Exploring some new cod water

[dirvin21]

First of all I'll chuck in an apology for my lack of fishing reports over the last couple of months, it's been a trying time with bad weather and covid every plan seems to have failed.

I had bern planning an on foot cod trip to the Upper Namoi river for a few weeks but thr plans kept failing, this trip was no exception with no offsider to join me at Amy's suggestion I asked my (step) daughter Georgia to join me being a hiking lover (not a fisher) she was excited to join.

Being a 3 1/2 hour drive (I know long for a day trip but it's what I do) we set off damn early 

Our destination was surprisingly easy to find, with the sun up we arrived at the locked gate (national park)

we loaded our packs and got to hiking, not actually a long walk to the river on good track

the river was looking good flowing hard but definitely fishable

we wasted no time in getting casting

Georgia isn't much of a fisher but she didn't take much convincing to have a go

Didn't take long before a fush was landed

The smallest cod I've caught to date, atleast the doughnut was broken

We started moving along the river casting every likely spot we could find  we were getting hits, finally one stuck on a slightly better fish

a beautiful little cod, once Georgia saw the colours she had to catch one 

we walked the river through some very tough terrain the small cod were definetly on the chew with loads of miss hits and landing another miniscule model, finally again I hooked into another slightly better model

this one came from some crazy water, 

we got most of our action from the smaller back waters only small fish but a cod is a cod

A really beautiful looking river

My last cod was a dark fish that came after clise to 20 casts on the same snag

a beautifully marked fish, Georgia was determined to catch a cod, she casted and casted for no luck. I told her your first cod only comes when you've lost all hope and accept the doughnut 🍩. 

We reached pur ginal piece of river before turning back I sat retying a leader and enjoying the shade Georgia peppered the same snag with casts for nearly 20 minutes when she lets out a scream

Couldn't wipe the smile off her face, it was even the fish of the day.

We fished our way back but with the sun high the bite had slowed.

On our walk back up the road the wildlife appeared for us

A very angry bearded dragon

And a beautifully marked sand monitor 

We headed home completely satisfied, can't beat making a plan,  exploring new water and finding fish, worth the drive? Absolutely!

Cheers for reading 

Dave

 

[Ganguddy Goodoo]

Onya Dave. That is superb. Beautiful fish and very nice river.

[Isaac Ct]

Great day bushwalking and fishing, small cod but a heap of fun.

Well done.

[frankS]

Looks like surface walker territory to me. to take a Cod on the top of water , the bloop and the crushing action of a decent Cod on surface lure is worth any long journey.

Great report with fantastic scenery and a few fish caught, what could be better?.

Thanks for sharing with us.

Frank

[Hill373737]

Great report Dave, looks like it was worth the drive and the walk in.

My wife and I moved to Tamworth in January to retire and be closer to my daughter and grandkids and I've started fishing some of the local water. Coming from a mostly saltwater background living on the coast except for trips to Glenbawn, its a big learning curve but I caught my first ever cod last week, probably at the other end of the NP you were in and I'm definitely hooked.

Let me know if you're coming up this way again, would be good to catch up for a fish. 

steve

[dirvin21]

29 minutes ago, Hill373737 said:

 

Let me know if you're coming up this way again, would be good to catch up for a fish. 

steve

Definetly mate 

[Rebel]

Super story and Super photos.

Can't beat the Australian bush.

[Blackfish]

Great report and photos Dave.

Thanks for posting.

[big Neil]

How I envy you Dave. Being able to get in to areas like that on foot and being nimble enough to handle the terrain. Still no point whingeing about my inabilities, it is what it is. 

As always your presentation of photos and account are excellent.

I am extremely interested in the photos though. Murray Cod, as a species, are actually slightly different from each other depending on their environment. The main difference is the pattern on the fish. Those particular fish have much less white/ light colouring on their underbelly than Murray Cod in my region. Thanks for sharing the post Dave. The species is definitely a very "attractive" one, especially when they are so healthy.

Cheers, Neil

[Yowie]

Great country, and worth the walk for the fish.

The bearded dragon is angry, usually they just scurry away.

[dan1000]

@dirvin21 I've fished that stretch of river many times before Dave, it's hands down my favourite spot!!
Trust me when I tell you that it only gets more magical the further down you go!! 

[dirvin21]

4 hours ago, Yowie said:

 

The bearded dragon is angry, usually they just scurry away.

I was going to pick him up, he was just letting me know he didn't saction said idea

[Bryant fish]

Great photos looked like a great time your stepdaughter looks stoked.i remember taking kiwi girlfriend now wife camping fishing  at Cox,s river with stepdaughter and 1 of her friends  a snake went straight between her feet lots of screaming and swearing.my elder daughter reeled in a flathead I had done all the hard work on hooking on a houseboat in the hawkesbury  river  around 7 yrs ago went about a metre  and she is still telling everyone  how good a fisherperson she is but hasn't  been since

[Hill373737]

On 2/16/2022 at 1:36 PM, big Neil said:

I am extremely interested in the photos though. Murray Cod, as a species, are actually slightly different from each other depending on their environment. The main difference is the pattern on the fish. Those particular fish have much less white/ light colouring on their underbelly than Murray Cod in my region. 

 

Neil, I didn't realise there was such a big difference across Murray Cod.  

Here is a photo of the one I caught last week, also from the Namoi River and similar colouring to Dave's.

If you look closely, there is an ulcer near its ahole with a hook hanging out of it. I've seen fish with hooks in the mouth previously but never one like this. It was in good condition and smashed my spinnerbait so didn't seem to be suffering from it.

I had it in a rockpool and tried to get the hook out but decided my efforts to remove the hook would be worse than leaving it in.

 

[Hoods]

I feel for you Neil, attached is the eastern cod photo I sent you last year from up near Dorrigo. I think Murrumbidgee Irrigation should be made aware their water policies are creating unattractive fish!!

[big Neil]

8 hours ago, Hill373737 said:

Neil, I didn't realise there was such a big difference across Murray Cod.  

Here is a photo of the one I caught last week, also from the Namoi River and similar colouring to Dave's.

If you look closely, there is an ulcer near its ahole with a hook hanging out of it. I've seen fish with hooks in the mouth previously but never one like this. It was in good condition and smashed my spinnerbait so didn't seem to be suffering from it.

I had it in a rockpool and tried to get the hook out but decided my efforts to remove the hook would be worse than leaving it in.

 

 

6 hours ago, Hoods said:

I feel for you Neil, attached is the eastern cod photo I sent you last year from up near Dorrigo. I think Murrumbidgee Irrigation should be made aware their water policies are creating unattractive fish!!

Thanks very much for your replies Hill373737 and Andrew. Your photos further substantiate the information which I gleamed quite some time ago (about the different patterns based on where the species is living). Even though your fish from the Northern Rivers region shares the name (Eastern Cod) Andrew, it is another sub species of Murray Cod. They are a magnificent looking fish, that's for sure.

Regarding the hook protruding from the fish's anus Hill373737, I have caught 2 Murray Cod with the same situation. I have removed the hook from each prior to release. When you examine the natural diet of most fish species, a hook passing through their system is no big deal. Murray Cod eat other fish whole as well as yabbies and crayfish. Their digestive system is more than capable of dealing with them. I suspect the same would apply to most other fish species.

Thanks again, bn

[dirvin21]

9 hours ago, Hoods said:

I feel for you Neil, attached is the eastern cod photo I sent you last year from up near Dorrigo. I think Murrumbidgee Irrigation should be made aware their water policies are creating unattractive fish!!

The easties are definitely a good looking fish

 

2 hours ago, big Neil said:

 

Thanks very much for your replies Hill373737 and Andrew. Your photos further substantiate the information which I gleamed quite some time ago (about the different patterns based on where the species is living). Even though your fish from the Northern Rivers region shares the name (Eastern Cod) Andrew, it is another sub species of Murray Cod. They are a magnificent looking fish, that's for sure.

 

Eastern cod are actually a seperate species that can'tsuccessfully breed with murrays, they have very subtle differences 

[big Neil]

7 hours ago, dirvin21 said:

The easties are definitely a good looking fish

 

Eastern cod are actually a seperate species that can'tsuccessfully breed with murrays, they have very subtle differences 

Not the info I have from Fisheries at Narrandera Dave. They say same Genus...sub species...no info on their breeding across sub species. When they breed Murray Cod for restocking purposes they breed fish from the same system and locality, then restock in that area. It's a bit like humans, they are all Homosapien but can differ in many ways.

There's a lot of debate about hybrid Cod. Some argue their non existence while others have evidence to support their existence. There is definitely a hybrid of Murray Cod and Blue-nosed Cod. I have caught them as has Robbie Alexander.

Neil

[dirvin21]

5 hours ago, big Neil said:

Not the info I have from Fisheries at Narrandera Dave. They say same Genus...sub species...no info on their breeding across sub species. When they breed Murray Cod for restocking purposes they breed fish from the same system and locality, then restock in that area. It's a bit like humans, they are all Homosapien but can differ in many ways.

There's a lot of debate about hybrid Cod. Some argue their non existence while others have evidence to support their existence. There is definitely a hybrid of Murray Cod and Blue-nosed Cod. I have caught them as has Robbie Alexander.

Neil

Hybrids definitely exist between trout cod and Murray cod 

Apparently the same thing can happen between easties and murrays only much more likely, they're quite genetically different hence being seperate species, I'm guessing thousands of years ago they would have been the same fish

[Centrepin]

Dave,

Well done looks lie a great trip.

 

Geoff

[rickmarlin62]

Did you goas far as the house on the cliff

[dirvin21]

3 hours ago, rickmarlin62 said:

Did you goas far as the house on the cliff

Went past the house at the end of the road, didn't cover a massive distance

[rickmarlin62]

Did you go upstream or down

[dirvin21]

3 minutes ago, rickmarlin62 said:

Did you go upstream or down

Down

[Hoods]

We don't need to buy Lottery tickets. Living in Australia is Winning the Lottery. Especially now. 

Oh how I wish for the gentle stream

With a rippling run and a deep quiet pool

Set against the rocky bluff and overshadowed by the river gums

Full of promise and the Fish to come