Returning the favour – the iconic Murray Cod

[DerekD]

Several years ago @big Neil from the Riverina area of NSW reached out to me for help with several saltwater species. Over time we got him his first king (not legal), squid, luderick on fly. Each goal took some effort but I enjoyed every trip with him. He also kindly offered to return the favour as the iconic Murray Cod could be caught in the Murrumbidgee river near where he lived.
 
Fast forward to 2021 and the time was right to take him up on his generous offer. I dragged a long term friend (Floris) along as he’d met Neil during earlier fishing trips and they got on well. Floris and his family have been friends of mine for decades. He loves his fishing but life got in the way and it was only in the last few years that he contacted me for fishing help and to see what had changed since his younger years. Floris is a Senior Lecturer at Sydney University in the Environmental Sciences and has an interest in Local Ecological Knowledge. This trip would give him the chance to catch another species or two on his check list, have some down time and pick Neil’s brain on the local ecosystems and the behaviour of the fish.

The trip was about 7 hours, slow and uneventful. After a quick chat and break we headed out to check the shrimp nets Neil had set earlier and then the local ramp for an afternoon fish. In the past when I’ve caught up with Neil the weather has made itself annoying and this time was no exception with storm clouds hanging over our heads. The river was way up with the recent rains and the water temperature was down to 21°C so Neil was worried the fish had shut down but nothing ventured nothing gained. Neil has his launch method down to a fine art and had us on the water with minimal effort.

With the river running so strongly and deep using lures was a bit of a struggle. Eventually after trying some spinner baits and deep divers they got put in the too hard basket. We picked locations where we could tie off the bank just upstream from a back eddy. Using paternoster rigs and running rigs kept our baits (a mixture of worms, shrimp and cheese on each rod to see what they were taking) near the bottom. We tried several likely locations with Neil getting more and more concerned we’d break his 100% success rate of putting visitors onto the iconic Murray cod.

At one of the locations my rod buckled over and it looked like the cheese on the end of my line was going to be the bait of choice. The hit was solid but the fight was soon over with my first Murray Cod coming to the surface. Neil’s record remained unblemished and after a few quick photos the fish went back into the water. A visual estimate called it at slightly over a legal 55cm.

A quick recharge of energy with a snack.

Shortly after the rod Floris was using bent over. The fight was just as quick and resulted in a lovely Murray cod, legal (or a touch under). A quick photo session and release then high fives all around as the primary goal was achieved and every fish from now on was a bonus. Once again cheese and been the bait of choice.

A couple more hits here and there but no hook ups. It had been a long day so we got off the water just before the storms hit and headed back for a home cooked dinner. One of Neil’s hobbies is pottery and one of mine is photography. He had been struggling to get photos to do his works justice so I gave it a go. Here are some of the results.

The next morning involved a leisurely start and a drive to the next town to give a different section of the river a shot. One of my secondary goals was to catch a trout cod and this stretch of river was the best chance I had. This time the weather was gorgeous and sunny to the point we kept picking shady spots along the river to try.

 

Again we mixed up the baits to see what was working. As the pressure was now off we had a line each in the water. Floris picked up two smaller Murray cod followed by Neil. I was getting ribbed about letting the team down. Although a little later I made up with it by hooking the largest cod of the day. Neil picked up another cod and then my rod buckled sufficiently to indicate a fish on. The fight wasn’t impressive and saw the fish skipping across the surface but when it came into the boat I took a look at the lower lip and realised it was a trout cod – second goal achieved. A few photos and back in the water. In these smaller sizes to the inexperienced eye (me in this case) the Murray Cod and Trout Cod look to be the same fish. There are several indicators, such as the bottom lip of the Murray cod is as long or longer than the top lip whereas  the trout cod has an under-bite. Neil picked it instantly as he knew the other indicators to look for.

We had a few more bites in the area which appeared to be trout cod from the way they hit but both were lost in the structure we were having to fish. Neil picked up another small Murray Cod and then a yellow belly/golden perch on the shrimp.

We called it a day in the late afternoon as the fish seemed to have shut down and the main goals had been achieved. 10 fish in two days fishing in difficult conditions was a great result for us. Back to Neil’s for dinner and then bed. The next morning saw us driving back to Sydney. Looking back at what was written it doesn’t cover the friendly banter and discussions about fish behaviour. I couldn’t really do the few days fishing with Neil justice in a simple post but I have come back with memories which will last me a lifetime. I saw an area of NSW I’d never seen in person before. These few days were a break that both Floris and I needed and I think Neil appreciated the company after what he has been through in the last few years.

Thank you for reading this far.

Thank you Neil for being such a wonderful host and inviting us along to such a beautiful part of NSW.

Thank you Floris for the company and doing the majority of the driving.

Regards,

Derek

Edited February 1, 2021 by DerekD

[wazatherfisherman]

Great story, great company, great photo's and some nice fish to tick off the bucket list! Nice pottery also Neil, looks like you guys had a terrific time

[mrsswordfisherman]

@DerekD @big Neil what a great report and an interesting read.

Neil’s pottery is special. We are lucky enough to have several pieces even one with “fishraider” inscribed. 

Apart from the captures I am sure you had great conversation. Thanks Derek for your insight into Murray Cod/Trout Cod.

Loved the “snack” too  🍌
 

 

[Blackfish]

Great write up on a great journey, excellent photos as well. 👍

[big Neil]

Lovely catching up with you and Floris, Derek. I am relieved that you both caught some fish as the conditions ended up being far from ideal. Part of the attraction to fishing this particular stretch of a fairly lengthy river is that every day presents a new and different challenge...I like that. I have to admit to being concerned whether my 100% record would remain intact though. I really enjoyed chatting about many different things with you both. You are both very intelligent, knowledgeable young men who have a serious passion for your work and your  hobbies. Always interesting getting an educated response to things! Even more interesting learning new dance moves Derek...I think we had the 4 shoe shuffle down pat in the end. Thanks for the glowing report and for taking time out to make the trip. Very much appreciated.

So where to next, for me? Certainly I'll visit Sydney again. I've had some lovely experiences fishing there. So many different opportunities to explore. I have unfinished business in Nambucca Heads too. Dave (Dirvin21) has painted such a vivid picture of the species there (Mangrove Jacks, Bass, EPs and others). It would be good to have another shot at them too. So much fun meeting up with real quality anglers (and interesting people) and learning new things from them. Thanks FISHRAIDER.

A lot happening in my life at present. So much to do, so little time, so little gusto. It is what it is.

 

Cheers, bn

[kingie chaser]

Nice report Derek, good to see BN got you onto a few fish.

 

Always great to explore new locations in our great land.

 

[frankS]

What a fantastic read and great photos. Neil is a great bloke and a decent fishing guide, his hospitality is next to none and his knowledge with the area he fishes is remarkable. Great company and I would highly recommend anyone taking him up on his always present offer to take a Fishraider fishing and put them onto a Murray Cod as well as other species.

Derek Thanks for the well written post , you too are a true gentleman.

Frank 

[DerekD]

Shrimp is one of the predominate food sources in the river so we found ourselves going “Shrimping”. Prior to our arrival Neil had laid some shrimp nets in the local waterways. Each time we stopped the boat along the river we dropped a shrimp net or two. One of the baits used in the nets was soap and it worked. Here and there we’d get several shrimp. Unfortunately no photos at this time. I kept hearing the word shrimp so frequently that I’m pretty sure I called out  “Loo-tenant DAN” a few times and kept thinking of the Bubba-Gump shrimp company from the movie Forrest Gump. I also find myself wanting to pull it out of the cupboard for a re-watch.

All these years I’ve been working on my plastics and lures fishing techniques and it turns out all I needed to do was get some soap and cheese. Who knew?

We only caught one yabbie which was taken by a snag. It seems they were a struggle to catch for some reason. Even the specialists had to work hard to find them.

Edited February 2, 2021 by DerekD

[Yowie]

A very interesting read. Fishing in those rivers is different to the estuaries. Nice bag of fish for the effort.

[DerekD]

As Floris is interested in Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) and in particular hydrological systems, the chance to pick Neil’s brain was a golden opportunity. One of the stories Neil told us highlighted the importance of getting your data from multiple sources – even when related to the same area.

While fishing, Neil met some people doing an electrolysis survey of the fish in the area. They had a device which put metal fingers in the water and would generate an electrical charge sufficiently strong enough to temporarily stun the fish after which they would float to the surface and be counted.

So as not to get in each other’s way they worked slightly different sections of the river. When they caught up later they swapped stories. Neil had been doing well on the Murray Cod and pretty well nothing else. The survey team had been picking up a lot of golden perch/yellowbelly which was a real surprise to Neil as he found he rarely caught them in the area. Even stranger was that they had struggled to get any Murray Cod. If the data had been taken just from the census crew the impression would have been that the Murray Cod was almost non-existent in that section of the river.

[Rebel]

Super report.Faboulous photos. Just love the country. Well done.

[masterfisho7]

Great report and top photos well done 

[DerekD]

Before heading to the Riverina area I knew enough to have both the Murray Cod and the Trout Cod as my target species. I knew that they were a little difficult to tell apart and if you’d held a Murray cod next to a Trout Cod of similar size, on first impression I’d expect they were the same fish with just individual (rather than species) differences.

The DPI put up some rather detailed signs in the areas we were fishing to indicate the differences and I thought it worth sharing.

[DavidMoxhe]

Great report Derek, it’s nice to see such a camaraderie spirit! Very pleasant to read.

beautiful fish too!

Edited February 2, 2021 by DavidMoxhe

[FishyMcFishFace]

21 hours ago, DerekD said:

Several years ago @big Neil from the Riverina area of NSW reached out to me for help with several saltwater species. Over time we got him his first king (not legal), squid, luderick on fly. Each goal took some effort but I enjoyed every trip with him. He also kindly offered to return the favour as the iconic Murray Cod could be caught in the Murrumbidgee river near where he lived.
 
Fast forward to 2021 and the time was right to take him up on his generous offer. I dragged a long term friend (Floris) along as he’d met Neil during earlier fishing trips and they got on well. Floris and his family have been friends of mine for decades. He loves his fishing but life got in the way and it was only in the last few years that he contacted me for fishing help and to see what had changed since his younger years. Floris is a Senior Lecturer at Sydney University in the Environmental Sciences and has an interest in Local Ecological Knowledge. This trip would give him the chance to catch another species or two on his check list, have some down time and pick Neil’s brain on the local ecosystems and the behaviour of the fish.

The trip was about 7 hours, slow and uneventful. After a quick chat and break we headed out to check the shrimp nets Neil had set earlier and then the local ramp for an afternoon fish. In the past when I’ve caught up with Neil the weather has made itself annoying and this time was no exception with storm clouds hanging over our heads. The river was way up with the recent rains and the water temperature was down to 21°C so Neil was worried the fish had shut down but nothing ventured nothing gained. Neil has his launch method down to a fine art and had us on the water with minimal effort.

With the river running so strongly and deep using lures was a bit of a struggle. Eventually after trying some spinner baits and deep divers they got put in the too hard basket. We picked locations where we could tie off the bank just upstream from a back eddy. Using paternoster rigs and running rigs kept our baits (a mixture of worms, shrimp and cheese on each rod to see what they were taking) near the bottom. We tried several likely locations with Neil getting more and more concerned we’d break his 100% success rate of putting visitors onto the iconic Murray cod.

At one of the locations my rod buckled over and it looked like the cheese on the end of my line was going to be the bait of choice. The hit was solid but the fight was soon over with my first Murray Cod coming to the surface. Neil’s record remained unblemished and after a few quick photos the fish went back into the water. A visual estimate called it at slightly over a legal 55cm.

A quick recharge of energy with a snack.

Shortly after the rod Floris was using bent over. The fight was just as quick and resulted in a lovely Murray cod, legal (or a touch under). A quick photo session and release then high fives all around as the primary goal was achieved and every fish from now on was a bonus. Once again cheese and been the bait of choice.

A couple more hits here and there but no hook ups. It had been a long day so we got off the water just before the storms hit and headed back for a home cooked dinner. One of Neil’s hobbies is pottery and one of mine is photography. He had been struggling to get photos to do his works justice so I gave it a go. Here are some of the results.

The next morning involved a leisurely start and a drive to the next town to give a different section of the river a shot. One of my secondary goals was to catch a trout cod and this stretch of river was the best chance I had. This time the weather was gorgeous and sunny to the point we kept picking shady spots along the river to try.

 

Again we mixed up the baits to see what was working. As the pressure was now off we had a line each in the water. Floris picked up two smaller Murray cod followed by Neil. I was getting ribbed about letting the team down. Although a little later I made up with it by hooking the largest cod of the day. Neil picked up another cod and then my rod buckled sufficiently to indicate a fish on. The fight wasn’t impressive and saw the fish skipping across the surface but when it came into the boat I took a look at the lower lip and realised it was a trout cod – second goal achieved. A few photos and back in the water. In these smaller sizes to the inexperienced eye (me in this case) the Murray Cod and Trout Cod look to be the same fish. There are several indicators, such as the bottom lip of the Murray cod is as long or longer than the top lip whereas  the trout cod has an under-bite. Neil picked it instantly as he knew the other indicators to look for.

We had a few more bites in the area which appeared to be trout cod from the way they hit but both were lost in the structure we were having to fish. Neil picked up another small Murray Cod and then a yellow belly/golden perch on the shrimp.

We called it a day in the late afternoon as the fish seemed to have shut down and the main goals had been achieved. 10 fish in two days fishing in difficult conditions was a great result for us. Back to Neil’s for dinner and then bed. The next morning saw us driving back to Sydney. Looking back at what was written it doesn’t cover the friendly banter and discussions about fish behaviour. I couldn’t really do the few days fishing with Neil justice in a simple post but I have come back with memories which will last me a lifetime. I saw an area of NSW I’d never seen in person before. These few days were a break that both Floris and I needed and I think Neil appreciated the company after what he has been through in the last few years.

Thank you for reading this far.

Thank you Neil for being such a wonderful host and inviting us along to such a beautiful part of NSW.

Thank you Floris for the company and doing the majority of the driving.

Regards,

Derek

Nice report mate great photo's looks like you guys had a ball. Congrats on your first Murray Cod. Really nice Earthenware Neil, a fine craft. Cracking write up!

[Flop]

What can I say, a fantastic weekend with two incredibly knowledgeable guys. As @DerekD  pointed out, I have known him since the age of 4.5. I think the first fish I can remember Derek catching was a tailor (decent size) on something like a twist lure in middle harbour. While not being as devoted to the art as Derek, I have always enjoyed chucking a line in. Recently the planets aligned, I reached out to Derek to get back into fishing and learn some of the finer arts such as casting a fly, topwater,...the list goes on (Local tackle shop are stoked). At the same time I have been involved in a number of projects at uni looking at water quality and gathering local ecological knowledge of anglers = Serendipity. I met @big Neil l in Sydney going for Ludderick on the fly and a plan was hatched to head down to Murrumbidgee and target Murray Cod and Trout Cod as well as learning more about the river from someone who has lived and breathed it for more than a decade. I was not let down, while Neil was nervous that his 100% success rate might be broken because of the high flow rate in the river, probably coming from Burrinjuck and the copious amount of rain falling driven by a strong La Nina, we all landed something. For me, as well as learning a paternoster and catching cod, I gained some really valuable insight into how the river changes over time as well as discussing some unsolved mysteries. For example, we speculated as to why fish have gone from taking bait all day to taking bait in two windows for about an hour. Great learning, great company, great fishing.

Cheers,

F 

Edited February 3, 2021 by Flop

[Pickles]

Great Report Derek, great to see the smiles and some great fish (and some of Neil’s outstanding handiwork - master potter).
It’s  wonderful to see water in our inland rivers and green grass and trees on the banks after such a long “Dry”.

it’s also great to share the camaraderie of “Raider” mateship and the opportunities it presents. You’re a selfless champion Derek - thanks for all your inputs.

Good to see you’ve cracked the “bananas are a secret weapon” code

 

Edited February 4, 2021 by Pickles

[jenno64]

Great report , photos and You achieved your goals....and I bet there were a few good yarns shared....and brews:)

[big Neil]

44 minutes ago, jenno64 said:

Great report , photos and You achieved your goals....and I bet there were a few good yarns shared....and brews:)

Managed to get through a nice bottle of red at dinner time, even though Derek doesn't drink. Plenty of good chit chat too!

Cheers, Rob.

[kilp]

DerekD

 

Excellent report my dear friend, Great to see you and Floris, spending time with your friend Big Neil, but those great snaps it look like you all had a wonderful outing. Look forward to catching up soon

 

Kilp