, Bob

Hi Danilo, Glad you've got your priorities right: fishing is just a pleasurable pastime (or should be), but exam results can affect the rest of your life. As for blackfish, first decide where you're going to catch them, as there are big differences in both tackle and technique depending upon whether you intend to catch them off the ocean rocks or in the estuaries. Assuming you intend to catch them off the ocean rocks at Maroubra, then you need a rod of at least 12' (3.5 to 4 metres) in length, to keep in contact with your float on long drifts and control fish in close. If you hope to land black drummer (pigs) on the rod, then it will need to be fairly robust in the butt, even if soft in the tip. When you hook your first good size pig you'll find out why. Centre pin reels like the Avon Royal or the newer Shakespeare are traditional, although many fishos these days use the Alvey sidecast blackfish reel. The Alvey has the advantage of also combining well with a heavier ocean luderick rod for bream and other light rock and beach fishing. Use about 9lb to 12 lb (4kg to 5 kg) main line, and lighter trace of 6lb to 8 lb (3kg to 4kg) that will break before your main line does -- this means that if you hook up on the bottom or get smashed by a pig at least you'll get your float back. Smear vaseline on your line to make it float. Also use a proper fixed heavy blackfish float or bobby cork (so it won't be affected by wave action) and weight the line with a single large lead (ball sinker, lead shot, or sheet lead) about half a metre above the hook, rather than adding several weights up the line, to make the float less buoyant so bites can be easily detected. And use smaller hooks (sneck or french are traditional but I find suicide also work well) in the #8 to #6 range unless specifically targeting pigs, in which case use #4 or larger. Don't worry about burley, just scrape smaller bits of cabbage off the rocks with your cleats, or better still a cheap fish scaler (so you won't wear out your cleats), to bring the fish around. But don't scuff too much into a big wash or the fish will follow it away from where you're fishing. For bait, select long but young leaves of cabbage (usually found in the crevices and rock pools), and ask some of the experienced locals to show you how to put it on the hook correctly. While they're doing that also find out the best tides to catch blackfish(different spots work best at difference stages of the tide), and any reef over which you can drift your float: blackfish often congregate in big schools around reef outcrops. Catch the first one and you're well on your way to catching a bag full. One of the secrets to catching blackfish off the rocks is to fish at the correct depth. Start fishing at about a rod length below your float, and vary the depth up or down until you find the depth at which the fish bite. If all you are catching are rock cales and pigs, then it usually means you are fishing too deep -- shorten up. You should also be aware that when blackfish are "ringing" (spawning) on the surface in late autumn and winter you can still catch them, even though some people believe you can't. All you need to do is shorten-up to about a metre or even less under your float and the blackfish will usually still take your cabbage bait. And always remember, safety first: always check-out the size and pattern of swells for danger before venturing onto the low luderick ledges, and try to fish with others in a group. Hope some of this helps. Regards, Bob

Hi Shan777, Well done! Congratulations on the PB. Nice flattie. Well done too on deciding to let the old girl go to breed further. If we all do that more there will be good flathead fishing for many years to come. To be enjoyed not only by us, but for future generations of fishos. Regards, Bob