Fishing Reports
Sydney Harbour Fly Fishing Classic
Last Updated on Wednesday, 10 February 2010 15:03 Written by Peter Whitfield Saturday, 25 April 2009 11:10
Not usually being one to brave the pre-dawn hours on a weekend, I was amazed when I showed up for the Sydney Harbour Classic to to see the long queue of boats waiting to put in at the Roseville bridge boat ramp at 5.30am. The darkness was receding as we headed off down towards Bantry Bay and on through Middle Harbour looking for signs of bird and fish activity.
Attendance was very good with 21 anglers attending including many salt-water beginners mixed in with the old hands. The weather was kind giving us a mild day with only a gentle breeze and minimal swell as we headed out past Balmoral. Those in the bigger boats headed up harbour towards Garden Island with some venturing as far as Barangaroo where Ken Wong landed the only Kingy of the day. Many found the fishing a bit tough with the schools moving fast and often coming up well out of casting distance.
Central Tablelands District
Last Updated on Wednesday, 25 February 2009 21:31 Written by Peter Whitfield Wednesday, 25 February 2009 06:37
Fishing the Central Tablelands District
Two types of streams are available. The first type is the slightly small river located at the headwaters of some of the famous rivers of the area. The second is the slower lower down river sections best exemplified by the Tarana area of the Fish River all the way down to the Macquarie River and below
Options: For the smaller type stream be aware of two major things in fishing them. The first is the highly visible nature of small streams - especially if they have high banks. It is a case of stay out of sight, stay out of sight ……. etc etc. The second is very similar to the first except there is a little more latitude in being able to stay out of sight. Wading can become an important part of fishing this wider type of water, though you still need to be very aware that even wading can betray your presence.
Sydney salt water scene
Last Updated on Friday, 23 January 2009 14:31 Written by Peter Whitfield Friday, 23 January 2009 14:30
This month the normal pattern of fish behaviour has been affected by the torrential rain the Sydney region received in the first week of February. The long term effects once things begin to clear, should be positive, but consistently finding fish in water the colour of coffee remains a challenge. Surface action in the harbour itself has subsided as a result, but action may be found once outside the heads in the true oceanic current.Kingfish to 8 kilos have been residing on some of the harbour structures, and respond to large flies stripped absolutely flat out once they've been allowed to sink deep. Try to have the boat drifting away from the structure when you start your retrieve. You'll understand why when you hook up. An interesting sideline to this activity is the presence of Samson Fish and Amberjack (both species confirmed) along with the Kingies. Anyone wanting a new species on their list should keep this in mind. Autumn means big bream time in the Parramatta River. The big stir up we've had should clear nicely to coincide with the movements of the big blue nosed spawners.
Prior to the rain Broken Bay and Pittwater boasted consistent surface action. Justin Duggan from Sydney Flyfishing had clients consistently taking 4 and 5 species in a session, with striped tuna providing the biggest challenge. There are still kingfish working in Pittwater if you know where to look, and some of the boil ups are massive. Fishing by himself recently on a drizzly day Justin released 14 fish and he tells me plenty more released themselves on yacht moorings.
Mark Rigg Thornleigh Fishing Tackle
Bass on the Hawkesbury
Last Updated on Wednesday, 10 February 2010 15:03 Written by Peter Whitfield Friday, 23 January 2009 08:18
A small but very select group braved the ire of our respective spouses by taking off, right in the middle of the pre-Christmas social season, for an overnight stay at Graeme Degotardi’s place on the Hawkesbury River just upstream from the Colo River junction.
So instead of hobnobbing with the rest of the Sydney social elite, Peter Kelly, Ross Barker, Peter Whitfield and I had our tents set up on the Friday afternoon and were out on the water chasing bass as the sun set. And again at first light on Saturday morning as the sun burnt off the mist over the river – ideal times to be out on the river.
South Island of New Zealand
Last Updated on Friday, 23 January 2009 14:06 Written by Peter Whitfield Thursday, 22 January 2009 06:58
My good American friend Doctor Ron Woody from Bozeman, Montana joined me during January to fish the south island. Our first venue was the area around Cromwell with local guide Dick Marquand. It was unusually cold for this time of year, and it had rained 50 millimetres only a few days before we arrived (the annual rainfall for the Cromwell area is around 300 millimetres). To top it off it rained six out of ten days while we were there. Consequently, the local rivers had very bad visibility, and could not be fished. However, Dick rose to the challenge and took us fishing on the edge of Lake Dunstan, plus several other small ponds and dams, where the water was clear, and fishable. Of especial interest was fishing the marshes at the head of Lake Dunstan. Here we would travel through thick bush to reach shallow shin to knee deep water where browns would glide by in search of snails, and insects.
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