Posts
Introduction:
Genoa is a sleepy Victorian town consisting of various sand filtered rivers that extend below and around Mt. Imlay, down to the infamous waterway of Mallacoota. From various intel gathered, I deduced that some exciting fishing is still to be had before and beyond the bridge over the Wallagaraugh River. My Australia Day family long weekend getaways have previously consisted of trips to various destinations in between Canberra and Melbourne, with only one small proviso ever put in place (Must be Kayak Fishing heaven).
This time last year we explored the regional waters of Gypsy Point, Mallacoota and the Betka River but were slightly overwhelmed at the increased tourism. The search was on for another quality vacation, with Lakes Entrance being deemed too far and Bemm River being too remote for the kids. I was pleasantly surprised to find my future Brother in law had coordinated a River Retreat, located on the banks of the Wallagaraugh River. I knew it held Estuary Perch, Bream and Bass in its furthest reaches, what I did not realise at the time is what sort of haven it was for monster Flathead.
Travelling from Canberra via Cooma and the Monaro, our four hour journey into Mexican waters was pleasant enough, even if the missed Mt. Imlay turnoff might have shaved half an hour off travel time. Storms greeted us on arrival at the Wallagaraugh River Retreat and so did the Bream. I have commented once before on the successful breeding prowess of Bream in the area and here was no exception. Apart from patches of small Gar the sandy flat lays of the land provide excellent highways for the travelling fish, and open tide lanes for the ever present Cormorant. These family holidays are never short of spectacular; with two kayaks (Including a tandem Outfitter) and 11 adults I was never short of a fishing companion.
The sounds of schlepping at night were enough to encourage others to set their alarms without provoking, if they were not up when I was ready to go fishing I wasn’t going to be kept waiting.The Wallagaraugh River has seen better days, like its coastal brethren it’s becoming subdued with sand deposits. The spread out, snake like bends still held decent depth but certain stretchy sections bottomed out at the measly half a metre mark. In the River’s defence we were located a couple of km’s from any major tidal flow and with 16 hours of solid fishing over two days, the tide varied very little at all (So much so I couldn’t tell the difference). Still it contained positive potential and lacked only one thing, huge crowds of people.
The whole River Retreat scheme played out perfectly over the whole weekend, after managing to meet the Hobie fanatic owners I found out why (“Thanks for coming, don’t tell too many people!”). Camping a hundred metres from the waters edge was more than ideal, only a short trolley trip down to the facilities tired old boat ramp. My favourite way to fish saltwater river systems like this is to play the plastic chuck and chance, along with of course the hard body stroll and troll. After gauging the rivers depth and feeder creeks, I decided to deviate a little from my traditional sand stirring techniques and look for significant drop offs in hope of bigger fish such as elusive Mulloway.
The Wallagaraugh Bridge located downstream had numerous pylons and the majority of my understanding on how this entity would work, beyond this held expanses of differential sand flats. Working small bladed lures and 65mm Squidgy Wrigglers in assorted colourations drew results; another great technique was twitching Ecogear SX 40’s whilst using their positive buoyancy over the shallows. The first morning saw countless Black Bream of legal dimension and my first and only major fish loss of the trip. Fishing light from the weekends previous ABT Tournamnet I managed to rub my 4lb Siglon FC leader while netting a significant Dusky Flathead estimated around 70cm.
On my way back for lunch I started fishing the extended bank lined snags before the bridge with my now shortened leader. Hoping to persuade an Estuary Perch I discovered a style of visual Kayak Fishing I really hope does not catch on too quickly (Insert possible horrendous tackle losses here). Certain snags were shared between prevalent species, terming the style ‘Suicide’ I would hold pattern over likely structure and sight fish to cast to. The school and I would exchange glances, acknowledge each others presence with a nod of the head and commence battle (Extracting some nice Bream in between bust offs). Tackle loss was minimal considering, a few 1/32 jig heads and half a dozen or so Gulp 2” Shrimp in the new penny colour.
Lost my only Estuary Perch for the trip on the drop at aforementioned tree, recent discussions with friends suggest not even a 12lb leader would have successfully divided and conquered in this terrain. If the wind had stayed low I would have pushed beyond the brackish and the pain barrier, perhaps encountering more. The Black Bream by catch could have increased ten fold, with additional Perch, Australian Bass (Who’s complaining?) and quite possibly smaller fish like Australian smelt, common Galaxias and a myriad of Gudgeon species.
The questions asked by faithful family members hit home painfully when I hit the shore, how many Flathead had I caught? It was plain as day they were after a feed and with the large amount of mouths to freed drooling at the prospect I shifted back to my original game plan. Disembarking once again I brought a band of merry men accompanying me on the Outfitter with dreams of hefty lizards. Moving back past the bridge to the susceptive sand bite it didn’t take long to tangle with my requested foe. Dredging the bank on the first drift saw my SX 40 taken with gusto, meanwhile my unattended Squidgy was belted on the super light outfit.
Quickly bringing in the Bream I had no choice but to back off the drag slightly and place the first rod in the holder complete with fish attached. Prizing the second rod from the holder I felt weight that obviously had no clue that it was hooked yet, one thing I was keen to do this time was play it out a little longer and keep it away from the kayak (The main reason I lost the first). Tackling Flathead on 4lb leader is something only fools set out to achieve, to give the fish a sporting chance it was once again hooked on my 1kg rod.
Running long and wide it took braid easily but tired of the incessant struggle and came to the net, no mistakes this time with bringing it onboard. Amid hoots and hollers I hit the shore for a look on the brag mat, once again over estimating its length through elation and excitement. I felt like a mother bird returning to its nest, I had to make a call regarding release (Fish was just over 70cm). The unwritten fishing law is if it’s over 65cm let it swim away (Most probably a breeder). With an flock of beaks to fill no doubt pecking me as I made my way up the ramp, I kept it on ice hoping for a couple of future smaller specimens.
The next day brought an early solo start into detachment and the ‘Furthest reaches’ downstream I had previously not explored. Like most coastline avenues, beating the wind before it hits water means covering as much ground as I could before 10am. This foreign sector had the hallmarks of what I was looking for, deeper drop offs and a snaggy foray or two. Unfortunately It proved fruitless so I ambled my way back early to attract the others and search for the Lizard Queen. The long weekend boating numbers were slowly taking their toll, as I made my way around the bend to my once secret K Boat base I was greeted with no less than three boats (All hovering over my GPS bread crumbs).
Just before I passed back under the bridge in disgust I was joined by my partner Claire, her sister Jillian and her daughter Ruby on the tandem Outfitter. Jillian had never caught a fish before or been on a Hobie so Claire built her up with confidence and a smelly Prawn or two. Turns out Jillian was a natural at Kayak Fishing and landed eight Bream in quick succession. Feeling chuffed someone else was enjoying our hybrid sport more than me I ended my weekend sojourn (My Victorian fishing licence was about to expire) on a high, spending the last few hours staring spitefully at the two 85cm Flathead carcases someone had left at the boat ramp. I found out later the bloody ’Furthest reaches’ I was rambling on about before held more than just fools gold!.
Conclusion:
To anyone doubting tackling the drive past Eden into Victoria I say go for it, sure these results can be achieved at your local quite easily but exploring new locations is just one of the many beauties Kayak Fishing has to offer. Road access is via a turn-off from the Princes Highway near the NSW border and there is boat access from Mallacoota Inlet or Gypsy Point (When not staying at the Wallagaragh River Retreat). The landscape and scenery changes, the prolific fish species shifts and best of all additional positive memories are created.
Genoa is a sleepy Victorian town consisting of various sand filtered rivers that extend below and around Mt. Imlay, down to the infamous waterway of Mallacoota. From various intel gathered, I deduced that some exciting fishing is still to be had before and beyond the bridge over the Wallagaraugh River. My Australia Day family long weekend getaways have previously consisted of trips to various destinations in between Canberra and Melbourne, with only one small proviso ever put in place (Must be Kayak Fishing heaven).
This time last year we explored the regional waters of Gypsy Point, Mallacoota and the Betka River but were slightly overwhelmed at the increased tourism. The search was on for another quality vacation, with Lakes Entrance being deemed too far and Bemm River being too remote for the kids. I was pleasantly surprised to find my future Brother in law had coordinated a River Retreat, located on the banks of the Wallagaraugh River. I knew it held Estuary Perch, Bream and Bass in its furthest reaches, what I did not realise at the time is what sort of haven it was for monster Flathead.
Travelling from Canberra via Cooma and the Monaro, our four hour journey into Mexican waters was pleasant enough, even if the missed Mt. Imlay turnoff might have shaved half an hour off travel time. Storms greeted us on arrival at the Wallagaraugh River Retreat and so did the Bream. I have commented once before on the successful breeding prowess of Bream in the area and here was no exception. Apart from patches of small Gar the sandy flat lays of the land provide excellent highways for the travelling fish, and open tide lanes for the ever present Cormorant. These family holidays are never short of spectacular; with two kayaks (Including a tandem Outfitter) and 11 adults I was never short of a fishing companion.
The sounds of schlepping at night were enough to encourage others to set their alarms without provoking, if they were not up when I was ready to go fishing I wasn’t going to be kept waiting.The Wallagaraugh River has seen better days, like its coastal brethren it’s becoming subdued with sand deposits. The spread out, snake like bends still held decent depth but certain stretchy sections bottomed out at the measly half a metre mark. In the River’s defence we were located a couple of km’s from any major tidal flow and with 16 hours of solid fishing over two days, the tide varied very little at all (So much so I couldn’t tell the difference). Still it contained positive potential and lacked only one thing, huge crowds of people.
The whole River Retreat scheme played out perfectly over the whole weekend, after managing to meet the Hobie fanatic owners I found out why (“Thanks for coming, don’t tell too many people!”). Camping a hundred metres from the waters edge was more than ideal, only a short trolley trip down to the facilities tired old boat ramp. My favourite way to fish saltwater river systems like this is to play the plastic chuck and chance, along with of course the hard body stroll and troll. After gauging the rivers depth and feeder creeks, I decided to deviate a little from my traditional sand stirring techniques and look for significant drop offs in hope of bigger fish such as elusive Mulloway.
The Wallagaraugh Bridge located downstream had numerous pylons and the majority of my understanding on how this entity would work, beyond this held expanses of differential sand flats. Working small bladed lures and 65mm Squidgy Wrigglers in assorted colourations drew results; another great technique was twitching Ecogear SX 40’s whilst using their positive buoyancy over the shallows. The first morning saw countless Black Bream of legal dimension and my first and only major fish loss of the trip. Fishing light from the weekends previous ABT Tournamnet I managed to rub my 4lb Siglon FC leader while netting a significant Dusky Flathead estimated around 70cm.
On my way back for lunch I started fishing the extended bank lined snags before the bridge with my now shortened leader. Hoping to persuade an Estuary Perch I discovered a style of visual Kayak Fishing I really hope does not catch on too quickly (Insert possible horrendous tackle losses here). Certain snags were shared between prevalent species, terming the style ‘Suicide’ I would hold pattern over likely structure and sight fish to cast to. The school and I would exchange glances, acknowledge each others presence with a nod of the head and commence battle (Extracting some nice Bream in between bust offs). Tackle loss was minimal considering, a few 1/32 jig heads and half a dozen or so Gulp 2” Shrimp in the new penny colour.
Lost my only Estuary Perch for the trip on the drop at aforementioned tree, recent discussions with friends suggest not even a 12lb leader would have successfully divided and conquered in this terrain. If the wind had stayed low I would have pushed beyond the brackish and the pain barrier, perhaps encountering more. The Black Bream by catch could have increased ten fold, with additional Perch, Australian Bass (Who’s complaining?) and quite possibly smaller fish like Australian smelt, common Galaxias and a myriad of Gudgeon species.
The questions asked by faithful family members hit home painfully when I hit the shore, how many Flathead had I caught? It was plain as day they were after a feed and with the large amount of mouths to freed drooling at the prospect I shifted back to my original game plan. Disembarking once again I brought a band of merry men accompanying me on the Outfitter with dreams of hefty lizards. Moving back past the bridge to the susceptive sand bite it didn’t take long to tangle with my requested foe. Dredging the bank on the first drift saw my SX 40 taken with gusto, meanwhile my unattended Squidgy was belted on the super light outfit.
Quickly bringing in the Bream I had no choice but to back off the drag slightly and place the first rod in the holder complete with fish attached. Prizing the second rod from the holder I felt weight that obviously had no clue that it was hooked yet, one thing I was keen to do this time was play it out a little longer and keep it away from the kayak (The main reason I lost the first). Tackling Flathead on 4lb leader is something only fools set out to achieve, to give the fish a sporting chance it was once again hooked on my 1kg rod.
Running long and wide it took braid easily but tired of the incessant struggle and came to the net, no mistakes this time with bringing it onboard. Amid hoots and hollers I hit the shore for a look on the brag mat, once again over estimating its length through elation and excitement. I felt like a mother bird returning to its nest, I had to make a call regarding release (Fish was just over 70cm). The unwritten fishing law is if it’s over 65cm let it swim away (Most probably a breeder). With an flock of beaks to fill no doubt pecking me as I made my way up the ramp, I kept it on ice hoping for a couple of future smaller specimens.
The next day brought an early solo start into detachment and the ‘Furthest reaches’ downstream I had previously not explored. Like most coastline avenues, beating the wind before it hits water means covering as much ground as I could before 10am. This foreign sector had the hallmarks of what I was looking for, deeper drop offs and a snaggy foray or two. Unfortunately It proved fruitless so I ambled my way back early to attract the others and search for the Lizard Queen. The long weekend boating numbers were slowly taking their toll, as I made my way around the bend to my once secret K Boat base I was greeted with no less than three boats (All hovering over my GPS bread crumbs).
Just before I passed back under the bridge in disgust I was joined by my partner Claire, her sister Jillian and her daughter Ruby on the tandem Outfitter. Jillian had never caught a fish before or been on a Hobie so Claire built her up with confidence and a smelly Prawn or two. Turns out Jillian was a natural at Kayak Fishing and landed eight Bream in quick succession. Feeling chuffed someone else was enjoying our hybrid sport more than me I ended my weekend sojourn (My Victorian fishing licence was about to expire) on a high, spending the last few hours staring spitefully at the two 85cm Flathead carcases someone had left at the boat ramp. I found out later the bloody ’Furthest reaches’ I was rambling on about before held more than just fools gold!.
Conclusion:
To anyone doubting tackling the drive past Eden into Victoria I say go for it, sure these results can be achieved at your local quite easily but exploring new locations is just one of the many beauties Kayak Fishing has to offer. Road access is via a turn-off from the Princes Highway near the NSW border and there is boat access from Mallacoota Inlet or Gypsy Point (When not staying at the Wallagaragh River Retreat). The landscape and scenery changes, the prolific fish species shifts and best of all additional positive memories are created.
