After three hours, I was just about ready to go, having had only a couple of small bites the whole time. I was ok with this, but then to my surprise one of the rods dipped savagely, then the tip flicked upwards with loose line swaying in the breeze. For a moment I wasn't sure what had happened, and then suddenly I snapped into action as I realised the loose line was tracking across the river in my direction. I wound the reel like a maniac until finally I was connected to something very solid, making a beeline for a log in front of me. I angled the rod, but could do very little with my slow action gear, feeling the braid running over timber way off to the right up the river. A few panicked moments in the reeds and a boot down to the ankle in mud and I opened the bail arm, hoping for the fish to swim out of trouble. When I tightened up again, I was still connected, but also still in the snag - I decided to tighten the drag and hope for the best, pulling on the fish as hard as I dared. After a few tense moments, it was out into open water - the drag zinging every now and then as I tried to put on pressure. Finally, there it was - a hefty Murray Cod swimming tantalisingly close just out in front of the reeds. I swung at it with the net, only to realise I was still too far away - the fish headed out into deep water again. After a couple more nervous shots with the net, there it was - a 79cm fish of maybe 10kg in the landing net.
After carefully removing the circle hook and a photo or two, I lifted the fish back into the water for a powerful flick of the tail and it was gone back into the depths. What a way to start the summer!
