[upper turon rainbow rockets (now with a few pics!)]

Did three shortish sessions on the upper Turon and just got home. It's a beautiful river. I've read that Turon rainbows have a reputation as athletic fish. My first rainbow, a 46cm jack, was a stunning looking fish. Thick shouldered and hook jawed and crimson cheeked. Fat! But it just barrel-rolled and twisted and lugged against the line a bit. He bit on my third cast. The next, a 43cm jack, and every other fish afterwards, went ballistic. This one actually rooster tailed the line across cobble stoned shallows and leapt high, then reversed the run and jumped again and fought all the way to my hand.

Ended up with these two, a 39cm male, a nuclear-powered 41cm hen which also did drag screeming runs and twisting, shaking jumps, and a 35cm hen. They were all barrel chested, brightly coloured and fat as pigs. This river must really carry a lot of trout tucker. Also had about ten trillion follows. Every pool nd good run had fish follow the lure. So frustrating but makes you want to crack the code.

The first two fish came on a 1/16th black wascally wabbit tailed jig, the rest on a 1/32nd darter head rabbit tailed jig in perch colours. Both are about an inch long but three pound braid and a 7'6" ultra light rod casts them far enough. Also got a 25cm redfin and one pool was home to two 3kg carp. Met two blokes using two inch stickbait plastics and celta style spinners who had no luck that arvo. For the fly boys: mid arvo saw heaps of rises by smaller 30cm fish, from gentle sips to big splashy half jumps.

Photos you ask> new camera, keen to see how pics came out, touch wrong button, panic, hit another button, delete all images. Argh. Had really wanted a profle pic of a hook jawed male rainbow and got one. Ah well. Have to stay with the memories. Was magic, clambering up a river which splits huge rock peaks and tempting turbo charged trout. Could not have asked for more for my second ever stream trout trip. And only saw one snake; a one metre red bellied black.

Mate well done , to date there has been 62,000 Brown Trout and 60,000 Rainbow Trout released into the Turon and Crudine Rivers since Nov 09 , it truly has been a remarkable success with Trout thick from Sofala up , we are hoping the good seasons continue for a few more years .

Ken Smith

Secretary Sofala Branch Central Acclimatisation Society

[Carp Fish]

Thanks ever one for supporting and helping us ( as well as fishing ) out on Saturday it was a real success , for a small town like Sofala to get the amount of anglers that we did was fantastic , they removed 176lbs of carp from the river and along the way raised close onto $1200 for the purchase of native fish to go back into the river .

The winner of the "winner takes all raffle " was won by Steve Brgudac who also won the raffle ( Opals ) last year , Steve kept the gold nugget and donated all the other prizes back to be distributed to others present !

Winners on the day

Adult Male : Jack Smith 5.54KG

Adult Female : Sally Hanrahan 4.94KG

Adult Male 12/16 years Brandon Simmons 4.64kg

Female 12/16 years Jenny Fitzsimmons 2.75kg

Male under 12 years Zac Dudka 2.57kg

Female under 12 years Rhiannon Alderton 2.34kg

Largest fish caught on fly : Peter Hanrahan 3.91kg

Secret Weight : Rhiannon Alderton 2.32kg

First Fish weighed in : Corey Chapman .63 kg

Most fish weighed in male : Dean Fitzsimmons 5 fish

Most fish weighed in female : Jenny Fitzsimmons 5 fish .

Every child was a winner on the day as they all received a prize for participating and from all reports the day was enjoyed by all and was a great family get together !

Thank you to every one who supported us , it is greatly appreciated .

Regards

ken

[Bathurst & Sofala Carp Blitz]

Come Fishing Next Saturday , Kids Fishing Clinics , Fly Fishing Clinics , Prizes

Next Saturday the 20th November Sofala Carp Blitz is happening ( Sofala is about a 30 minute drive from Bathurst NSW ) Mudgee side of the bridge at Sofala , 7.30 am to 4.30 pm , bring the kids and let them participate in a free fishing clinic run by Education Officer Brett Smith from I&I ( NSW Fisheries )abley assisted by Fishcare Volunteers , they will learn to rig a rod , cast , identify fish species , how to handle fish and heaps of other things , Brett has fibreglass moulds of native fish which he uses to show the kids the different species of native fish .

Kids do not need their own fishing gear as rods and reels are supplied !

Learn to fly fish with Member of Federation Fly Fishers Master Certified Casting Instructor Peter Morse " Wildfish " and Certified casting instructor Dave Rutar , again you do not need your own fly fishing gear as fly gear will be available for your use ! Fly Fishing for carp would have to be one of the most successful ways to target carp in clear water !

Dont have a fishing licence ? you can get a licence there !

Peter Hanrahan " Madfisher " the Golden Guru will be there , get some tips from Pete and Sally how to consistently take natives on fly as well as trout , Pete and his wife Sally would be one of the most succesfull fly fishing anglers I have the pleasure to know and Sally one of the best fly tyer's!

Catch carp and weigh them in to be in the running for some great prizes , top quality fishing gear , and prizes from Pure Fishing , Kubota , Country Energy , Skilled and others .

Camp over for the week end , there is plenty of public access spots to the Turon River and excellent camp sites , the river has a nice flow in it and it is clear and easy to polaroid some big carp at the moment .

A raffle will be drawn at the end of the day

Sofala Carp Blitz Raffle winner takes all !

Gold Nugget aprox value ($200 - $300) Donated by Dave Thompson

Table ware donated by Tim & Leda Snell

Embroided Towel Fish Design Donated by Betty Williams

Girls Shakespeare T Shirts x 3 sizes 8, 10, 18 Purefishing

Fishing rod and reel combo Purefishing

Tiffany Foot Spa

Berkley Power Bait Trout Nuggets Purefishing

Berkley Gulp Earth Worms Purefishing

Country Energy Umbrella Countryenergy

Drink Bottle Countryenergy

Two Bottles of Wine

Learn to fish DVD I&I Fisheries

The Carp Cook Book DLWC & CMA

Assorted Stickers Murray Darling Basin Commission

Tickets $1 each or 6 for $5 (if the winner is under 18 wine must be accepted by parent or guardian)

ALL MONIES RAISED WILL GO TOWARDS PURCHASE OF NATIVE FISH FOR RELEASE IN THE SOFALA DISTRICT SUBJECT TO APPROVAL FROM I&I NSW Fisheries!

Hope to see you there

Ken Smith