bombora

Hiya, just thought I'd show some jigs made mainly for trout. Have tied for a fair while but only very recently been hooked by the trout thing. It's harder making tiny jigs compared to big salty jigs - I think I may finally have to accept I need glasses!!!!! The 3cm Rapala minnow and No1 Celta are for size comparison: The orange and black belly spinner is to try something that fishes like a Celta, but has a single hook and no line twist. Idea stollen from US crappie fishers. A tiny plastic will work just as well no doubt, but it's just fun making your own lures, and it's a buzz when they actually fool a fish! There's an argument that no plastic moves like rabbit or marabou.

Orcas do go up the east coast. They've been seen off Sydney a bit and there are predictions more will be seen in the near future as baby humpback numbers increase each year.

Iron there were a million casts between fish and a LOT of bush bashing, but the jigs seem to fit stream fishing well. Rabbit moves beautifully in the water and much tougher than marabou Here's the successful ones, just a tad different to last time:

That looks like so much fun. What a beautiful little river and gorgeous trout. Great report and pics. The big brown is special. And congrats on the first brook trout!! Do you have a closeup?

Hi Rob got a couple on the trip, it's in other freshwater fishing reports section just above this one.

Not wrong Geoff. For me this ultra shallow luring was a real challenge: dead acurate casts into "the spot" was needed. Much more 'technical" fishing, with line control important (ha, sound like a fly fisho), than in the pools. Still can't figure out how a trout can get the angle to jump when it's in water so shallow it's just over its back!! Lots of rock wallabies and grey roos around this time, and some beautiful flowering trees, but didn't see one Joe Blake. Planning a trip back in a couple of months too.

Hi Rob I'm a saltie too and just got back from my fourth ever stream trout spin session, so here's a newbie's take on it (I'm sure the gun trouties will give more info). Bream kit is fine; 3 or 4 pound braid and 4lb flouro leader. Tiny lures, like mini plastics an inch or so long and heads of 1/32nd for shallows, and 1/16th for deeper pools or places with strong flow. I've had bites on black and also white/olive green jigs. Tiny hardbodies (about 4cm-5cm) are a lot of people's choices but it must hurt when a $20 lure gets stuck on a snag. Lots use Celtas too but I'm not a huge fan of trebles. Be really quite and light footed near the water. Try not to wade unless you have to. First casts can be while you are standing back from the edge, if you can. Cast directly upstream if really shallow, or at 45 degrees upstream if deeper. Let the jig bounce and flutter back to you with the flow. Look for shadowed undercut banks, the start and end of pools, and behind snags etc where the trout can be out of the current but in a possie to snaffle what comes down the stream. Don't be afraid of really shallow oxygenated runs. If there's lots of timber on the stream bottom then snagging can take its toll on lures. Hope you score, cheers.

Sick of the crap coastal weather so went over the mountains again yesterday. The Upper Turon was very different to when I visited in early November. Less water, warmer water, and slimey weeds covering the bottom, especially in the pools. The pools which were chock full of trout last time were stone dead this time. Heavy cloud all day and drizzle and light rain. Did not get a follow or spot one fish in any pools (apart from more carp compared to last time). So consulted my vast trout knowledge ( yeah right) and remembered reading that shallow oxygenated runs could be the place to cast. This fat 46cm fish came from a really difficult place: She (?) came from the riffle/run up past the overhanging logs and the dead bush in the water. Demanded a backhand low sideways cast under the overhanging logs and above the dead bush. When she hit she powered towards me and the long logs in the water: Lots of rod angles to land her. Fought like Turon rainbows are meant to. Took a 1/32nd minnow head rabbit tail jig in olive and white with red gill slash. The only other fish for six hours of hard yakka mountain goating was this 42cm rainbow: It took a 1/40th black bugeye (google eyes glued to a roundhead with sides filed flat)jig with peacock herl body and rabbit tail: I'd got the first fish early so after 4 hours plus of nothing had tied on the itty bitty bugeye to try for carp. I'm no good enough for those buggers, so went back to spotted fish. The 42cm fish hit in an ultra shallow riffle and went berzerk and had its back out of the water as it charged down the run! High rod!! It was actually weaving between pebbles above the water. A couple of times it chose gaps about six inches apart between rocks. Yee ha!!!!! Still a trout newby and first time I've scored a good fish in such shallow water it couldn't keep its back or top of its tail fin wet. Was spraying water droplets everywhere with its tail like an outboard with the leg tilted up!! Then it got to a pool and went under a submerged log and out the other side and onto the surface. Four pound Nitlon leader is brilliant. Backed off and despite lots of "oh no" leader rubbing eventually got her back under the log and to my feet. No one told me stream trout where this much fun. Really nice fella I met as I packed the car to head home said the place copped a flogging at Christmas. Doesn't matter. Love that river and its turbo-charged trout.

Been mega busy at work but heading up again to "my" river tomorrow and needed some encouragement reading, instantly provided by Luderick angler, Caddis et al on Fishraider. Great reports guys. Can't wait!! Noticed there was a neat little rise in the river over the weekend. Never wet waded before, no choice this time as the cheap waders I used last time leaked from the moment they got wet and were binned. Bought some cheapo hiking boots and thick socks, Any wet wading comfort tips? Hey Jembro if I can catch a trout here anyone can. Guessing you were "float and fly" or "float and jig" fishing? If so just ditch the float as our nearby rivers are modest sized and ultralight spin gear can cast a jig down to about 1/36th oz far enough by itself. At least worked for me a few times!!

Read a cool story online of these wild japanese fishos who aim to catch the smallest fish possible. The ultimate capture, apparently, is a fish whoch can be framed by a fingernail. They fish in rice padie ditches. In the past they actually used human hair as the line. I was won some stuff for a letter which was published in a Pommie fishing mag while working over there. Part of the prize was several packets of hooks, each already attached to about a metre of line. The hooks were no20s!!!!!and the line one pound breaking strain. They have been really useful catching micro-poddies for bait!!

Thanks guys. Good info. The cane is in remarkable condition I think. No sign of splitting, dead straight. I've had a little go in the past at blokes who buy beautiful old surfboards and make em wall hangers rather than ride em, and I don't flyfish (yet) so am thinking of offering it to someone who'd fish with it, or at the very least a mad-keen fly fisher who'd apprecieate it as a wall hanger more than me! Will have a think.

Hiya, anyone know any history of Aussie tackle making? Was walking past a local 2nd hand shop yesterday and spotted an old split cane fly rod in the window. Long story short, bought it. It's a hexagonal split cane flyrod made by Bill Southam. In it's canvas bag. Two piece, 8'6" long. Beautiful writing near the butt is tiny, but slightly larger writing says "The Gem Rod" I think. Funky old guides. The cane is in superb condition and arrow straight. The reel seat looks like the seat in the only photo I could find on the web of a Bill Southam fly rod. Apart from the reel seat, which seems a bit siezed up and I will try some WD40 _ don't wanna force it _ the rod is absolutely fishable. All I've been able to find is that Bill Southam was a gun angler and caster and made rods (including game rods) out of Lane Cove in Sydney and that Zane Grey (!!) is said to have used and admired them in his famed NZ flyfishing adventures in the 1930s(?). I'd love to know more about the rod. Paid $70 for it but making a buck is not the issue.

Great pics and report, got me so twitchy!!

That's a bueatiful fish caddis, and great report, well done digger!

Actually Ken well done to you guys. Hard work rewarded. Just thought I'd show the two little jigs which worked. Black round head thread body and rabbit tail is a 1/16th. Simple jig, gets bites and isn't too painfull to lose. The darter head is 1/32nd with brown olive and white rabbit tail and red thread body, gold eye, meant to be a bit baby perch-ish. Both are about 3cm long and painted with two dollar shop nail polish and hard as nails coated. Low flash for clear water. They are the actual jigs as I managed to miraculously miss snags all trip. Unheard of.

Great report and pics guys! Was looking forward to it. Know the feeling about being sent nuts by the amount of teasing follows! And they are all fatties which go like the clappers in that river aren't they! Looks a tad more open country than the bit I stumbled around. Water looks a bit greener as well. Pondering whether to try to get up there again before school hols or wait until after. Have read it gets a tad crowded during hols. Love the wood framed landing net, beautiful, gotta get one, though it seems an easy river to land by hand. Looking at your pics again it really is stunning country to a city/coast bloke.

It was a couple of rec fishing individuals on the north coast who supported this. Particularly one person who's been on about it for donkeys. ACORF met DPI/Fisheries and stridently opposed this. ACORF was totally ignored. It is minister Katrina Hodgkinson's decision. Remember she did not consult one rec fisho or rec fisho group before closing Cronulla.

That's a great brown Bream Mad! And that outfit is too sexy! Gonna have to get up there soon.

I think it's getting that flush. BOM river height has it rising from 2m to almost 4m at Sofala in just a few hours overnight!

Some decent rain, then showers and cooler weather forecast for next four or five days in the area I think, so looking good. Mega keen to get back there and explore further!!

Jeez I had fun reading that. Great report and pic essay!

Hey Geoff if a gumby stream spin fisho like me can get a few the fly should go off. Some of the rises were violent! The pix don't really show the floating leaf litter which could disguise lines. Was using 2kg flouro leader but did wish I had some 3 pound on me as well. I've only seen fishing videos of rising trout and sorta thought they always just left dimples in delicate sips. They did that too but also barrel roll-jumped and just did plain big splashy splats! If the little jigs worked some small streamers deep could be good if no surface action. I saw some very slender olive backed minnows about an inch and a half to two inches long very nervous in the ultra shallows.

I now know where the macro and sport buttons are on the new camera (Ha). Just wanted to put up a blurry shot in the water shot and a shocking camera shadow shot only to show how chunky the fish were! Reckon the camera shaow pic fish looks as fat as a salmonfarm occupant. And a pic of a reptile I didn't mind meeting on the river (check out how clear the water is behind the water dragon (is it??? I'm a river wildlife gumby!) Gotta go back to try for a bigger bloke 'bow. Hey Iron yes very happy to get something back!!

Some more scenery. I spend my fishing time under harsh blue skies in open landscapes like sandflats and on the harbour or outside and to be among the shadows and light of tall trees in a river gorge was addictive. For the fly boys check the casting room on the bigger pools!

Managed to retrieve some pics. The pics of the bigger males have gone to digital heaven (ah well) but got back pics from second and third sessions. Happy fella. These are the smaller females and smallest male (I think) which liked the little perch colour jig, but boy they were fat too!!! And one of the magical pools on the river.