South Coast - Bumbo Creek 14/6/08

Options in my home town are freezing over so a quick trip down the coast was called for, especially after the few weeks I have faced lately. Packed up the car and headed for the upper Tuross River in search of my first Estuary Perch. My mate Craig was already fishing upstream and had landed plenty of smaller Perch.

I managed to land my first Estuary Perch about an hour after Craig left, but not before getting belted by a fiesty Black Bream on the troll ( Luckily I managed an entry for this months AKFF comp ). Caught about 10 fish in total with the majority caught on the orange PX, even though most were undersized Bream they still put up more curry than any Redfin I could have mustered up at home.

The first EP was on the PX and when returning a few hours later to the car I caught another one slightly smaller trolling an Sx40 ( Same one that got the comp entry ). Wind really started to whip up so moved off about 1:30pm, being slightly bored I decided to take the scenic route home via the lovely looking Araluen.

Have not been down that road since I was about 10 years old in the good old Landcruiser and finally saw the Deua river / camp ground Claire has been crapping on about for the last eight years ( Looks Fishy / Trouty / Bassy / fun ).

Will have to do some research, some backroads to Captains Flat that way too...

Lake Jindabyne - Hatchery Bay 7/6/08

Met up with the Canberra / South Coast AKFF members for a fish from the bank ( Powerbait ) and an early dawn raid from the kayak. Friday night saw bugger all activity apart from a decent Rainbow I caught on Lime Twist Powerbait. A few hours earlier though my friend Craig and his brother caught two huge Brook Trout and a nice Rainbow ( Also on Powerbait ).

This was a great trip but I was too busy putting all my time and effort into fishing I forgot to take the usual lump of photos ( Including a massive Brown Trout caught by Squidder ), still managed the token few though. It is a real pity I couldnt snare any of those Brook Trout from the yak, would make for an almost impossible feat to beat them out of the AKFF HOF and top a new personal best.

Quite a rare catch ( Even though heaps were released recently ) and even rarer in that condition, wish I stayed longer as I am sure the point Jason and I fished with Powerbait would have fired up. I wonder if anyone dared venture over there or did you all snuggle round the fire as the temperature dropped?

After numerous trips to Jindabyne, shore based or yak ( The real reason for the lack of reports ) with plenty of dropped fish trolling I was pretty happy to snare two on the troll, it has been a long time coming in between dropping fish. Stalking Trout in highland / alpine / manaro streams is an adventure in itself but landing an XOS specimen Brown Trout from the kayak is my number one goal this year.

I guess my facination with Trout has only just begun...

Canberra - Lake Burley Griffin 10/5/08

Been sussing an excuse to stay local for some time now, it had been about 2 months since I last set out on Lake Burley Griffin ( Due to Coastal expeditions and Snowy adventures ). I have navigated this lake by kayak close to a hundred times and have found a real feel for it, saying that though the Redfin make dedication rather easy.

Managed a dozen or so Redfin ( A few mid to high 30's ) and dropped / hook pulled what I assume was a Golden Perch early on upon exit of our first destination, Spinaker Island ( Close to our launch site, Yarralumla Bay ).

The rowing squads grew thinner so I ventured over to Redfin Land ( Land, Alley, whatever ) and on the first return pass landed a pale Yellowbelly around 41cm. This fish was hooked solid and was a first on Craig450's donated Perch colour AC Invader 60mm, I have been giving his lures a real flogging lately for not much result ( Apart from a few foul hooked Googong Redfin ).

My camera batteries were dead so was forced to negotiate pictures with my camera phne, I have since upgraded phoned to a 6110 Navigator so missed my Carl Ziess lens on my old Nokia N90 ( The clarity was its only bonus ).

Proof is in the pudding though ( Even a police artist sketch would suffice ), amazing weather this weekend and glad you enjoyed it Cheeseman. You look slighly different in real life but I cant for the like of me figure out if its a good or a bad thing, you did however look mighty evil pedaling a baby blue Hobie Outback... Enjoy the darkside?