big Neil

How I envy your knowledge of Technology Donna. No doubt there are many benefits to gain from it. It changes so rapidly that one has to question whether one needs to keep up with it. I do what is absolutely necessary and no more. Hi to Stewy, bn

Here's a question for the brains trust. The phone operates everything via Bluetooth...navigation, music, phone calls and text messages. There's even a facility where I can talk to the COW and if it likes what I'm asking, it does what I ask. Here's the question: I am somewhere unfamiliar and I lose my phone or it becomes inactive following a swim. They don't like swimming as I have found out several times before. HOW DO I GET HOME? Serious question! There will be a prize for the best answer. bn

Hi Rob81. The owner of the dealership where I got the new COW took great delight in showing me the "secret key" and also how to expose the "hidden door lock". I was impressed so I asked him about the Android App to connect the phone for navigation. "No idea" he proudly announced and got the office girl to come out and show me how to connect the phone to the COW. All good, except when I got home, I tried it and naturally it didn't connect. Not the COWs fault, I'm as thick as a plank. bn

You would know the different learning styles Noel. Mine is to be shown, do it, do it again and again ...then it sinks in. As you say repetition! I cannot read manuals and learn that way, but I have had some small successes from following YouTube demos. That's how I've learned most of the fishing knots that I use. bn

Amazing to catch that on such light gear. Wouldn't have thought it possible. bn

Well done Bob and Steve. Good to see that you got a few feeds of fresh fish. One of those Gurnard cost me a visit to the hospital at Toora in Gippsland when it spiked me while I was cleaning it. My hand and arm went black and the pain was severe. Cheers, bn

Good to see that there are other Neanderthals out there. I suspect there is an entire generation of us who struggle with the simplest of things technological. The car is a monster but so is the "smart TV " that my daughter said I needed. I admit that while these wonders of the 21st century work trouble free, they are amazing. BUT I have had to phone her numerous times when something basic goes wrong. I have been to a short course entitled Tech Savvy Seniors and I was the most proficient senior there. Alas, that says very little for the others. I shall do what I normally do. Try to wing it bit by bit and not stuff anything up too much. In the meantime, I am looking forward to getting out and about and doing a bit more fishing. Bring it on, bn

I am interested in your comment noelm because you are actually technology savvy, yet it's over the top for you. On the other hand, I can't read a manual and translate the words and diagrams into actions so I can't access the settings to customise the car to what best suits me. Either way, I'm not sure if all the technology is required. I started my Australian car ownership with an EH Holden. Good car except for the shoe brakes. Since then I have had 4 new cars and have to say that they are all very reliable. I feel severely disadvantaged because I have missed the technology train and will probably never know the capabilities of modern vehicles. Such is modern life, I suppose. bn

I have been in a bit of a rut over the past year or so. The ever-continuing saga of minor health issues, coupled with very poor LOCAL fishing conditions, has seen my fishing relegated to the back burner for most of that time. The closed season for Murray Cod hasn't helped either. Having my lawn bowls and pottery-making hobbies has provided sufficient incentive to keep plodding on regardless. Motivation to travel has been low, even though the desire has been high. I have neglected my real-time fishing opportunities but have kept in touch with the Fishraider community, through what has been a seemingly poor patch for everybody. Is my perception of a tough Winter fishing season for fellow Raiders realistic??? My Toyota Camry has been a great car but (like me) showing signs of wear and tear. After quite some time and lots of critiquing, I decided to trade her in on a new vehicle. So, over the course of a few weeks, I set about seeing what was available. My first surprise was to find that there was very little available, at least immediately available. Everybody seemed to be in the same predicament...no vehicles to actually see, sit in, smell the newness of, nor test drive. Brochures came out, and flipping pages and studying printed data became the norm. Then came the nitty gritty. If I were to have one of these, when could I take delivery? "Pay the deposit and we should be able to get one in by,,," became the familiar catchcry. Nobody could give me a guaranteed delivery date. Some were more than 6 months away. Don't know about you, but there's no way I'm putting a deposit on something that MAY be delivered in 6 months or so. Those of you who know me would be aware that I am a geriatric whose pet aversion is technology. It has been and continues to be, the bane of my existence. For many, many years I have struggled to be able to do even the simplest of things with technological items. The PC, laptop, phone, camera, kiln and car to mention but a few. These items, essential to my ever-changing needs, have been major challenges to my day-to-day survival. So now I have a new car. Suffice to say that it is lovely to drive. Plenty of power, comfort, room, and with the aid of a second mortgage, I can even put some petrol in it. BUT... driving to Narrandera last week I became aware of a strange sensation as I motored along at 100 km/hr. The steering seemed funny. I thought it may be the camber of the road or maybe a wheel alignment issue so I took my hands off the wheel. Lo and behold, the damn thing steered itself along the straight, round a left-hand bend, then a right-hand bend. I nearly pooped my pants. Bells and whistles, toot toots, and beep beeps have replaced the sound of Dire Straits playing in the background. I have become a captive to this man-made monster. For the time being, I will struggle to figure out my new relationship with this machine which I have nicknamed the COW (computer on wheels). bn

Wonderful to see that you still have the drive to keep chipping away at it Frank. It looks really neat so I hope that it goes to a good home and gets plenty of usage. Hope you make a few bucks on the sale too. Hi to Val. Neil

Fantastic that you all managed it while you were still able to do it. Such a shame to see all of those Carp in such pristine waters. They will definitely impact the Trout populations. Quality video too, well done. bn

Well done Bob and Rosie on the win. It looks pretty dry there. bn

The tube worms certainly did the job Shroom. Don't see good-sized Whiting caught one after the other very often. It's been a long time since I lived in Sydney and certainly, the rivers were considered polluted by all sorts of residue from local factories in that era. EPA has had a big impact on pollution in recent times so things have probably improved significantly. Haven't heard of anyone dying as a result of eating toxic fish so maybe my judgement is outdated. It would be nice to think so. Keep the videos coming, love the wacky ones. bn

I don't live in Sydney but I have often heard fishos say that they don't risk eating fish from the Sydney rivers which I take to mean the Georges and Parramatta. I don't class the Hawkesbury the same way though. Maybe they are ok these days, probably a lot less polluters than there used to be. I stand to be corrected, hopefully somebody (even Shroom) may like to comment. Cheers, bn

An interesting vessel Shroom. Plenty of good sized Whiting caught on the worms. Shame that they aren't able to be eaten though. bn

You're a great young guy Albert. Always prepared to acknowledge others who help you and to put yourself out to achieve your goals. Good luck with your Summer job, you will love it and I look forward to your reports from Darwin next year. Lots of fishing opportunities before then so keep focussed on your goals and enjoy your fishing. Cheers, bn

An ideal tinny for estuary and river fishing. Make sure that you flush the motor every time you use it and you should have lots of fun. Good luck with the fishing, looking forward to reading your reports. bn

Done well Bob and Steve. Did you get the Jewies slow trolling or on prawns? What lures were you slow trolling? Definitely gotta have a short midweek trip up there for a spot of river fishing, your posts are too enticing to ignore. Have to touch base to work out some availability. Keep fishing. bn

Defo NOT a rant Noel. Service has become a rarity in many towns and locations. Classic examples being some of the big-name stores. Not only are they expecting us to know where everything is, but they want us to serve ourselves so they can save a few wage packets. Great for their bottom line and their shareholders but to hell with customer service. Fortunately, the local independent supermarket has had the same staff for donkeys' years. They know all the customers by name and are only too willing to help. Sure, they are a bit dearer but at least you get treated as if you matter (and indeed you do). I may have become a critic of some places that offer no service or useless staff, so much so that I often resort to sarcastic comments. On the other hand, I am quick to acknowledge good service and often nip back to where it is provided with a piece of my pottery and a thank you card. The world is rapidly changing and some of the changes are at the expense of appreciating the value of customer needs. I'll classify this as an informed response...definitely NOT a rant. Don't get me going with one of those LOL. bn

That's a good sized Flattie. Good fun to catch and well done for releasing it. Fishing seems to have been quite slow recently judging by the reports on here. Hope it picks up as the weather warms up. bn

Hey Fab. You're a card, you should be dealt with. bn

Great report Dave. Well done on the Trevs, some nice ones there. How do you find the safe ways to get to these upstream areas? Any useful maps available or is it through many hours of trial and error? bn

Been thinking about you are your circumstances a lot, Bob. Wondering how you were coping being a junkie without a fix. Great to see that Steve came to the rescue and you managed to get out for some easy fishing...much better than no fishing. Hope that your progress toward wellness continues quickly and totally. I see that those pesky Eels are still around in abundance, but at least you caught some decent fish for the table and freezer. Speedy recovery, bn

Very interesting read Zoran. Interesting to see that the Cancer Council-recommended product is listed as bad. The information that you have gleaned should be very helpful to Maria from here on. She is definitely going to need to be vigilant. bn

Good onya Mike...tying your own flies and catching fish more regularly, you have to be pleased with that progress. Maintaining your gear so that it's in first class order is going to be a big help when you get that monster Flattie. Cheers, bn