Tidenknots & I hit Nine Mile Beach 6.30am today

[arpie]

Hi Raiders

I received a call from Pete/Tide'n'knots last night, inviting me to join him on an early morning fishing session half way along Nine Mile Beach, meeting up at 6.15am in the morning! Now, it takes something PRETTY SPECIAL to get me out of bed in about 2 degrees Celsius ...... and it was a going to be great catching up with Pete again! I must have had 4 layers of clothing on - and kept them on all morning! I thought I would be shedding layers, but the breeze came up a bit & I was glad of the extra layers. How Pete fished with only boardies on - Heaven Knows!

I hardly slept a wink, hoping not to sleep in ....... and was there ready &waiting for Pete & we head towards the beach ......... bugger! He'd forgotten to take the grandkid's booster seat out - so we returned home - which was a good thing, actually, as the plan was to leave my little ute beside the track, but I was a bit worried about unsavoury characters in the area .... so I followed him back to the house & left it there! Win/Win situation for all!!

Returning to the beach, we strode confidently down the beach, checking out any gutters ........there was ice on the sand!! Well, maybe it was frost! Our hands were freezing cold but the water was surprisingly warm! We chose a likely spot & chucked out a line!! First cast & I come up tight against a legal tailor! You beauty!! Despatched him, buried him in the sand & returned to fishing ......... 6 casts later - whoohooooo! Massive hit!! My little 'composite' beach rod (used at The Entrance Social earlier this year ......basically a mongrel rod with an ancient reel of no name ......) was bent to the max! The salmon was jumping high out of the water numerous times & as I tried to drag it up the beach with the wave, it would turn round & burrow thru the sandy water, taking line, so it took me a while to bring him in! A very nice salmon! Unfortunately it had taken all 3 hooks down & was bleeding badly from the gills, so I hit it on the head - and will try smoking it tomorrow!

I was using a heavier sinker setup than Pete, so he added another sinker ...... I was walking the beach when I hooked both fish, so Pete walked the beach ........ there weren't many fish around, so we maximised our chances of catching what hit the pilchards!

Finally, Pete gets a good hit

A nice big Aussie Salmon!

We fished on for a while - no more hits for a while ....... then I cast out & the bail arm shut as the 2 big sinkers flew out towards the breakers ......... I went to wind the line in & cast out again - the handle was turning, but the spool wasn't rotating! Bugger! My ancient old 'no name' reel was stuffed!! I wound the line in by hand & cast out again, to a big birds nest! Cutting off the birds nest, I rejoined the line - and cast out again, just wondering what would happen if I got another big salmon hit!!! Luckily I didn't!

We headed back to Pete's ute, somewhat slower than our race to the water earlier in the morning ........ maybe it was the weight of the fish that slowed us down!

Back at Pete & Rosetta's rental accommodation, Rosetta cooked up some toast & hot cuppas for us, gratefully received ........a good reward from a cold morning out fishing!!

Many thanks for the invite, Pete - I know for sure that I would still have been in bed at 7am if I hadn't committed to heading over

Look forward to catching up to try for some blackies before you head back & duck out for an evening meal, too

Cheerio

Roberta

Edited July 8, 2011 by Roberta

[Basil D]

Great stuff Guys, Hey Donna those sambos pull a bit harder than Blackies aye

[arpie]

Hi Nathan,

The last time I beach fished was at the Entrance Social (had heaps of fun there with BIG tailor) and today - otherwise, I haven't fished beaches for about 5 years, I reckon, since getting into yak fishing & blackie fishing! I used to do heaps of beach fishing 10 years ago, but got tired of dragging a heavy bucket full of fish back along the beach late at night, only to have to clean them when you got home! My best was 20 tailor in one night - and I gave most of them away! But most people preferred them filleted & skinned ....... so after that, i started putting fish back after I got 5 or 6!!

.... those sambos pull a bit harder than Blackies aye...... Hi Groper, They sure give an honest fight! I'd forgotten how hard they pull! It was fun to be pulling in some fish again, for a change! Mind you, the really BIG blackies that hang round the leases REALLY pull! I've been busted off by heaps of them, sadly!

cheerio

Roberta

[Basil D]

Hi Nathan,

The last time I beach fished was at the Entrance Social (had heaps of fun there with BIG tailor) and today - otherwise, I haven't fished beaches for about 5 years, I reckon, since getting into yak fishing & blackie fishing! I used to do heaps of beach fishing 10 years ago, but got tired of dragging a heavy bucket full of fish back along the beach late at night, only to have to clean them when you got home! My best was 20 tailor in one night - and I gave most of them away! But most people preferred them filleted & skinned ....... so after that, i started putting fish back after I got 5 or 6!!

.... those sambos pull a bit harder than Blackies aye...... Hi Groper, They sure give an honest fight! I'd forgotten how hard they pull! It was fun to be pulling in some fish again, for a change! Mind you, the really BIG blackies that hang round the leases REALLY pull! I've been busted off by heaps of them, sadly!

cheerio

Roberta

You should have seen Christo, My young boy fight the sambo On Wednesday at Garrie Beach, for starters the rod is 13 foot and the wieght in total with the sambo ended straightening his Rod but I wouldnt take over not even with his please but in the end he was glad I didnt help him

[james7]

Getting "out of bed in about 2 degrees Celsius"!!! That really requires some motivation! Anyway it seems like it was worth it Roberta. Top little session. The beach looks great that time of day.

Well done to you and Pete.

Great report.

Cheers

Peter

[Bucaneer]

Hi Roberta

The dam is up so much will have to leave the boat at home. You inspired me to get out the beach rod / alvey combo and brave the cold in the am tomorrow.

I would be happy with a samba or 2.

[arpie]

Yes, Peter, it WAS a little brisk! I had at least 4 layers of clothing on, as well as a wonderscarf around my neck & fully expected to be stripping off a layer or two as the sun rose higher ..... but it was not to be! Too Bloody Cold to take anything off!!! It was SO COLD, there was frost on the sand!! It crunched as we walked on it - and it felt like a refrigerator, according to Pete - he just had Crocs on - at least I had my neoprene booties on!

Good luck tomorrow, Bucaneer - make sure you take all your woollies!! You'll need 'em! Talking about the dams being up ....... when most of the mid north coast was flooding about 3 weeks ago, we had a king tide that coincided with the flood waters coming down from the mountains ....... and the lake peaked at (supposedly) 1.8m - I say 'supposedly' because we have had the tide level to 1.9m in the past (around easter or xmas) without any real damage to any lakeside businesses ...... but this time, some of the boat rental places had the water go thru their shops! Blue Peter had .3m thru his place and the next one down (the Colonel's) had 1m thru his & lost a lot of stuff to just 'floating away' .... including some pathway pontoons that he obviously hadn't secured very well - he was seen towing them back from way up the lake over the next week! This is the bloke who hates ANYONE casting a line within 5m of the front of 'his' place and has verbally abused me on many an occasion!! What goes around, comes around, I reckon!!

This is what Aussie Salmon looks like after it has had a bit of brown sugar & salt rubbed into it .... and smoked for about 1/2hr! We ate half of it for dinner tonight - really Yummy!!

I had a quick fish today, for nothing - but noticed that another favourite lease has been made 'kayak proof'! This used to be my favourite mullet lease & occasional flattie lease! I hope no others go the same way! That is 3 we can't get into now!

Cheers & tight lines

Roberta

Edited July 9, 2011 by Roberta

[Basil D]

Yes, Peter, it WAS a little brisk! I had at least 4 layers of clothing on, as well as a wonderscarf around my neck & fully expected to be stripping off a layer or two as the sun rose higher ..... but it was not to be! Too Bloody Cold to take anything off!!! It was SO COLD, there was frost on the sand!! It crunched as we walked on it - and it felt like a refrigerator, according to Pete - he just had Crocs on - at least I had my neoprene booties on!

Good luck tomorrow, Bucaneer - make sure you take all your woollies!! You'll need 'em! Talking about the dams being up ....... when most of the mid north coast was flooding about 3 weeks ago, we had a king tide that coincided with the flood waters coming down from the mountains ....... and the lake peaked at (supposedly) 1.8m - I say 'supposedly' because we have had the tide level to 1.9m in the past (around easter or xmas) without any real damage to any lakeside businesses ...... but this time, some of the boat rental places had the water go thru their shops! Blue Peter had .3m thru his place and the next one down (the Colonel's) had 1m thru his & lost a lot of stuff to just 'floating away' .... including some pathway pontoons that he obviously hadn't secured very well - he was seen towing them back from way up the lake over the next week! This is the bloke who hates ANYONE casting a line within 5m of the front of 'his' place and has verbally abused me on many an occasion!! What goes around, comes around, I reckon!!

This is what Aussie Salmon looks like after it has had a bit of brown sugar & salt rubbed into it .... and smoked for about 1/2hr! We ate half of it for dinner tonight - really Yummy!!

I had a quick fish today, for nothing - but noticed that another favourite lease has been made 'kayak proof'! This used to be my favourite mullet lease & occasional flattie lease! I hope no others go the same way! That is 3 we can't get into now!

Cheers & tight lines

Roberta

Those smoked fillets look awsome, Hope you squeezed lemon juice all over them.

And sorry to hear about your favourite lease been made yak proof, we seem to be loosing lot of Fishing Grounds

[ddaniel]

thats dedication for you, trying too tie knots and put on a frozen pillie when your fingers dont want to cooperate and all you can think about is the warm bed you just left. but with patience and persistance you reap the rewards, many a morning i can remember like that, good sambo's. btw how is the potholing going around redhead and diamond going, should be starting to get a few?

[Keflapod]

Hi Roberta,

The things we do for our mates !

You endured getting out of bed in 2 degrees, lugging around 4 layers of clothes, walking on Icy sand (I never thought that was possible) and destroying beloved antique fishing gear on fish to catch up for a fish with a mate.

I take off my hat to you (but only for a second - don't want to get a cold head - brainfreeze will give me a headache !).

The fishing may have been slow but the cameraderie on the beach would have made up for that.

The smoked sambo looks delicious. I too was recently showed how to smoke stuff and I will no longer give my trevally away....

I might even chase the odd sambo when a bust up occurs...whereas previously I would treat them with ignore.

As for your favourite yak spot being shut down - that is a truly hard blow to take.

I had the same thing happen to me in the bay with the fish pen there near the caltex oil refinery wharf.

It is there no longer but was a prolific fish attractor.

It has been moved into a place of 30cm deep and left there - perhaps never to be used again.

Oh well, life has it's downs as well as it's ups.....

Tony

[arpie]

Thanks guys!

....thats dedication for you, trying too tie knots and put on a frozen pillie when your fingers dont want to cooperate and all you can think about is the warm bed you just left...... Got it in ONE, Daniel!! THe pillies took ages to thaw & Pete's first one busted up as he put it on, so probably fell off rather than being chewed off........

I've never potholed RedHead or Diamond Beach - was taken to one of the beaches south of Forster (Elizabeth or Blueys or something) and watched my 70+ neighbour jumping round the rocks like a mountain goat & I stayed on the beach - it looked SO dangerous! He DID go in once at Forster off Burgess Beach - lost his rod & reel in the process - found it eventually, or some of it, totally destroyed with holes rubbed thru the rod from moving contact with the rocks. I got a biggie out of a hole from the end of the Tuncurry Breakwall once - & was busted off for my effort!

Next time you come up this way, we can go 'a-huntin'!!

Hi TOny - it was a whole lot of fun & something I wouldn't normally do on my lonesome any more - specially not half way down the beach, as my little ute may have gotten me down there - not sure if it would have gotten me back!

CG - you'll love it! It is a great way of cooking fish & is nice just as it is on biscuits or with mash & veg, or made into fish pie! I only fillet the sambo as they are SO large - but smaller fish like tailor or mullet & blackies, I just gut & chop the head off & cook whole, turning them after about 20 mins & then cook 10-15 mins on the other side as well. Test with a skewer in the shoulder to make sure it is cooked thru.

Pete rang last night & suggested doing it again ......... but I suggested blackie fishing at the comfortable hour of 9am ....... which is a whole new story!!!

Cheers

Roberta

[ddaniel]

yeah it can be rough, on your gear and most importantly yourself. you have to look at the weather closely and never take risks!! saying that when done correctly can be a very fun and interesting day, gf dad lives at redhead(nice bowlo there)great little town, normally hit charlotte land base for tuna, cobes and kings. will pm when heading up again, a nice fillet of blackie dangling off the wall should get an inquirie.

[arpie]

.... a nice fillet of blackie dangling off the wall should get an inquirie....

A jewie would like that as well!! Look forward to hearing from you when you come up next

Cheers

Roberta

[PRED-ATOR]

Great salmon guys, gotta love an early morning beach session and goodwork on braving the cold!