bombora

Almost every tuna eaten in Japan as sashimi was frozen.

My fave blurter recipe: Fillet and cut out red bloodlines from flesh. Cut flesh into match box shaped chunks about 3-4cms long. Combine breadcrumbs and thai spices of your choice (I just use either the hot, or mild Thai spice mixes in those little jars) in a plastic bag. Pour a can of coconut cream (not milk) into a bowl and dip trev chunks in coconut cream and put a few of the coated chunks at a time into the plastic bag full of Thai-spiced breadcrumbs and shake. Repeat until all the chuncks are coated. Put the chunks in a covered container for an hour in the fridge. Then fry em up. Deep frying is better but shallow fry OK too. They are done when the coating goes golden. Serve with slices of lime or lemeon. Yum!!!! Kids love em too (McBlurter nuggets!). Deep frying keeps the flesh beautiful and moist, with a crusty coating. I've tried this on other fish and trevs just seem to compliment it perfectly.

Been seeing a bit of a buzz in the US around the use of chapstick (the lip balm)to ensure far less slipping of knots when joining braid to leader. Some yanks swear it produces a knot much less likely to slip when locking down than wetting it with spit. They in particular say it's helpful with very thin new gen superlines like Nanofil (which demands very good knots). Anyone tried it? result?

Yep, but you are right it's a particularly thick and wide one. Gotta admit it's so wide I had a flash of world's biggest remora! Nice catch casting a lure from a pier.

That's not good at all LA. Wonder why they have invaded that far up. My last trip there I went fair way up past the gates and saw no carp at all. How was the water level? Looks like its risen a little bit. Must admit I thought you'd kill it up there this weekend _ cold, rising water and fish already in spawn mode! Ah well.

Reckon a 1-3kg is perfect for stream trout. I think even a 2-4kg is too heavy. My recent freshwater learning experiences (I'm also a salty fella) is that you want a rod that can also cast really really tiny lures as well as just small lures. Like a gram, or less, jigheads. I love my 7'6" rod as the river I fish most often generally has a lot of room to cast, but would occasionally love to also have a really short rod (5'6") for really tight streams with lots of bankside vegetation. a seven footer or six six would be a decent compromise. Love 3 pound Crystal and four pound flouro leader for stream trout spinning. Just make sure the rod isn't too fast a taper or you'll risk lots of pulled hooks. And a big thumbs up to the shallow spool spinning reels with the finesse drags _ they are excellent for ultralight lines: no start up inertia.

Beautiful images Kyuss, and can channel your aches! Love the colours on that brown. Several months ago was trying to research the origins of Blue Mountains and Central Tablelands trout and read, if I remember right, that the rainbows of Jenolan Caves area are the most "pure" Californian steelheads originally brought here. Can't remember why, and a bit hazy what that meant, something to do with the old hatchery? will have to find the science paper again. Same creek?

It's scalloped and great hammerheads which are now no-take. It's not the common hammers which you see all the time inshore in NSW.

That's interesting Mimyo, maybe keep the mono for if the bite's really shy but stay with wire if they are on? Actually was just thinking back and we got our harbour hairies back then during daytime. Maybe mono also worth considering during gentlemen's hours. Guys rather than asking specific locations, which might be packed, why not search; deep, clean, water and little current seemed key back then. There's a fair few places in the lower harbour like that .

When hairtail invaded Middle Harbour in the late 70s we would fish em from the shore; little tidal flow in the harbour so we did the most simple of rigs: live yakka with 4/0 through the back and about a metre of 2Okg mono trace. Sometimes added a small sinker as well. Interesting that some fishing gurus now saying ditch the wire trace for more strikes.

Wow sensational river fish Caddis. He looks fantastic. Great stuff. And true gentlemen to hand over some tackle, and the spot!

Love the frozen tree pic Kel. Made me shiver!

And just to confuse things, sometimes you can catch tiny baby kingfish smaller than big yellowtail scad.

Iron, I told my mate I'd given his mud map to a group of guys who love to dangle worms and love eating trout and have big families . He took the bait for a split second, the evil eye started to glow , then he realised he was being had. But he did ask to keep secret for now, as the fish I managed is bigger than his best there (not by much) and he said he's gonna a go this week and beat it. He will too, I bet. Really good fisho. The floods apparently have allowed some better than normal fish into this skinny water _ there are some really deep undercut banks to hide in. Luderick Angler: re the hooked jaw, what naughty boys these male rainbows are, sound like my local pub on a Friday night. Hooked up, that 55cm rainbow is awesome. Love to get one that big. Dwag, Centrepin and Hooked Up, I'm good at whining about the sore legs but yep, loved exploring. Such beautiful, raw country. Just gotta get more fit! Too long sitting on arse in a boat or easy strolls on sandbanks. Only other fish was a 31cm brown, also on a rabbit zonker 1/32nd head jig: It too was small headed and thick shouldered.

Great report Kyuss, what magic water; love that pic of the rainbow with the stream, framed by tall trees, in the background. And the underwater brow looks fantastic too.

G'day Iron, different stream this time, wanted to expand my horizons and got a tip from a mate, under warnings of death not to reveal as its more high country creek than stream. Sorry. Hard yakka and lots of walking and didn't see a fish for first four hours and was cursing mate until finally found a couple of fish. I'll ask him over coffee tomorrow if he doesn't mind a PM to a trusted fisho. Don't know how he'll react. Might get latte over my head!

Headed over the mountains a few days ago to bash through Central Tablelands bush for some stream trout spinning. Awesome weather. Eight hours of non stop walking/stumbling/sweating for just two fish. But one was a hook jawed jack rainbow of 45cms. Went ballistic, jumping seven times (I counted!). Hit the little rabbit zonker jig in a run one foot deep, 20 feet long and five feet wide. Thick shouldered, super chunky fish. I know bugger all about trout but is this fishes jaw the result of the hormones racing through them as spawning time arrives? Or would it look like this year round? Pic doesn't do the colours justice either _ wonder if those spawning colours are starting to show? Water was air-clear. Also, the jack ran down from its run on hook up and did its jumps in a tiny pool I was standing/crouching beside. After revival and release, I cast into the same tiny run again and a female smacked the jig _ lost it cause the fish porpoised towards me, jumping directly at me three or four times and couldn't get a decent hook set _ couldn't reel fast enough! Was this the jack's lady friend? Man my legs are still sore.

They seem to enter the harbour every ten years or so. I remember we scored a heap, for several weeks, in Middle Habour in the late 70s, from the shore, when we were kids. PS some gurus know say try heavy mono trace over wire for more hits.

Beautiful river Centrepin looks like you had a good time. And lots of casting room!

A 31 pound Sydney cobia on 8 pound Maxima mono (pre braid days) and then recently a 93cm Sydney king on 10kg braid in three fathoms of water. Both fish, a couple of decades apart, ate home made hair jigs, which upped the joy.

Hey just a question: you guys reporting windknots in various brands, do you turn the reel handle to flick the bail arm over at end of cast or do you use your hand? Just MO but I think it's one of the biggest causes of windknots.

Never judge a book............Always remember having a mid week live bait with a mate at The Ovens in late 70s. Two other blokes were already there and looked very punk. Mohawk on one, the other all spikey. My mate, a conservative fella, was immediately suspicious. Even said 'watch our kit". Anyway these two blokes decided to go, packed their rods, and collected every bit of rubbish on the platform, foul stinky old bait in rockpools included. They then hauled it up the cliff. Mate felt quite stupid.

Good stuff, great report, how cool is a "wet the line" fish! Lov the spot the fish pic. Heading up to central tablelands on wednesday hopefully.

Great report and pics and some beautiful spotted ferals! That's a great river brown your mate scored. Was gonna head up there next week, but wondering about school holiday crowds. Many on the river?

Hey mate that would be great. Al's mad keen to see if it's one of the tagged fish. PS might be other way round as to who told who of spots . Cheers.