Central Coast Fly Rodders

Paterson River Bass - April 28

2019-05-22T05:14:00.001-07:00

Paterson River Bass - April 28

Trip Report left home 3.30am yeah I know, bloody early and bloody cold, drove up to twin servos to pick up Terry Kennedy, coffee time at Maccas, then up to Paterson river, webbers creek boat ramp, met the others ready to go, starting to get light, get the boat and off we go, heading up stream, fished between the bridges, flicking flies into any likely looking snag, hollows in the bank side vegetation, then Terry hooks up on his home made popper(sorry don't have a photo of the popper), hooray we are on the board,

All the black paint came off, so he caught his bass on a white popper, we kept flicking poppers into the bank, then boof I got a fish on, wasn't even looking at my fly when the fish hit, good fight on my old 4/5wt Xstream fly rod (first fly rod I ever purchased) Rio WF4F trout line, 8lb flouro leader straight through and my double barrel frog popper, the bass had wolfed the fly down, major surgery to remove, looking at getting barbless hooks for native fishing, bbq was awesome so good to catch up with everyone who attended, thank you what a great club we have I feel so privileged to be a member.

Forster Fly Muster - 2019

2019-03-19T22:57:00.002-07:00

Forster Fly Muster

March 15-17 2019

For those that are unaware of the what the Forster Fly Muster is, it is an event that raises money for The Fly Program through bringing together fly fishers from all over the East Coast. Monies are raised through auctions, raffles and donations from those attending.

The Fly Program is a charity that helps Aussie males with PTSD, depression etc. The program takes people out into the Australian bush and teaches them to fly fish, in a non-threatening environment, where support of fellow participants is key. It's a place to discuss what is happening and sharing experiences. But it's more than just helping the individuals - it benefits their families and friends so has quite a broad reach.

That's the introduction to the what and why of the Muster, so now onto this year's event.

2019's muster saw a record number of fly fishers attend, with over 100 people registered. The weather forecast was looking a bit average so it was good to see such a big turnout. The event begins on the Friday for those that arrive early, with a meet and greet on Friday afternoon. The usual introductions and chat as well as the first chance to get the raffle tickets and shirts.

Day 2 starts at 7am with a briefing from Brett Wilson - the man behind the FFM. he gives us all a run down on the why we are there and what the plan is for the weekend. An introduction from Matt Trippet from the Fly Program and what this event means to him and then we move onto some information about the fishing around Forster, Tuncurry.

After the briefing it's up to each person as to what they do for the day. Some people get some casting tuition from the certified casting instructors other go for a fish on the flats and the rest get the boats on the water and away we go.

We chose to get out and go for a fish and so far the rain had held off. We head up towards the lakes and fished some of the leases and then berleyed up for some mullet and bream. 5 minutes in we heard a huge thunder clap off in the distance and in came the rain that had been holding offshore all morning. It came down hard, so hard it felt like needles hitting your body. It was so intense that the boat starting filling with water and the bilge pump was going flat chat. We took shelter under a tree until it eased slightly and then we decided to head back to the ramp. You couldn't see very far in front of you so we followed the trail on the GPS to find our way back.

We go back to the ramp, soaked to the bone and water pouring out the bung once back on dry land. We parked up behind the cabin, threw the cover on and sought shelter inside. That was the fishing done for the morning and we then had a get together at 14:30 where the club had a small stand. We did some fly tying demos, had some flies laid out for people to look at. Calendars for people to flick through to see what the club is about. We got some great attention.

Part of the afternoon was the fly tying comp, which took the form of a people's choice. Each attendee got to give two votes for their favourite flies and there were some great prizes on offer. There were some really good flies on the viewing table and well done to the winners.

More raffle tickets sold and the auction was run. The Auction prize was an 8 weight custom fly rod and a box of flies that were tied and donated by a number of people attending the muster. Brownie and I contributed flies to that box and overall it was an impressive collection of flies. The Auction got up to $760 all of which goes to the Fly Program.

The afternoon finished about 4:30 and we hit the water to fish until dusk. We explored some water close to the caravan park as the wind had come up and was making the main channel more like a washing machine. It was tough going with only one small flathead caught in that time. As the sun dipped we decided to head back to the ramp and get dinner underway.

Sunday was checkout at 10. So we had packed most of our gear the night before so we could get up early and pack the car, launch the boat for a fish before the 12 noon final get together. We headed up the channel and fished a flat that we had some success on the previous year. The tide was running in fast but just about to turn. We used fast sink lines and fished the edge of the flat to see if there were any flathead around. Shayne caught the first one which was a nice fish around 40cm and then I caught a monster that was about 2 cms longer than the fly I was using.

Once the tide changed we moved out into the channel and drifted with the fast sink lines. A few takes but no hookups and we noticed a huge school of mullet actively feeding around one of the racks. I flicked the electric motor into anchor mode and started the berley trail. The fish were onto it straight away and we were on first cast. A good mix of mullet and bream hit the boat and some of them were tanks.Double and triple hookups made life interesting when it came to trying to avoid tangles, but it was a fun morning. We headed back to the ramp about 11:20 - hooked the boat up and got the car and boat ready for the trip home.

At 12 the whole crew got together to hear the total raised over the weekend and also the raffle draw. The total raised for the weekend was over $7000 which is enough to get about 11 people through the program. There were plenty of raffle prizes and Bob Beamish was lucky enough to score a prize.

A weekend like this takes a lot of organising and Brett WIlson, Shannon Kitchener, Brett Clarke and Cherie Forbes did an awesome job. Brett Clarke and Cherie organised some amazing prizes for the event, the value of which exceeded $9500 so there were plenty of prizes to go around. Thanks to Terry, Scott, Trent, Bob B, Steve B, Brownie, Shayne, Tim and Leon for representing the club.

Off The Beach - January 2019

2019-02-09T15:00:00.000-08:00

Off the Beach

by Steve Tizard

Perfect conditions on Pelican Beach just north of The Entrance. Light southerly blowing and plenty of cloud cover. Large channels close to the sure (ideal for casting flies) and plenty of white water.

"Perfect conditions"....so we thought.

The southerly on the previous night had brought in mountains of sea weed which made it nearly impossible to fish flies. But 10 of us had a go anyway. About 1.5 ks of the beach was fished up to the rocks on the northern end for, you guessed it, nothing. Zilch!

We were after salmon, tailor, bream, dart, flathead and whiting and tried every fly possible. not even one strike. In hindsight, burley would have been wise as one club member returned the next day , burlied up and caught 4 fish in similar wind and wave conditions.

At least the traditional club bbq and chat put a good note on the mornings activities and all agreed it would be worth another try. Next Time.

Lake Macquarie Flats - November 2018

2019-01-28T15:59:00.001-08:00

Lake Macquarie Flats - 18 November 2018

This was an outing that many members had asked for during the recent survey - flats sly fishing. Wading the shallows in search of bream, whiting, flathead etc. The area around Swansea has a vast flats area between the bridge and the drop off into the lake itself, so that was the destination.

On this occasion we had 7 members fish the flats on the run out tide, which is usually ideal conditions for flathead and whiting as they come off the flats into deeper water.

Numerous large whiting were sited but unfortunately they couldn't be convinced to take a fly. Poppers, crazy charlies and shrimp fly were all tried but to no avail.

The fishing was disappointing in a strong Nor-Easter, but still good fun for all that attended.

The location itself is definitely worth another try as many club members have caught many good flathead, bream and whiting in the gutters and holes around these flats.

Whilst there weren't any fish caught, we had a pleasant BBQ afterwards thanks to Murray!

Also thank you to Jeff for preparing the pre-outing information that was shared at the last meeting.

“A Change of plans” - The Entrance,

2018-09-24T20:55:00.001-07:00

“A Change of plans”

The Entrance,

Our plans to fish Pittwater and the Hawkesbury river were thwarted thanks to a dramatic change for the worst in the weather forecast.

New plans were hatched as wind n swell predictions were poor and an open water outing was not an option.

Dave had put forward a change of venue , “The Entrance” it was the safe and sensible option and all candidates agreed.

Climbing out of bed early Sunday we were greeted with strong winds , and with the poor forecast things were not ideal , we knew we would have a tough day ahead but we all agreed to make the effort, pulling up to the entrance ramp a touch after 6 am we were greeted with an angry Lake ,strong wind gusts , short chop , with pelicans and all types of seabirds struggling to make headway into the wind whilst trying to keep up with a small school of skittish baitfish that were in turn trying to find some form of cover across the sand flats opposite the ramp.

The cold weather was something we certainly had not expected. This feeling of a cold winter morning brought back thoughts of a recent Blue mountains lake expedition and certainly not our initial thoughts of the coming summer , bare feet , shorts and tees.

There had been massive change overnight , the wind was up and temps were down .

On leaving the boat ramp we were fortunate to capture some of the suns rays beaming out over North Entrance beach sand dunes, these border the northern mouth of Tuggerah lake , and as we poked the nose of the Renegade up the channel the suns rays enveloped us with a burst of much needed warmth and childhood memories of a mothers arms keeping you warm on those cold winter mornings came flooding back .

I must say it gave us a reassuring feeling that the first taste of summer was on its way and thoughts of lazy days down the beach and in the boat were no longer a distant memory .

I could feel it wouldn't be long before we would be making the most of our summer days.

I must say it did provide us with some form of encouragement,even though things were not that pretty in the main arm of the lake .

Our plan was to fish the main channel where the dredge had been working . Dave had a few good reports of fish being caught earlier in the week and this was our only form of inspiration.

We were greeted with a main channel that was still badly silted up around the bridge ,navigation was difficult especially in the the low light , we fished this area for an hour or so in search of a some flathead with no joy.

The conditions quickly deteriorated with very strong wind gusts forcing us to go in search of some protection . Our earlier thoughts of summer had been all but forgotten.

North Entrance channel was our choice ,we left Richard and Tom fishing the bridge and it wasn’t long before we were both in the north channel out of the wind.

We fished hard with weedless shrimp patterns and fish masks but it appeared the weather change had shut most fish down. Dave decided to berley up some mullet and bream but with no response we needed a change.

Dave suggested we fish the boat shed to get out of the wind , berley up with bread, grab the 4 weights and give that a shot, it wasn’t long before Dave had a school of mullet boiling on the surface, good call mate.

A floating bread fly and sinking dropper was the plan and whilst the fish were difficult to hook we managed 3 or 4 each , they were quite small but did give us some form of enjoyment.

Jeff and Bunney turned up and we fished together for a while but the wind was causing havoc with our boats and berley so the boys decided to call it for the day, I must admit in the back of my mind I was thinking the same.

Bunney mentioned he had to head home as there was a black snake in his house ,we had other ideas about the type of snake it was 🤣 ,i have to say there was plenty of laughter about our humorous comments .

Now as they left I'm sure Bunney was making a call to Russell Coight for some tips on catching snakes and as he left we knew “ it was time for him to hit the road”.🤣🤣

Quick Release Expert

I commented to Dave that the wind appeared to have dropped enough to try the channel south of the boat ramp , so we headed up there ,the weed was now an issue and getting the fly down with out weeding up was becoming quite frustrating, we persevered with our weedless offerings and were managing to get the fly to the bottom on most occasions ,unfortunately finding a flathead was proving a difficult proposition.

Finally Dave managed a nice Luderick on one of his shrimp flies it was nice work and I

Highlight of the Day - Steak and onion rolls!

'd have to say it was the fish of the day. This was a great capture considering the conditions, although i must say Dave needed some tips on handling and releasing Luderick,the laughter emanating from the boat had certainly lifted our spirits.

Dave was spiked several times as a very lively luderick kicked and squirmed until finally it bounced over the side of the boat , sadly it happened too quickly to get any footage.

We decided to call it day around 11.30 am and headed back to the ramp for a well deserved steak sandwich and a cold drink. Ken managed to land a nice tailor whilst fishing with Gary which was a great effort especially in the conditions.

Richard and Tom also had a tough day but i have to say they were not alone,so cold , so windy and shutdown fish.

Just let me say a great effort to all you guys who turned up for the outing .

Lets hope our next trip provides us with much better condition, more fish and certainly more participants and remember to Fish hard or go home.

🐠🐠🐠

Brownie

Salmon Sunday - July 2018

2018-07-15T21:15:00.003-07:00

SSS - Swansea Salmon Sunday

I don't know what it is about the prospect of fishing for Australian Salmon, but it certainly sparks a great deal of interest and anticipation when there is a trip planned and the reports have been pretty good through the week leading up to it.

This outing was no exception to that. We had 13 keen (or mad or both) anglers fired up to hit the Swansea channel to chase that hard fighting, sometimes finicky Arripis trutta. The tide was looking good with a run in most of the morning. The weather, whilst cool was for a sunny day with light to moderate SW winds and the fishing over the past week had been pretty good by all reports.

I teamed up with the new Madam Secretary, Brownie and Luke for the morning. Our intention was not so much to fish but to help Luke with his fly fishing and to get him onto his first Aussie Salmon on the long wand and then hopefully have him hooked on fly. We arrived at the ramp at Swansea about 7ish and it was a balmy 3 degrees - warmer than expected 8^)

We launched and hit the channel to see a reasonable large flotilla already out there chasing the splashes of free jumping salmon. Things were look good, even though none of the people in the boats had bent rods. We moved into position and starting casting to some of the splashes. The tide was on the last of the run in.

Luke was first to get the eat but didn't quite connect. Ooops forgot to teach him not to trout strike! I then got a solid hookup and played the fish to the boat and Luke kindly landed it as Brownie was busy hooked up to his own fish. Yep it's looking like a great day so far we thought.

The tide slowed and so did the jumping fish so we moved around a bit in search of them. No action for anyone and as the saying goes - no run no fun - so we decided it was a good time to warm the hands with a nice cup of tea. Once the tide had turned the fish were starting to hit the surface again, but were very very scattered. So many boast and no doubt that way all week has the schools spread out and fish hitting the surface sporadically. It really was luck of the draw.

They were very finicky and easily spooked but I did manage to hook and land another decent fish before Luke then got a solid hook up only to pop the leader on the first big run. Yes Salmon do pull hard Luke. ;)

Brownie then hooked up and landed a fish and we continued to just move around and drift in the hope of getting a fly into the face of the fish. I spent the rest of the morning help Luke and giving him tips as he sorted out his casting and by the end of the morning he was throwing a pretty good cast I have to say.

No more hits for us but we did see the other guys getting the odd fish here and there. First saltwater fish on fly for Tim was a bit of a highlight.

Back to the ramp for the BBQ put on by Ken and to exchange stories of the morning. The snags and drink went down a treat on a cold day.

It was good to see so many fly fishers out there. The Hunter club guys were out there as well as a few local fly fishers and I think we outnumbered the bait and lure guys on the day.

Fishing is all about learning and there was a bit of that done on the day. First of all it was obvious that the salmon had been under pressure all week by the fact that they were so scattered and also very boat shy. Second, just cos you catch a fish early doesn't mean your in for a great day so don't count your chickens before they hatch as they say. I think we did pretty well on our main objective to get Luke casting and the fact that he got the eat twice was a pretty good result even if the fish didn't make the boat.

Good to hear most people got a fish or two. Brownie managed to break his rod on a fish, which made for a good discussion and some new words that I learned from him lol.

Off The Rocks - June 17 2018

2018-06-19T21:11:00.002-07:00

Off The Rocks

It had been over 3 years since we had managed to get a rock fishing outing off the ground, mostly due to weather or swell conditions on the weekends we had them booked in. This was the second attempt for this year and gladly the weather and swell were looking much better - well as good as we were going to get. The forecast was for a freezing morning and day with west to south-west winds and a swell of less than 2ft. The swell was the only worry as there may not have been enough wash with the tide pushing in.

Ten of the bravest CCFR members had their names on the list to fish in these conditions and the plan was to meet at Norah Head at 6:30 am. A lot of lead up work to prepare - flies to be tied, sink tips to be found of made, lines and leaders to be dusted off.

The morning came around and I met Brownie at Anaconda and we drove the 40 minutes to Norah Head arriving in the carpark about 6:10. Shortly after Murray, then Bob, Col etc and we were busily getting our gear together and loading our buckets with berley for the walk down to the rocks. On arrival the swell was small so we looked for positions where there was a bit of wash to help us hide our flies and there were a couple of likely looking points.

Brownie, Richard and I filled our buckets and proceeded to a point with a bit of a hole and a reef off it about 20 - 30m. In with some berley and it didn't take long to see fish rising into the berley trail and not long before we started getting hits on our flies. Brownie the first to hook up on a smallish drummer, but the target species nonetheless. I hooked up next but dropped the fish in the fight and then hooked up again to a reasonable sized sweep.

Brownie with the first fish of the day

The sweep were on the chew and not a bad size.

Richard was next to hookup and we watched as his fish went parallel to the ledge and into the reef - goodbye fish and fly and better luck next time Richard.

As the tide was pushing in the spot we were fishing was starting to get water across it so we moved again, but not before another good sized sweep was pulled in by me.

We started the berley flow again in the new spot and straight away I started getting hit, but couldn't hook up. A quick fly change to a smaller bread fly soon saw me landing a small drummer or piglet as I now call them. Still a drummer it was and it was returned to grow some more.

It wasn't look until I heard Brownie screaming and I saw his rod bent over as he struggles to get this fish over the ledge and closer to his feet. A good hard fight that could have gone either way. I ran over to help Brownie land the fish and grabbed the leader and pulled the pig onto the rocks as the leader snapped. A lucky save. Brownie then hoisted a good 3kg of drummer as everyone cheered. A few photos and Brownie despatched the fish for a feed.

Brownie doing battle and below the end result.

A well earned fish and a PB for Brownie

Another sweep as the tide came up and it was starting to get quiet. Time to head back to the carpark for some bacon and eggs and to catch up with everyone on their successes. Matt managed a sweep and Col managed a very nice luderick and a drummer. Not much else caught, but pretty good success rate given the conditions.

Bacon and eggs and a nice hot cup of tea was just what we needed after a cold windy morning on the rocks. Thanks to Brownie and Mat for their help with the BBQ and Tea and Coffee!

Wyong River - November 2017

2017-11-21T14:54:00.002-08:00

Off The Rocks - Wyong River

November 2017

The decision was made to postpone the “off-the-rocks” outing due to unfavourable wind and swell, and consensus was reached on fishing the Wyong River, an estuary off the Tuggerah Lakes. Despite initial disappointment, exploring new territory always interests me so I was at the ramp at 6.32 sharp to find Len, Matt, Richard H and Garry Kent all in the water ready to go. A quick chat and they were off, Richard heading upstream and the others down. I was assigned to Bob's boat, and as he was yet to make an appearance, I chatted to two bait fishermen who had lines in the water from the wharf. It is usual for these conversations to start with some scepticism, with questions like, “what sort of fish do you expect to catch here?” or “you do know there’s no trout here, don’t you?” but this guy had something wavering between respect and a healthy dose of curiosity about flyfishing, and it was a pleasant enough chat. He did however inform me that he’d been here for awhile and was plagued by only small fish.

Bob drove up, and despite looking a little tired from fishing all night, we were promptly in the water and fishing. Well, I was fishing. Bob wasn’t fishing. Bob did catch the first fish. I was targeting the edges of weed a few metres from the shore with a small tan and brown clouser while we drifted towards the lake. Then Bob caught another fish. While Bob was releasing a fish, I felt a little pull on my line and raising my rod, weight. Not a lot, but a fish all the same. The little bream came in quick and I was on the board. “You really want a photo of that fish?” Bob asked. “Everyone gets a photo.” I replied. It’s like my fishing diary. “It’s got to be pretty small to not get a photo,” I let him know, “maybe if the fly is bigger than the fish.” I didn’t measure it, but the bream swam away to fight another day. A few casts later and another one is on. An even smaller bream. Another photo and off he goes as well. I hooked another that managed to avoid capture, and as any fisherman would tell you, he was bigger than the others. More casting was fruitless, but a delightful way to start the morning.

As the bite died off we decided on a change of tactics. Seeing a few mullet around Bob suggested we get a bread burley happening and see if we could fire up some fish. Now prior to joining the club I wouldn’t really have considered fly fishing to involve burley. Some would deem it cheating, and others feel it contrary to the ideology of the long wand. To me, fly fishing is whatever you want it to be. There are enough rules in life without spoiling fishing too. If you don’t like it, don’t do it! It gets a bend in the rod and is a nice, relaxing way to spend a Sunday morning if you ask me, not to mention more fun than practicing casting in the park.

So the finer points of bread burleying was explained, and there’s more to it than I thought. Little splashes and swirls gave away the presence of fish, so I cast my clouser into the burley a few times without success. I changed over to two bread flies, a size 6 floating deer hair and underneath a size 16 sinking bread fly I tied myself with egg yarn. Bob also tied a bread fly on and we both flicked into the burley. Before long my floating fly was bobbing down, and after a couple of missed strikes, I connected with a fish. It came in quickly, but I didn’t recognise the long slender shape until I pulled it from the water. A garfish! A species I hadn’t caught before, and one of the primary goals of club members is the challenge of catching new species of fish, so I was stoked. Not quite equal to the excitement of finally landing my first trout, but enjoyable all the same. Another garfish fell to the sinking fly instead of the floating, and yes, he got a photo too. A harder fighting fish was boated, “Not a bad mullet” I declared, but Bob quickly corrected me, “That? That’s a pissy little mullet.” Photo nonetheless.

Another change in tactics saw us tie on heavier flies to target flathead. We drifted a few likely spots, but weed was all we managed to hook up. My stomach informed me that it was nearly time to head back, so we headed back and returned to the original plan of casting along the banks for bream along the way. The wind was starting to really pick up and I thought of how unpleasant fishing into it off the rocks would have been. Good call, and a thoroughly pleasant morning.

Back at the ramp the smell of the cooking meat was enticing, and the generally slow fishing was one of the main topics at the traditional barbecue to finish the outing. Richard H had some success, catching three bream and an estuary perch.

Thanks to Chris for organising the outing and to Steve B for cooking the barbecue, and also to Bob for having me in his boat.

Lake Lyell - October 13 - 15

2017-10-16T21:11:00.000-07:00

Lake Lyell Trout

October 13 - 15 2017

by David Witham

Nicely Pinned

This was going to be a bit of a first for the club as it had been a long time since we stayed at Lyell and given it a good shake. A bit of planning had gone into the weekend and then a bit of an emergency in the Browne family looked like it may have derailed the weekend. Anyway, without all the details we managed to sort something out that allowed the Browne boys to fish and see their mother in Orange hospital so all boxes were ticked.

We had booked a cabin for this trip to see what they were like and to avoid us carrying half the house on a camping trip....... still think we went close to half the house anyway, but it was good to experience the cabin albeit we were separated a bit from the rest of the guys. That said we were grateful when the rain set in and the conditions got a tad chilly on Saturday.

Brownie and I left home about lunchtime on Friday with the trusty hornet in tow. We were pretty keen to fish Lyell from the boat as all previous sessions had been shore based and some of the really good looking water was impossible to access. We were to meet Shayne at the cabin mid to late afternoon.

We had a good run up and got to the cabins about 3 and started setting things up. Shayne had been delayed by work so Brownie and I had a bite to eat and headed into Lithgow to get some firewood etc for that evening. By the time Shayne arrived we had the cabin and the boat ready to go so we headed out for a last arvo session.

I used the sounder to try and locate fish amongst the timber off the rocky points to no avail. The weed was really thick along the edges which made it hard to get a decent cast in, so we moved across to a more open bay with better defined weed edges.

The sun was starting to set and the wind had dropped of and we started to see fish working the weedbanks. Now I was unable to fly fish as I had dislocated my shoulder the day before we left so I had to throw the devil stick while the Browne boys threw the long wand. Brownie was first to hook up but lost the fish mid fight, which I am sure the guys back at the camp ground would have heard. There was a lot of surface activity and Shayne changed to a parachute adams but wasn't rewarded. The only fish for the session was a redfin on the devil stick..... yes redfin in the lake and it was about 25 cm so my guess is they are breeding.

Back to the cabin for a feed and off to bed with plans to hit the water early and head up the creek.

Up pre-sparrows and it was raining a freezing. A quick cup of tea and down to the ramp to launch. Got to love being so close to the water and the ramp! We headed up the creek a fair way and started fishing the edges of the weedbeds in amongst the timber. Quiet, despite the awesome looking territory.

We kept moving along and Shayne took control of the devil stick for a while and managed a nice brown..... This was good to see as we knew we were in the right area. Brownie then managed to get a nice brown on a Craig's Nighttime which made our morning. Shayne then hooked up again with a smaller brown and then, as if a switch had been flicked it went dead. Just as well I thought to myself cos I could no longer feel my fingers!

Warning: may contain traces of lure

Brownie with a solid brown caught off the edges.

Back to the cabin for a well earned breakfast of bacon, Eggs and Chorizo sausage wraps and nice hot tea and coffee! We talked baout plans for the rest of the day and given the weather we decided we'd all go to Orange. So we packed up the boat and put the cover on and off we went to Orange. I dropped the boys at the hospital and I did the tackle shop crawl. Always interesting to see what they have in these places. We were back on the road to Lithgow about 2:30 and it was wierd...... We got to Bathhurst and Orange and the sun was out and the temp was a nice 22 degrees..... as we drove back it was like a big black cloud hung over Lithgow and no sooner had we passed the Wallerawang turn off, than the rain started again. Temp a balmy 13 degrees. At least we know that the Browne boys and I aren't the club weather jinx.

We hit the water after having a quick cuppa and tried the bay just down from the cabin as it was the least wind affected. We saw fish rising almost immediately and I was getting some good arches on the sounder. I hooked up on something with the jackall but pulled the hooks and we continued to drift the edges. As the sun started to fade (what sun?)... o.k. as it got darker I pulled a small bass, followed shortly by Brownie getting skunked again by a wily trout. SHayne then got the fish of the trip a ripper of a brown on one of his fur flies / donnies. A quick snap and as the flash went the fish jumped out of his hands and over the side of the boat..... Brownie and I were in stitches.... Shanye not so much.

Crackin' brown on a fur fly


First Lyell Bass I have seen

Brownie's fightin rainbow

It was almost dark when Brownie connects again and this fish went ape. A couple of good runs and a bit of line taking..... Shayne and I of course asked Roy if this was an all day fish.... you know the one that takes forever to bring in. Anyway... eventually I net the fish and it's a lovely rainbow, which was the first for the trip - so that's one of every species in that dam. That was it for the fish as we decided to sleep in Sunday when we heard the wind and rain lol. A cracking trip though and I believe just about everyone managed something, which is a pretty good effort given past trout outings! Thanks to Stickerman for organising the trip and to Col, Jeff, Richard, Matt, Steve B, Mick and Richie from coming along.

Bass Outing August 2017

2017-08-21T20:17:00.000-07:00

CCFR Club Bass Outing

18-19^th August 2017, Lake St Clare, Singleton NSW

by Steve Bunney

Col with one of many for the trip.

As with all our usual club outings the weather Gods didn’t look like they were in a good mood and boy they didn’t disappoint. The forecast was for howling winds and “brass monkey “temperatures. But the fluff chucker’s of the central coast are made of sterner stuff and a date is a date as they say.

Some of the keener members arrived early Friday afternoon, on what was probably the worst day for any type of fly fishing, with the weather bureau predicting 80k winds, and icy temperatures , not your typical weather for throwing a “Craig’s Nightime” or whatever the fly of choice may be.

I arrived mid Saturday at the chosen camp ground of “Greg’s Corner” to be greeted by Col, Ken, Max, Jeff, Murray ,Josh, Richie , Richard, Mick, Mac (not paddy wack lol)and Brownie.

As with all greetings, the first question from my lips was “so who’s been catching” and with outstretched hand, and beaming smile, Jeff pipes up with “Have a guess who had a double hook up with bass at 50cm and 40 cm, now for those that fish for bass on fly, getting two on the same cast is pretty good going but to get two stonkers in that size range is awesome going.

Two for the price of one - Jeff Medhurst with two great bass.

After setting up camp it was down to the water just on dark to see what was biting, on with a tandem rig of Craigs Nightimes and with the sun dipping over the hills it wasn’t long until I hear, to my right, the sound all fishermen love to hear “ I’m on” Richie Teague being the first of many that night to land a decent bass in the high 30,s quickly followed by myself with a new PB of 39cm, not massive but very, very fat, and extremely strong, after a long tussle in the weeds was quickly unhooked and released to fight another day.

The weather Gods, must have had a change of heart tonight as the lake glassed out and every rise was visible as the caddis started to hatch, the only downside was the numb hands due to the low temperatures.

Bass fishing in winter can be a short lived experience as the window of opportunity is very small, half an hour after sunset and it’s all over for the night.

Flies used were, mainly Bushy horrors, CN’s, and Woolly buggers, on rods ranging from 4 to 7wt, with the chosen lines all being intermediates.

Sitting around the camp fire is always my favourite time of any trip, where grown men talk of tales of big fish caught and bigger fish lost, trust me this lot would shame Pinocchio, but with beer flowing and the camp fire warming our souls it’s become synonymous with what this great club has to offer, good old fun, great conversation and a feast that would befit any royalty.

The chat went long into the night and the laughs and chuckles could be heard from afar which is typical of the outings, when the fishing is hard going, the company more than makes up for it.

Sunday morning sees the camp rise early only to find that Mac, Richard and a few others have ventured out at first light to try and temp another few bass to the net, Richard and Mac bagged a brace for their efforts, and reports of Richard’s Silver perch more than made up for the early start.

The customary BBQ was fired up for Sunday breakfast, and it wasn’t long before hot bacon and egg rolls were being passed around ,always a welcome sight on any frosty morning, courtesy of Mac and Brownie.

Even though the weather wasn’t as favorable as we would have liked everyone present caught fish, which is always a bonus, most notable was Max breaking his bass duck with a 40cm specimen, great effort mate and well done.

We look forward to another date circled on the calendar when we can do it all again come rain, wind or shine.

Swansea Channel - June 2017

2017-06-19T19:07:00.000-07:00

Swansea Channel Outing

17th June 2017

Report from Steve Tizard. Edited David Witham

We had 12 members sign up for this trip and the target as usual was anything pelagic, whether that be salmon, bonito etc. The wind was blowing SE. The rain was pouring down and the temperature sat at around 14 degrees, but it would not be A CCFR outing if we didn't have one or more of those things happening! On the up side the swell wasn't up which made it a lot more comfortable for heading out the front.

The target species was Australian Salmon which usually frequent the channel in the winter months, but interestingly this year the warmer season pelagics were around and the guys managed Frigates, Bonito, Pike and salmon, plus snapper. The successful flies were the usual surf candies and clousers... these flies rarely fail on the pelagics.

A wet Mal Holden with a nice Swansea Sambo

Dr. John with a feisty bonito

There were several sightings of whales heading north and seals that often hunt the salmon schools. Sometimes it's hard to get whole fish back to the boat because the seals take them.

Congratulations to Terry Kennedy on getting his first Frigate Mackeral on fly!

After the fishing everyone went back to Steve's place for the customary BBQ and to warm up / thaw out. Thanks to Steve for putting on the BBQ.

Thanks also to Ken for trying to aerate Steve's lawn with his Landcruiser ;)

March 2017 - St Claire Bass

2017-03-20T19:38:00.000-07:00

March Outing - St Claire Bass

March 19 2017

by Richie Teague

Ah the Serenity - St Claire magic.

Some unfortunate weather meant a perennial club favourite outing’s (salmon at Swansea) postponement and cancellation but a late call for a bass outing was made and Lake St Clare was the destination. Work commitments meant that I was unable to make the Sunday but good fortune saw that my Friday was free so i headed up as soon as I could get away from the house.

A text message from Col added to my enthusiasm, declaring that he caught 40cm + fish on the Thursday night. I had only two bass to my catch list, the idea of adding a big one did excite me, as did the prospect of catching a first on one of my own tied flies. I had tied a few bass gurglers specifically for the trip.

I arrived in the afternoon to find the muddy campsite quiet. I didn't think Jeff and Col would be out all day, and a gentle snore proved my suspicions correct. I took my time rigging my gear and setting up camp, I was joined by both the guys for a coffee and update on the fishing and torrential rain. Fortunately Thursday night saw the worst of it, and though soggy underfoot, the weather was mild and pleasant to fish in.

As we got closer to dusk we headed down to one of the bank where we separated by about 50m each. The occasional boil and slurp gave away the presence of fish, though they seemed to always be out of casting distance and had no pattern or predictability. I had a gurgler on the end of a floating line that would plop in the water enticingly and sit for a few seconds before a short strip and long pause sequence all the way back to the bank. A few closer boils within casting distance from the bank saw some more targeted casting but no results. Jeff had success in hooking up just down from me, but it appeared as if the fish had itself lodged somewhere. Not perturbed, Jeff got in the water to retrieve it, pretty sure I don’t have that same level of commitment…

Lake St Clare is a magical place to be in autumn, as the sun starts to dip behind the mountains, reflecting off the massive lake, fresh cool air seeping into the valley. Darkness was slowly swallowing the lake, enveloping Col and Jeff, and the distant passing cars was the only intrusive noise. I was lost in thought, having retrieved the fly all the way back to almost the leader, gazing off into the distance before I was about to cast again, but an almighty splash right at my feet surprised me out of my reverie. I felt as if someone had launched a boulder at me! But the line being torn out of my fingers assured me that this was no rock.

The Author with a cracking surface eater

After some tense moments, I was on the reel and it was screeching its protest at me. The fish headed for the tree, the only structure I could see on the lake, and only a few feet from me, I applied as much pressure as I thought I could get away with, and it eventually started back the other way. An intense but brief encounter and I got him out of the water. Col had come over to see what all the noise was about and we put him on the brag mat. It measured a healthy 43cm. A quick photo and back into the water. There’s something magical about putting big fish back into the water, two slow defiant flicks of his tail and he disappeared, as if only slightly inconvenienced.

I plugged away with the gurgler, not really wanting to change flies because of the the bugs that were attracted by the headlamp! I did try a couple of other flies, but Col was the one getting the success, seemingly catching fish at will.

Jeff had some dinner on and kindly fed Col and I before I had a quick chance to quiz the two veterans about flies, techniques and locations. They were both very accommodating and if I had even half a decent memory I would be a much better fishermen.

We awoke early and got to the water’s edge a little after first light. The plan was to be a little earlier, but coffee was needed to help with the sluggish start. There were a few boils early on, but they quickly dissipated and despite spending a few hours down there, no fish were added to the tally. Such a beautiful spot that the fish really are a bonus.

We ate a nice breakfast and the reinforcements arrived shortly after. Max, Murray and Richard starting scouting the area for their own camping ground and asking for fish updates. The jokes flew thick and fast and I packed up my campsite and got my rod ready for one last crack. There was a little skepticism regarding fishing the middle of the day, but why not? I figured, I’d come all this way… So I rigged up an intermediate and tied on a purple bass vampire and headed down the slope. I experimented with the retrieve and it was when I slowed it down to as slow as I could tolerate, I got a gentle take which I struck on. It was the polar opposite to the night before, the fish slow and obstinate, without the blistering run. I got him on the bank and he measured a respectable 39cm. Another solid healthy bass.

Unfortunately I had to go and get ready for work the next day, but I heard that more fish were caught, more drinks were drunk and more laughs were had. I hope to get back next outing and try out some of the flies Jeff and Col showed me. Actually one of the fly patterns he showed me at the campsite caught me my first Rainbow Trout. But that’s a whole other story

Newcastle Harbour - January 2017

2017-01-16T19:20:00.000-08:00

Newcastle Harbour - 15 January 2017

By Richie Teague

It is early when Ivan and I arrive at the Stockton boat ramp in Newcastle. Its ironic that the further away you live, the earlier you arrive, and we are the first from the club to hit the water. It’s still dark but I notice the unmistakable splashes of fish eating something, barely twenty metres from the ramp itself. We idle on over and I quickly tie a bread fly on as they seem to be on something on the surface. How awesome would it be to get runs on the board before anyone else even arrives, I thought. A couple of casts and nothing. They seem like pretty small fish. “Let’s go find some real fish” Ivan says, and off we go in search of bigger and better. As we leave I figure out they are eating paper. A paper fly? That would raise some eyebrows at the club’s monthly fly tying night.

So we pass some wharves on the way out and Ivan suggests this is where the bream hang out. Sounds good to me, I said, and I tie on a small light olive bead-head clouser onto my six-weight rod. It’s tricky casting underneath the wharf and in-between pylons but after a few practice casts, I start getting the fly where I want it. The fly I was using I tied myself, and I’m pretty new to the world of fly-tying. In fact I’ve only caught three estuary perch on the same day on a fly that was created in my vice. So it isn’t with the greatest confidence that I start fishing this one, is the bead chain head heavy enough? Too much bucktail in the body? Too much flashy material? It isn’t long before my scepticism turns into exhilaration as I feel two heavy bumps and strip strike to get a healthy bend in the rod. I knew I couldn’t give any line otherwise he would wrap me around the oyster encrusted pylon to his freedom, so I hold on as Ivan backs the boat away and nets a beautiful 31cm bream. He joins me for a photo before swimming home.

We drift the same spot again, hoping for more bream, and soon enough I feel a lighter bump, and I reel in a little tailor. Third species on my own flies, even though he is tiny! Ivan pulls one in, and I land another two, all quite quickly. My fly resembles something else entirely now, the tailor’s sharp teeth making short work of the hair, and I retire it quite happily, hoping everything I tie catches four fish in the future!

We then motor on into the harbour, surrounded by massive freighter boats and the industrial background of Newcastle. A helicopter buzzes overhead, and big signs promise big fines for something or other. It is quite different to most of my fly fishing trips in quiet secluded spots, activity happening all around, and I am pretty surprised to see a fisherman in a kayak paddling around. The real beauty of fly fishing to me is all the different places it takes you to, and sitting in a little tinny while a huge cargo ship blasts it’s horn (at us?) is a whole new experience for me.

We saw some birds diving into the water with gusto, and as they are there for the same reason we are, the fish, we prepare the ten weights and head over. We spent some time chasing the birds and dodging the traffic, but after some half hearted casting we concluded the fish were small tailor without anything of any size around. Reports from other club members later were to agree with this. A likely flathead spot saw some bigger clousers from us searching the area, but after about half an hour we agree to see if we can find some more bream. Unfortunately the tide had risen to a point where getting flies underneath the wharves was nearly impossible, so we motored back towards the bridge in search of a different spot.

Some white posts marked some shallower ground, where the high tide was just enough to float over some oyster encrusted rocks that sat next to some submerged mangrove trees. I tie on another clouser and we both start to feel little hits amongst the fly bouncing around on the rocks. A few frustrating snags, but as the tide is close to turning, the fish certainly do seem interested. We change the drifting line slightly, and as Ivan attempts to retrieve his fly from another snag, the line tightens in my hand. I pull it tight and the rod bounces, I see the silver flash of a bream and it’s gone. “You sure you’re not just hitting the bottom” Ivan asks me. “I’m sure” I reply, and we motor up to follow the same line again. About the same spot and this time I use all the 10lb leader to pull another bream into the net. 28cm this time, and that’s about the size of my smile. We tried poppers after that and had a couple of fish attack the surface, but nothing more caught. The fish seemed to lose interest after that and it was time for steak and onion rolls. Not a lot of fish were caught, but it’s always nice to have a change of scenery and fish somewhere new. Next month it’s the one fly challenge, so it’s back to the vice and I wonder if I could manage another four.

Swansea - Morning Tea with Mr and Mrs Colmer

2016-07-17T14:23:00.000-07:00

Swansea

July 2016

I hadn't planned on going to Swansea on Sunday but Ken has a way of convincing you that you dare not say 'no'. I agreed to go on the proviso that he could pick me up from the ramp at Blacksmith's around 7.30 as I had a prior engagement the evening before and hadn't planned to be conscious at 6am. He agreed and so I arrived a Blacksmith's at 7.30 ready to go. A quick phone call told me he and the missus were out off Moon Island chasing some salmon down deep (without much success). Ten minutes later they turned up and I joined what I thought was a happy boat. However no sooner had we stopped inshore of the island than it started:

"Geez Mac, what sort of cast was that?!"

"I don't see you with a rod in your hand Ken."

"Did you book into Morsie's casting class. It looks like you could use a few lessons."

"You know, I have no concerns about tossing a geriatric overboard."

And so it went on. And on and on and on.

Luckily I was soon onto a fish. But then ....

"Geez Chris how long are you going to play that thing. Stop wasting time."

"He's been at me all morning Chris, don't listen to him."

I tried to keep my head down and get the fish boated. Soon I had it to the surface and ...

"Are you gonna net the fish for him or what Ken? Stop bloody filming and get the net."

"Geez, I'm trying to film here. Can't you net the thing yourself?"

Luckily (for me? the fish? someone?) Ken took a few seconds to grab the net and land the first fish for the day. Then ...

"Come on Mac. What are you doing? Chris has already caught one fish. Can't you cast?"

And so it went on. And on and on.

It wasn't long however and Mac hooked into a nice fish.

"Geez Mac, what are you doing? Stop mucking around and land the fish."

"Are you going to net it for me?"

"Do you want me to? I'm busy filming"

I grabbed the net before it went any further and helped Mac land the fish.

We caught a couple more (one for Ken and another by Mac - I managed a solid hookup but dropped it) and then chased the fish for a bit longer, following them out past the island, even watching the school surface for a bit, causing a flurry of action from a number of boats.
But soon the activity died off and there were no further fish caught, and after a run outside we moved back into the channel.
Back in the channel there were teasing signs of fish everywhere. One jumping here, then another over there. Never in the same place twice.

I was rigging up a gurgler on a floating line when ...

"Do you have anything to eat Ken? I'm a bit hungry."

"What would you like Mac? I have some banana bread."

"That will do nicely."

"Did you want a drink with that?"

"Yes please."

"Whew," I thought. Looks like they've settle down. But no ...

"Geez that was a lousy cast Mac. Lucky you're doing the casting course with Morsie."

"I don't see you catching any fish Ken."

I kept quiet and cast out my gurgler hoping Ken didn't notice me.

And so we wiled away the rest of the morning. There was a bit of excitement when a fish boiled behind my gurgler about 20 feet from the boat. And a loud cheer from Ken when Mac hooked a monster fish which proceeded to snap the line where the head met the running line. But few fish were boated and we only saw Col Breese land a fish in the channel.

So by 11.45 we decided to call it a morning and head back to the ramp for a well earned steak sandwich and other people.

Reports of catches were mixed across the other club members with some landing half a dozen and others having a hard time of it. But all in all everyone had a great morning. The weather had cleared and we enjoyed a laugh and a good feed in the car park before heading off back home.

And so ended my morning out with Mr and Mrs Colmer. I thank them both for great company and a good laugh. However next time I think I'll go with Richard for some peace and quiet.

The Entrance - February 2016

2016-02-21T14:28:00.000-08:00

The Entrance

February 2016

Well another year has passed and The Entrance outing is upon us yet again. We will be fishing Tuggerah Lake, a large waterway which is very popular with locals and visitors alike. This outing is one of the most popular on our calender partly due to accessability, as it is situated 25 minutes north of the Gosford CBD, plus the fact that this lake always produces.

The lake is legendary for prawning. I'm sure many club members have spent a few warm summer nights while on holidays as kids and adults with their Mums, Dads, friends and family chasing a feed of the famous Tuggeragh lake prawns. I know I did - "ahh" freshly cooked prawns, fresh bread rolls, lashings of butter, black pepper and a touch of seafood sauce. My mouth is watering just thinking about it! I must say as we all get older these are the things we have the fondest memories of, not the playstation, not the TV, as they say "THATS NOT LIVING".

Now due to the abundance of prawns in the lake fish numbers increase when the prawns run to sea. This correlates with the tide and moon phases which in turn it increases the many types of fish and predators that feed on them .Prawns are the staple diet for many of the fish and birds that frequent this expansive waterway. The most popular target species for Central Coast Fly Rodders are flathead, bream, whiting, tailor, mullet and the odd estuary perch. But thats a bit of a secret, so don't tell Richard. LOL.

Most of the Entrance outings have been sucessful with an impressive list of species being caught over the years. Many of our members have caught their first fish on fly on this outing and as many will testify it has initiated their addiction to fly fishing. Some have come and gone but many are still with us and can boast an impressive list of species under their belts. I must say this speaks volumes for the work the club commitee and members alike do for this club. It continues today as many of the newer members will testify.

We arrived at the ramp to be greated by a stiff southerly breeze. This was not ideal for fishing an open waterway such as Tuggerah Lakes. Many of the boys were already in the water - Kenny, Steve, Ivan and the numerous crews were all keen to go. We slid the Quinnie off the trailer and tied up to the wharf. We discussed tactics with the boys and then proceeded to rig up. Weapons of choice for the lake range from 4 to 7 weights. These will cover most of the fish to be encountered, intermediate lines will cover your subsurface fish, flathead, whiting , EPs, while floating lines should cover the rest, with 9 ft leaders, 8 -12 lb tippet doing the job. Lightly tied clousers and shrimp patterns seem to work well but we all have our favorites, mind you it doesn't hurt to think outside the square. Lighten up your leaders for mullet and bream, and using a spun deer hair floating bread fly with a sinking dropper attached to the hook shank seems to be the most efficient way of landing some nice fish. Also take note, plenty of berley is required for this outing so stock up on the bread, 6 - 8 loaves usually covers each boat.

Although we had a stiff southerly breeze we still headed south through the main channel as there had been reports of good numbers of flathead being caught prior to the outing. But with the wind and the wave action stirring up the weed and mud it made it very difficult to get a clean retrieve. We persevered for a while but the breeze became more intense as did the ribbon weed coming off the flats, so a move was our best option. We decided to head back up the channel towards the bridge as it always manages some good size flathead. The fact that it would give us some extra protection from the wind made our decision easier. We motored passed Stickerman's rig and they had just landed a couple of nice size flathead. We were a little more optimistic now and moved to the ocean side of the bridge managing to land one small flathead and a few tailor. We noticed Ivan was over near the caravan park and he had also landed a flathead but the fish were few and far between. We fished several of the holes and drop offs that had produced on previous outings but things were a bit quiet. A few of the boys were landing the odd fish but we decided moving around might be our best option as the fish did not seem to be schooled up in the regular haunts and they were becoming quite difficult to find.

Dave and I decided we would head up the channel north of the bridge towards the Coastal Patrol. Throwing a few clousers along the edges is a great plan (when it works) but with no success Plan B was to berley up for some mullet and bream. And we didnt have to wait long for that first boil around the bread. Within minutes we had bream, mullet and garfish busting up on the floating bread all around the boat. Although it was late in the day it was still quite hot and a cool drink was needed. It took a while to get the fish to feed freely but with copious amounts of bread we were getting more interest and landing a few good mullet. Berleying with bread tends to attract all types of species, including birds, and as we are all aware the lake is host to pelicans, seagulls and of cause bloody ducks. Now casting bread flies to rising bream and mullet is an enjoyable way to spend a Saturday arvo and we all love to catch fish on the dry fly, its the visual aspect that makes it so special. I know if I drop dead on a remote sand flat casting floating flies to feeding fish I will die happy. I just hope thats a long way off. My theory is fishing is good for the soul and the more you fish the longer you will live. Its only a theory, lets see how that goes over my ensuing years which are many I hope.

We decided to head back toward the north channel several of the guys were anchored and berleying up some nice big schools of mullet . Mick and Muz had fish all around them, along with a couple of icy cold ones (not mullet). I said to Dave this looks like a good spot (talk about dropping in) and as I glanced up the channel I could see a familar sight on the lake. Now normally he would be in one of his many hotspots that I must say he has been more than happy to share with many club members, (hey Richard, hows that been workin for you, ha ha). We all know his legendary status when it comes to fishing the Coast and his passion for fishing is second to none. I know myself and many club members would not of achieved as much as we have in this sport without his influence, tutelage and patience. He has always given me his time and shared his knowledge on anything fishing especially when I was struggling to work out this flyfishing gig. His knowledge of fishing the coast and all its boundaries seems limitless. He is an integral reason why our club is so successful today and he continues to support the club, members and new-comers alike.

Yes you all know who I'm talking about - Bob (Colonel Sanders) Williams. Now I know fishing can be tough but special delivery of hot Kentucky Fried Chicken, chips, gravy (no drive through here boys) on a balmy summer evening while schools of mullet are busting up everywhere. Now thats "Very Cool". Thanks Bob, it is all much appreciated.

Well after a great feed we continued to berley up. Bob anchored beside us and the laughter coming from all the boats in the channel must have had the tourists on the shore wondering what we were on, but as the light started to fade we were having difficulty seeing the fly. As Bob and I discussed something about our eyesight fading and the fact we might be getting old, our comments were all but forgotten as we continued to connect to some really good fish. And as the light faded the fish seemed to lose all their inhibitions and they were now smashing our bread flies the moment they hit the water. We commented that we were landing some of the better mullet that had been caught on previous Entrance outings, and the banter and laughter coming from all the club members really makes this club what it is today.

I must also make a special mention to Stickerman who after many tough years has finally managed to get the "monkey off his back". A milestone has been reached in his illustrious fly fishing career. Yes finally he has done it - an "Estuary Perch on Fly". Well done mate! There is conjecture however, as word is that he didn't tie the fly. Does that still count? (Ha ha) Now all you have to do is catch one on your own fly, but hey remember no pressure.

Well with another successful Entrance outing over and done with. Plenty of fish, great food and above all a lot of happy members. So until our next outing remember - Fish hard because your a long time dead.

Off The Rocks June 2015

2015-06-21T14:37:00.000-07:00

Off the Rocks - June 2015

Swansea - May 2015

2015-05-17T14:54:00.000-07:00

Swansea Salmon

May 2015

Another day above ground, another Central Coast Fly Rodders outing. They seem to come around so quickly these days, must be getting old. I woke early, well before the dawn. Was it excitement or an itchy casting arm? Not sure, but I never seem to sleep before an outing. Could be the anticipation, the thought of failure, or that trophy fish; who knows, I’m sure we all experience it. The weather hadn't been too kind yesterday - southerly winds and heavy rain. Not what I would call ideal but fortunately the forecast for today was much better, plus we had a great response for the outing with 8-9 boats expected to turn up. Our expectations were high.

Dave and I had ventured up the week before for a pre-fish and had one of those days you just don’t forget. Today we arrived at the ramp early. It felt like ground hog day. 6:30 am start and a few guys were already there - obviously as keen as we were. We dropped the Hornet in, it slid off the trailer as if it were keener to get out there than we were. Cracking job on the trailer Lennie, and by the way, nice of you to take my boat for a run.

We planned to head out to Salts Bay and look for any bird activity which in turn would hopefully lead us to the fish, although I must say the weather conditions were average and we both felt that some sun on the water would be a bonus. As Dave poked the nose of the Hornet out through the other side of the Swansea Bridge and pushed the throttle to maximum, the Merc Four Stroke was humming along at a cracking pace, although the wind chill was something I could have done without.

As I looked towards the horizon I could see the sun trying its best to poke its head out over Moon Island. Rays of sunlight filtering through the islands weathered imperfections reminded me of a small child waking from his sleep, arms stretching, looking up out of his bed wondering what the day might bring.

Bird Island is on the southern side of Swansea Bar. It is a magnet for many species of sea birds that jostle for protection between the cracks and crevices of the island that has been weathered and beaten from thousands of years of constant impact from the diverse weather conditions and heavy seas that it experiences. With this island also comes protection for many types of bait fish, which in turn attract many types of predators - various sea birds plus our interest, Salmon, Tailor, Kings and Tuna. The food chain continues on, sharks, dolphins and of course as many club members will testify, the occasional hungry seal. Our target fish was the Australian Salmon, a fantastic Australian sportfish that is highly underrated. Pound for pound you will go a long way to find a better fighting fish that is so accessible.

We ventured out to the front of Salts Bay. The swell was up and it didn’t look too inviting off Bird Island - a run out tide, a reasonable swell and the punt style hull of the Hornet not ideal in these conditions. Fresh cloud cover had defused any of the suns warming rays so we decided to stay inside as we were both fairly confident the fish would start to feed shortly. I threaded the intermediate through the guides of one of Dave’s nine weights. Can't talk highly enough about these rods, we have put them through Hell and they are still going strong. Do yourself a favour check them out on the Hooked On Flies website. I tied up a 5ft leader of 40 lb flurocarbon, 2½ft of 20 lb flurocarbon & 2½ft of 12 lb flurocarbon tippet. Owies loop knot to one of Dave’s Salmon Candies and I was ready to go.

We motored up and down the channel searching but were a little surprised that there was no surface activity inside the bay. It was only early so we decided to have a brew and gather our thoughts while waiting for the tide to pick up. There were plenty of boats searching but no one seemed to be hooking up and we agreed that the fish were probably down deep, searching, waiting for some baitfish to ambush. Dave decided to put a Chartreuse and White Clouser on to get to the bottom and it worked a treat. Within minutes Dave was on, flyline screeching as it was wrenched through the guides of the nine weight. I dropped a cast to the right of where Dave had hooked up, I paused then one long strip and flyline was ripped from my fingers. Finally relief, we were both hooked up and they were both solid fish, nothing could wipe the smiles off our faces. We had forgotten about the cold as both fish were landed. We took some quick photos and off they shot like green missiles into the deeper water.

After a few more casts we both hooked fish but failed to stay connected, so we headed back up towards the bridge. We noticed some nervous water off the edge of the channel, then suddenly a school of baitfish exploded, they were being seriously harassed by some huge Salmon, not a great life being a baitfish. Dave laid out a nice cast just ahead of them and only managed a few strips then, as Bunny would say, #### BINGO!, his 9 weight buckled. Dave groaned, I’m sure it was excitement but it sounded like he was in pain. Not being one to stand back and watch and never being much of a spectator I laid out a cast, I waited for the intermediate to sink, one strip, and I was on. After a tough battle we landed both fish, Dave’s was a cracking fish, well over the 4kg mark, I think it gave the magic 10lb mark a nudge. As we fought the fish we noticed the tidal flow had increased dramatically which was due to the heavily scoured bottom and the funnelling effect of the tide as the lake narrows towards the bridge. This in turn creates pressure waves, which I imagine would have any small bait fish in trouble. I have to say you could never tire of this type of fishing - big fish in shallow water, huge tidal flow, it certainly tests you.

We commented on how the fish seemed to be much more acrobatic when feeding inside the lake and we guessed it has to do with the fact it is very shallow in certain areas and the only way to go is up. You have to love seeing a big salmon in the air with one of Dave’s Salmon Candies hanging out of its mouth.

Suddenly the salmon erupted again, smashing schools of bait fish on the surface a few hundred meters from the boat. Dave set the Minn Kota to overdrive and we were on the fish in a flash. They were feeding on the edge of the channel pushing the baitfish towards the shallows and then ambushing them as they were sucked back out to the edge of the colour change by the tidal current. We cast simultaneously and another double hook up. Could this be any better? They say "any day above ground is a good day", but really, does it get any better? With all the commotion, boats arrived from everywhere and several of the guys in the club were hooked up. There was a plethora of boats connected to airborne salmon doing their best to dislodge hooks, flies, lures and whatever else they managed to have hanging from their mouths. Unfortunately several boats decided it was a good idea to motor right through the middle of school which spooked the fish and they went down yet again, annoying to say the least, so we decided to head back out towards the mouth of the lake.

We noticed Kenny was into a nice fish, looked like he had it under control, pretty sure he might have caught a few in his day. Another nice Salmon was boated. We commented that the fish would occasionally free jump, they were quite patchy now, so the plan was to cast close to where the fish had breached. We were only in few metres of water so we only needed to let the fly sink for a few seconds, then we would strip the fly in almost to the boat, pausing occasionally to let the fly sink. A quicker strip once the retrieve got closer to the boat seemed to be their undoing, but once the fish realised they were hooked most the line on the deck disappeared and we were battling to control another angry Australian Salmon. I have to say a Nine weight is the ideal weapon for these fish as they are dogged fighters and you need to put some hurt on them or you will be hooked up too long, thus limiting your chances of more fish.

As we continued to search, we had noticed plenty of the boys from the club hooked up. Col was into a nice fish, smiles were flowing as another salmon made it to the boat and was quickly released. Col had also managed a nice trevally earlier, a welcome bonus when things were slow. We then decided to follow the fish, as the bait schools were small and becoming very patchy. This technique proved fruitful as we managed to pick up a few more good fish. Craig and Mal were landing some really nice fish and several other club members were doing the same. Stickerman’s boat was sussing out a couple of bust ups as we motored past and Bunney’s new boat was christened in more ways than one, not sure what Muz was up to but both were smiling. Is that what a Half Cabin is for?

The bite seemed to die down as the tide slowed. Dave spotted a huge school of Salmon mooching in the shallows, in less than 2 metres of water. Nirvana maybe, but no, it didn’t matter what flies we threw at them they were just not interested. They were waiting for the tide and it appeared that the old adage "No Run No Fun" was proving correct. We continued to search but the fish were tough. We managed to hook a few more fish, some were boated and some managed to throw the flies, but getting the "Eat" was still very cool.

The morning had gone so quickly and it was time to head back to the Ramp. As we motored up the channel I was sad the day was ending. We both commented how healthy the lake was, the clarity of the water failed to hide the expansive sand flats and weed beds that, in time will encourage us to come back again and try our luck on a different species. The club had planned its usual BBQ for 12.30pm and as we retrieved the boat several club members turned up. There was plenty of laughter and banter going on, so it was a sign everyone had a good time. Unfortunately we were unable to stay for the BBQ but I’m sure there were some great stories discussed over some of Macs famous sausage sandwiches. Wish we were able to stay, but family committments ruled that out. Anyway, let’s hope the next outing continues in the same vane, seems like everyone had a crackin' day.

So get out there and fish hard, 'cause you are a long time dead.

Nepean River Bass - November 2014

2014-11-23T15:04:00.000-08:00

Nepean River Bass

November 2014

This trip was postponed from the previous weekend due to the water skiing, but as it turned out the weather was far better! The forecast was for mid to high 30s on the Saturday and into the 40s on the Sunday, so the plan was to fish late Saturday and early morning Sunday in order to be off the water by 11 before the heat took hold.

Brownie and I headed off about 12ish on Saturday for the run down to Tench Reserve at Penrith to meet up with Shayne, Murray and Col. Richard was to join us later in the afternoon. We got to the ramp about 2 after a stop for some lunch and launched the boat straight away. We met up with Shayne and he launched the small tinnie he was fishing out for the evening and we headed up to the gorge, past all the water ski boats and into some quieter water. We met Murray and Col on our way out of the ramp so all 3 boats headed into the rocky shorelines to target some bass.

We motored up past the narrows and a fair way up into the gorge until we came across a weed barrier and decided we’d start fishing from that back down towards the narrows. I was fishing a gurgler and Brownie opted to go sub-surface so we could see what was the better option. It didn’t take long for me to start getting hits from some small bass and I quickly converted a few into fish. Brownie wasn’t connecting with too many which surprised both of us given the sun was still high in the sky. We both ended up fishing gurglers and landed about 8 – 10 small bass which are always fun on surface flies.

There were plenty of small herring harassing our flies to, but too small to hook on our gurglers. I spotted a few carp too along the edges and some of them were quite large…. You see their lips before you see the rest of the fish. We didn’t bother trying for them and we were both fishing surface flies and couldn’t be bothered changing over.

As the afternoon wore on we moved back through the narrows and down past the ramp towards the rail bridge where we planned on fishing into the dark. There is a lot more cover there for the fish, with sunken trees and a lot of reeds and bush right down to the water. By this time the ski boats had gone and we pretty much had the river to ourselves. A few more fish on surface and plenty of mullet doing their best aerial displays out in the middle. Brownie and I shifted to the other side of the river to fish the shadows and a nice cast into the timber saw me get smashed off the surface and straight back towards the tangled branches of a fallen tree. A few hard strips and some rod movement saw me get the fish clear of the danger zone for a short fight that saw the fish stay deep but at least out towards the middle of the river. It wasn’t long before a 38cm Nepean bass was netted, measured photographed and returned to fight another day. The fish was tagged, but it was so dirty that we couldn’t read the code on it. First time I have caught a tagged fish, but it does show that the fish are pretty hardy!

A couple more small fish and a few lost flies in the timber due to the dark meant it was time to leave and head to Brownie’s brothers’ place to camp for the night. A good BBQ saw us munching down on steak sandwiches and the usual banter. It was midnight before we hit the hay and the plan was to be up again at 4:30 to get out to Windsor as close to sun up as possible.

04:30 rolled around very quickly and we were up, packing up, moving boats and off to the ramp at Windsor. Seems a lot of people had the same idea as there were many boats there already. We got onto the water and started motoring up stream to the terraces. We fished the shadows, but it was relatively quiet. A few surface hits as few fish on surface and sub-surface and a nice fish for Shayne and the heat started to hit by 9.

We tried a few more spots and it was the same story and then all of a sudden it went quiet on the bass front. The herring were starting to jump by this time, which I am told is a sign of the heat. We tied on some small dry flies and started chasing the herring. We caught a lot of them and they are fun to watch as they compete for the dry fly on the surface. By 10:30 we were starting to feel the heat so we meandered back to the ramp. As we got to the road bridge we saw heaps of herring jumping so we tied to the pylon in the shade and picked up a few more herring on the 3 weight. By this time there was a speedboat race going on and we had to wait until that was stopped to allow us to get to the ramp.

Back at the ramp about 11 and it was stifling hot. The ramp was extremely busy with all lanes taken with people putting in their speedboats for a day on the water…. Good luck to them I thought. We got the boat out and headed up to the carpark to get everything packed for the trip home. The carpark was so full that there were trailers parked all the way up the road to the town! Hate to see what the ramp is like later in the day!!

We headed off and were home by 12 and I checked the temp at Windsor…. 44.2 degrees!!

A good trip. A bit quieter by Nepean standards, but we all got fish and had fun as always. Seems the average size of the fish is slowly declining in the Nepean, but on a positive at least there are plenty of smaller fish to grow and become targets in the future.

Sydney Harbour Pelagic Chase - January 2014

2014-01-19T14:49:00.000-08:00

Sydney Harbour Pelagic Chase

January 2014

The CCFR's first outing for the year was something a little different, a trip down the freeway to fish Sydney Harbour. There was a big build up to this outing, with reports coming thick and fast of how good the fishing was on the harbour this year. We had 10 keen starters set to meet at the ramp at 6am. The gates are supposed to close at night and re-open at dawn or there about. Gates? What gates? Yep there are no gates, so there were already boats launching when John Roberts and I arrived at 5:45 and some trailers that looked like they had been there all night.

Now let me tell you the ramp at Roseville is very busy! There were boats coming in at a steady rate, so we launched straight away and caught up with Richard and Craig. There is limited space to tie up and wait so it was decided that we leave and the other guys would catch up. I texted them to let them know that we had left rather than clog up the ramp and pontoon waiting.

John and I headed up through the Spit and up Middle Harbour. There was a bit of surface action so we stopped and had a few casts. Nothing doing and a lot of boat traffic meant it was time to keep moving. We rounded Middle Head and made our way toward some of the marker buoys and wedding cakes. A few casts and nothing. A couple of wayward casts saw John and I connected to the buoys and there goes another fly!

Some of the marker buoys had that many boats on them that you'd be lucky to land a kingy if you hooked one.....all those anchor ropes must be Kingfish heaven!

We kept moving around looking for surface action. There was the odd swirl here and there for us to cast at but nothing came of them. We headed back into Middle Harbour and fished around the naval base for a while, but again saw nothing. I moved back to where we had seen the surface swirls on our way out and there were a number of boats catching slimy mackeral and yakkas. John hadn't caught either species so I thought I'd let him have a go and see if he could connect. Sadly nothing doing. Mal called us to say there were some salmon working near Darling Harbour, so I started the motor and we made the long haul up the harbour to see if we could tempt the salmon that Mal said weren't playing the game.

The trip up the Harbour was pretty good with very few boats out and about. It was quite spectacular driving the boat past the Opera House and then under the Harbour Bridge. We got to the front of Goat Island and could see fish on the surface. We tied on appropriately sized candies and cast at them. No go. Not even a follow. The fish kept going down as the boat traffic started to pick up. They disappeared again and we went searching for them behind Goat Island. They came up again and there were a couple of other boats fishing for them. One on fly and the other spinning. No one was hooking up despite fish surrounding the boats from time to time.

The other fly fishing boat then hooked up. I changed down to a size 8 sparklebait and cast it out. A few strips and a fish came flying with its back out of the water to devour it. “I'm on” was the shout as the fish did several cartwheels in attempt to dislodge the fly. Now one thing I have learnt over the years is not to put too much pressure on salmon when using a size 8 hook. Let's face it they don't have big barbs or large gapes so easy does it equals more landed fish!

A short but aerobatic fight saw the first fish of the day hit the landing net and in full view of the Harbour Bridge. John kindly took a snap of me with the fish and the full coat hanger in the background. Gotta love that view!

We got talking to the guys in the other boat and the words “Gummy Minnow” were uttered. Now I don't usually bring many flies to an outing *cough cough*, so I pulled out a dozen or so gummy minnows and John had one in his box so we were set. We followed the fish around for a while and John hooked up.... the line sung as it slid through the guides of his rod. A short fight and John had the fish near the surface when a loud “crack” was heard and his rod broke. The busted section sliding down and no doubt smacking the fish in the face.

The fish took off again and John did an awesome job of landing the fish on half a rod.

We followed the school as it moved around the bay and managed to land a few more fish each. Steve and Garry had joined us by this time but as we found when we first got there the fish were very fussy and fixated on the small bait affectionately known as eyes due to the fact that about all you can see of them in the water is their eyes. I whipped two gummies out and gave them to Steve and Garry to try. Unfortunately they ran out of time to get onto fish.

Now the trip up the Harbour wasn't too bad..... The trip back was a totally different story. The southerly wind had cut in as had the boat traffic. We passed everything from tall ships to naval ships and of course ferries! Those things throw out quite a swell. Mix the swell with the wind and it made for an uncomfortable and wet trip back to the ramp. It also meant we were late for lunch! No drama as I had the BBQ and the meat!!

We got back the ramp and it was rocking! Sooooo many boats. I think it took close to 40 mins to get out of the water. In the meantime Len and the boys had started the BBQ and got festivities underway. The stories of the day came thick and fast.

At least 2 broken rods for the day. A number of broken fly lines and of course lost flies. Fish tally – Col Breese managed a few bonito out of Middle Harbour, just off Balmoral. Garry Kent managed a small Kingfish. John and I managed 3 salmon each. Mal “dropped it” Holden managed to shake off two kingfish and a salmon for the morning.....Damn good effort that!

It was a fun day regardless of how the fishing was. It's always nice to get out on the harbour and enjoy something a little different. The Fairy Penguins and Dolphins were also a spectacular sight so close to a major city. Thanks to Col, Len, Mal, Richard, Craig, Steve and Garry for coming along and for the great conversation over lunch. By the way the steaks were excellent and something that might become a regular feature of club BBQs as they take next to no time to cook!

The Prince of Pejar - October 2013

2013-10-20T18:24:00.000-07:00

October 2013

A sight to behold was the Prince of Pejar. Clad in the ceremonial finery of his ancient religion he strode triumphantly into the room of his most cherished peers and declared:

"the day is mine, and you's can all go get ######!"

Well, so much for a dignified and humble end to the day's fishing. Although the rest of us were certainly humbled after our first evening at Pejar. With widespread caddis fly activity and fish clearly rising we at first thought it would be simply a matter of time before we all landed fish. How wrong we were. Even our Pommy trout experts were left fishless and wondering what was going on.

Only one stood out. The Prince of Pejar. With a silvering mane and copper whiskers The Prince cast out his chosen fly only to tuck his rod under his arm, remove a fly box from his pocket and casually peruse its contents. Selecting a fly and placing it between his teeth he then proceeded to strip his line in. One, two, three strips and the electric shock of a big angry fish on the end of his line startled The Prince, almost causing him to swallow the fly in his mouth. The fish tried every trick in the book to rid itself of the unwanted meal, but The Prince had his measure and a 3lb silver torpedo was soon laying on the grassy bank beside him. With a religious zeal not seen since the Inquisition the fish was dispatched and The Prince returned from the hunt victoriously displaying his vanquished quarry.

Well that's the romanticised version of the story. The version told was quite simply unrepeatable and certainly unprintable.

Most of us arrived at Gundowringa homestead late on Friday afternoon. I had hitched a ride with Col Breese and after picking up John Robb at Tascott we dodged the bushfires and road closures on the Hume Motorway (now memorably rebadged the M31), made our way up the Crookwell Road and onto the property of Jeff Prell – 5000 acres of rolling green hills with the Wollondilly running through it. The Prells have been in this area since 1901, running Corriedale sheep for over 100 years with their skills in sheep farming proudly displayed on the walls of the shearers’ quarters – our new home for the next few days. Jeff came down to meet us soon after we arrived. A quietly spoken chap he was keen for us to fish his dams and shared his many years of fly fishing experience and extensive historical knowledge of the local area.

Steve Tizard and I decided to head over to Pejar Dam to take a closer look at the inviting view we had passed on the way up to Gundowringa. There were plenty of tracks around the western lake shore so we explored the small bays and rocky points at the top end where the Wollondilly flowed in, finally deciding to fish a small bay around 6pm.

The conditions were perfect. The wind dropped and a caddis fly hatch was in full swing so we rigged up and waited for the rises to start. After half an hour of no surface fish activity at all and the sun setting I changed to a Bushy’s Horror to see if I could elicit a response, but by 8pm we had seen no fish whatsoever and decided to head back for a late dinner.

Back at the shearer’s quarters most of us had assembled for dinner. Stories of no fish abounded, the only difference being that at Jeff’s two farm dams there were plenty of rises to the same caddis fly hatch we had experienced. Then Sticker strode in. It was obvious that he had caught a fish and proudly presented a solid rainbow of around 2lb. No doubt we would soon hear of his experience and sure enough we were given a blow by blow account of the fish he caught AND the one he dropped while trying to send everyone a photo of the specimen he had just landed..

We had an enjoyable evening around the fire swapping stories and having a laugh before retiring to bed around midnight.

Those of us keen were up at 5am the next morning, and after a quick cuppa headed down to the farm dams to even up our tallies with Sticker’s. A cold calm morning looked perfect and we tried a range of flies on both lakes. A few fish were spotted rising, I even watched a large snout stick a couple of inches out of the water to take something on the surface. Changing to a beetle pattern I spent the next hour drifting my fly across the smaller dam without any response but by about 9 the breeze had picked up and we headed back for a coffee and morning tea.

Regrouping back at the shearer's quarters I teamed up with Dave, Sticker and Bunney and we headed down to Goulburn in search of redfin, a species many of us hadn't yet caught. We found Scott Chaney at Marsden Weir casting to some Koi Carp below the weir wall but conditions looked pretty average and while Sticker, Bunney and Scott tried further downstream on the Wollondilly, Dave and I headed into town for lunch before catching up with them on the river west of Goulburn. We then followed the Wollondilly westward up through Pomeroy. At every river crossing the water looked very poor with little or no flow. Eventually we headed back via Gouldburn to Gundowringa to prepare for the evening rise.

Reports back at the shearer's quarters were still of no fish caught and widespread poor conditions on the Wollondilly. Our only hope seemed to be this evening's rise on the farm dams. So we all headed down around 5pm and lined up around the dam's margins. Initially I tried a streamer on an intermediate line, hoping to get down to the bottom of the dam and emulate Sticker's success, but as the sun sank in the west and a few rises began to appear I changed to a midge pupa below a midge ball indicator in the hope that one of the two would induce a take. Still nothing and worse still the rises had ceased. Only David had any success with a take on his nymph but he failed to hook up and we heard his disappointment across the water.

Time for another fly change as we were treated to a magnificent red sunset. In the dark I could see a few rises in the dam just near the cars, so I tied on a Craig's Nighttime and prospected around the bay. Surely a fish would at least have a go at my fly and sure enough the line went tight. I gave it a couple of seconds and lifted but there was no weight on the end of my line and the fly shot out of the water. It was looking like I had blown my one and only chance.

By now it was dark and everyone else looked like they were heading back to the cars. I reeled in my line and headed back to David's car and recounted my recent experience. David was happy to continue fishing and he, Richard and I fished the bay for a while longer. David too was met with frustration as a fish took his Craigs and he failed to hook up, and as the time was heading towards 8.30 we decided to call it a night and head back for a BBQ.

Another enjoyable evening around the fire, but this time there was no talk of an early rise. Most of us considered ourselves beaten and headed to bed with thoughts of a bit of a sleep in.

As it turned out, only Richard was keen enough to try again in the morning. Steve Tizard and I took a look at the hundred year old homestead and shearing shed before partaking of the club BBQ breakfast generously cooked by The Prince.

Richard returned fishless and soon everyone was packed, ready to head back to civilsation. There wasn't even much talk of some exploratory fishing on the way home, though Col, Rob and I took an enjoyable detour up through Canyonleigh to inspect the Wollondilly further upstream. We saw some nice stretches of water, but every crossing of the river showed little or no flow and we soon rejoined the motorway and made our way home.

Despite the conditions everyone had a very enjoyable trip. The accommodation was very comfortable and company great as always. Whether we head back next year will probably depend on rain and river levels. Even considering that, I'm sure it won't be the last time the club stays at Gundowringa. Our thanks fro Murray for organising the trip - a great job as always. And to Jeff Prell for a great base camp and generous advice.

Lake St Clare 17 - 18 August 2013

2013-08-19T17:07:00.000-07:00

Lake St Clare

By Len Verrenkamp

Why oh why do I do this to myself!!

Lake St Claire or Glennie's Creek Dam has to be one of the most inviting fresh water fisheries within two hrs drive of the Central Coast. The undulating countryside and clear country air always refreshes the mind and in August the westerlies and brisk temperatures remind you that Winter has not quite finished for the year. I probably should mention the fact that the lake holds some stonking bass as well, which is also another slight attraction for the traveling fisherperson.

Heading up there on the Saturday afternoon with the boat in tow a plan needed to be hatched to break my duck on bass on fly and to erase the memory of the blank I drew on a quick trip a couple of weeks previously. This time I had the goto fly which is Singleton Greg's buzzer, my casting has improved drastically since last years trip and the westerly wind, although ever present was not endangering any brown dogs on chains. With Murray and Richard both catching good fish a couple of weeks earlier confidence was high.

The Plan

The plan at hand was pretty simple, sound up some fish in a fly fishable depth of water, use a sinking line to get the fly down deep and strip back through the fish and wait for the hits. Probably not the most eloquent method, however this was my third trip and the thoughts of 50cm bass smashing my surface fly were a distant memory, I just needed to catch a bloody fish!

Saturday Afternoon

Arriving at around 3.00pm I found Col Breeze who had just returned from a long session and had had no success using a variety of methods. After a quick chat I headed to the ramp thinking, I have a plan, I have a plan! First point of call was straight across and slightly down the lake from the ramp to an area that has a shallow entry and then opens up nicely to some deeper water, sounding around there was evidence of fish in a couple of areas so out with the fly rod and into the fish. Two hours later and numerous moves around the lake and that bloody duck was still quacking!

Heading out to the camp with the boat back on the trailer Murray, Richard, Mick and Terry are already set up and off fishing. About 30min later Malcolm turned up and with it quite dark now we lit the camp fire and settled in with some refreshments to wait for the others to return and to discuss tactics for tomorrow's club fish. The boys returned with some success stories of better than a fish each which was welcome news for tomorrow's session.

Sunday - Club Outing Day

John Roberts and Col "Bags" Hession arrived early and we departed camp at 7.00am with our return and lunch booked in for 12.30pm. Most of the guys headed out to fish the shore whilst I drove back to the ramp and launched the boat again (I have a plan you know)! Heading up into the Carrowbrook arm this time I headed for some deep timber looking for fish on the sounder, again the fish are there, again I deploy my deep fishing tactics, again not a touch or tap, flies changed numerous times, down sized to a 6lb leader, varied retrieves and even harled under electric power and all to no avail! Cruised up into a couple of protected bays with natural, albeit dry water courses leading into them with rock walls and good structure and still not a sign of a fish to be seen.

With time marching on and lunch looking like being the highlight of the day for me I headed back to camp to find a few of the guys back and Malcolm Holden grinning like a Cheshire Cat after nailing his first bass on fly, and a 45 cm version at that. You might as well give up now Mal as anything else you catch bass wise will be a disappointment, LOL. John "the mini bus" Roberts arrived shortly after with a few anglers loaded in his ute and Richard and Murray looking quite comfortable in the back, although maybe for short distances only!

With the new club barby hot and ready to be christened we were instructed by Murray not to help as he's a little possessive when he has a bar-b-mate in his hand so we resorted to just offering verbal assistance until he relented and generously allowed us to slice the onions! Lunch was a winner and with Mal's Bass being the only fish for the day and now 54cm and growing we packed up and headed for home.

The Wrap Up

No fish for me
It's a great place but a tough fishery
The company was terrific as always
Will I go back, you betcha! I'm going to pluck that duck eventually..

Swansea January 2013

2013-07-22T17:53:00.000-07:00

Trip Reports

Swansea Pelagics by Chris Bannerman

Date:
20 January 2013

Rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain, rain. That pretty much sums up the January outing.

Saturday morning I'd decided to replace the hubs and bearings on my boat trailer (after our President's recent side-of-freeway repair) and by early afternoon it had started to rain. I knew if it continued, I'd be unable to get the boat off our front lawn as the slope is so steep even my 4WD would struggle on the wet grass and the boss wouldn't be happy with the front lawn torn up, no matter how much fun I had in the process. In the end an executive decision was made and I arranged to get a ride with Richard.

By the morning it had rained continuously all night and as I packed the club BBQ and food into the car along with my gear I briefly toyed with the idea of pulling the pin. But I had the BBQ and people were relying on me - how could I let them down.

So up the freeway I trundled, the rain eased up and I thought for a moment that it might be okay. Then, as I descended into Swansea, the clouds closed in and it resorted to heavy drizzle. At the boat ramp I found Bob and Dave De Luca, who were debating on whether it was actually worth even launching. When Bob considers not launching you know it's not good. But as Garry and Steve turned up we decided it would be still worth a go so we donned the wet weather gear and off we went into the wild grey yonder.

Once away from the boat ramp and down the channel towards Moon Island the weather actually improved a little, even though the ramp, Swansea and the hills behind were still covered in grey cotton wool. We spotted some splashes on the surface and were quickly casting but to no avail. Casting in and around the surf of Moon Island didn't offer anything either and we briefly followed some birds feeding on the surface.

In the end we finished up back at Moon Island casting at a school of yakkas porpoising on the surface but they weren't interested in anything we threw at them. Some jiggers were pulling up small kingies from below these yakkas but the only way we could get them was to harl.

By lunch time Steven and Garry had had enough and departed, and the rest of us returned to the ramp where it was still raining. It was too wet to have the BBQ so we repaired to the golden arches for something that resembled food before heading home to dry out.

Terrigal Lagoon - June 2013

2013-06-17T17:11:00.000-07:00

Terrigal Lagoon

by Len Verrenkamp

Date:
16 June 2013

LE GOONS ! YEP, THAT'S US!

Back at Terrigal lagoon by default - swell and wind prevented the planned rock hopping trip to chase Drummer.

6.30 am start, nice sou'wester to keep us company, waders and wetsuits donned, kayaks launched, banks waded.

A Flathead for Stickerman, Sole for Mal (fish, not personal attributes), bastards had the BBQ early (obviously because I had to duck off for a couple of hours), and bugger all else caught.

I reckon the blackfish were lining up to be caught at The Entrance!!!

NOTE: Rumours that a huge kingfish was caught in the lagoon by Mal are completely unfounded!

Farquar Park - May 2013

2013-05-21T17:16:00.000-07:00

Farquar Park by Len Verrenkamp

Date:
18-19 May 2013

Ahh the Serenity! In my opinion that famous Aussie phrase describes Farquar Park to a tee. With access only by boat or 4wd it takes a bit of organisation and effort to get there, however the rewards are worth it. It's rarely crowded (provided you avoid holiday times), you camp on the waters edge and the sunsets across the sand flats and Charleys Island will keep you coming back for more.

Unfortunately with quite a few members pulling out at the last minute we were in no danger of crowding the place out and it was up to Col Breeze, Jim Hollett and myself to represent the club for the weekend. Along with us were Jim 's wife Suzanne and a mate of mine Brett from Newcastle who has taken up fly fishing with gusto.

Jim and Suzanne travelled down from Bohnock by boat while Col had an eventful trip towing his tinny down the beach with few issues in the soft sand on the Friday - he was helped out by some fellow campers from Raymond Terrace. Brett and myself arrived about lunch time on Saturday and did our usual shuttles to get both the boats and vehicles down to the camp site after a wait on the beach for the tide to recede enough to get through a narrow section. With camp set up and the sun setting it was time to light the fire and settle in for a chat and a drink to discuss tomorrows fishing tactics.

After a good night’s sleep in the Taj Ma-ute we awoke to a brisk westerly blowing straight of the Barringtons collecting razor blades on it's way to the coast making 7°C feel like about 2°C. A cuppa to warm up and a quick brekky then onto the water we went. With a run out tide and the wind pushing down river it made for a quick drift and I think I spent more time steering the electric than fishing so we headed up river into Oyster creek to find virtually no wind and smooth conditions. After a few more casts with the Crazy Charlie I started the day with, I changed to an orange and white Clouser and using a cast and wait, strip and wait technique it was snaffled off the bottom by a nice bream in between strips. My first bream on fly went 28cm and to say I was happy was an understatement. A few photos for the record books and it was released to fight another day.

With Col deciding to drive out at low tide without the boat on the trailer we took a slight detour and picked him up from the ramp and delivered him back to his boat at the camp ground so he could continue fishing.
With the tide now on the make it was time to hit the oyster racks in search of some more bream. Scott's creek is lined with racks of all descriptions and has some of the fishiest looking water in the river, not to mention protection from the wind as well. I also find casting at racks does wonders for your accuracy as the results of a poor cast will mean you are nowhere near the fish or your fly and leader is now wrapped around a nice piece of timber or PVC pipe. Not that it seemed to make any difference today, an hour of prowling the racks resulted in no fish, however there were plenty of signs that fish were there.
With time getting away we headed back to camp for some well earned egg and bacon rolls cooked on the camp fire for lunch and a lengthy chat about the ones that got away. Jim and Col both had hits, however no hook ups were forthcoming.

Although it was probably one of the smallest club outings ever, the great company and location made up for the lack of numbers. My first bream on fly made my weekend a winner and will be back up there as soon as the weather and water warms up again.

Fly Fishing Expo - Thredbo April 2013

2013-04-30T17:48:00.000-07:00

Fly Fishing Expo, Thredbo by Chris Bannerman

Date:
12 - 14 April 2013

While not an official club trip I though I'd share our visit to the first annual Fly Fishing Expo in Thredbo.

Malcolm Holden and myself decided to head down for a 3-day weekend to check out the Expo. My main reason for visiting were the words "Spey Casting demonstration" in the brochure and considering my failing attempts to spey cast I figured any help I could get would be most useful. I don't really need a reason to visit the Snowies but I had one anyway.

Departing the coast mid morning we headed south, arriving at Thredbo around 5pm. We hadn't stopped on the way at the traditional homes of fly fishing (Alpine Angler and High Country Outfitters) as there was a pre-expo drink at 6 and we didn't want to miss it (and posibbly a free beer). Besides, we wanted to see how many would turn up - maybe we'd be the only ones. To our relief we weren't the only ones - about 20 people turned up in the bar at the Alpine Hotel for a meet-and-greet - and we enjoyed a beer (yes it was free) and a yarn with the hotel manager and Craig Daly the local guide who organised the event.

The next morning we were up early to check out the river above the resort. There's a handy little walking trail along the river for a kilometre or two and we followed it's path checking the river for fish as we went. The water was low and clear and we didn't spot or spook many fish so headed back for a cooked brekky (part of the accommodation deal at the hotel) before checking out the morning casting demonstrations in the park in front of the hotel.

There were about 40 people out there listening to Craig give an intro to fly casting. It was pretty basic stuff but many were obviously new to fly fishing and were taking it all in. We decided to head down to Jindabyne to do some fly shop shopping and grab a coffee before checking out the river to pick a likely location for a fish in the afternoon. Then it was back to the Expo for a streamcraft talk around noon. The auditorium had some product stands and a fly tying demo was going on so we perused the products spending some coin on a leather fly wallet and a 27 foot leader (you can never have too many of those) and heckled (or hackled) the fly tyer before sitting down to an informative talk on streamcraft. I think it's always good to hear how experts fish their streams, if only to confirm I'm doing the right thing.

After the talk we were off to put into practice the streamcraft ideas. Down on the river the wind was gusting to strong winds making casting a challenge. The water was gorgeous and there HAD to be fish there, but we didn't see or spook a single specimen. By the time the sun went down we had fished for a couple of hours and decided to call it a day.

Up again early the next morning we decided to try the river above the resort, fishing the little plunge pools and glides out of them. Malcolm spotted a couple of fish in a larger pool but we couldn't entice them take a nymph but later on I managed to trick a small rainbow into taking a midge pupa pattern I'd tied the week before. At least we weren't going home empty handed.

Back at the hotel we headed out to the spey casting demonstration. Craig gave us a quick talk on spey before were able to get our hands dirty and have a go at casting. Immediately Craig was able to pick what I was doing wrong and had it corrected. I was a happy camper and wiled away the next couple of hours hogging Craig's 11 foot switch rod. The Expo ended with a fly casting competition (in which I came second and won a 2 hour casting session with Craig) and a BBQ lunch put on by the hotel.

In all we had a great time and met some great people. The Expo itself was free and the accommodation was pretty good value. This was the first year and as such it was a bit of a trial to see if there was enough of a response. I believe the organisers considered it a success so it looks like it'll be on again next year. I'm already looking forward to heading down in 2014 for a bigger and improved version. You'd do well to come along.

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