Of Toga and "things".

After a warm, butter soaked slice of sour dough bread fresh from the camp oven, dipped in a cup of pumpkin soup and chased with a red hot satay, I finally decided I needed to seriously wet a fly again.  I chatted breifly with Dr Churchley at the Mob gathering on Saturday, courtesy of the Broken Flagons and considered an afternoon on Corroboree.  Kate and I left the gathering early, she desperately needed to put the finishing touches on her oral defence for her PhD and needed to be sharp on Sunday to finalise the presentation,which incidently, went down a treat.  She didn't have much defending to do and will no doubt be finalised as a PhD candidate.  You have proud moments over your lifetime, and that one goes down as one of my greatest.  I couldn't be prouder. 

Anyway she opted for the laptop over the flyrod, so I headed off into the smoke haze a loner.  I pulled into Humpty Doo for some fuel and decided not to add the oil there and then, in favour of getting on the water quicker. So off I charged.

I arrived keen and eager at 12:30, dropped the tinny in and went searching for a car park (yes I had to search).  I finally found one and walked back to the ramp thinking about the oil.  Right, fuel, add oil, go.  I lifted the lid of the hatch and a fleeting thought crossed my mind about the last time I added fuel to the boat..... in the bloody shed, where I left the oil! Damn!  Have you ever noticed the lack of 2 strokes on the water these days, well I hadn't until then and trust me there isn't many.  Luckily the lovely people at Mary River Houseboat Hire had some to spare.  If you read the blog, a big thanks.  The folks there also confirmed the rumour of a 117cm barra from Corroboree and a 107 from Hardies.  Big fish for a billabong!

Ok, fuel-check, oil-check, everything else good to go, yep!  I turn left at the boat ramp most times at Corroboree and this time was no different and the gods appeared to be smiling again.  Of the 6782 boats on the billabong, none were down at Marrakai. 

The wind was still pushing 15-20 out of the SE, so I tucked into a lee and rigged up the 10wt and tied on a WW STS fly on an intermediate line.  I fished it with all the confidence I could muster,considering past posts from Cathy and Graeme, but after 2 hours without a sniff, I sacked the bloody thing.  Speaking of things, my next choice was an orange and yellow one with dumbell eyes to get the fly down reasonably quick.  Within 5 minutes I had a 60+ toga in the net.

Saratoga have to be my favourite tropical freshwater fish.  I prefer them to barra, mainly because of their sheer beauty.  They don't pull as well, but to me they are far more fun to catch and I often preferentially target them. 

I recalled an article by Starlo regarding Saratoga taking a fly down deep and Jim's recent posting from Muirella Park about Toga picking flies up off the bottom.  My next cast was made tight up against a pandanus clump in reasonably deep water.  I let the fly sink, gave a couple of slight twitches to get the bird fur moving, paused, then bang, I was hit hard, I struck and was connected for about 4 seconds then the leader gave way.  Bugger.  I repeated this tactic for several minutes and hooked up again and, after a short blue, had another Toga of similar size resting in the net.

This continued until it was nearly dark.  Although slow, the fishing was consistant.  I finished up with 4 Saratoga and a catfish all on the orange thing, fished deep and very slow.  It was interesting because in my experience, Saratoga normally take a fly close to the surface, sometimes fielding it before it hits the water, but not this time.  The water temperature was cool, around 24 degrees and I didn't see a barra all afternoon and I reckon I only heard one boof just before dark.  All of the Saratoga were over 60cm which again I found interesting because there is normally a smattering of younger fish more willing to take a fly.  My suspicion is that the poor wet has resulted in a lot of hungry animals in the billabong, so anything small is getting nailed.  Speaking of hungry animals, the last Toga I hooked attracked the attention of a hungry reptile that approached the boat or more likely the hooked fish, without hesitation.  There was nothing I could do.  He grabbed the lot, and happily swam off.  Poor bloody Toga.

This shot shows the fly nicely.  It was orange and yellow bird fur with a chenille body and orange hackle with nickle eyes on a 2/0 Tarpon hook. 

An afternoon on Corroboree is always time well spent.

Saratoga are an extremely ancient group of fish, commonly known as bony tongued fishes.  We have 2 species in Australia, one that occurs right across the Top from Adelaide River, east across to cape york, they other is on the east coast of Queensland.

Schleropages jardini (NT model)

Schleropages leichartii (Qld model)

They also occur right across tropical Asia and into South America.  In fact the largest true freshwater fish in the world belongs to this group.  The Arapaima or Pira Acu is a wopper of fish that lives in the Amazon.  Others like Schleropages formosa are highly regarded as an aquarium fish in Asia and fetch are for sale for over $40,000.

Schleropages formosa

Arapaima

Anyhow enough of that.  Get out there and enjoy the scenery, and enjoy chasing a great species of fish that goes back a long way.

Dion



BARRIER DRAW AND BROKEN FLAGON BALL

Originally we call the last two days at the Broken Flagons a picnic, but we reckon it should be called a ball, because everyone had a 'ball'.  There was not one bad cast during the day, not one bad fly tied and the wind was not  a problem.  That may be because we never got the rods or tying gear out, but still  its a good record.

Martin getting the 'TV? ready at the end of the day.

Martin turned on 'Natures TV' late in the afternoon so we could catch the show. Missed the Rugby though because it must have been on a different channel, but there was a few cooking shows.

This was the 'Tip Top' bread show

This is the start of the Cathy and Crusty Cooking Show.

The 'Late' stayers at the end of the day.

During the afternoon there was plates of olives, cheeses, meats etc.  which of course had to be washed down with  great drinks, and many of them.

It may have been all this great food that kept us from getting a rod or tying gear out. But then at the end of the day, the 'Late Stayers' most of who camped in swags and tents were presented with a huge array of more tucker.



Hot pumpkin soup with fresh sour dough bread and real butter (the bad one?) followed by more bread with that bad butter and dripping golden syrup, then there was baked leg of lamb, baked veggies, steaks, and finally (if you could fit it in) there were kebabs with hot (chilli) peanut satay sauce.  Again all washed down with magic medicinal beverages.

The roast and some of that wonderful medicinal beverage called wine.

Some time during the night, (we know it was very dark because Cathie had to read all the names out with a lamp on her head) we had the 'barrier draw' for the Bynoe Sheep Station Stakes (BSSS) in two weeks time, that is the 6th and 7th July, which are great tides.

The five species selected were;  Queenfish,  Mangrove Jack,  Golden Snapper, Spanish Flag and Golden Trevally.  So they are the fish to look for on the 6th July, and on the evening of that day we will draw the five for the 7th.  The rock bars and head lands look like the best spots for the five on Saturday.

There will be an update on the BSSS and we will have score sheets with the five fish for the 6th already in for you, plus a bit of an update on weather and how the scoring works again.  But remember, this is a non comp comp as Andy put it, and the main rule is to go fishing and have fun.

If you intend to fish, make sure you get in at Sand Palms because the rooms are going, plus drop us an email so we can have an idea of who is there for safety reasons etc.  There are still some boats looking for crews etc.

Something fishy in Fernie (CANADA)

This was sent  from a follower on the blog .

Fly fishing on the Elk River

The Elk River has the reputation as one of, if not the most pristine and prosperous natural fly fishing rivers in the world. The crystal clear water and the incredible diversity of river elements, from deep pools, ripples and shallow rapids, to submerged trees, reeds and shoreline overhangs, create both the perfect environment for the native cutthroat and bull trout to thrive, and the perfect challenge for an angler looking to snag one.

While I enjoy a casual fish with mates on the weekend, I'd never consider myself a good angler, not even a half decent one, and I'd never been fly fishing before in my life, so I figured what better place to learn than on a tinnie in the middle of the best fly fishing river in the world?

And there could be no better person to learn from than born-and-bred Fernie local Kim Sedrovic, who owns and operates outdoor adventure business Fernie Wilderness Adventures. He's been fishing the Elk River ever since he could walk, and there's no one in town who doesn't know his name. He's a legit mountain man — tough, hard-working, and humble.

A week before I met him he spent three hours being stalked by a mother grizzly bear, after unknowingly encroaching on her territory and cubs while fishing from the shoreline. He carried a 12-gauge shotgun but refused to use it, because he didn't want to hurt the beast if he didn't have to, deciding to stick out a difficult three hours with a top-tier predator constantly over his shoulder. His genuineness and love for the region is almost tangible.

The simple bear necessities in Fernie..

As we take the lone highway out of Fernie, Kim smiles and says he's not a traditional fishing guide. He says we're not going to waste time worrying about the technique, we're going to catch some fish — and I'm pumped.

We turn off the highway onto a dirt road that cuts across an open field to the shore of the Elk River. As Kim unloads the boat (I offer to help, but he politely declines) two Americans, up from Montana on a week-long fishing trip, start to tell us the river's been quiet this morning. They'd had no bites at all. Kim nods and entertains their advice, before turning to me and saying the river's never quiet.

Once we're on the water, Kim quickly talks me through the basics:

·        *Fly fishing is an angling method in which an artificial "fly" (resembling an invertebrate such as an insect) is used to bait and catch fish.

·        *An Elk River angler uses two main types of fly — the dry and the nymph. The dry fly floats, to mimic an adult insect landing on the water surface; whereas the nymph fly is designed to resemble an insect during its larval stage, and drifts below the surface attached to a visible float above.

·        *We cast upstream to catch currents and continually "mend" the line (flick the line behind the fly so as to reduce the drag) so that the fly drifts in a natural way.

·        *When we cast, we target specific elements in the river such as slower currents, riffles which suggest calmer currents below the surface, submerged logs, darker (therefore deeper) patches of water and shoreline overhangs, which are more likely to hold fish.

As we manouevre along the river Kim constantly shouts orders like a drill sergeant, telling me when to re-cast, when to mend the line, and what spots to aim for in the river. The orders are constant and I soon realise what Kim meant when he said I'd learn along the way. But it worked. Soon enough I was telling myself when to re-cast, when to mend the line, and what areas of the river I should target. My casting was getting accurate, and after an hour I was already starting to read the river as Kim had taught me. And this is when it gets real fun.

I cast upstream into a dark pool less than 10 metres away, mend the line and watch the float slowly drift to the right of the boat when it suddenly dives under the surface. A firm flick of my wrist bends the rod back over my shoulder. The line tenses and swerves. I've hooked something. Kim roars with excitement. He's more excited than I am. After a few adrenaline-filled seconds I manage to reel the fish in as Kim struggles to secure the oars and get the net ready. My first ever fly-fishing catch is a foot long cutthroat trout. I don't want a photo, all I want to do is throw it back in and cast again.

The cutthroat trout is the most populous fish in the Elk River, and this is one of only a few places that still naturally support the species. The Elk River is also home to the big Bull Trout. Kim says if I snag one of those guys I'll definitely know the difference.

This is nothing like the fishing I'm used to. It's not relaxing at all — it's insanely fun. You're not sitting there with bait waiting for a passing fish to maybe decide to bite your line, you're hanging over the bow of the boat, reading the river, choosing spots to specifically target your fly to, all while the boat crashes against rapids and shallow riverbeds, narrowly missing protruding boulders and half submerged logs.

An old pine tree has fallen into the river up ahead, so I cast toward it, hoping there's something big swimming amongst the submerged branches. Seconds after I cast, the fly is hit and the float is pulled beneath the surface. The hits are sudden. Reaction time is everything. This time I'm too slow, and yank the fly hard out of the water and into the boat, almost knocking the hat off Kim's head. I cast again toward the shore, where the bank of the river overhangs the water and creates an undercut. The fly calmly drifts along before suddenly shooting below the surface. This time my reaction is spot on. The rod bends hard on itself. It's another cutthroat, just over a foot long.

Soon I'm snagging cutthroat after cutthroat, and after reeling in nine fish (a feat which I was pretty chuffed with seeing as I'd never even held a fly fishing rod before) we arrive at the wharf where Kim's wife is due to pick us up. Kim suggests I have another cast while we wait. The water by the bank is dark and without any better option visible I cast towards it. I recast a few times, when suddenly the line chugs, hard. I whip the rod back. A sudden weight pulls it in the opposite direction as the rod bends on itself like it's about to snap. I can hear Kim telling me to carefully reel it in. It's something big.

Kim grabs the net and as I lift it out of the water its weight becomes apparent. With only its head just breaking the surface of the water, it comes off the line and swims away. We both start laughing and Kim says it had to have been a heavy bull trout — a beast in these waters.

As we drive back toward Fernie, Kim's wife is shocked at how many fish I netted on my first ever trip. I'm adamant I just got lucky. Perhaps a more appropriate apparition would be if the tribe chief and his daughter ditched the horse, and picked up a pair of fly fishing rods.

Damien Axiak 

QUICK UPDATE ON CORROBOREE

Lord Jim has just returned from Corroboree and done well.  He got heaps of both barra and toga.  James tells us that the barra are very very fat and lazy, but  Cathies red and black fly really worked on them.  So if you are going out, try the black and red.  All bird fur if you can get it, with red aluminium sparkle.  However, have not tried the WW STS or a KK fly on them yet.  Sounds like a challenge?

Cathie Bassett got the seven species, three in a row on this fly! It works.

KRAZY KRANTZ FLIES

Dave Krantz is at it again, making Krazy Krantz flies, and here is the secret, his secret specialist fly tiers

The 'Specialists' at a secret location.

The KK 'Rat'

KK 'Frogs' and 'Rats'.

The STS Fly

Recent readers of a post on the blog might recall Wayne Williams creating a fly that has arguably exceptional qualities as a fly for all comers.

Being of a suspicious mind on spurious claims of this nature, I decided to invite Wayne and take it out to the coalface and see what happened.

After driving out of the harbour and looking for a non existent pod of Tuna we decided to spend the last of the run out looking for something to test the fly on, first up with some judicious and highly accurate casting I managed to hook a Mud crab, unfortunately the the hook wouldn't penetrate and the weedguard got in the way of any decent penetration so it was lost. My concerns about the fly's ability was met with a blank look from Wayne.

Next up  a stud Bream was spotted and it completely ignored me, again my concerns for the generic nature of the said Fly was met with disdain, now this Fly named the STS or Sunrise To Sunset carried a high expectation seeing I had discarded my favorite Clouser.

Sunset to Sunrise Fly

On a leisurely drift along a nice flat we were confronted with a pretty good looking Blue Salmon, that fish had no hesitation, exploding after the offering and amazingly whilst being a reasonable size has taken Wayne into the backing, I said that's impressive and the fight was well handled, his reaction to my inquiring about did he have the drag done up wasn't,...I was only asking!

Anyway, everything did eat it, Barra etc., I now have a number of them in my box and have been converted, having said that its not a good muddie fly I'm sorry I have to tell it like it is, as we lost a couple more. It has a great look in the water, as for the hype about being a Barra a cast fly, that has to be read with the ability to put it where you need to.

Overall I'm impressed.

ROG JUST LOVES A WALK..... NOT!!!

I know how you feel Cath as far as Rog and walking is concerned. Attached is a photo taken in Tassie a few years back. It was just after we had walked about 6 k's into a lake. Rog was asking all of us who was going to carry him and his gear back out!! 

 

FACEBOOK ADDITION TO BLOG

Just got a request from a fly fisher in Argentina who has had a look at the blog and liked it, to consider adding a Facebook connection to the blog.  Now we keep stuffing up the blog, so adding Facebook may be just another stuff up, but when we looked into Facebook, it is quite amazing how many people put information on it that we might find interesting in the blog.   So, with that in mind we have created a Facebook page, which is linked to the blog along with the 'Tales from a Tinny' page for easy access.  For those who have Facebook, the link is .....
https://www.facebook.com/pages/NT-Fly-Fishers-Social-Mob/623169154361524

Just picked this one up from Dave Krantz; Looks great!

Kicking frog fly is ready to roll

BEAUTIFUL SANDY

No, not Jennifer, but Sandy.  Sandy Billabong,  in Kakadu,  a really really beautiful spot.

If you look really hard you can see the fish off the sand in the centre of this photo.

The water is almost crystal clear with just a slight tint from the tea tree, but to the right of this photo is a large 'beach area' that goes for a few kilometres with access to pools about two metres deep where you can see everything in the pool, including the fish and some logs that are scary when the sun goes behind a cloud and the wind moves the water.  We checked them out though and they did not have legs or teeth as originally thought. You can see how clear it is in this pool for probably 60 metres across behind Jim, with the main part of the billabong over behind the pandanas.

Are you sure that's only a log??

I hope so!!  (In the same pool as Jim) 

We got barra, saratoga, tarpon and longtom in the spot above. It was different fishing from a bank, but great fun. We could not get our boats in as the ramp was locked so we had no choice but to walk it.

We were told its the first time flies have been used in the billabong. These ones worked!!

Talking of flies in trees, make sure to take plenty of flies because in some spots the trees were ferocious and it was close quarter combat if we fished along the banks of the main billabong.

That's 'Jungle' Jim in another hungry tree

*%+#@#@!!  tree

Trek a few k's through this soft sand, fishing on the way, really helps you sleep at night.

Barra from the bank of the main billabong.

A small toga from off the sandy middle of a pool.

Not only did I have to carry all the gear, I nearly had to carry Roggie back after a trek up the soft sand.

This really is a beautiful spot, we have heard of metre barra coming out of it, but you have to be authorised to get a boat in apparently which we will try and arrange on the next visit.

Ran into 'Crusty' and Wayne out there too.

Jim needed the anti reverse reel for the trees?

The Truth !!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbgShiaal6E

PICNIC DAY FOR THE MOB

A bit of an update on our next mob gathering on Saturday the 22nd June, at the Brokenflagen Picnic grounds/convention centre.  Location map and more information will be sent via emails.

A BYO day, there is a 'shady lane' casting area (all shaded), tying and lying area.  After a few beverages there will be a large number of experts to tell you all about, lines, knots, rods, reels and fly fishing techniques.   Just like the SEQ Fly Fishing convention, but in a park setting.  Bring your rods, reels and tying gear. If you are having problems with casting or techniques, there is always plenty of 'experts'.

There will be bbq's, esky's and fridges for your use, also, if you get a 'dirty glass' or don't have a 'sober bob', Justine and Marty have kindly invited everyone to bring a swag/mozzie dome, and stay overnight. There is also a large room and cover, so you can stay for breakfast on Sunday and arrive home safely.

Evening entertainment will be provided around natures TV (campfire) if you decide to have a 'sleep over'.  There is a ton of room and facilities.

We will finalise a plan for the BSSS (Bynoe Sheep Station Stakes) fishing trip, and now that Graeme has given up the 'Game Plan' we will have to try and work out all the map codes. He mentioned "sheep and cow's" so we may have to put a couple of milking cows onto the sheep station? Just on that, the BSSS is set down for the 6th and 7th July, so if you are staying at Sand Palms, don't forget to book ASAP. 

Remember the rule is to 'have fun' and win 'Glory'( I think that's the name of a sheep?).

The Game plan

 Tomorrow your going fishing, this usually gets plenty of  pictures in the brain, often unrelated to ability, We,being the stuff that dreams are made of consider this.Having a reasonable knowledge of how estuarys function is imperative if you want the best results.

I liken an estuary to a farm,all the inhabitants follow established patterns according there species,because 95% of the time I'm looking for a visual I will deal with the sheep and cows (not the rabbits and snakes).Barra, Threadfin in the dry and in rest periods shelter everywhere there is cover and little movement..Hunt these species when the water leaves the shallows. Regardless if they're feeding or not,they have no choice but follow this timeless ritual, tide height only depicts the boundary of there accessibility 3.5 lows are the start, giving you the last line of trees access,lower means they start having to move in to the open or leave totally. Knowing the hills and gullys will dictate where you should be first.and last.

Bring your Girlfriend with me once and she will be there every year 

Queenfish and Trevally: are in the main are High Water predators,reef structure,Trees with high flows are where they are showing up,consider they just sat out the low tide in some boring  hole waiting for this point in daily momentum.These fish are visual hunters so clearer water is best,always start on the leading edge of flow i.e where water strikes first. Thats school fish,so what what was that monster Queenfish that just swam by,he is like an old Roo kicked out of the mob feeding and hunting on his own till he dies, over the years I have guided 13 of these over 20lb on shallow flats,seeing many more .

The Game Plan:  comparably, that mob of sheep you're looking for could be at the top gate or down near the water tank, the Cows wont feed into the wind where the grass blows straight in there eyes, if what you want to catch  needs its eyes, stay out of dirty water.Chasing Barra on a windy dirty flat might not stop their ability to eat but they usually leave because they really hate bobbing up and down.
The more you frequent the paddock the more you observe the game trails,there is far more country then inhabitants,I put this to great effect in 1998 when I first started at Crab Claw, I studied the front yard and the roads and trails that led there, only then did I move to the back country and the dreams beyond..
These days after 17 yrs it doesn't matter where I start I know 5 routes from there on, if I am unable to locate them there, I'm sniffing down their access trails just looking for the signs.
I never mind people asking me where? Bynoe for instance is full of wheres, discovering the when will undoubtedly determine far better results overall.

Questions. Hunting Barra and Threadfin why do they ignore me even when I see them?
Two things the speed of water i.e the drop determines activity, a 3.0m lows means they can have a dozen naps on the way out often treating anything with disdain, a 1.0 m low will leave a mud trail as they realise, "WTF! get out of my way". Secondly like all fish any change in temperature upsets them, doesn't matter if its 30 or 25 its the actual change that bothers them, they will get used to it. Having said that above 32 and below 23 I might as well go home or find something else not so pedantic.

Flies: I'm not game to get into that other then to say they need to be castable, (sailfish flies are hard to cast to a Barra) achieve some sort of generic relationship, (not the whole feather duster). They achieve the desired depth, (heavy eyes in 200mm of mangrove sticks is a no no) and most important you think its the best fly .

Great tides coming 3rd to 9th of June, good luck

Cheers Graeme