GregL

Yeah Chris, fish a fish pattern. I have tied up some smaller saltwater deceivers similar to a bass minnow for that purpose. My waders have finally turned up so up to TCD real soon for the first time IN the water! We all want to catch one of them trophys. Ya have to think a fish that big cant just live off insects. They have to be feeding on larger pray! Small fish has to be the NEXT in line.... Greg

That's fishing and that's what makes me go. If it was easy, I don't think I would put so much effort and time into it. there so so many "it could be..." in fishing..... For instance, up in Gladdy, session one. I get 2 hits and end the session on a donut. Session 2, My mate Jas stops me, makes me watch his retrieval saying I'm lifting to much, from a horizontal rod, 9 oclock, i'd lift to 11-12oclock, he was from 9-1030. First cast doing his retieve, I hook up! TCD for us so far, cooler months have out fished the warm ones. Winter they seemed to like a rip retrieve looking for a reaction bite, in this warm water we have had to slow right down to get any action.... I like ya thinking on the food thing but the food is always there.... Maybe they are only focusing on one type of food? I know the bass minnow is outfishing the wriggler ATM, maybe they have turned to fish to eat? one thing I was thinking, when the water level was lower, they were more concentrated, now being high there is more water with the same amount of fish..... Also we have all seen the fish cruising the banks, I don't think the waters to warm as they are in such shallow water only 1m off the bank. This summers been so average with not many warm days at all, I know the salt hasent hit the usual 27degrees that it is usually sitting at at this time of year in the harbour. It's only been 23-24.... G

Did a run up to Gladstone over the last few days. Rich had a job to do up there so a quick few phone calls to a mate a bed a few days fishing were planned. We arrived Thursday morning with beautiful sunny conditions with a light westerly. We got into the job wrapping a boat up n buy lunch time it was hot, damn hot! Punching down the waters I watched Rich do his magic from the comfort of the shade. First time I have sat and watched the process, impressive! Final product was sweeeeet! Me, I was playing with photo editing programs on my phone and taking pictures of nothing LOL A little selection, some hmmmm. Gotta love I phone! Epic fail.... Been having a mushroom photo comp with a friend of late. Now with a place thats had 3 weeks of stable weather with 3-5kn varible winds n sunny conditions, what do you think when the southerners come up? Of coarse day one when we had things to do would be crackers, then 20-35kn from the south with rain! All plans to chase GT's and coral trout went out the window! We didnt want to waste opportunity so we went out for a few quickies chasing barras in the salt. The dams up that way have still not recovered from the floods last year and again overflowed 2 months ago. They still have a few years to get back to former glory..... We ended up catching 6 barra in total and lost a few plus missed several hook ups..... Fishing was tuff! Here are a couple of em. Rich caught this one late one arvo I got this one second cast of the day. It was tuff work casting tight along bridge pylons contending with 25kn winds straight into your face plus 3-4kn s of current. Only 25% of your casts would land sweet, most would tangle ya tranny on the trebbles and leader as it spun once the wind catches it. Bloody wind! Oh well a few barra is better than none plus it was great just getting away and hanging out with the blokes! A different water way one arvo. Greg

Great fish Geoff. Pictures are inspiring, got to go try the river stuff next! Well done Greg

The Abels here with all the jam are similar in price...... Don't know why when other countries are near half that! Grrrr I have never seen the Hutch before, only saw it on the latest fly dvd "Connect" (great dvd again from these guys, best fly dvd series for sure!) last night. Just like the engraved look, very different.

OMFG I have found the ultimate in fly reels and now the hunt begins! http://www.hatchoutd...shop/lance-boen I thought my latest Abel was flash......

FFJ they are there! Both Rich and I have hooked some monsters and have fought them to our feet. With both of them, best way to discribe them, they looked like legal kingfish! We recon pushing high 70's to 80cm...... Them big belly floppers jumping around out in the middle, some of them are horses! It was the reason why I was chucking a Dog X one day, massive for trout but I did get one smashed on a first cast of the day not to long ago. Of late I have even started chucking 4"minnows just to see if I get one or not, not yet anyways.... One of the reasons why we keep going back to TCD, we recon it's the place to score a trophy sized fish! G

Very true FFJ and something that I will be working on every day that I'm breathing! I love this sport and every aspect of it. I love to try new things and always on the hunt for the NEXT new hit. I know I'm never going to know everything about fishing but hell I'm going to give it my best shot! Lee don't worry mate, your not the only one. Richards in the same boat! Greg

Hey Brian Was it you 2 weekends ago fishing flint and steel with your sons hooking the hairys next to us in an edgewater CC? The 2 boys looked like they were having a ball hooked up on em! Greg

Mate the key to my sucess is persistance. I don't give up till the death every time I go fishing. Even when I was lying down I still was casting with my lure in an area I know fish frequent. I did get some funny looks sitting down on a rock casting my fly rod tho Trout I don't think are that fussy, get a lure in front of one and they chase it. I have had a dog x surface lure to tinny nymphs smashed but I do fish the wriggler and the bass minnow as my go to lures. That's really all I have, only caught my first last winter so I have no real idea on them yet.....

Ah so that's what was going on! Thought there were a few more grunters (fly fisherman never say hi if you have a spin rod in hand, they just grunt at you LOL) than normal! Even funnier when they see I have $3k worth of fly outfit sitting on the ground, then I usually get a double grunt! Better still is when you hook up next to them on spin, they usually walk off even with me calling out to them to come back because they are on the chew infront of me! LOL Oh well I'm glad there was a reason for so many fishers up there, I thought it must have been from all of your reports of late! lol Greg

Mate thats just the gears meshing, near all digi gear reels have that whirring noise but the bigger reels are louder being bigger gears.... Seem to go quieter the more they are used. Greg

G'day Raiders. Saturday did the venture over the hill chasing trout again. The early morning stop at the Mac, we saw quite a few other fishers so the race was on up to the dam. It's been a while since we haven't been first to the car park, rivers must have been flooding so there was more than normal pressure on the dam..... We did the usual march up to the back of the dam and fished our way back flogging the water to foam with a range of plastics and fly. We had a rainbow at our feet at the first spot taking insects off the top within a rod length between RIchard and myself, we didn't get it..... 15mins later it popped up again and a quick cast of my bass minnow and I was on A short spirited fight and she slid up onto the bank for a quick pic and off she swam strong. The dam seemed pretty quiet without the usual rises but there was a shed load of insects buzzing around. The water was a little bit browner than usual from all the rain of late and I do think it has come up a little since our last visit. It took a few hours before Rich got on the board, was a nice fish though and put up a great account for itself. Through the lunch period the wind picked up and the bite seemed to have shut down. Temps were pretty warm and it was hard to keep motivated to keep casting, a snooze was in order..... Bumming under a tree having a little bit of lunch I sat watching the mushrooms grow trying to find a bit of smurfette lol Even the bugs were friendly that day, check me little mate out! Wasn't till the walk out that we found another patch of feeder, we scored a couple more each from that lot. Over all one of the harder days up at TCD but still we got a few each and still had a great time in nice conditions. Greg

Crackers! Well done on a great season guys. Greg

Is it a bass or an EP? Head looks a little dipped. Big EP if its an EP

Have a look at the rods designed for the Jap sea bass fishing. Perfect tapers and range from 8-10ft with a casting range of 7-30gms. They start at about $180 and make perfect squid rods to. Daiwa have the seabass hunter range thats in your price point.

Anywhere you see massive current pushing onto any bombie/reef, if you see baitfish skittering your in with a shot. So leading edges are the go.

New 2012 Exist is being released if you want the best but get ready to drop a grand including line..... Personally a good light 2500 to your budget will do, if you go daiwa get a 2506 series with the shallow spool, takes a roll of 125m in either 4or 6lb without backing for easy respooling. This size is also the finesse type with 3kg's of drag. The lighter drag gives you more drag control in light settings for perfect adjustment. 3kgs is plenty for trout as your only fishing light line and leader. 2500's have a larger diameter spool so there is less line memory coil. This gives you better casting and less problems with wind knots when flicking light plastics. I love my Exists and have had them for the last 5-6 years since release, perform beautifully and upgraded from Stellas to these. Only other reel Id consider is some of the megabass limited ones but they are only blinged up Daiwas trying to be Exists.... Greg

Nice, so how the crazy asian going? What a small world we live in! lol

Millerods beast buster toad. Have caught barra to 118 on this rod. Perfect for flinging slick rigs a mile! I use it down here for snapper jews as well. Can fish 3/8th plastic combo no problem to. The Beast buster control freaks are perfect for vibes/plastics with simlilar bottom end power but this ones got a lighter tip. Greg

We were just behind you as you made your way down the east side. We did the short cut up through snake country before the temps got to warm. MIne was the silver car next to your green machine?? Greg

Nice fish Chris! Great capture on the fly. We had a tuff time out there on Saturday as well. I didn't land a fish till 3/4 of the way back to the car! Richard got one on first cast of the day but then didn't get another till lunch. We ended the day with 11 or 12 fish. The minnow still was the lure of choice for us but I did bust off on a fish when my fly line got caught up on a shrub at my feet. Doh! It was a crazy day weather wise, rain, hail n shine. Freaked me out with the storm above, ran under a little tree trying to find some sort of shelter and see a big iron rod sticking out of the ground propped up against the tree. Do I stay or just harden up and take on the hail? Greg