Keflapod Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 (edited) Fellow Fishraiders, I had planned to fish the PIRTEK challenge on Sunday. It had been many years since I last fished a competition - the bad feelings of that last comp still linger. I vowed I would never fish another comp, but this one is for a good cause (prostate cancer research). The last comp I did was so dodgy that I was lured in by fake high-value prizes , then they attempting to steal my fish to auction to raise funds for the 'club'. Prizes were actually fruit hampers... I just left my prizes on the table, took my fish and walked out.... See what I mean when I say the bad feelings still linger - 20 years on.... As it turned out, Sunday was a family day so I did my fishing on the Saturday. The Pirtek challenge would have to wait another year. The anchor hit the seabed, 3.0m below the keel at 5:00am. The rods were deployed as I watched in anticipation at what the day will unravel. The sky was still dark as the denizens of the dark fley by me overhead. Fruit bats were returning to their homes in Kurnell before the sun rose. One drag screamed off at the bow of the boat. I took the weight of a decent fish as the second drag screamed at the stern. That second rod would have to wait as I guided the first fish past the anchor rope. A nice bream graced the deck as it flopped around on the deck. I had to get to that second rod before the fish wrapped the line around some unseen rock or kelp. The catana rod bent nicely as I disengaged the baitrunner, allowing the main drag to take over. A second bream was safely in the net as the boat swung gently on the anchor rope. The wind had come up a little from the northwest, dropping the temperature a few degrees. I put on my jacket, did up the zipper all the way to the top and slipped on my beanie. The chill heralds the autumn, with the cold fingers of winter grasping at its tail. Still, I felt content that I was in my element, doing what I love and all my worldly fears were rendered powerless. In the picanninny dawn, I switched my lights off and thought about my next spot move. Looking into the esky showed about 6 nice fat bream and one nice 40cm whiting. The bite had slowed as it usually does when it starts to get light. I watched the sun rise out of the ocean as its glow lights up the sky and the clouds, extinguishing the stars. Birds could be heard along the Kurnell shores and the trailer lights of late rising fishermen could be seen making a beeline for the ramp. I pulled up my anchor and headed for deeper water in around 6.0m. The moon being in the lst quarter means slow currents, so I had to fish in main current lines to get enough current in order to find fish. Rods in, burley trail established and time for some breakfast. I was getting hungry. A cheese sandwich somehow tasted like a gourmet meal. Hunger really is the best sauce. But I didn't have time to finish it as an unthinking passer-by drives past very close, almost driving over one of my lines. You know you can tell if you have a fish on the line that people drive over, because as they drive over your bait, the fish that's been sitting on your bait craps itself and takes off, thus making your reel scream. Sometimes it's not actually a fish, but the propeller of the boat picking up the line... What can you do. There will always be baboons driving boats.... Half an hour later, I only added two bream and another nice whiting to the esky, but the constant stream of traffic sent me to another spot in 4.0m The fish were not in 6.0m or the boats had freaked them out too much. This spot yielded some lovely fish last season, but this year has not done anything special. The third spot looked devoid of boats, but unfortunately, was devoid of fish as well. I believe the winter cycle of fishing has begun whereby the fish move upriver or somehow disappear from their main spots. So, I decided to try a shallow spot or two and see if I could find them there. As soon as I cast my first rod in, a cormorant flew over and began prospecting the area. Now I was in two minds about this. It's a good sign in so far as the birds KNOW where the fish are. The bad sign is that any fish that are there will shortly NOT be there. I have seen a cormorant swallow a blackfish that looked every bit of 30cm.... No amount or HOOing and HARing from me could scare that bird away. Oh well, it's better than having a seal there. I would have definately moved if that happened. But the rods cast on the other side of the boat spent the next couple of hours constantly hooked up. The bird must have scared them over that way. A couple of boats noticed me put the net in the water once or twice and came over to have a go. At least they kept 50m away, because usually they want to tie up to my boat and fish in my burley trail. A particularly strange thing happened on one bite. The baitrunner 3500 screamed like a marlin had taken it. The baitrunner lever was engaged but somehow the the run popped the lever into a position that was half engaged, half disengaged. The reel behaved like the baitrunner lever was disengaged, whereby the main drag was engaged. The rod was bent flat and I couldn't get it out of the holder. By the time I got it out, it felt like the fish broke the trace. In fact, it had swum towards me. It was a nice 39cm bream and it made a lovely sound as 1kg plus of bream thuds on a checkerplate alloy floor. Gotta get that reel checked out... I had just about run out of bait so I thought I would count the fish as I forgot all about it, thinking I was gonna go home with a modest catch and face the wrath of the relos... I had indeed reached my bag limit of bream and had 6 nice whiting from 38cm - 42cm. Best bream was 39cm. I pulled stumps and headed home, knowing that my family and loved ones will all have fresh fish for tea tonight - courtesy of their favourite fisherman. This is who I am. This is my way of life. Without it, I am nothing. Tony Edited April 10, 2011 by Keflapod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robeebee Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 great read mate and a nice feed hope i do that well today Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greatwhitefin Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 well done that post was true poetry, great read, great fishing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ishuffle Posted April 10, 2011 Share Posted April 10, 2011 It's so cool to read the mind of another fisherman! There's this connection that we are all like minded! Great read up! Stuff like this makes you want to get ou and fish! Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keflapod Posted April 12, 2011 Author Share Posted April 12, 2011 Thanks for the kind words guys. I thought I would write something deeper this time, to put you in my mind for a short while. I usually do a comedy writeup but this time I wanted to give a new perspective, seeing how it's a changing of the seasons. New sights, smells, feelings, temperatures of water and air.... It's nice. Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wannabefisho Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 (edited) Thats a great read Tony! ... Hope you dont mind I thought I'd add my own little except from my own poem I wrote about hiw much fishign means to me- and has for a long time: The changing seasons means we are now greeted by cool crisp mornings, and low orange sunrises. The coming months will give way to the die hard fishos who brave the long winter nights searching for elusive and sometimes mystical creatures of the deep, and the flocks of summer anglers will go into a fitful slumber till spring. I love winter- its a time for true reflection- solo nights and early mornings on the rivers and beaches- pelogics move away up the coast. Surfers adorn their winter steamers amid cold waters where the southerly swells roll in and crash in huge balls of whitewater on the unbroken sand. these combined can provisionally make any die hard jewie or taylor or snapper fisho go weak in the knees. Its the solitude and tranquility of those cold cold mornings and late nights that gets me going, knowing that only the bravest of souls dare to try and tame the winter fish that lurk beneath the rise and fall of the waves. We all ride your own wave in some way- but its true fishing binds us all toghether- the rewards of winter fishing are endless so go out and get some action if you dare! I will be there, the lone soul standing amongst the rolling swells of time, with a long rod in my hand and some strip or worm baits, life it meant to be simple. so why complicate something as pure as fishing with crowds, its the ones why find thier own soul and wear it on their sleeve and are proud of heritage from past family members are the ones who find their own place in the fishing fraternity and reap the rewards they all deserve. fishing is too good to give up, but once you find that "special" spot where you are all alone you know the world is still turning, but time stands still. Winter fishing is poetry in motion for me, many a night spent on the rivers and beaches in the low light of day, freezing but still optimistic of the warmer waters to come as they bring with them back, the pelagics and fish that we love- but its the darker side that draws me in, like a smiling assassin one could never know the feeling- that is... unless you are a die hard fisho too... Tight lines Anthony Edited April 12, 2011 by wannabefisho Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BarCrusher Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 (edited) Top Report and thats exactly what its all about!! Edited April 12, 2011 by BarCrusher Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil D Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 Great going Tony, Mate you wrote a novel Good reading though. Mate you have to start catching other fish as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve351 Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 Bravo Tony! Great to see the bream are out and about! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnv Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 (edited) top report there Tony & nice feed aswell john Edited April 12, 2011 by johnv Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keflapod Posted April 12, 2011 Author Share Posted April 12, 2011 Thats a great read Tony! ... Hope you dont mind I thought I'd add my own little except from my own poem I wrote about hiw much fishign means to me- and has for a long time: The changing seasons means we are now greeted by cool crisp mornings, and low orange sunrises. The coming months will give way to the die hard fishos who brave the long winter nights searching for elusive and sometimes mystical creatures of the deep, and the flocks of summer anglers will go into a fitful slumber till spring. I love winter- its a time for true reflection- solo nights and early mornings on the rivers and beaches- pelogics move away up the coast. Surfers adorn their winter steamers amid cold waters where the southerly swells roll in and crash in huge balls of whitewater on the unbroken sand. these combined can provisionally make any die hard jewie or taylor or snapper fisho go weak in the knees. Its the solitude and tranquility of those cold cold mornings and late nights that gets me going, knowing that only the bravest of souls dare to try and tame the winter fish that lurk beneath the rise and fall of the waves. We all ride your own wave in some way- but its true fishing binds us all toghether- the rewards of winter fishing are endless so go out and get some action if you dare! I will be there, the lone soul standing amongst the rolling swells of time, with a long rod in my hand and some strip or worm baits, life it meant to be simple. so why complicate something as pure as fishing with crowds, its the ones why find thier own soul and wear it on their sleeve and are proud of heritage from past family members are the ones who find their own place in the fishing fraternity and reap the rewards they all deserve. fishing is too good to give up, but once you find that "special" spot where you are all alone you know the world is still turning, but time stands still. Winter fishing is poetry in motion for me, many a night spent on the rivers and beaches in the low light of day, freezing but still optimistic of the warmer waters to come as they bring with them back, the pelagics and fish that we love- but its the darker side that draws me in, like a smiling assassin one could never know the feeling- that is... unless you are a die hard fisho too... Tight lines Anthony Hey Anthony, I got goosebumps. The imagery you use to describe the environment and how you feel is amazing. While I rarely fish at night, while reading your words, I was there. Not many people see fishing in the way we do, nor can articulate their feelings and perceptions well. But they definately feel something indescribable, a warm'n'fuzzy feeling that has no words. The words they are looking for are in this thread. To be able to create mental images and infuse emotion, environment, our past and our future, is a true gift. Winter is definately the time of year for this type of a report - as it definately is a time to reflect. Love the smiling assassin....the personification of winter itself... Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bagga Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 Enjoy poetic reading about ones fishing adventures on this site but leave the alliteration out next time mate please, we get enough of it in newspapers, TV and advertising, it drives me crazy! You're a good writer without it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hookmeup Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 Tony eh....... I dont think so !! more like Edgar Allen Poe !! what a story, I was there as others have already said,totally enthralled in your story, felt like I was actually catching the fish.......wish I was, great read mate, keep em coming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Get The Net Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 Great read can't wait for the next chapter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogtooth Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 Great read... some great fish as well. Cheers Dogtooth...... John...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Get The Net Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 Great read can't wait for the next chapter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keflapod Posted April 15, 2011 Author Share Posted April 15, 2011 (edited) Enjoy poetic reading about ones fishing adventures on this site but leave the alliteration out next time mate please, we get enough of it in newspapers, TV and advertising, it drives me crazy! You're a good writer without it. Hi Bagga, I'm always willing to learn from others, whether they be more studious than I or not. I'm a bit unsure where the alliteration lies within my spiel, however I'm the first to admit that I have been guilty of this in the past. I'll spray it with aeroguard, just to be sure. My intention is usually to write in a comic fashion, whereby an alliteration may slip in if it is of comic value. In this report I thought I would show another face of my persona to reflect my perception of the changing of the seasons and what it means to me. It's much deeper than what I usually write so an alliteration would not really suit. In any case, I'm glad you enjoyed it, but next time I warn you it will probably be a funnier piece complete with cliches, insulting metaphors and anything else that will get a laugh.. Tony Edited April 15, 2011 by Keflapod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim bream Posted April 18, 2011 Share Posted April 18, 2011 Tony ye complete blinder regrets that i didn't go any way fingers crossed for this week the post was a little to long for me it would be like reading a whole book next time send a edit version lol good catch are going out this week? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RADZ2413 Posted April 24, 2011 Share Posted April 24, 2011 sounds like you had a ripper of a session and the satisfaction of being on the water at daybreak, nothing beats it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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