Canberra - Lake Burley Griffin 26/8/07

There was a call to arms put out on the Australian Kayak Fishing Forum, the English Perch were starting to invade the Capitalist motherland once again after a cold winters hibernation. Having infiltrated our home lands previously on a number of occasions, ravaging and destroying our once pristine waterways, it was up to a few baron troopers to thwart there movements and subdue rogue forces expanding towards and over the East, West and Southern basins.

After being dropped at the lakes edge around 9:45am on a gorgeous August Sunday, Craig and I set out to meet fellow members milling around the forsaken battlefield, the infamous Black Mountain Peninsula weed bed. Lake Burley Griffin was eerily calm with not a soul to disturb, graceful Swans hooted in the shallows, Cormorants scouted from beyond while the Gull of the sea took to the airborne flow in droves as we grew closer with suspicious but inattentive disregard.

With no friend nor foe joining us at such an early hour it was time to commence our initial attack runs, weaving back and forth amongst the weeds whilst trolling our dedicated weapons with reckless abandon. My weapons of choice ( Viking Talsiman / Killalure Pakrat ) have been engaged in war many a time and are scarred heavily with memories of the land, Craig had employed the services of a Halco Scorpion with a deadly new silver armoury and a few battle worn, trusted steeds from his lure stable ( Notably dual Poltergeists in notorious garb ).

Collectively we covered respectable ground and the seventh pass, on the seventh minute past the hour of eleven, Craig ( The seventh son of a seventh son ) was attacked mid flank by a large unknown assailant. Being caught off guard drew a costly outcome, the goon started smoking line off the light wand, making off with the corpse of the Scorpion ( No doubt to parade before the Perch King ). The lure had defended his trade well but paid the ultimate price with its life, a restless native was identified as the most plausible culprit. Beginning our second assault phase proved futile, it required the union of fellow members amping numbers beyond the straights towards the Dam wall.

One of Craig's Poltergeists sighted a solo enemy unit fleeing and managed to ensnare the now wailing individual, fearing for his safety he slipped through the lures piercing grasps, earning the passage of freedom and discounting his soul from a ruthless interrogation. Small gusts of wind drew breath from the overcast sky, begging to avenge its brothers death, Craig ordered the two Poltergeists to search the depths as we moved towards the small berth housing the local rowing population. I scrambled with animation, these rowers sculling blind were not to be trusted, keeping an eye open incase of wayward projectiles kept my senses keen and fresh, I could smell the blood of an Englishmen.

It turns out that the English had employed the rural services of the humble indigenous population in hope of early warnings and potential enemy fatalities, the contemplation of losing another soldier to the casualties of war drew frowns on my brow. An American bounty hunter by the name of Bagley mentioned he could speak in various dialects, recently upgraded with razor-sharp weaponry he was deployed on reconnaissance… In recent times he had served under another in the Orient attaining the martial art rank of 'Diving Killer B 1'.

While retreating with hopes of gathering affable numbers, Bagley was ambushed… Raging with torment I became betrothed in his anguish, the skirmish was protracted and fierce and in due course gratifying as a large, fat native announced surrender to the armada. Bagley spoke in tongues unheard of in the southern hemisphere but alas was unable to converse freely with the natives personage. Offering no optimism of locating the English, the Yellow-bellied inhabitant was liberated much to Bagley's consternation.

Adorning the tree lined banks upon return were strange poles, what was the purpose of such wonders? Was it a type of tribal art or expression? Perhaps it was meant to alert marauders as to what lay in wait? Signs of such led Craig and I to hastily recoil into the loving arms of the female advent party, anxiously awaiting our safe homecoming.The first phase of the war was over, during epic crusades such as this, we must constantly remind ones self that the English will return, stronger, faster and in larger numbers than previously encountered before.

It wont be long before they procure the help of the mighty Europeans.

Canberra - Lake Burley Griffin 18/8/07

Saturday, its a Saturday ( Five days of work, 2 more days to play )...

It had been a while since I had the gratification of paddling on Lake Burley Griffin due to cold and wild weather so when I awoke to a rather balmy Canberra morning ( A still, foggy 2 degrees ) I lept at the chance. Arriving around 11am to a calm bay at Yarralumla I set out in hope of a Redfin or two, bringing a minimal amount of light gear and three of my favourite English perch lures... I also took my new camera and waterproof housing for its Kayak debut, thinking if the fish were quiet I would cruise the shoreline in search of some amateur photography opportunities.

Pushing across the weed beds around Black Mountain Peninsula proved simple enough with no wind but fish were showing on the sounder few and far between and there was plenty of weed on the surface creating havoc with my early trolling runs, no Redfin were extracted from this location ( A first in a long time I might add, this is usually my rock ) so I headed towards the Yarralumla rowing platforms taking photos of bird life and moored boats a long the way.

After an hour of mooching around I moved over to the small Island's weed beds and finally hit pay dirt, trolling my lucky silver and red Viking Talisman in depth varying around 3.5m I saw a violent jerk of the rod tip out of the corner of my eye, turning my head I was pleasantly surprised to see the Daiwa Heartland arching with excitement. Putting up a spirited fight I finally landed my first Redfin of the day, a healthy looking model around 28cm in great winter condition... While handling the fish for release and operating my new camera at the same time I managed to get water on the lens housing, blurring small sections of the image.

Wiping dry the housing, I zig zagged to and fro hoping to replicate my actions and encounter more virulent Perca fluviatilis around the same area. Moving around the opposite side of the Island I managed to get some good photographs of a Cormorant while leaving my lure idling behind the Kayak, during the photo shoot of said bird I felt the familiar rap on the line through the hull and was promptly taken into the weeds and bamboozled by a small English Perch ( Estimated size approximately 20cm ), needless to say safe handling of the camera was at the time the number one priority and the fish was lost.

While Phoning Claire at 2pm when the wind slowly picked up, beckoning to be collected, I managed to ensnare another Perch while once again drifting the lure in the shallows with no motion or movement, this time a small Englishmen had engulfed both sets of trebles and subsequently was netted, losing the battle to regain his freedom ( Or so he had thought ). Eyes weary from a spate of X box gaming the night before I headed into shore, celebrating the cameras wonderful performance and the slight pre-spring capital weather...

A great day out on the water, I had the lake to myself.

Lake Jindabyne - Kalkite 21/7/07

Allan, Craig and myself (Team Darkside) packed Al’s Pathfinder the night before in preparation of an early departure to the shores of Kalkite, leaving Canberra around 4:15am the next day was tough but the capital city provided a rather mild morning compared with times of yesteryear. Many Kangaroos alive and dead littered the streets out and down the Monaro Highway as we headed towards Jindabyne, anticipation was high and from all reports gathered through the wonders of the Internet, magazines and tackle shops, the fish were well and truly on and ready to commit.

Andre and his diesel guzzling 4WD joined the procession just before Williamsdale so we all pulled into the first Cooma Petrol Station for some Red Bull and a general catch up. The traffic was building already with snow bunnies and assorted tourists making there way to the ski fields for there daily dose, by all accounts the predicted weather reports over the last week were fantastic and Saturday was set to be the pick of them.

The plan for Team Darkside was to find a beaten track somewhere before the town of Kalkite and tack our way west closer to the Snowy arm to launch, what we didn’t expect was how difficult this was to become due to darkness and some unfamiliarity within our surrounds (Even armed with detailed maps of the area) so after a few puzzling minutes traipsing round Kalkite we conceded defeat and decided to launch with Jason and Leigh (Team Mod Squad) at the boat ramp just outside of town.

Last weekend Funda and Squidder found the weather was most harsh with a wind chill factor that would have been close to –5, making for uncomfortable conditions. Even the most prepared Fisherman, whether Kayak, Boat, or land based, would have found the conditions difficult. Safety is paramount on Lake Jindabyne with 100km winds, waves of two meters occurring as the weather turns and a chilly water temperature of 4 degrees early morning (It reached 7 degrees around 3pm).

After removing the three Polyethylene platforms from the car rigging up our Kayaks was quick and easy compared to packing the night before. A couple of Hobie Adventures (Allan’s modified with a Minn Kota), Craig’s Hobie Revolution, Andre’s Hobie Outback, Jason’s Cobra Fish ‘n’ Dive and my Hobie Quest adorned the waters edge ready for the days trickery ahead. Spare UHF handsets were distributed to members and we pushed off pre dawn in search of some legendary Salmonidae (Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout and Atlantic Salmon).

Looking for structure was a relatively east task, submerged trees and boulders lined the shoreline in most directions governed by shallow and steep muddy banks. Our sounders started showing fish immediately but were holding low on the bottom around 12 meters. Moving slowly opposite the ramp whilst trolling a Predatek Micro min almost paid off in the first five minutes, my light rod setup went off and just as I was set to play the fish out it jumped 3 ft in the air behind the Kayak and threw the hook.

Muttering some choice words to Craig over the UHF I had not realised he was replicating the result about 100m behind me, ultimately voicing a similar response. About 300m in front we spied Allan heading for a rocky point enjoying the perfect trolling speed produced by his electric motor while to the east Team Mod Squad were working the other side of the lake for an instant result. Leigh had sight cast to a magnificent Atlantic Salmon which became tentatively hooked whilst striking at his lure, the offending 8 minute battle resulted in a new PB for Red Pheonix and the first fish of the day.

Trolling became tedious with many fish striking short or snapping at our presentations, after many hours a few members decided to have a rest and fish Powerbait from various locations along the banks, I lost sight of my team mates as I continued moving around the shallow weed beds so moved across and back down the opposite side of the lake towards the ramp. Rounding a shallow rocky point I spotted a fin protruding in what would have been as little as 15cm, the fish (Presumed a Brown Trout) moved in and out sojourning
the edge while I carefully evaluated my floating position.

Taking my time I cast my Micro Min as close as I dared landing my lure on a boulder close by, slowly working it back I covered the water in the exact same point I had seen the fish 15 seconds earlier for no result. Slightly gutted I had spooked the fish with my rocky antics I moved on in search of my teammates and found them bank side fishing Powerbait just east of the boat ramp. Allan had managed to previously troll up a whopping 55cm Brown Trout using a winged lure (Pink Tasmanian Devil) and was enjoying some lunch with Craig and some tame Kangaroos.

The peaceful speechless tranquility was to be short lived though, Allan noticed one of his lines going tight and set the hook on a lovely 50cm Rainbow amid hoots and hollers, his big Brown Trout had not only secured the fish of the day but his Rainbow was putting serious runs on the board for Team Darkside. The fish kept rising all around us but ignored the subsequent offerings of brightly coloured artificial bait so we moved on, by this stage I was desperate for a fish so decided to cruise solo trolling along the exact path I had followed this morning (Made slightly easier with the use of a GPS).

Frustration was setting in but confidence was still high, I passed Squidder on a bank who had fared well with two nice Rainbow Trout on Powerbait and had a quick chat before moving on in search of Leigh. Coming to a set of trees that showed high signs of life holding deep I managed to troll up somebody’s lost snagged rig with a Tasmanian Devil on the end, I removed the bonus lure and placed the old line in my pocket to discard later on, this water way contained many strands of monofilament dangling on exspoed branches due to wayward casts and perhaps previously high water levels.

Tying on a Jackal (Lipless Crank Bait) I cast between the sticks hoping to avoid the snags, counting down till it hit the bottom. From my first presentation a lift of the rod tip produced a hit and the fish was hooked, desperately trying to throw the hook the fish hit the surface early but I was ready and controlled it with a tight line into my net, I was unsure of the species so mentioned to Squidder I was joining him bank side to identify, secure and measure my catch. It was then recognised as a 46cm Brown Trout, a new species and a my first Salmonoid from a Kayak, thanking Jason for his help I rushed back hoping to produce another.

Finding the fish still in the exact same spot I cast the Jackal again allowing it to hit the bottom, the rod tip was lifted from my first cast but this time it was hit on the first flutter providing an exciting fight. This fish felt similar but slightly larger, playing the game dirtier than its counterpart with loads of darting and weaving before attempting to jump. With gin clear water I found myself at an advantage, spotting the fish rising quickly the line was kept tight and another Brown Trout was netted (I was now on a hat trick!).

‘You wont believe this Jason!’ I squealed into the UHF before bursting into fits of laughter and paddling frantically toward the shore, I may have had the fish in the net but it was going mental trying to avoid becoming my PB and another fish to Team Darkside’s tally. This Trout measured 51.5cm and was to be my fish of the day, by this stage my ranting on the UHF had brought fellow members in search of a trophy Brown.
I bid Jason farewell and hit the water in hope of my hat trick, unfortunately this ws not achieved but the fish were still there with some huge specimens appearing on the fish finder.

Leigh appeared around a point and joined us all for a rest and another Powerbait session on the edge just down from Jason, many stimulating tales were told and fish shown off and paraded like short-skirted girlfriends on a nightclub strip. Before most members had a chance to rig up there fake bait Allan was already on, landing another nice 50cm Rainbow Trout and bringing his total to three fish and a crushing five for Team Darkside. The sun started to set behind us so jackets were once again donned as the temperature started to drop, we all packed up and commenced one last troll over to the boat ramp arriving around 4:30pm.

Was a big, long day out, an impressive one and ultimately a rewarding experience for all (Fish or no fish) on the shores of Kalkite. We loaded the vehicles and said our goodbyes before driving home, collecting a bag of ice along the way. Thanks everyone for a truly awe inspiring day and the collective company only AKFF can provide, congratulations to Team Mod Squad for a commendable effort on the water.

Batemans Bay - Casey's Beach 8/7/07

The weather was foul, evil and obviously anticipated our arrival,

A small antipodal band of brothers ( Myself and Funda ) left Canberra around 6am bound for the southern coastal region of Bateman’s Bay, Gordon Schumway and Craig450 were camping somewhere near the Clyde and were eager to meet up and join in an offshore sortie hopefully at Maloney’s Beach or our plan b ( Casey’s Beach ).

Arriving before the other two members we quickly relayed our disappointment via mobile phone indicating Maloney’s was a no go zone, the beach was blown out completely ( Waves were even closed out ) so we moved on to plan b, an ominous storm was approaching with fierce lightning crashing in the distance making for some nervous moments while transporting our graphite rods to our yaks.

The rain was pelting, the wind picked up and the current streamed through the gap between Snapper Island and the mainland just as I was assuring Craig would be fine venturing out on his first offshore launch. Making our way behind the Island to the safe secluded area Funda managed to land four undersized Flathead before I could set my Pilchards adrift, the action was very slow with Craig and I lucking out on the fish front.

Craig headed back in to meet A.L.F and move to the Clyde under the main bridge into town while we persevered hoping to find out why the Island was named after the species we so desperately wanted to catch, the wind changed to its predicted southerly a little earlier than expected and at one stage I had drifted half way to maloneys, we both headed in exhausted and disappointed but happy to be giving it a go… Five minutes to get out and half an hour to return to the launch spot, both kayaks handling the conditions well.

Heading back into town we cruised into the Harry’s tackle shop to browse the merchandise before purchasing some disappointing local fare ( Least it was salty eh AL? ), spied the unmistakable colour of Craig’s Frenzy in the far car park locating them under the bridge in search of some legal Flathead, apparently they managed a few even after I hurled abuse on the way over the bridge catching Craig’s attention with my colourfull choice of words… Too harsh for this perfect forum!

Got home around 3pm looking forward to rest and relaxation, no keeper fish were heading for the freezer but tales of woe and participation will be entered into the AKFF monthly fishing comp, without the state vs. state event both our entry’s will effect each others in a negative fashion but its all good for Hobie? ( May the best yak win eh? ).

Captains Flat Dam - 30/6/07

Interesting day for bush bashing,

Meeting Allan and Craig at Captains Flat was the easy part, trying to find a way to access the Dam proved a little more difficult but thanks to Red and his Subaru we managed to ferry the kayak populous to within 200m of the waters edge ( Mind you it was a steep and rocky descent! ), I am looking forward to going back when the water temperature is above 6 degrees ( Yes it was very, very cold ) and the fish slightly more active, some decent arches appeared on sounders and great snags were found but alas no species was caught nor sighted in the dark, murky water.

Tried to get some photos on the water but paddling caused the dreaded cold hand syndrome, the Hobie Mirage crew seemed to get a few with the bonus of hands free operation and pocket warming capabilities, its times like these I wish my Quest was a Revolution but in saying that all the kayaks handled the extreme expedition well and we all made it home in one piece... This is the kind of adventure only read about in magazines from the safety of a couch or sofa accompanied by a nice heater ( Wall, floor, column or open fire will do ).