Brian

Hi All, Have just got back after 3 great days fishing at SWR. Met up with two long time mates, Sean and Jeff and got out amongst some great fish. Sean has the luxury of living at this great spot and was kind enough to take us out each day on his great boat. After catching up on Friday night with a few too many we braved our heads the next morning and got out over the bar. That certainly woke us up with a little fright on the way out but, all's well. Day 1 started with a pretty bumpy run so we slowed up and dropped some skirted lures out. Jeff was on strike and only had 30 minutes to wait before a huge strike. We frantically clear the rods, Sean giving instructions and me on the wheel . We are all looking out the back and up comes this great black marlin. We are all and yelling and then suddenly we realise, What do we do when we get it near the boat We have all seen it done but, never actually done it. Anyway with a great team effort we get him in, get the hook out and give him a swim along side. A few quick pics and he's tail wagging well and slips way. Estimate about 7foot from tip to tail and about 90kg. It's hi5's all round. We keep going out wide to a FAD but nothing there so we hit another mark and jigg for kings. We got 5 to the boat. Only one keeper of 68cm that went in the esky. Keep trolling some bibbed lures and next thing a double hooup on two 9kg wahoo. It was again as it was a first for any of us. We headed in for a clean up and a few more Day 2: Get up and look outside WIND and strong, from the NE. No going outside so we set off up stream for some lure action on the bass. They were a bit shy to start with but ended up with a few small ones and one nice 38cm fish. Brought up a good size flatty but complacency at the boat resulted in him getting away, about 60cm. Day 3; We got out again and went north for some bottom bouncing. A very slow morning and only a couple of undersized snapper so we head back and gather some live bait and slow troll off the Gaol. We work over to some other boats to find the Cobia are on. We drift some livies out. The razor gang swam through a few times but with no wire- no chance. I ended up with one nice Cobia about 8kg. Wind up again so we called it a day. All up it was 3 great days with a few First and some PB's. Sean and Jeff you blokes are champions to fish with, Thanks for the great trip

Wow, great to see someone else has caught them too. I got a couple out of MH about 10 years ago and have never really known what they were. They have the weirdest eyes. I bet you got it in the deep water between Bantry Bay and where you do the left hand turn to go up to the Spit Bridge. There is about 100 feet in a couple of holes there and a small jumpup. BP.

Hah, There's that knife again!!!!!!!!!! Awsome fish mate. It just gets better every year. Well done. BP

Pilchard, I used a 650 Alvey off the beach for over 20 years and found it to be the best outfit ever. I really got the hang of big casts and got some big fish too. In the early days I had trouble with line twist and went to a nice soft supple line. I only ever ran about 9kg. Make sure though, when you spool it on it goes on reel to reel. What I mean is don't let the line come off the spool sideways onto the reel, because every time you turn your putting a twist into it. I hope you can understand what I mean. Since I used to change my line that way I never got line twist. Swivels are a must as well. I always just used a simple swivel rigged off the main line with about a 30lb mono leader about 1 metre and a running sinker on the leader. Use as little weight as the surf will let you. Let me know if this helps. Cheers, Brian

Blah Blah blah. Sore arms didims!!!! Fairdinkum you've got to catch sea monsters to show off. Just wait till Jan/Feb. Chappo and I' ll show you how its done. But, wow I've never hear of one of them before. Good day out guys well done, AGAIN. Ray, I suggested to Chappo and Hutch an arvo/night/morning "Fish Off" some time late Jan, most probably early Feb. Get your diaries out and we'll get it happening. Sea Monster, Huh. Brian

Gents, You blokes have way too much time on your hands to catch all these fish. AND i'm getting worried. Look at those photos. Matching shirts, hats, sunnies, camera poses and grinnnnns. I'm sooo jealous. I had 4 arvos at Split Rock Dam for 2 lousey carp last week. Mind you one was about 30 pound. well not really but almost. The Split Rock Monster. Wish I was back on the salty water Ray is that a whale breaching behind you? Wait until Chappo and I get teamed up again and the fish off is on again. This time minus the wind I hope. Well done fellas! Cheers, Brian.

Geez you blokes get some fishing time! Always love your reports and pics, even when you don't do too well. Love the uggs Hutch. Cheers Gents, Brian.

Got this beauty out Broken Bay. Live poddy. She went back in. 96cm Won an Esky on a Sat arvo TV show for my efforts. Stoked.

G'day Gents, how good are those camp set ups! Ray I'm pleased to see that you have not one but two esky's in your camp and a on the table already. Hutch, what's doin with the coffee cup on hols? They are just a better looking quality of fish from the ocean rocks and beach, they look like really fresh clean whiting and bream. Glad to see you have the side cast there Hutch, can't beatem on the sand. Sounds and looks like a great trip was had, well done. And to put up with 61 of your rellos there too, phew Cheers, Brian. Hutch get onto Chappo about the next big fish event.

I love a passion, and you've got a great one. Can you do a coffee and mote carlo as well because that would just do me fine. Brian

Nice fish mate, I's say it's 2 foot long. I used to fish that part of the world and it can turn up some real surprises. Big bream in dirty water on an unweighted peeled prawn, Winter time. Well done. Brian.

Thanks everyone for all your great replys. It is a great fish and one I will remember for a long time. I have been a lucky angler over the years and fished with some great blokes who have imparted great knowledge to me. I have been asked not to disclose the exact spot this fish was caught, as my mate took me there after many years of trial and error in finding consistant quality fish but, having said that it is in a very accessible area, with open water and plenty of cover from the NE. It would be safe to say, looking at peoples replys, that fish of this size are scattered about the whole system and could turn up anywhere. The rig was a simple No1 bait keeper with a live poddy on a leader of about 1metre in length and a ball sinker about the size of a large pea above the swivel. I was using 15lb main with 25lb leader but very fine mono for its breaking strain, so it was like using much lighter gear. Cast into the current and left to swim swim swim Thanks again. Now for the next big fish

When did fotm go? Took me two years to get a fish to go in it. Bugga It is bigger than mine and after getting a fish that big my head was really big

Here is Chappos other fish.

Hi Raiders, Have literally just got back from my 440k drive from two days on the Hawkesbury. Got stuck at that F3 crash. Very messy. Makes me wonder where I might have been if I had not stopped for fuel at the time I did. I spent a couple of days fishing with my fishing buddy of fishing buddies, Chappo, in a social competition. Well needless to say we did ok. The overall point winner, in shore, was Chappo with over 5.5metres in total length of fish. Another fisho only 4 points behind and I followed up for 3rd with about 4.5m. You get bonus points for each fish over legal size. It was a great time and new friends made, tall tales told and some only needed to show the photo, nothing else said. If Chappo could keep a fish on the hook he would have had about 10 metres, but hey this was competition and he did not know that every time he asked me for a hook I sharpened it before I gave it to him The comp started at 6.00pm on Sunday. We were all set and baited ready to start fishing. The big flatty was on my first cast, first bait and in the boat about 6.10. Using live poddies it hit like a freight train and ran hard about 3 times but, it was not the usual flatty fight. Chappo called it for a ray, a shovel nose or some other rubbish and I was inclined to agree until it came up beside the boat. That's when the knees started to tremble, Chappo's not me, he had to get it in the net. I started to remember my gaff effort for him about 2 years ago on his king of a life time. She went in really easy and when I got here out I saw the hook was in her belly, on the outside. A No1 bait keeper. I think what has happened as she's grabbed the bait, run and I've struck back hitting her with the hook while she was hanging onto the fish. Every time I put pressure on her she'd go upside down and stop fighting and then as I'd wind back thinking it was rubbish, she'd right herself and off again. If she was mouth hooked I'd say I was no chance. Don't know the weight but she went 96cm, I'm guessing about 7 or 8kg. Fat as a tick and very healthy. Got some quick happy snaps and back in the water. She swam off with 2 big flicks of her tail and glided back to the bottom. Beautiful. I sat shaking my head for about 20 minutes. I just scored the winning fish in the first 10 minutes. What a start. If I did not get another fish I'd still be smiling. On any other day Chappos flatty at 62cm would be a big fish, and still is by any noraml standard. It is amazing that with all the trawler traffic still going in the system it can still produce quality fish, in volume, like it does. Thanks Chappo for asking me to team up with you. I had a great time. And well done to Ken and the others for making it happen so well. Cheers, BP. How do I get it in FOTM?

Yep, couldn't agree more. For some it is a case of "your gonna need a bigger boat"

I think the report was pretty fair. It promoted catch and release, which is a good thing for that shark anyway. The Harbour looked great and maybe those kids on the front of that boat, and anyone else that looks at the link might consider that a swim in the Harbour might not be the best thing right now. It was only going to be a matter of time before someone got hurt and they did. A media beat up? Sure maybe but, last weeks Bondi attack got international attention so maybe a report of this type, rather than indiscriminate hunting may save the species and shows that we can got on with things and not go out and huntem down to kill them. Who watched Jaws last week? Still as good as the first time. I think a picture may surface soon, of a great white off Sydney a few days ago. I got it as an Email from a mate who knows one of the bloke who was out there. I saw it and and yep, "You're gona need a bigger boat" Cheers, BP. PS: Anyone here fishing an event in the Hawksbury next week? See you there.

Man, watch out for that thing with the tail. Don't they suck onto your face and pop out your stomach

Hi raiders, This is a bit late and the second time I've had to write this as I lost the first one. After bombing out in Nov due to a wind that would blow a dog off a chain off a chain off a chain off a chain off a chain (no it's not a typo) I decided, with the grace of my good wife (she does not look like that all the time) to came back for another crack. This time I brought my 9yo son to see if we could get some good fish. So, in the early hours of a Sunday morning I got him up with much grumbling and we made the long trek to "Resort Milham" which is my Brothers place. 5 minutes from Roseville boat ramp and alway stocked with beer and food Having settled in it was time to fish. I'm sure many of you know how hard it is to get a 9yo out of bed let alone at 5am but, I some how manged it. We hit the ramp and out onto the Harbour proper and guess what Yep! WIND ARRRRRRRRRRGGGGGH not again. It was different this time there were fish. I hit my fav spot S&P and almost straight away the yakkas were up then wooooosh, in came the kings. They were pinching the burley bits so it thought, why not try. On my 3 kg gear a I buried a hook into a pillie tail and next thing (what's the descripta?) ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNGGG! I'm on. My young bloke is looking over the side saying DAD DAD DAD YOU'RE ON. I tried to give him the rod but, he made a hasty retreat to the bow to get the net (good boy this one) After a few minutes the fish is in the boat. This was the scene for the next couple of hours. All throw backs but, GREAT FUN. The following day again, trying to get a 9yo up at 5.00am. Yeah well let's say I had to remind myself of Mums advice but, once he was up and had his 8 weetbix he was good to go. We hit the ramp and again the wind was up too. Anyway we had some more fun this day with a bit of surface action on some tailer and salmon and a good cruise around the harbour. The stop at the Clontarf Cafe' was a winner too. We also dropped in and picked up Little Cousin and went for a run about. The smile says it all. Day 3. No way was any 9yo getting up that many times in a row that early. I said some prays to the wind Gods and met my fishing buddy of Fishing Buddies, Chappo, at the ramp. He said a pray too and out we went. Well, they were answered. The water was like glass and we went and did a repeat of the the first 2 days. First thing livies. No way. Kings taking peeled prawns. What's the descripta? ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZIIINNNNGGGGGGG! Chappo and I both hooked up on bream gear. This was fun. We managed a few rats but on the light stuff great fun all round. Now I have been in a boat with this bloke many times but, I can not work out how, after I taught him everything he knows, how he can catch solid bream time after time when we both use the same bait, rig, boat etc. I got a sweep or trevas and he gets bream We needed squid and made a dash to a good spot before coming back to the sow. Out go the squid and next thing (what's the descripta?) ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZIIIIIINNNNNNGGGGG. Chappo gets a run. No hookup A few secs later (what's the descripts?) ZZZZZZZIIIINGGGGGGGGGGGG. I'm on. Now I've upgraded to my heavy rig. (9kg ) That's my best gear and I like to give the fish a chance and have caught many but this one was hot tot trot. I got him up and one look at Chappo's smiley face and it was "asta la vista baby" into the reef and gone. Well that's what I came for and a great buzz just to get smoked. A short time later the noreaster kicked in and we got the heck outa there. I can not believe how well the Harbour has recovered and how lucky you local blokes are to have it. I look forward to bobbing about in the wash again soon Thanks Chappo Cheers, Brian. Man I had a time getting these photos in. Out of practice )

Ray & Hutch, G'day gents, and well done on getting out and into the fish. I was wondering where you two had got to. I have not seen a report from either of you since we caught up on Middle Harbour back in Nov. That was a shame with the wind and all, as it could have been a great day out chasing the Sydney Kings. Anyway I am a little curious about the missing photo. Little Hutch, Little Ray (and who is actually sayng they are little? Been a few years since I looked that fit) and Ray but, where's Hutch????? I'm with you Hutch we just are not that flexible anymore and we don't need to show it off Might need to organise another team event in the near furture. Hutch there is an event coming up in March which Chappo and I are onto, FYI. Ray, I've taken a leaf out of your book and started on taking photos of what about, other than fish, to put into my posts. Fishing the freshwater inpoundmnet s can be slow with the fish but, there is always something movng about. Well done again guys. Brian.

"So long and thanks for all the squid"

About the late 70's when I was a kid my mates and I used to walk over the sand flat at the end of Bantry Bay when there was about 6 inches of water over it. We used to use a stick or piece of wire and poke the sand until we hit something, then dig like mad. We'd get dozens of blue swimmers not to mention the odd nip. It was a real laugh how we'd all jump around yelling as this thing would wave its claws at us trying to get away. It was a real team effort to get one in the net and then get it out but, great fun. I was there last week and could see holes in the sand but, I don't know if they are there like the y used to be. BP.

Yeah, thanks Sketo for bringing that up AGAIN. Seems it will be another year before I can get that monkey off my back

Hey Hugeted, was that you we saw at roseville boat ramp? I had to go back and get my hat. We stayed out for hours. I heard you guys saw the kings and couldn't get them going. At least you saw some Cheers, BP.