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Hi Daniel, No need to get be confused mate. Just get yourself a few fishing books or do an internet search or two. Steve Starling's "The Complete Book of Australian Fishing" is a good reference. It may be out of print now, but you can probably pick a copy up second-hand or borrow it from your local library. Regarding reels: Page 18 -- " Overhead reels are also called 'multipliers' or 'revolving drum' reels" Regarding spinners: Page 68 --" Spinners are another traditional and time-proven family of freshwater lures. The most popular type are called in-line spinners and consist of a small, spoon-like blade revolving freely on a metal shaft ahead of a plastic or metal body" I agree fish names are at times confusing, as the same fish can be given different names in different parts of Australia -- jewfish/mulloway, blackfish/luderick etc -- and yet another name when sold over the counter. It's probably best to use the name that the Australian Museum uses. They have an excellent website - you can easily locate the common name of a fish (or the scientific name if you're that good). Here is what they say about: black rock cod http://www.amonline.net.au/fishes/fishfact...h/edaemelii.htm red rock cod http://www.amonline.net.au/fishes/students...s/scorpaena.htm wirrah http://www.amonline.net.au/fishes/fishfact...sh/aocellat.htm ling http://www.amonline.net.au/fishes/fishfact...h/gblacodes.htm Regards, Bob

Hi guys, I don't bottom fish the rocks much these days, but when I did there was always a variety of "rock cod", as well as other "by catch" -- wirrah, green eels, sergeant baker, ling etc -- that resulted from my snapper fishing efforts. The red rock cod is a relative of the stonefish. Bright red, it has nasty spines but, if you manage to catch one of sufficient size, they're excellent eating. Wirrah, which have a big mouth like a cod, have been described as "old boot"; I've never bothered eating one, but I've heard they're not very good. Finally, there's the black cod and estuary cod. These are excellent eating, but threatened species and totally protected in NSW, and so must be returned to the water. Regards, Bob

Hi Dan A, Baitcasters are not only suited to heavier lures (than a threadline), but heavier line as well. Try spooling with heavier line, and make sure the spool bearings are well oiled. If you can't cast the lures you want to with that set-up, then perhaps you're using the wrong tool for the job. And a threadline is the better option. Regards, Bob

I've just been reading about circle hooks, which seem very popular in the US with surf casters fishing for striped bass. The attraction appears to be that they allow catch and release with minimal damage to the fish. But I also understand a fish essentially hooks itself when picking up and running with a bait. Seems a big advantage on the beach when a rod is set in a holder. Has anyone used them? I plan to give circle hooks a try using pilchards or fish chunks as bait. Can anyone offer any tips on baiting and rigging? Regards, Bob

Hi Geoff, You seem to have already given this matter some thought. Large or small in the Industry, good or bad? You'd normally have to buy me a few beers to get me started on that. But as far as choosing advisers is concerned, you may already be aware: 1. The Industry, due largely to Government pressure, has attempted to clean-up its act in recent years. Despite this, advice received is not always impartial: it can be tainted by the remuneration arrangements of the adviser. 2. There are Industry bodies to which many advisers belong, such as the Financial Planning Association, which attempt to self regulate the Industry. If you follow the financial media, which I'm sure you have been doing, you will see that this attempt is not always successful. 3. Even when you receive advice, the investment risks (the inevitable financial market ups and downs) remain with you, so you don't have any come back against the adviser unless you can prove the advice was inappropriate. 4. In a worst case scenario -- an adviser illegally takes your money -- a larger organization is possibly in a better position to make full restitution to protect the reputation of the rest of its financial planning network. The media just loves reporting on these cases in excruciating detail. Of course, what I have written here in no way constitutes financial advice and you should consult your adviser about your particular circumstances etc... But then I'm sure you know the drill. Regards, Bob

Hi Geoff, I'm retired, like you, and have more than 15 years experience working in the Industry (but not as a planner). There are a couple of other things you might consider: 1. How complex are your financial affairs: do you really need a financial planner? In this regard you should be aware that there is currently legislation before Parliament which, if passed, will from June next year essentially exempt superannuation pensions and lump sums from tax when received from age 60. It might be worth having a chat with a financial planner about this before making a longer-term commitment or signing any service agreement contract. 2. Fees charged should be justified by the services provided to you. What will you receive for the fee? How will you be better off? Remember, the fee quoted is invariably a percentage of the money invested, not a percentage of the returns from the investments. This will be important when investment returns(investment growth and dividends and interest) inevitably at some future time decrease from what they currently are. 3. Investment performance over the last four years has been very good -- well in excess of increases in the cost of living -- due largely to stunning share-market performance. This is unlikely to continue indefinitely. There have been lengthy periods in the past when investment returns have stagnated or even declined. A fee (based on funds invested) may look reasonable when returns are high and rising, but will it seem so reasonable when investment returns (your income) are stagnating or falling? Regards, Bob

Hi troutboy, The answer to your question is -- it all depends. On whether you're fishing wet fly or dry, stream or lake, the size of the fly, how much wind there is, how good a caster you are, and a host of other factors. For many purposes however, 9 ft is about right. You usually only need to use a longer leader when fishing small dry flies or nymphs in relatively windless conditions if the fish are spooky. When fishing large wet flies, particularly if it's windy, you might need to shorten-up a tad to achieve a good "turn over" and control the cast. You will probably need to add some tippet to the end of your leader as it becomes shorter through changing flies. Use mono of about the same diameter and breaking strain as the end of you leader if fishing on or near the surface (greased with flotant if necessary). Use fluorocarbon instead of mono if you want the fly to go deeper. As a guide, 4 lb to 5 lb tippet is about right for most dry fly fishing, while heavier 6 lb to 8 lb tippet is often needed to avoid bust-offs when fishing wet. Flies for Thompsons Creek Dam and Oberon Dam? Try a red and black matuka, a Mrs Simpson, a woolly bugger, a fuzzy wuzzy, perhaps a Craigs nightime for after dark, and nymphs of various sizes and colours. Be sure to have some that are heavily weighted with bead heads, so you are able to fish well below the surface if the fish are down deep. As the season progresses, and the weather warms up, you should also have some grass hopper and beetle patterns, and also some attractor patterns, such as the royal Wulff, that you can fish dry. Ensure you have a range of fly sizes: from about #16 for dries and nymphs through to about #6 for the larger wets. Regards, Bob

Hi Roberta, Hook models often become unavailable because they're replaced by a better hook. Check-out the Mustad 8260BLN Limerick. Looks identical but with a better finish and chemically sharpened (can be resharpened). I recently bought some for $2.75 per dozen. Regards, Bob

Hi guys, Suggest you go easy on that bees wax. I can still recall the struggle I and a mate had when pulling his rod apart at the end of a day's fishing after he'd used bees wax on the ferrule. IMHO a far better ferrule lubricant for fibreglass and graphite rods is candle wax. Works a treat. Regards, Bob

Hi guys, One piece rods have the advantage of not having potential ferrule problems -- which used to be a big problem several decades ago, before fibre glass and graphite became the material of choice for fishing rods. Glass and graphite rods now made using modern manufacturing techniques usually have very good ferrules built into the rod (although it still pays to check them before buying). Other than for beach fishing (which puts a very heavy strain on the rod), I'm a fan of multiple piece rods. Most of my fly rods are four piece. A multiple piece rod is much easier to transport and store -- which is when many rods actually get broken. As a general rule, the more expensive the rod, the better the build quality and ferrules. Regards, Bob

Hi Kantong, Refer my original post above. They are small snaps, designed for securing a fly to leader without the need to tie knots when fly-fishing -- which is why they are so small, and often referred to as "fly clips". As far as I'm aware there's only two brands: Mustad Easy Snaps and No Knot Fas Snaps. Not all tackle shops stock them, but those that sell a lot of fly-fishing tackle probably will. Regards, Bob

Hi Tuffy, The bushes are built into your reel -- the spool spindle runs on them. The "C" model ABUs (like in 7000C) run instead on bearings (which contain ball bearings). Bearings are supposed to last longer than bushes as there's less wear. But I suspect you are really referring to the brake blocks, that are part of the spool braking mechanism? If so, then when you remove the side plate from your reel you can't help but see them -- they are tiny plastic sleeves and there can be up to four fitted. Provided they haven't fallen off the steel prongs of the mechanism and been lost when you last pulled your reel apart. They can just fall off, which may be why you're having casting problems. Consult the user guide which comes with all ABU reels to see how the mechanism works. Spare brake blocks are usually supplied with a new reel. If you no longer have them, a visit to any good tackle shop (or failing that a phone call to the ABU Garcia distributor) should see the problem overcome. Regards, Bob

Hi Tuffy, The ABU 7000, particularly the red model which has bushes instead of bearings, is one of the best casting reels available. To tame your reel do this: 1. Undo the screws holding the side plate to release it, then check that the maximum brake blocks are installed in the centrifugal brake mechanism (if not, ensure you add extras needed). 2. Oil the bushes or bearings (if you have a "C" model reel) with heavy (SAE 50 to 90) automotive engine or gear box oil, then reassemble reel. 3. Adjust spool tension screw at side of reel so when spool is released the lure or sinker falls slowly to the ground. With your reel set up like that it's almost impossible to have an overrun. As you gain confidence you may want to cast greater distances. To do this just reduce the number of brake blocks, use lighter oil and less spool tension. Regards, Bob

Hi Fishraiders, I'm considering pressing my old ABU 7000 back into service, but spooling it with gel spun instead of the usual 15 lb to 22 lb mono. I notice from recent comments posted that more than a few of you use gel spun Fireline on your ABUs when beach fishing. I use Fireline on small threadlines for fishing softies, but have heard that inevitable over-runs and backlashes are difficult to tease out if you use gel spun on an overhead. Is this true? Any tips and traps when using gel spun on overheads for beach fishing? The ABU 7000 will be used with my FSU 4120. I'm thinking of using 120 yards (?) of 30 lb Fireline top-shotted over 20 lb mono, and a 30 lb mono shock leader, to cast lures (chromed, hard bodied and softies) and sinker and bait combinations in the 1 oz to 3 oz range. How do you reckon that'd go? Regards, Bob

Hi Mick, Yes. That's the one. Might be different up your way, but around The Entrance and Brisbane Water on the Central Coast it's not unheard of for Fisheries to walk the foreshores, particularly near launching ramps. I suppose it's up to each person to decide if they want to run the risk. I've been told the maximum entry hole size is to prevent other species, such as small bream, from entering the trap. So not a bad rule. Regards, Bob

Hi guys, I've a lot of lures. And I like to give them all a try. But repeatedly cutting a lure off and then tying on a new one can be a pain -- it takes time and you continually shorten your fluorocarbon leader. I've used the duolock type snap for bass and flathead fishing with hard body lures for years. Never had a problem. Haven't tried them with soft plastics though, because even the small ones look so large and conspicuous when attached to a softie. In a recent fishing mag article, I saw pics of extremely small snaps: Mustad easy snaps and Fas-snaps. I thought they might work well with soft plastics. Anyone tried them? Regards, Bob

Hi guy, If you're designing home-made poddy traps, it might be worthwhile looking at the fishing regs. In NSW, the entry hole size shouldn't exceed 6 cm. Unless you want to risk a run-in with a fisheries inspector. I'm currently modifying my trap to make sure it meets the requirements. Regards, Bob

Hi Rob, It's still a tad early in the season yet. Give them a serious go in the November/ early December period -- you'll do much better. Pick a morning or afternoon when the barometer's rising and there's plenty of insect activity (grass hoppers, cicadas etc). Cast in close to shady snags a few times and you should soon be connected. Regards, Bob

Hi fishraiders, I've often seen very large bully mullet in the brackish waters of rivers and estuaries, but never been able to catch them. They look a good prospect: good average size (often over 1 kg), would fight well, and should be OK on the plate -- the pros catch tons of them when they run up the Central Coast in April each year. A mate told me they don't take the usual baits that the smaller yellow eye and sand mullet take: bread, pieces of prawn, squirt worm etc. Is that true? Anybody had success on bullys? Regards, Bob

Hi fishraiders, I see from the Squidgy website that the new prawn lure should be available in tackle shops. Anyone given them a go? Do you reckon they are better than other softies in the Squidgy range or other SPs including prawn lures, such as Prawnstar? Regards, Bob

Hi Farma, Some good advice given here. Timing and good casting technique will put the fly where you want it to be -- not gut-busting effort, which is the likely cause of your injury. But there's another aspect, not touched on, that's relevant to most flyrodding. It's far more efficient to hold the fly rod in your strongest hand and wind with the other (as is also the case with a smaller spinning reel) although few people do. For example, I'm a right hander but I wind all my fly reels (and also my lighter spinning reels) with my left hand. For left handers, it's the reverse, hold rod with left hand and wind with your right. The advantages? As well as fighting a fish holding the rod in your strongest hand, it's also not necessary to swap a single-handed rod from hand-to-hand after making a cast. Think about it. Winding with your weakest hand feels a bit strange at first, but you soon get used to it. And then it's so easy and natural, you won't consider going back to doing it the other way. Regards, Bob

Hi Rob, Here's something else to think about. If you buy a second-hand aluminium hull and trailer, they are are usually cheap to repair, even if there've been knocked around a bit. This is particularly so if you have a mate who can do MIG welding and repair trailers, as I have. But if you buy a second-hand motor and it turns out to be almost clapped out, then it can be very expensive to repair, particularly if you can't fix it yourself. Therefore, if you've limited funds, it's probably safer to look for a bargain second-hand boat on a trailer (without motor), and then buy a new motor to suit. A new motor would obviously come with warranty. Regards, Bob

Hi Cid, Congratulations. Well done. Which hardbody lure did the job on the jew? Always amazed at the size of fish that can be caught from kayaks and canoes -- often shows the bigger boat fishos up. Sit-on-top type kayaks seem to be gathering a big following. What type of yak is yours? Regards, Bob

Hi Gio, Having decided the type of fishing YOU intend to do and how much you're prepared to spend, all you need to do now is spend a little time browsing around the tackle shops. Don't worry too much about brands or models: pretty well all of the major brand reels will do the job well. Instead, just find a reel that YOU like the look and feel of, that will match-up well with your rod. Then buy it. Regards, Bob

Whoops! Good point Allen. I assumed the mate was wondering whether to spend money to do the rods up for fishing, overlooked the sentimental value and that he might be a collector. Sorry Craig. Regards, Bob