ENTHUSIASM IS INFECTIOUS

Hi Cathie,

Thanks for a great few days out at the shelter, the fishing was not spectacular, but it doesn’t have to be too have fun. If I see fish I am happy. After spending a day in the Orange Marauder, I learnt you and Rog are of the same mindset. Enthusiasm is infectious. I wish the Barra we saw had the same enthusiasm towards eating. To see so many good casts go fruitless was a little frustrating, but that’s the flats. I did go to a dark fly the next day.

Graeme’s recent write up on high water Barra was spot on for the Barra pictured. I hit the flat on the incoming and found the water was way higher than I would normally fish it. I was out of the wind so was happy to sneak along the mangrove line looking for any sign of a fish. This fish was laying head down, tail up under a sizable branch. It was tough getting an accurate cast in under the branches and after about a dozen attempts, six of those right on its nose, it wouldn’t eat. I shortened the fly by about an inch and on the next cast, the dark tail disappeared followed by that satisfying feeling of good weight on the rod. Ecstasy was quickly followed by panic as the Barra launched up through the branches. The joys of short casts in tight spots. This fish wasn’t huge but was one of the more memorable fish I have landed. Funnily, the only other Barra I saw that day was on the high tide in the morning, on a flat that I thought would not be worth fishing due to high water.

The Barra was on Coopers too

I love Bynoe, and the advantage of staying for a few days is being able to hold the bar up for a few hours at the end of a day’s fishing…I could only imagine Rogers form on origin night…..I’m guessing you didn’t make it onto the water on Thursday.

Thanks again.

 Dave Friebel

SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO!

From Jono Shales in the West

Graeme was saying that the pelagics often come in from around July and August, and last August they were all over the place up at the top of Indian Island....so this is what we have have to look forward to..the West is already into it.

THE WEST 2014

BYNOE AUGUST 2013 & 2014??

Don't be greedy!!!!

7 metre plus high at sun up moving down to a 2.4 metre low ticks all the boxes for “no run no fun” and is low enough to bring the fish out of the scrub to be picked off with a good cast. Scene set. An 8 o’clock launch more than early enough, couldn’t help myself, on the water by 6!!  Found schools of Queenies working around most rocky outcrops and schools of small Trevor’s popping up all over the place.

As the tide started to move out of the mangroves it was time to start looking for Barra and Salmon and as often happens with the fast moving tides one minute nothing to be seen then all of a sudden the Barra appear all over the place tucked under branches or sat in drains waiting for that accurate cast. 

Beware!!

Just one more fish;

Can cause this;

Memo to Jim: Do no attempt single handed photos on fast dropping tide with onshore wind.

From this day on the story will be that, me being a big fan of the 7P’s, Prior Preparation and Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance, I was just positioning myself for the incoming tidal push in 4 hours – true!!!!.

While sight casting to, and hooking up on Barra and Salmon is a real buzz it does not come anywhere close to cruising along side a Groper a third of the length of my boat in less than a metre of water on a flat. The fish had no concern about the boat and just moved along at a walking pace. A special moment.

Remember, ‘If you never never go, you’ll never never know” get out there and fish.

Tight lines

Jim Churchley

For Hire....contact Lord Jim