Berarra Long Weekend 4 - 6 Dec

[mark_s]

Here is my weekend report. Pics to follow later in the week when I get time to upload them.

Left Sydney Fri arvo for the drive down to Berarra (near Sussex Inlet). Heavy traffic saw us take 1.5 hours to get to Sutherland (normally a 30min trip).

Anyway we arrived down there abit after 9, total travel time of just under 4 houtrs which wasn’t too bad I guess.

Day 1

Sat morning went snorkelling with camera. The water is so clear down there, unfortunately it was overcast so pics weren’t that great. In the arvo the wife and I decided to go and have a fish. After wandering aimlessly along Berarra creek looking for a place to wet our lines we were rescued by a local who gave us two good options.

The first was a place called fisherman’s rock, about 15 mins walk upstream from the beach mostly through the bush. The local assured us that it was the place to go if we wanted to be guaranteed to catch some fish. The second was in a dead end channel on the other (south) side of the creek, this was a place for quality fish but not quantity.

We thought fisherman’s rock sounded good and headed off. Found the place without too much hassle, although there was one kangaroo that on the path who made the journey interesting. I kept telling my wife that the roo would move when we got closer but he never did. The best he would do is move to the edge of a 1 metre wide track to let us sneak by. Not sure if he was tame or being aggressive?

Anyway we arrive at fisherman’s rock, a beautiful little place on the creek. The creek is about 20m wide at this stage and prob about 4m deep at the rock. We settle in with a couple of beers. My wife was using some store bought worms as bait and I was giving the soft plastics a go. Over the next two hours I had no hits, touches on the plastics (I tried two different colours). My wife got a baby sweep (about the size of a 50c piece) and a baby wrasse of some sort. Strange captures really as the water was very brackish and there were mullet jumping all arvo. Nevertheless the beers were great and the location was very scenic and peaceful, also the guys fishing just up from us had less luck so we didn’t feel to bad.

After returning to the cabin I decide to nick down to the beach for another quick go with the plastics at the place where the creek normally drains into the ocean (the entrance was closed this weekend). (I think this was where Jimbo hooked a flattie a couple of weeks ago). Two donuts in one day for me.

Day 2

Pretty similar plan to day 1, snorkelling in the morning and fishing in the arvo. Snorkelling was great, the highlight was being surrounded by a huge school (30+) of silver drummer. Each one was the length of my key board and bigger, unfortunately the photos don’t do it justice. They just kept swimming around and around me.

The arvo fishing trip today was a beach excursion. I had picked out a very nice looking gutter that came all the way into the sand on my various trips up and down the beach. This looked ideal for me as I don’t have a beach rod so can’t get those big casts out the back. Besides I had seen some good schools of whiting and bream close to the beach when snorkelling. Anyway after legging it back up the beach I had trouble identifying my gutter and realised I had made my first classic rookie error by picking my fishing spot at low tide and returning at high tide.

A quick scan in my immediate surrounds showed no more likely looking spots so I stick with it. Due to lack of beach rod I had to wade out to waist deep water to cast my worm bait into the gutter. First cast lands right in the middle of the gutter and I slowly retreat to the shore while crabbing along the beach to follow my bait along the gutter. With everything set I decide to sneak in a mouthful of bourbon, of course while looking away a feel what I thought was a good bite on my line. I drop the bourbon into the surf and start winding like crazy. Of course there is no weight on the end of the line – classic rookie error number 2, the waves hitting your line can fell like a fish bite.

Stuck it out for two hours before I got sick of wading out in the falling light. The highlight of the arvo was a dog who came out into the surf while I was casting so that I could give him a pat.

Three donuts for the weekend so far.

Day 3

Decide to vary to the routine and go fishing in the morning. Time to give the plastics another go and I head to the locals second suggested spot, the place where fish are of quality but not in quantity. Gave it an hour of tossing the lure at any and everything before I decide that some breakfast would be tops. So that made the score four donuts for the weekend on the fishing front. Nada nil null.

One last snorkelling trip soon after breakie and it was the best yet. Plenmty of large schools of fish (trevors, bream, pike, tailor). The tailor were so thick that I couldn’t see through them, like the drummer from the day before they surrounded me and didn’t seem to want to go away.

At one stake I had a school of what I call yakkas & pike ball up right underneath me. Couldn't work out why until I poked my head above water. There where 6 fins surfacing just beyond my visability. The dolphins didn’t hang around long and didn’t come any closer for piccie unfortunately but was still a thrill.

All in all it was a great weekend, beautiful place. Only thing that would make it better would be if the water was a bit warmer.

BTW before you ask the obvious question, nearly all of the fish that I saw snorkelling were well away from the beach and rocks, need a boat to fish those spots.

Edited December 7, 2004 by mark_s

[Guest MarkD]

Good Report Mark, look forward to the pics..

[mark_s]

Here are the pics:

Some interesting looking rocks at bottom:

Not sure what type of fish these are:

a little tropical

anemone

sunset

a sole - hidden

Edited December 7, 2004 by mark_s

[wombat]

Beudeeee full. Whats the last one of apart from the sandy bottom???? looks like there sumthink lurking below?

Wombat

[mark_s]

some more:

a nudibranch (sea slug):

The view from our digs:

Eagle ray:

A school of yakkas (or are they?). The pike and trevors where there as well but they are out of range of the cam.

A school of tailor:

Sorry the pics of the drummer aren't good enough to post.

[mark_s]

Wombat - there is a sole hidden there. You can just see the outline of him.

A couple more:

A better one of the tailor:

Three pike:

And a school of poddies in the shallows:

Edited December 7, 2004 by mark_s

[Trouble]

Great photography mark ..good stuff, to bad about the fishing front..what camera setup are you using ?

[Guest Jocool]

Thats tops!

[mark_s]

Great photography mark ..good stuff, to bad about the fishing front..what camera setup are you using ?

22608[/snapback]

Cannon Ixus 500 with underwater housing. Relatively basic setup but goes ok. Main problem is that it takes over a second to focus and shoot. Makes it very hard to get pics of constantly moving schools of fish.

[Guest Jocool]

Main problem is that it takes over a second to focus and shoot.  Makes it very hard to get pics of constantly moving schools of fish.

22655[/snapback]

Does it have a setting for taking action shots? Mine does...and I can whizz of about 4 shots consecutively!

[mark_s]

Joe it does have an action shot setting, the problem is that it still takes 1 sec or so to focus the first pic, after that its ok. Also if the school moves after the first pic the camera needs to refocus otherwise its blury again.

Darryl, no lures this time but a few snapper leads and other sinkers that will be put to good use over summer.

[bluefin]

I realy enjoyed the pics! thanks.

Howard.