bluefin

If you turn the swivel around you can slip it over the barb of the hook, unlikely to ever come off while fishing! I use no 12 or 14 swivels, quite small but will handle 6 to 8 kg line. Can get a photo tomorrow if needed? Howard.

Sounds like a good day! Havent been to Avoca for a long time. When making your 3 hook rigs, put a swivel between each hook. It lets the hooks move freely and makes it harder for the Salmon to throw the hooks! Howard.

Hey Allen, is this a NewZealand conspiracy to get us Aussies to change the name? " there was the 2 week kawahi fest " Regards Howard.

The boat arrived on thursday,( Enterprise Marine) but the trailer didn't? So I am hoping that by tuesday I might be lucky! The motor has been sent to Ballina to be fitted on to a swinging arm on the back of the camper, so Electric only for a few weeks. The lake is the obvious choice for a christening! Will be in the middle of the day though. Will take the fly rod and some bread Barbara can try some SP's. Howard.

"Thought I'd better extract the digit and find these so far mythical fish, before the social" Oh dear, not another species to add to the list? Would have been a top day on the water though!!! Howard.

Great sport, I love catching larger mullet like that. Hope to be down your way tuesday, will try and give the lake a go on the way home! Howard.

About the same age I started! GREAT STUFF!!!! Howard.

Hopefully pick up the boat next week, may just have a poke around the lake on the way home. Wont have the motor back for another couple of weeks with the camper, but the electric will do! Loved reading your report, as usual. Howard.

I actually use a 7144 and 650c5 alvey which I have had for a very long time. My wife has a 6 kg wilson livefibre 10 1/2 foot rod with 14 lb fireline and a 6500b baitrunner. Tried Fireline on the Alvey but throwing loops was disasterous, actually had no trouble with cut fingers! Worked well, cast a mile but pulled a lot of hooks by striking too hard. Fireline doesn't get draged down in the surf like mono, so you can get away with a shorter rod. I often get out fished, must be her hi tec gear!!!!!!! Howard.

What a top day! Well done! That water looks fishy! Howard.

Bashir, your right. EB 60 epix 27.6 oz Baitrunner 4500 22.2 oz Epix is considerably heavier!

Beach rods have traditionally been long, 14 to 16 foot rangoon cane was once common. Baits are cast a long way out, and the strech in mono line makes it hard to set a hook, hence the long rods! With the use of lines like Fireline this is no longer a problem, in fact the opposite is often true! I have struck too hand on occasions and pulled hooks out! Fireline makes it possible to use shorter, lighter rods and reels. BUT NOT AN ALVEY! Threadlines only! My allround favorite would be a 6 kg 10 1/2 foot carbon fibre with 6 kg Fireline and a 6 kg to 10 kg flurocarbon trace and matching reel. 6 kg trace for Bream and Whiting, 10kg for Tailor and Salmon. Howard.

Have been rebuilding a 4120 beach rod, had decided to put a Shimano 4500 Baitrunner on it using 14 lb Fireline and 15lb trace. Now I'm not so sure, I have a couple of Epix EB 30 and 20 size reels and they work very well. So perhaps I should go for an Epix EB 60? Titanium spool lip and line roller should suit the Fireline better. My wife has a 6500 baitrunner on a 10 1/2 foot 6 kg beach rod with Fireline and it works well, but it is a bit heavy, the 4500 would be better! The 6500 would suit a 12 foot rod and 10 kg better! Well what do you think, Shimano or Okuma? Must be a baitrunner type, i like to drop it in a rocket launcher, sit back and watch! Howard. ( 4120 = 4 wraps of fibreglass, 10 foot long, 3 to 6 kg )

Came across a Combi on it's side in a ditch on the way into Pebbly years ago. The guy claimed he was charged by a huge Boar and rolled over, the side was pushed in where he said he was hit. We didn't hang around! Beautiful part of the world! Howard.

BUT!!!!!!!! Found out a bit more! VHF radios are now covered by a Class Licence, so marine radio users do not need to obtain (or pay for) a separate radio licence. However, a proficiency certificate from the Australian Communications Authority is still required to use VHF radio on boats in Australia. Marine radio users can either obtain a Marine Radio Operators Certificate of Proficiency (MROCP) or a Marine Radio Operators VHF Certificate of Proficiency (MROVCP) to meet this requirement. Further information on proficiency certificates is available on the Australian Maritime College (AMC) web site.

Did a boat licence course yesterday and was told we no longer need a licence to operate a VHF Marine radio, also phoned Bias Boating who confirmed it! Regards Howard.

BLUECOD FLIES LTD.

Came across an old rod of my fathers, I vaguely remember building it for him, it must be 25years old at least. The old chromed brass reel seat had come loose and could be spun around, which gave me the idea of stripping it back and removing everything except the wooden butt. It's a good blank, FT 4120L Butterworth. At 10 1/2 foot with the butt it's a great 3 to 6 kg beach rod. It now has EVA grips, a Fuji DPS 26 real seat and a new set of 6 Fugi guides. I hate using 2 part ''epoxy'' on the guides, so I will get Vic at Anglers World North Rocks to do that part for me. It's looking good! Hope to use it on some winter Salmon and Tailor! Howard.

Thats a good feed, You have done well!

All this talk is making the wait for the new boat unbearable, AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I haven't bothered with a tapered leader on Tailor, have even used a foot of wire on the end of the mono at times. Have a stack of tapered leaders left over from my Trout days, so I use them if I want some finesse!

I'm JEALOUS!!!!!!!! Regards Howard.

The smile on your face say's it all Ken! Enjoyed the report. Howard.

Dont have a good feeling about Hairtail again this year, no yakka usually means no Hairtail!!!! Howard.

I had a decision to make between a 25 2 stroke yammy and a 20 4 stroke honda Both the same weight at 50 kg. have ordered the Yamaha, 100 to 1 oil mix, can lay it in it's side in the trailer if needed, and more HP for it's weight( 25% more! ) At 100 to 1 oil mix I'm hoping for a lot less smoke and no plug fouling! Though I have trolled for hours with the old 9.8 Merc and never had a plug foul! Howard.