Fly Rod Bassin

[Bream Mad]

Hi Raiders,

After some great HB sessions on my local Bass it was time to wave the long wand again.

Large foam hoppers were tied ready for the assault.

Hit the river at 5am and started casting my hopper into cover, giving it a little twitch then just letting it drift in the current. First pool and several small bass slash at the hopper but fail to hook up

Then as i wade into a deeper part and cast over the top of a submerged log all hell breaks loose as a good Bass smashes the hopper and bends my 3wt though to the cork!!

Despite diving into every snag in the pool the leader holds and i land this good fish at 34cm

Now the ice is broken and the confidence is restored as i make my way upstream.

After catching and releasing some ratbags (small Bass) i cover a likely mid stream snag and with a mighty splash the hopper is drowned but no hookup, an underwater strip brings a solid strike and i am once again hooked to a good fish, she again proves difficult to land on my little flyrod but is soon released after a few pics of course

Slightly bigger at 35cm

As i continue upstream i see (and hear) a mighty surface strike at the head of a punge pool.

I start casting into the pool but no takers so i climb onto a large rock and just dap my hopper at the base of the waterfall. In full view i watch as a large Bass rises and quietly sips the hopper off the surface

I stike and feel plenty of weight again, despite her large size the fight was pretty poor, as i unhook her at 38cm she slides off the rock as i am posing her for a pic, oh well.

Once again the Bass prove great fun to catch on the flyrod, a top session

Cheers

BM

[Richie]

Nice session dude!

35cm Bass on a 3wt... that would have been an awesome fight.

What pattern are you using for your hoppers?

I'm trying to master tying the Gurgler for surface work.

[Bream Mad]

Nice session dude!

35cm Bass on a 3wt... that would have been an awesome fight.

What pattern are you using for your hoppers?

I'm trying to master tying the Gurgler for surface work.

The pattern itself is still evolving, basically a mix of yellow or green foam, rubber bands for legs and pheasant tail for wings, and brown dubbing.

[Jewhunter]

Bass on surface hoppers & light fly gear sounds like alot of fun.

Top report & piccies of a great session. Well done.

Cheers,

Grant.

[jewgaffer]

Struth Bream Mad floating bits of styrofoam and catching big Bass everywhere! It's all starting to hot up.....Which is the best popper to buy.... I'm getting all my rods tangled up over what to rig up next!!!

It's all starting to get too overwhelming what to fish for, when all these different fish are being caught.

Everything seems to be happening at once.... Jew seem have gone way up river in places you don't normally try ... Flathead and Bream way up river as well.....Fisheries caught and tagged 1500 Estuary Perch only last week just near Lower Portland ferry and there's 500 to go !!!.... Pitt town Club's annual Hawkesbury classics starting at 6pm on Friday 2nd November and fishing right thru to the weigh in at 1pm on Sunday!!!..... The club is raffling off a 3.5 metre boat !!....There's a lucky door prize for a 15 foot boat with a 4 stroke for competitors and guests just showing up at the weigh in an all species tournament from Lion island to Spencer !!!...

Maybe hire a bus load of South Americans and drive back with no fish and just two boats??? .....

Should I go fishing at Lugarno and Menai to get on to these big flathead and bream and hunt for these missing jew?.... Should I Keep chasing jew in October? Should I skip all this and just go up to fish Ballina with Little Jewgaffer and Shirl?

Struth I don't known which way to turn with all this going on !! But I do know we are running late and we're off to fish at Menai right now.

Terrific fishing Bream Mad !!!

Well done mate

Cheers

jewgaffer

Edited October 5, 2007 by jewgaffer