cruisecraft

Thank you everyone for your kind words. It was a great trip, and Pat's expert guidance was invaluable to me in snaring my 2 fish. I did lose another bigger fish when through inexperience, I exerted too much pressure on the fly reel(I was palming it) and the hook pulled. But the camaraderie and the location and the time of year made this a truly memorable trip. Obviously the "sleeping with the fish in bed" picture was posed, to get a laugh from friends and family. Next year's Fly fishing trip has been penciled into the diary and the usual suspects booked. Regards Kit

Hi Fellow Raiders We(PK and I) left Sydney early Friday 4th for Jindabyne for a rendezvous with our mate,Pat, the "fly fishing guru". We leave a very wet Sydney behind and as we pass Goulburn the rain finally stops but the skies are still grey, that is untill we get to Cooma where the first rays of sunshine appears and things starts to brighten up so to speak. We stock up on ammunition at the place just out of Cooma (on the left hand side) and I pick up some black woolly buggers and glow bugs as per Pat's instruction and then ring Pat to announce our ETA. Pat gives us directions to the lodge at Jindi. We arrived at the lodge around noon and have a quick bite whilst Pat gives a brief summary of his recent fishing on the Thredbo river. Our appetite grew with each tale of Pat's exploits. I am a fly fishing novice, never ever having hooked a trout on fly, let alone land one, whilst Pat was the guru. The trip had been arranged months before and the deal was for the guru to impart his expertise so that I could finally join "the club" and land my first trout on fly. I had been semi-seriously fly fishing over the last 2 seasons but had been doing it without expert guidance and was a pretty poor fly fisher. I had previously caught trout trolling, spinning and with power bait but never on the fly rod and on this trip I was to only bring a fly rod. The challenge was on. My other mate PK was not a fisho but a man who enjoyed the outdoors and had never been to Jindabyne, he also had a new camera that he wanted to play with. So at Jindabyne, there was something for everyone. We headed for Gadens and parked near Paddys pool and headed for Pat's "secret spots". Pat polaroids some Browns and gets me in the water, the water is just above freezing but the neoprene waders works a treat and prevents any frost bite in my lower limbs. Fly fishing is not easy. , Bugger another wooly bugger and glow bug in the branches. Well back to the class room. I persevere and I persevere but this fly fishing is difficult. I cast and I cast but this fish is proving difficult. Pat calls me out of the water and we have a hot coffee break. My spirits and resolve are rejuvenated with the caffeine and in the water I go again. Hooray, I shout, I am on!!! I am on!!! I am on!!! I shout. Pat tells me to take it easy and calm down and to let the rod and reel do all the work and walk the fish towards him as he has the net. After about 3-4 mins, Pat nets the objective of the weekend and hands it over to me. I walk over towards the bank with a huge grin and disentangle the fish for the photo shoot with PK. The fish is released, it was a brown and measured 35cm. We head home for the obligatory beer and red wine with the fire place lit, before a home cooked dinner. Geez it's a tough life this trout fishing.. The next day was a late start as the 3 of us had a bit to drink the night before, as it was thirsty work, this trout fishing. So after brekkie, we arrived near Paddys corner at 10am and walked and walked and walked till we hit the lake shores, fishing along the way whenever the opportunity presented itself. Yours truly ended the day with another Brown, but this was a keeper at 53cm (although Pat the guru did better with his 57cm) This is my 53cm . This is Pat's 57cm.. The boys had more to drink that night and before I knew it, I was in bed with a "53cm boy" wrapped in plastic. I must have had a bl@#dy lot to drink or the boys must've spiked my drink for me to end up in this compromising position.. ps that's a vacuumed pack of Pat's filleted trout near my head in bed Trout flyfishing is bl@#dy difficult but it's a fantastic experience and sport! Try it. Regards Kit/PK/Pat

That's a top effort and a top fish. Well done Joco. That brown looks even bigger in the second picture. Regards Kit

Hi mrj031 There is a low pressure system about and it might be a bit too windy and wet. regards Kit

Well done dalucius, good looking fish there.I am looking forward to my trip to Jindabyne in 10 days time and hope the trout will "cooperate" for me. Regards Kit

Hi Nautica I was out there as well, looking for the Port Hacking FAD on Sunday 9thMay. I had checked on the DPI page(Fisheries website)on Friday 7thMay and had the right GPS marks but when I got there it was "missing". I was a bit cheesed off. Then on Monday 10th May I double checked the GPS marks and the website then says it had been removed for winter maintenance, I wished DPI had forewarned on its webpage on the Friday that the FAD removal was planned, not happy Jan Regards Kit

Hi barredup It may be that you need to hit 20 posts before you can "see" the GPS section which is under the BOATING section(much like the swap and sell section you need 20 posts before you can see it in the Forum).So keep posting and replying, you only need 9 more. (Or it may be that you need to be logged in or signed in before you can see it) Regards Kit

Well done Mike looking forward to a Jewfish report from you. Regards Kit

hi Mike We kept 2 kings, they were just over the legal mark. Mike took his "trophy" home and we had the other one for lunch. All fish were taken near the yellow bouys on slow troll with livie. We then went to the bommie at Jibbon but it was quiet there so we came in as I anticipated the wind to pick up in strength around noon(as advised thru BOM) Regards Kit "Hornets Good report Kit. I hit the Wide BB Fad for no luck .On the way back got a couple of stripies & got onboard a 700 mm tuna & I stuffed up my morning by letting it go when it was bleeding out in the well . My first stripies the season .Thank goodness it's the best I have ever seen the bonitos though ." Hi Adam Thats bad luck about the tuna but there is good report of yellow fins in the GameFishing section today,so you will be hooking up again soon and possibly to bigger ones. Regards Kit ps thanks to the others for their positive contribution

Mike Thanks for the report and looking forward to the pics and the yellow fin tuna season. Regards Kit

Hi Raiders Today I took 2 friends, Pat and Mike, out for a fish off Cronulla. We launch at 6.30am from Burraneer bay and picked up livies(yellow tails) at Shark island. There was masses of the little fellas, we did not even have to burley. The northwester kept pushing us towards the body boarders at Shark Is and whilst Pat and Mike was filling up the bait tank I was at the helm ensuring we kept clear of the island We caught 3 kings,1 trev and a Watsons leaping bonito(no pics of it but it was yummy sashimied) Mike broke his kingie cherry and the pics will show the boys' delight. Mike is in the black T shirt We came back in just before 10am and the good wife sashimied the catch for lunch for the boys. What a top day and top company. What a great city we are in to be able to enjoy the bounty of the sea. Regards Kit

Hi Kel I use this method too and it works really well, shown to me by a pro on a charter when I was at Lord Howe last year fishing for kings. regards Kit

Baz I was there Easter last year and flew Qantas out of Sydney and had a 7ft 2in rod tube with no problems. You are only allowed 1 piece of check in baggage per passenger but the rod tube is not counted. Regards Kit ps its a fantastic place...enjoy

Congrats Matt and Brett on the beakies. Well done Matt, did you do a "ciggie and quiet moment" contemplation after the "conquest".ha ha. Regards Kit

Hi Ben If you are on a mission for Kings in Bate Bay, then live baiting will get you the results nearly every outing and you don't have to venture far.. The yellow tails are thick around Shark Island and the 3 yellow bouys to the north east of Shark Is. Use your sounder to find the bait ball and then drop a sabiki jig with some bait into the bait ball. Go early(6.30am) as the yellow tails are easier to catch at that time. In around half an hour, you should have enough live bait. Then slow troll the live bait in the vicinity of Shark Island and Jibbon Bombi. If you see a bait ball on your sounder just idle over the bait ball, or attach some lead to sink the livies down to the bait ball(poor man's downrigger) and the kingfish will find your live yellow tail. Of course live squid is better, but they taste so yummy that I hardly ever use them for live bait as the king fish have been happy with the live yellow tails on offer the last 2-3 months. Regards Kit ps I am happy to pm more precise info if the above fails.

Hi Cath It was published in the Leader but I'll check with Con as to when. Regards Kit

Ahh, Fixed it in above. Picture file must be saved in JPEG. Regards Kit

How come the pics won't show in the post? Regards Kit

Hi fellow raiders I was speaking with my mate,Con, and he told me of his recent jewfish "capture" using bare hands only whilst swimming at Kurnell baths on 17thFebruary. I have Con's permission to put in a "post".(I have edited out the surnames below). I will cut and paste Con's words in his email to the local newspaper, the Leader(St George/Sutherland shire) "Hi my name is Con, I was speaking with John this morning and he suggested I send this story of interest in. Yesterday evening around 7pm I was swimming laps with a friend of mine (Jason) at the Kurnell baths when Jason noticed what seemed to be a fish tangled in the netting that encloses the baths between the rock walls. We continued swimming for another half hour when Jason (being a keen angler) and I decided to have a closer look and/or try and retrieve the fish. Upon closer inspection it seemed to be a good sized jewfish which had its head wedged in the net up to the gills. We came to the conclusion that it must have been chasing a smaller fish on the bay side of the net before hitting the net head on. After ten minutes of disentangling the fish, which subsequently died, we got to shore and where amazed at the size. We estimate it to weigh approx. 10kg of the unluckiest jewfish in Botany Bay! Probably a one in a million chance of that ever happening again to a fish like that and to us considering we where armed with speedos and a pair of goggles!! Cheers, Con and Jason." regards Kit

Well done mike. Mike rang me when he got home Wed arvo, with the tale of the hoodlum, and as my work is just across the road from mike's and it being a slow day, I scooted across to have a sticky beak and yes I can confirm that the boys had a hoodlum king in the esky. I didn't see the "$50" catch in the esky though, so I'll put that down to another "fishing tale". Ha ha. Regards Kit

Thanks Dusky and Tuffy for your thoughts and input. I might check with one of the "boat shops" Regards Kit

Hi Fellow Raiders I recently picked up one of those jump start battery pack(from BCF with a claimed capability of delivering peak 900 amps) that can jump start cars, trucks and boats. With cars, I attach the red jumper lead to the (+) positive terminal of the flat battery and then the other end of the red jumper lead to the (+) positive terminal of the booster battery. I then connect the black jumper lead to the (-) negative terminal of the booster battery and the other end of the black jumper lead to a good earth point on the "disabled" vehicle. (The engine block is typically the best place for a good earth point but in practice any metal part of the vehicle). The question is, with a glass boat with a flat battery, what is the proper way to jump start it. Would attaching the black jumper lead to the engine block in a glass boat work? If not, would attaching the jumper leads from the booster or jumpstarter pack directly to the flat battery terminals( ie positive to positive and negative to negative) be the correct way in a glass boat(and plate boat). Will this method destroy/damage the outboard computer chip or the plates in the "flat" battery? I have an outboard and the petrol lines are all sealed, and there is no risk of petrol fumes accumulating and sparking. Many thanks . Regards Kit

WOW Troyo thats one Big Mama Trev We'll all be looking out for your future catch. Regards Kit

Well done to council/the port authorities for building the facilities for fishos. The narrow space between the 2 floating wharves can be easily overcomed by designating one ramp a launching ramp and the other a retrieving ramp hence boats need not bump into each other and it would be a more time efficient way of launching and retrieving. Boats launching would tie their boats off at the first vacant space furthest from the ramp so as to allow the next person launching easier and safer passage.Retrieval of boats would be the reverse process of launching and hence a defacto queuing system is then set up and hence less frayed tempers all round. Just my 2 cents worth on the subject. regards Kit

Hi Groper Try fishing in about 100ft of water and the flatheads should get bigger, straight out from where you were in the first and second picture.. Cronulla is my local grounds. regards Kit