Just Couldn't Get Off Number 13.

[meppstas]

'' JUST COULDN'T GET OFF NUMBER 13.'' 18-4-15

Wind and rain was the forecast for later on today so I thought I would head to my usual haunt at Merseylea and get a session in before it hit. Once at Merseylea and a thirty minute chat with a local farmer I headed off through the paddocks for a twenty five minute walk to the river. By the time I reached my entry point the wind had really picked up from the North West and was gusting at around 25kph. Good thing was that it was at my back so it didn't effect me that much for now.
Started off with a brand new Black Fury (black blade) for this session as the other one had passed it's use by date, besides it had lost me a few fish on the last trip. That was really my own fault as I was just being slack by having to break in a new spinner. Now if you're wondering what I mean by saying break in a new spinner, well I always tweak my blade spinners and set them for river fishing medium to fast water. It's something that I taught myself over the many (50+) years of spin fishing with metal blade spinners.

It wasn't too long before I was in the river casting up and across to the opposite bank and then letting the spinner drift with the flow while slowly retrieving it. This went on for some 200 meters and I hadn't seen a fish at all. This stretch gave up several hook ups on the last trip here too, but not today. It wasn't until I was into my last section fast water that I finally had my first brown on for the trip. It took over 400 meters of river before I finally had one in the net which was a relief, I couldn't believe it had taken so long. I knew I was in with a chance here as this fish was taken along the same shallow run on the RHS of the Mersey River where I picked up a few on the last trip. I did catch and release another three browns in this shallow run from 5 hook ups. I was much happier now as I had caught & released four browns from six hook ups in just over twenty meters of river. That's what I love about trout fishing rivers, you can fish over a short or long distance of river for zero, then before you know it you're on the scoreboard with a few fish. Well that was it for the next few hundred meters, all I managed was two follows.

I was now back to where the car was parked and I thought about heading for home as the build up of cloud was looking like the rain wasn't that far away. I decided to fish on further which finished up being a good decision because over the next four hundred meters I had another twelve hook ups for nine browns landed. This brought today's catch to thirteen a number I never like to stay on. Ahead of me was a long medium flowing stretch of river and with a bit of rain starting to fall I was in two minds whether to fish on or call it a day. I fished on, only to get rid of number thirteen though. The light rain passed over and all was good once again apart from me catching number fourteen. All I did do was jar the back again and headed off back to the car in agony still stuck on number thirteen. Oh well! that thirteen has lifted my season total to 429, so it wasn't all bad. The browns weren't overly big fish today either with the best one going 390gms, the overall average being 320gms.

cheers
Adrian

[FishnMiss]

Nice report and great Pics :thumbsup: You trying to tease us to come to Tassie n fish with you, or do you work for a travel agent with nice shots like that :icon_lolz:

[meppstas]

Nice report and great Pics :thumbsup: You trying to tease us to come to Tassie n fish with you, or do you work for a travel agent with nice shots like that :icon_lolz:

I don't know that you could handle the pressure down here, I mean having to put up with beautiful surrounds and trout fishing the rivers four to five days a week.... :super:

Pretty tough life for sure.. :water: :victory:

cheers
Adrian

[FishnMiss]

In some ways Mate I envy you blokes living in Tassie away from the rat race here in Melb :tease:
I reckon I''ll be in Tassie again in the not too distant future and ruin your tranquility :shocker: