Surprise catch - (sole) - and a blast from the past

[Keflapod]

I haven’t posted here for a very long time.

For those of you who remember my posts, take a few moments to read the story.

I hope you find it interesting.

I decided that people had begun to think of me as some sort of smarty pants – catching fish and showing off.

I felt like I was becoming that which I hated the most so I took a step back and let others enjoy the limelight.

But I started to lose touch with fishraider and the amazing culture we have created here.

On good Friday, I went fishing as I often do on weekends. I got to the ramp early, waited patiently for another fisherman to get his boat off the trailer that seemed to be stuck.

I launched my boat before the sun was up. The bats were returning from their overnight feasting and excited voices crackled over radio in anticipation of a big day ahead.

I thought something was different about today – just had that feeling.

I fished the mouth of the georges river at a spot where my friend has been braining the bream, trevally and a few legal kingies.

Burley plus pillies in the trail is all he uses. Cheap, effective and he is home by midday. He is a machine.

I tried switching on that machine in his spot but I only managed 2 nice bream. Then a nice 60cm flattie hit the deck – my daughter’s favourite fish.

I was stoked – I finally had caught something she really liked. She is getting bored of bream and whiting I guess.

I haven’t caught a flathead for over a year because they seem not to like nippers. Was this what was different about today ? Maybe.

The forecast was for cloudy skies. I got drizzle most of the day but I felt good. I felt connected to my environment and my purpose for being there.

I moved to another spot and there the fish were plentiful and I soon reached my limit on bream. I must have returned over a dozen legal bream as I tried to find the elusive whiting.

For me to release fish is a difficult thing because I fish for the table. Returning all those fish was strangely satisfying. Was this what was different about today ? Maybe.

After a while the rod goes off and a sting ray comes up – but wait – the colour is right but there is no tail. Is it a flounder ? No the shape isn’t quite right. What is it?

Is it a juvenile numb ray? No the shape isn’t right either. It was some kind of flounder but one I have not seen before.

I was sure I have seen them at the fish market but did not know what it was. So keep it, research it then eat it, right ? Into the killbox it goes....

Was this what was different about today ? Maybe.

I went home right on the bottom of the tide and felt content that I had a great day. That weird flounder was in the back of my mind...just swimming around there.

When I unloaded the fish from the tank at home, the flounder was last to come out of the frigid ice slurry. I went to grab it and nearly fell out of the boat.

The damn thing was STILL ALIVE !! How the hell can it do that? It swam around and looked like an eel the way it swam.

I used long nose pliers to grab it but when I tried, it kind of went concave and stuck itself to the smooth aluminium bottom of my killbox like a suction cup.

I was starting to freak out a bit because I had not seen this behaviour from a fish before. I felt like I had caught an alien ! Now it wanted revenge !!!

I eventually built up the balls to grab it with long nose pliers. I grabbed it and it didn’t flip around like other fish do. It just tightened up and stood still.

Man this thing was making me feel like a scared kid. I put it straight into the freezer! If it survives that I was gonna call ghostbusters or x-files or something..

I went to my PC and looked around – I think it is a black sole. According to a good fish eating guide, they are amongst the top 24 eating fish in Australia.

So what do you guys reckon ? Did I get it wrong? Maybe I should send it to area 51 instead for alien autopsy...

So now I see why today was so different. All of the above, as well as posting something back at FR.

Just as a foot note I got a PM from a friend on the FR site that remembered me after all these years.

He asked me for some intel on fishing the bay. That was really flattering.

Good old BreamSnapperJew – Hope your dad gets well soon.

Tony

Edited March 27, 2016 by mrsswordfisherman

[JohnDory]

Tony thats a Sole

http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/375944/Soles.pdf

JD

[barberonhigh]

This is a flounder

Good eating if you can use a fillet knife.

Cheers

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[GoingFishing]

That was a very entertaining read & good report.

Cheers

[Stunami]

I'm pretty sure it's a sole, I think flounder have a bit of a tail formation when sole doesn't. Haven't eaten one since I was a kid in the UK and grandma used to poach them.

[Adsy91]

First fish they taught us to fillet in my chefs apprenticeship...good eating. Flounder do have the tail formation too

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[kingfishaholic]

Good to have you back Keflapod!!! And you have certainly not lost your finesse in writing. Your previous posts would inspire a young fishermen like myself that there were plenty of fish to be caught out there without spending an arm and a leg! Let the haters hate and do what you love most and share it with the world

[Yowie]

Yes, have not heard any reports from you for a while.

Yes, it is a sole, have seen them sitting on the bottom in Port Hacking, and actually caught one (many years back). Would not readily take a bait, as I was drifting nippers right past their mouths.

I took it home to try it, and it had the toughest skin and flesh of anything I have caught. My mate thought I was joking, and he also said it was like trying to fillet a piece of shoe leather, so that sole was not eaten. Hope yours tastes a bit better.

[Basil D]

Nice report Tony, Havent seen much of your posts , hope your well and keep those reports coming

[The Incredible Hull]

Great to read your reports again mate, keep them coming =)

[Blackfish]

I'd call it a Black Sole to Tony. Brachirus nigra.

Pretty slimy critters. Have caught a couple over the years around Watts Reef.

Edited March 27, 2016 by Blackfish

[jim bream]

Tony were you been send us a selfie we miss you lol

[mayo]

definitely a sole. I have caught 100s of them over many years . there is a lot of them of birdie beach at budgiwoy in the trench between the beach and reef 200 mtrs out. If you put them into hot water not boiling water for 5 mins they skin a lot easier. flesh is white firm and delicious .I rate them up there with john dory. hope this helps. COBB note/ I speared them not caught on bait.

Edited March 28, 2016 by mayo

[mrsswordfisherman]

I decided that people had begun to think of me as some sort of smarty pants – catching fish and showing off.

I felt like I was becoming that which I hated the most so I took a step back and let others enjoy the limelight.

But I started to lose touch with fishraider and the amazing culture we have created here

Welcome back Keflapod!!!

This made me feel very sad that you felt that way. You have been a member for 10 years and people like you have made fishraider what it is today.

We are pretty much the only fishing website that is still active and relevant - we have survived because we have quality members that do share their experiences with others. It isn't just a set of threads with mindless pages of "likes" that people waste time scrolling past.

You and all the others that post here have made fishraider the largest repository of fishing information in Australia.

We are about to update and take fishraider to the next level and make it fully mobile. Watch soon for our changes.

Thanks for coming back Keflapod and don't be a stranger again. Perhaps you might post that fish into the fish id area in The Aquarium where the mod there can mark it "solved". We have quite a collection of identified fish and those that our resident experts can't id are sent to our pals at the Australian Museum for id.

[John'O']

Well ive caught myself quite a few flounder and flounder look exactly the same but with a very obvious tail. Infact i cooked some up on good friday and i learnt something new. They csn be perled like leather jacket. Head off and use s good psir of scissors to cut off the flesh just before it mrrts the spines snd tail. Turn it over and peel away. Very easy

[Guest hawkesbass]

Good to see you back on here tony.

Well done on the sole.

[Mick54]

Great post and good reading. I love to hear the how, where and what people have caught and to have it expressed so well is just a bonus. If you are good at what you do and achieve results, its not bragging, it's informative. Please keep up the posts.

[josamill]

Classic - caught more than a few flounder over 40 years, but never a sole. Didn't even know they lived in NSW. Used to be a treat at restaurants in the 1970s - washed down with a Blue Nun!

[Keflapod]

Well I was a bit surprised that I got a response like this.

I expected people to think Kefla-what ?

Is this a report or a ramble ?

Very pleased to receive some praise.

I'll try to post more regularly and focus on entertainment with a little bit of intel as well.

But one thing I would like people to understand about me is that my information is subtle.

You must read between the lines.

It's not hard statistics.

I'll give clues like the following:

"Fish are on the bite at this time of year as they fatten up for the winter."

"I might follow that up with some direction like:

If you're in a spot where there is some current, burley up and fish at least one rod in the trail with an appropriate sized sinker.

The trevally and bream will love you."

I make a few little inventions as well so I'll put some detail in the direction by saying:

"I made a burley tube (90mm pipe with 5mm drilled holes) and screwtop lid.

I put in it some crushed pillies and chook pellets.

I lower it on a cord to the right depth - then deploy your rod(s) in the trail."

I did not state spots, depths of burley, depth of bait, sinker size, etc. You can try that for yourself.

It's a lot more fun and gives you that huge sense of achievement when your own input pays off.

I hope some people can re-ignite their enthusiasm for fishing if they have not been doing so well by taking some of my ideas on board.

For those of you who are doing OK - it never hurts to see what the next fisho is doing - there is ALWAYS something you can learn.

You'll be amazed at what ideas spawn other ideas and the new places it takes you is what makes fishing so much fun.

A big thanks to everyone who responded with words of encouragement.

Finally Donna and Stewy,

Thanks for welcoming me back.

Tony

[kymbo56]

Mate,

always liked your reports and way of presenting them.

Plus, you openly share your knowledge, skills, tips and ideas with the rest of us. That is priceless.

Keep them coming,

Kymbo