3 Days Yak Fishin'

[arpie]

Hi all

I had a call from buddy Brian at the end of last week, saying he would be in town for a few days & hopefully we could get together for a fish! Well, you don't have to ask me TWICE to go out in the yak!!! On Friday afternoon, Brian rang again & we agreed to meet up at 3pm near the Red Spot.

No sooner had I arrived, I saw Brian with his yak in the car park. We meet & greet & as I am ready to get on the water, I am about to head out when I get a yahoo from a bloke in a tinny on the water! " Hey! Roberta!! Its ME, Terry!!" I go over & have a chat with him - he fished the Hot Water Outlet with Rowley & the rest of us a while back & is in Forster for a week, & keen to try his yak.

Unfortunately, some young blokes had just walked thru the nice sandy patch that I always like to target, so altho Brian & I tried it, I wasn't hoping for much! Then we tried alongside the Amaroo (sometimes the bream hide under there) for Zilch ...... as I leave the Amaroo, a bloke standing on the wharf of the Dive Boat says - "Are you Roberta?" "I say, I am - who are you?!!" Turns out to be the bloke who bought my Outback Hobie from the bloke who originally bought it from me!!! He is a keen breamer & has been in a couple of yak bream comps.

It was heading towards low tide with fairly strong winds, so Brian & I headed back upstream, having a flick at any boat/jetty along the way. As we approach Blue Peter, I remember that a bream climbed all over my sammy there the other day, so I suggested we try the shallows there for a while ........ and Brian pulls in a nice flattie in!

Then we try across from it, and I pull in a nice flattie, which also goes into Brian's bag, as he hopes to provide dinner that night for the household! Not long after that, I manage to hook another one that goes early 40's, so it finds its way into the bag too! Brian, in the mean time, had collected a couple of smaller flatties, which went back into the drink!

All too soon, it was time to head back to the ramp ...... but not before I caught up with another yakking buddy (non fisho) who teaches the High School kids how to yak competitively! Every year for the past 4-5, her kids have cleaned up in the Nationals & some have gone on to compete for Aussie overseas!! By Now, Brian was pretty well sure that I knew most people in Forster!!! Many thanks for company, Brian - it was fun! Look forward to doing it again next time you are up!

Sat ...... Shaun had made contact that he would be up this week as well - so we arranged to meet up on the flats over at Tuncurry where we fished during the recent gathering. It was full on action ..... for Shaun, anyway!!

Shaun concentrating on fishing with NW52s

He had already hooked about 8-10 bream to mid 30s before I even arrived! I had a nice flattie in the bag already & when Shaun rang, was onto another one, tho small, so he went back. I joined him on the flats & started to toss my NW52 around. It took a while, but I finally managed to hook a nice 31cm breambo! He gave me a pretty hard time on the 1lb Crystal - kept trying to make it back under the nearby oyster lease but I was able to exert enough pressure to keep him in the open water! Finally, he is in the net!

I missed more slurps than I hit, but it was good to see so many fish showing attention to top water lures.

I was standing up in my yak in the shallows, with the stakeout pole in position & had some good 'slurps', but just couldn't hook them! We parted ways, planning on meeting up in the creek, Sun morning.

Sun ..... as I arrive to fish the creek, a young bloke in a yak is packing up, leaving! He had had lots of hits & we chatted about yakking & fishing - he does a lot of bassing way up the rivers. He liked my idea of the Buoys on the side of the yak, for stability when standing, as his yak was short, too. Who knows, he may join up!

Onto the creek, i immediately started throwing the NW52 (colour customised by me ) towards the shallows & the jetties & had immediate interest from fish. It took a while to get the first fish, tho, a small whiting. Then I got a nice breambo - 30cm+ & in top condition - very fat!

Shaun had already caught some flattie & bream on the way over to the creek. Then he gets a very nice whiting! We continue fishing up & down the creek & just after Shaun heads back to the camp ground, I pop on a cicada 'lookalike' and toss it at the shallows - and catch a small bream! Then another one! 3 times lucky? No! The hooks had tangled! I went on to catch another 8-9 bream, but none were legal!

Thanks for your company, Shaun - it was great - It was a fun day on the creek - the wind was a bit of a pain, but we managed to 'make the wind my friend' (as Rod would say) by paddling around it & getting it onto my back!!

I should have put on sunscreen this morning ...... my face is VERY RED!!!

CHeerio

Roberta

Edited December 6, 2009 by Roberta

[Young Gun]

Roberta, you continue to dazzle us with such interesting and informative reports.

Thanks for the great read.

Cheers YG

[james7]

Great report Roberta. A good read and top photos.

(I still can't believe you're using 1lb Crystal)

You managed some good fish in those trips. Don't forget that sunscreen again!

Cheers

Peter

[tide'n'knots]

that sounds like a couple of really fun sessions there roberta! well done you certainly have the lakes wired.

pete.

[Hodgey]

Terrific report as always Roberta, accompanied by some great photos. Great to see you giving the NW's a swim. I have a new lure I received recently that I am looking forward to christening I can see some new records being set by you on the silly string this summer

Cheers

Ian

[slinkymalinky]

Great read, Roberta. Sounds like some great time on the water with plenty of socialising thrown in.

Cheers, Slinky

[jewgaffer]

Great effort Roberta it's terrific that you have managed to meet so many yak fishos in your travels and make as many friends as you have it sure makes your fellow yakkers lives so varied and interesting especially when the luderick are running...I reckon it wont be long before the township of Forster Tuncurry runs floats full of global yakkers thru the main streets up there and even make your Birthday a public holiday..hic

Cheers

jewgaffer

[arpie]

haha Good one Byron!! With all the mates I have made on FR & thru the yakkin' events held up here, I have a terrific 'social network' that I can call on whenever I am travelling!! It is great! They know where the fish are, what they are taking & the best time to fish it!~ Sometimes, I've even been able to borrow one of their yaks if I didn't have my own! Now that is what I call 'real value'!! They all know that I am 'up for a pedal/paddle' at the drop of a hat ....... and that is the beauty of yakkin'! You can be packed & on the water fishing, literally within 10 mins of deciding to do it.

I have some great 'new' water I want to explore over Xmas/New Year, so if anyone has a yak out there & is staying near Forster/Tuncurry at all - send me a pm & I can meet you on the lake or in a river somewhere for a bit of fishin' fun!!!

Cheerio

Roberta