trev

Thats XLNT reading mate, Well done Cheers Trev

Koons, figuring out what retrieve is half the fun. I have found at IC that a really slow retrieve with a couple of rod twitches every 2 -3 cranks of the handle works best. Other methods that have worked are continually shaking the rod tip as you retrieve slowl and lifting the rod tip and then dropping it every couple of winds of the handle. A short pause of 5 seconds or so during retrieve then a short jerk on the fishing rod and start retrieve again can have positive effects as well. But change what you are doing if you get no result. Cheers Trev

Harry, I assume you painted all the white then after well and truly dry masked off and painted the red?? You dont get any problems with colours leaching through? Cheers Trev

Same as most others started with my Dad and older brothers when I was about 5 yrs old. My earliest memory of fishing was going to my great uncles at Botany. I remember travelling in my dads Hoden special (2 tone salmon pink in colour) and I remember my oldest brother giving me a blood nose. Dad sold that car when I was five so it would be arround that time. I am 40 this year so about 35 yrs. You would think I might have learnt something by now but thats what I like about fishing always something new. Cheers Trev PS My eldest caught his first fish at age 3 a little bream under the roseville bridge.

I have an old 3m tinnie and I launch the boat by hand from a trailer so did not want the sounder fixed permanently. I solved the problem by attaching the sounder to a piece of treated pine which I painted bright yellow to make it visible. I then attach the board to the back of the tinnie with a G clamp ($3.00 from go lo) I then have the sounder attach to the tinnie seat with stick on velcro. I also put the sounder unit in a clip lock bag with 2 holes cut out for clamp and cables to connect this eliminates any salt H2O splash on the unit. Cheers Trev

It was my turn to sit out for cricket as we have more players than we need so it was decided that the three of us sitting out should go fishing, but.......... one of the guys blew it, went all S.N.A.G. on us and decided to take his to the movies instead. must have thought he might get lucky That put a serious dent in our plans as he had the boat. Plan 2 go and chuck SP's at flathead and bream. So arrived at Iron Cove just after 7:00pm I was surprised to see so many people bait fishing the area (about 5 -6 people) as I had not seen hardly any before. (they must be reading reports from FR on the web) Any way Den' and I start casting watermelon hawgs off to the left of one the bait fisho's had a few little hits but no hook ups. Walked round behind them to fish the other side fanning casts out and retrieving really slow with little rod tip shakes when WHAM I am hooked solid on a nice little flathead. Of course I did not bring a landing net so had to swim it to the steps The guy's baitfishing could not believe it as after about only 4 -5 mins I land a 47cm flathead. We keep moving along the bank fanning out casts and trying different retrieves we had about 6 -7 soft plastics mauled by toads and tails bitten off by tailor I then changed to an atomic grub small (and cheap from Big W sale whilst on Hol's) I love the action from those little paddle tails. A couple more casts and hooked up solid again another nice flathead and this time 48cm. Score Trev 2 flathead Den lots of mauled plastics but no fish. I watch for a while to see what he was doing differently and I think his retrieve speed was just too fast as he slowed down he started getting more hits but unfortunately did not convert but it is only his 3rd time using SP's. Final tally was 4 flathead the 2 mentioned before and 2 other very small ones. Picture tells a thousand words...... mmmm flathead fillets for breakfast tomorrow. Cheers Trev

Same here Ken, Whiting on poppers I have never heard of it before thats an awsome effort guys. I might give Hen and Chicken a bash or maybe IC tomorrow evening, if the weather is OK. Cheers Trev

Soapie, She looks awsome mate! What kind of paint did they use 2 pac? Cheers Trev

Yeah I am thinking along the lines of shark as well particularly as its runs were straight out from the beach and not up or down channels. It just wanted out of there. Cheers Trev

zzzzzZZZZZZZZzzzzzzZZZZZZZZzzzzzz ALARM went off 4:00am and nearly give me a coronary, I was in such a deep sleep. Load the car check everything 5 times (obsessive compulsive dissorder returns) Drive to Baulko' and pick up Dad he has the espresso machine primed and ready and gives me a coffee before we leave. Got to to Narrabeen and had a look slight southerly starting not good and water looked real rough and waves close and dumping. Any way rig up with pillies on 3/0 gangs and proceed to fish the rising tide very quiet with only a couple of decernable bites. Then Dad sings out. His rod is bent over towards horizon and line is screaming off his reel like I have never seen on a beach before. He regains some yards of mono but then again this leviathan decides he wants to meet Clutch and head for New Zealand and again line is just screaming off the reel and straight out from the beach. There is a short pause dad tries to regain line but as soon as pressure is applied the response is another massive run. Dad states the obvious, as he is accustomed to " you know son I think this might be a reasonable fish!" Dad tightens the drag to try and turn the fish he starts getting a few more metres back and then nothing wind and wind and wind back all the line and all four gangs are gone and neat cut through mono. I have never seen my Dad react so well to a lost fish though. I was expecting but he was almost the opposite, saying that it was the best fish he has ever had on his line. I just wish we could have at least seen it... Our enthusiasm bouyed by this experience we continued to soak pillies but the only fish landed was a small sting ray by me. We then packed up and headed to middle creak were I caught 2 whiting each about 35cm on berkely gulp sandworm in bloody. No keepers but a pretty awsome experience for Dad. He is already talking about our next trip together. I must admit it is a real good feeling taking Dad fishing and returning the favour for all the times he took me as a youngster. Cheers Trev

I use a variety of hard plastic lures for bream and flathead. I have deception paelomon, cheap as chips producer lures in a variety of patterns from crawdads to minnows I usually adjust the bib with sand paper on these to get the action I want test them in swimming pool and at about $5.00 - $7.00 each I dont mind so much if I lose it as compared to an $18.00 lure. I also use bill norman and rebel lures. As mentioned with the producers I usually test all lures in a pool so I can see the action at differen retrieval speeds. NB best done when pool is empty Cheers Trev

I am almost certain it was on a small green soft rubber floppy but I was also using a sheakespear silver lttle S and a burke little dig as well. Still have the little S and the floppies but lost the little dig. Cheers Trev I know it was 12:47 am when I wrote the above message but when I read it later today it made no sense at all Then I realised I was answering a post on the site linked by NickS.... Any way back to the original question asked by mick.. Most of my bass fishing is done on fly now using surface flies or muddler minnow variations. For lures I still use small hard floppy in green, but that is no help as you can't get them. I also use Arbogast hula popper black, Heddon crazy crawler yellow and heddon tiny tad black. I use a big O by cordell and also a chugga bug by I think kokoda. I also make my own lures from wood and foam. Cheers Trev

Thanks Mondo, I used to fish North Narrabeen alot in the 80's but have not been there for over 5 years now. I had to rebind a guide and respool the reels my beach gear had seen such little action. I am hoping to get a few tailor and hopefully a some whiting and bream. I will post a report afterwards. Cheers Trev

I am heading to Narrabeen Beach for a fish this Friday early morning. Any one had any luck on the beaches lately? I am open to sugestions of different locations but my Dad (76yrs old) wants to go beach fishing so I better take him don't want a grumpy old man...... Cheers Trev

Ahh Stewie, You should have got that small floppy out earlier you would have cleaned up on the bass then! The old rublex floppy best bass lure ever Great little report Mrs Swordfisherman and full marks to Lucinda for fishing with Mum n Dad my youngest girl 9yrs loves fishing. Cheers Trev

Also what is a red bream? Red Bream is another name for juvenile snapper. some people call them squire or pinkies. Cheers Trev

Needed to fish and wanted to catch a feed so headed up to Woy Woy with my usual fishing mate Dennis. Got to his parents house Friday night and then stayed up late playing Texas hold 'em and drinking way too many for a night before fishing. Had spent a few bob on little things for the tinnie we use (it's on loan not mine) fitted 2 new rod holders bought a new fuel tank as there was a strong smell of fuel last time and I thought the old (22yrs) metal tank might have met its use by date and also put 2 new tyres on the box trailer as the old retreads were definitely looking old. Set the alarm but could not get a wink of sleep due to the oppressive heat and mozzie attacks but any way out to the car at 4:20am and one of the trailer tyres is flat as a tack remove tyre could not see any nails or puncture marks take to servo School holidays and kids had trashed the air nozzle off to next servo same b@#*dy thing but was able to get it working tyre held pressure and could not find a leak????(could have been let down at night) Back to house replace tyre then head to ramp, unload boat and gear no sounder left it at home b##ger oh well head up paddy's channel to drift arround bait and SP for hopefully flathead and bream. The whole time praying to ye God's of Good Year that the tyre is not flat when we get back. It was a big tide and the water was really moving quick on the run in fastest I have ever seen made for using plastics interesting... 1st fish to boat is a nice 30cm flounder (yum) then we drift up into brisbane waters and moter back down and drift up and motor back down about 5 -6 times for only 2 more keepers Den lands two really nice bream a couple of leagal but still really too small to eat , me only small read bream and small whiting and choppers. Headed down towards St Huberts Island and flicked soft plastics at the now well covered vegetation due to very high tide had 2 solid hook ups but did not land any moved opver towards the rip bridge and drifted down the edge of the sand bank and accross in font of the bridge picked Dennis picked up another 2 keeping bream and I get one more flounder. We each caught quite a few small whiting and red bream and Den' a painted grinner. Was really starting to get hot and in an open tinnie with no shade was becoming a little unpleasent so headed back to ramp cleaned the five fish we kept loaded up the trailer whose tyre was low but not flat and headed for the servo put more air in back to his parents place for a shower, lunch an ice cold beer and headed home to Sydney. Picked up Helen and kids and headed round to Den's place to see the new year in and drink more beer and his wifes home made bailey's So not our best trip flat tyres forgotten sounder no sleep hangover..... but still I'd take over a day at work any time. Sorry no pics only have a new xpnsve digital and she who must be obeyed would make life hell if I dropped it in the in salt H20. Cheers Trev Oh Bream caught on prawns whiting on prawns, soft palsics and white bait Tailor on anything moving Flounder on white bait and cured ham... Red Bream on anything.

Philip, It is horses for courses. ie Where are you going to be using these flies? The old saying of match the hatch! Have a look at what insect life is arround the area you are going to fish. e.g. A Christmas beatle pattern used in the middle of Autumn would not be as effective as the same fly used in summer. If you are looking for a dry fly that you could use as a speculater I would suggest something like a red tag or a stimulater(see below) Stimulator This fly does not really represent any one specific food type rather it is suggestive of a few e.g. grass hopper, cricket... hope this was helpful I am sure others with greater experience might be able to help. Cheers Trev

Bob, I have only ever fished for bass in Sydney usually in Hawksbury Nepean system, Generally find bass here will attack any lure as long as it is put in the right place. For the fishing I do you need to get lures and flies as close to structure as you can don't be afraid to lose a few lures and flies in snags. Might be why I tend to go for the fly option more these days as they cost almost zip to tie up myself. Sorry I can't offer help on fishing St Claire but there have been a few posts by others who have done well there suggest you do a search and see what they have written, then let us know what worked for you when you return. Cheers and good luck Trev

AWSOME What beautiful country, Thanks for sharing what was obviously an amazing experience. Cheers Trev

Fleas arrived in the mail today! Thanks Nick for being swapmeister thanks guys for the flies some very nice work here! Guess I have an excuse to wave the long wand again and try out the new flies. Will post up reports of efforts following each trip. Cheers Trev

My fav (not my best) is the first I built myself back in 1983/84. It is an old butterworth blank FMT72L. I got a shakespear sigma 030 to put onit and always loaded it up with maxima 6lb or Amilon S line. I have used it for lure and bait fishing and caught everything from yacka's to salmon, soapies, flathead, trout and bass year after year. I still use it every now and then even though it is starting to twist ? fibreglas tighten. The real still works great roller line feeder afeature back then still spins smooth ball bearing replaced once drag washers replaced at same time all still smooth but nowhere near as nice as new reals to use BUT always reliable. Of new outfits it is the sic stic pro 7ft rod with diawa capricorn. ooh its nice. Cheers Trev

I remember a similar thread on an other fishing/boating site. The trailer thieves actually had a spotter who waited for the happless fisho to tie up their boat and leave to get another trailer then they would either strip the boat or put it on the trailer and steal it. Absolute low scum. Having had two houses broken into both times at night when I was home I hate thieving of any kind no matter how small, it is still someone elses hard earned property. I padlock the little box trailer I use with the tinnie. When I eventually upgrade and get a bigger boat and trailer I will use one of those hitch locks, a wheel clamp and maybe smith and wesson......... Cheers Trev

Nick, They would be mine. They were posted at work on Monday so should get there today or tomorrow. Cheers Trev

Ive been found out!!! The road kill bandit...If it can be skinned I want it's fur if it can be plucked I want it's feathers. It just becomes an obsession and I really don't fly fish that much at all any more. I am sure my poor wife cringes when ever we drive past a dead animal... I was nearly banned from Toronga Zoo and featherdale wildlife park Everyone else looks at the animals I go straight to the aviery and look on the ground for rare feathers... I need help I need help help help h e l p