3 trips in a week!

User avatar
Broomstick
Rank: Premium Member
Rank: Premium Member
Joined: Mon May 26, 2014 10:43 am
Has liked: 2 times
Likes received: 37 times

3 trips in a week!

Post by Broomstick » Fri Jul 08, 2016 10:01 am

G’day mates,

Greetings from sunny Copenhagen:

Image

I’ve just returned from a music festival called Roskilde (9 days, 179 acts, 130,000 people – by the end of it we were dead men walking):

Image

But I’m finally starting to feel like my old self again, so I thought I’d fill you in on a couple of fishing trips I went on before I came to Europe. I’m here to attend a couple of conferences where I’ll be presenting research from my PhD, but before I could do that I needed to finish my last bit of fieldwork. This would require trips to two of my favourite places in the world – Marlo:

Image

and Nelson (it’s no coincidence that I chose two of Victoria’s fishing meccas as fieldsites ;)):

Image

My old man was also in Port Fairy at the time chasing tuna, so I was super keen to pop in there on the way to Nelson and land a couple of bluefin. But as usual I’d left everything to the last minute, and I only had a week to get everything done. I’d also just bought a new car on impulse at an auction (I’d written off my trusty old forester a couple of weeks earlier):

Image

And although it looked super cool and had gotten the all clear from the mechanic, I had no idea how it’d handle the multiple long drives (let alone the dodgy dirt roads). So it’s fair to say that this week had all the makings of a complete disaster, but what’s life without a bit of risk aye?

So at 2am Sunday morning (exactly one week before my flight) I packed up the car, picked up Luna (my dog) from my folks place, and hit the road. I also decided to bring along my brother’s dog, Lando. I’d taken him on a few day trips and he’s an absolute sweetheart, but he’s only 7 months old and a little cheeky, and this was his first camping trip. But I just couldn’t say no to that face:

Image

Four hours later I arrived at the boat ramp in Port Fairy to find my old man and his mate from work already waiting for me on the boat, so I jumped out of the car and 2 minutes later we were on the water:

Image

After a beautiful sunrise we powered out to our mark and deployed the spread. I was only able to stay on the water for a few of hours as I had to get to Nelson, so when the first reel started screaming after an hour of trolling, the fellas graciously let me take the rod. And after a really solid fight that had my arms burning, a beautiful Bluefin around the 10kg mark hit the deck (modeled beautifully by my dad):

Image

Ripper! We continued trolling and in the next couple of hours we managed 5 nice schoolies, all around the 10-15kg mark:

Image

By this stage it was around 11 so we decided to head in for an early lunch. And after a strong coffee and a quick hello to old mate:

Image

I was on the road to Nelson. A couple of hours later I met up with one of my best mates who had driven down from Adelaide to join me for the next couple of nights, and after about my 10th coffee for the day, we set up camp:

Image

He also had his two dogs with him, his beautiful Hungarian Vizslas, Nala and Otis:

Image

By this stage I hadn’t slept for about 36 hours, so after shoveling down a cold dinner, I was out like a light. The next morning we were up before the sun, determined to get this fieldwork out of the way (which consisted of taking water and sediment samples – boring) so we could spend the rest of our time fishing and exploring. We worked like maniacs and were finished by about 3pm, so after a quick bite at the kiosk we decided to head down to the flats at the mouth of the river and see if we could snag ourselves a bream:

Image

Although there were baitfish everywhere:

Image

The fishing was very slow, and after an hour and a half of fruitless flicking, we were considering calling it quits. I decided to tie on a slightly larger lure (a 75mm DC) to try and get a little extra casting distance, and second cast it was hammered. And after a really solid fight up popped this guy:

Image

A nice bream in the mid 30s – finally! Satisfied with getting a fish on the board, and exhausted from an extremely long day, we decided to head back to camp. After a couple of beers and a delicious dinner of pumpkin soup and potatoes cooked in the coals with bacon, cheese and sour cream:

Image

We were asleep before our heads hit the pillow. The next morning we had a well deserved sleep-in and woke up to blue skies. We polished off a delicious brekky of bacon and eggs:

Image

Then made our way to the beach to have a crack at a few salmon. It was a beautiful morning:

Image

But again the fishing was slow, and after an hour and a half the only fish we had to show for our efforts was this unlucky guy:

Image

We decided to have a quick flick at one last gutter before moving on, when I finally had a hit. And up popped a nice little salmon around the 40cm mark (excuse the average phone photo):

Image


I had another hit next cast and I though we might have finally hit a school, but unfortunately that was the only fish of the morning. We decided to make our way up river and over the next couple of hours we tried a few different spots where I’ve caught fish in the past, but we couldn’t raise a scale. But it was a beautiful day:

Image

And the dogs were having a ball:

Image
Image
Image

I decided to try one last spot before heading home, but I knew it might be a little difficult for the merc to get to. And I was right:

Image

She aint no off-road vehicle, that’s for sure. But she got through unscathed and after a bit of bush bashing:

Image

We arrived at our spot:

Image

We flicked for about half an hour without a touch, when the cheeky dogs decided to jump in the water for a swim:

Image

I thought this would completely ruin any chances of us catching a fish, but amazingly, just as the dogs were getting out of the water, I came up solid:

Image

A little perch – finally! And next cast, I hooked up to something a little bigger:

Image

A nice little bream around the 30cm mark – nice! And a couple of casts later, I was on again to another little bream:

Image

We had a couple more hits but unfortunately couldn’t keep the hooks in any, but we were just glad to finally land a couple of fish. What’s interesting is all these fish grabbed the lure less than 10m from the bank – right where the dogs were swimming. Perhaps they had come in to investigate the disturbed sediments? I’m not too sure, but you can be bloody certain we gave the dogs an extra large piece of chicken that afternoon:

Image

By this stage it was late in the afternoon, so we made our way back to the car, said our goodbyes, and went our separate ways. Although exhausting, it had been a brilliant couple of days: perfect weather, great mates, a gang of dogs, and a couple of fish to boot – what more could you want?

After an amazing sleep in my own bed I was up early the next day refreshed and ready to get to Marlo. By this stage it was Thursday and my flight was Sunday, so I couldn’t afford any disasters. I wasted no time and after getting a few things organized at uni, I picked up my friend Lara (who had kindly offered to help with the fieldwork and was super keen to have a fish) and we were on the road to Marlo. We arrived just after dark and found a quiet spot to set up camp:

Image

Fortunately this last piece of fieldwork would only take a couple of hours, so we got up well before the sun and were done and dusted just after the sun had risen to reveal a perfect day:

Image

We dashed back to the car, grabbed the rods and started flicking some lures around. I started with a vibe and it didn’t take long before I had a hit:

Image

A nice flattie in the low 50s – a pretty good start to the morning. Lara was filthy with me getting a fish on the board so early (it’s safe to say she’s a little competitive) but about half an hour later she came up solid to a nice fish. And after a painfully slow and careful fight, up popped this guy:

Image

A beautiful bream that went 39cm and was Lara’s new PB. It went a little quiet after this so we decided to head up for a coffee and lunch. It had turned into a truly glorious day:

Image

But I think all the driving and fun had finally taken its toll on Lando:
Image

After a coffee and lunch we headed to a different part of the flats and started having a flick. Lara was sticking with the trusty chubby (it had attracted by far the most interest in the morning) while I opted for a double clutch. And after only a handful of casts, I came up solid:

Image

A nice bream in the mid 30s – a perfect way to start the afternoon. We kept flicking in this area when disaster struck and my leader gave way, sending my favourite double clutch flying all the way to the opposite bank. I wasn’t willing to give it up so easily, so despite the freezing temperatures I stripped off and went for a swim. I think poor Lara will be scarred for life (although she still managed to take a cheeky snap and plaster it all over facebook – WARNING: nudity):

Image

This one’s a bit cuter:

Image

After getting the feeling back in my various extremeties, we moved down the flats and it wasn’t long before Lara came up solid again:

Image

A little bream around the 30cm mark, which, as she pointedly reminded me, made it two fish apiece. We decided to have a quick break and check out the beach over the back of the sand dunes (this beach looks particularly fishy – I’ll have to bring my salmon spinning gear one day):

Image

We watched as a storm made its way towards us and when the sky started looking very ominous (poor Lando was a little spooked by the thunder):

Image

It was time to leave. We decided to have one last flick at my favourite spot on the way back to the car, and first cast Lara hooked up again:

Image

Another really nice bream, this one a little bigger in the mid 30s. This gave her the overtime win 3 fish to 2, and boy did she let me know all about it. So with the sun disappearing beyond the horizon, and the rain starting to fall:

Image

We decided it was time to head home. We arrived back in Melbourne around midnight and I fell into a very satisfied slumber – it had been an intense week but I’d somehow managed to get everything done. I’d hung out with my dad and caught a bluefin, finished my fieldwork in Nelson and Marlo (and snagged a few fish along the way), spent quality time with a couple of ripper mates, taken the new dog on his first two camping trips, and discovered that my steezy new merc is an absolute boss. You bloody ripper!

I’m in Europe for the next 5 weeks and once I get back home I’ll be in lock down for 2 months trying to finish my thesis, so I probably won’t get a chance to fish for a while. But once this thesis is done, expect to be spammed with a whole lot of fishing reports. Can’t bloody wait!

Cheers!


Image

skronkman
Rank: Premium Member
Rank: Premium Member
Joined: Tue Oct 28, 2014 8:59 pm
Has liked: 4 times
Likes received: 40 times

Re: 3 trips in a week!

Post by skronkman » Fri Jul 08, 2016 10:11 am

Living the dream Broomy. Nice one. You must really love that lure man, no way I'd be getting anywhere near that freezing water.

DougieK
Rank: Premium Member
Rank: Premium Member
Joined: Fri Dec 14, 2012 3:19 pm
Location: Glen Waverley
Has liked: 30 times
Likes received: 612 times

Re: 3 trips in a week!

Post by DougieK » Fri Jul 08, 2016 10:40 am

Broomy, you're awesome. I freaking love your reports.
Chasing LBG and sharing a love for the Martial Arts, everywhere, all the time.


LBG Season 2023/4 :

Kingfish : 61

Lightningx
Bluefin
Bluefin
Joined: Wed Oct 01, 2014 4:21 pm
Has liked: 72 times
Likes received: 976 times

Re: 3 trips in a week!

Post by Lightningx » Fri Jul 08, 2016 10:40 am

That's a top report mate! I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Really nice pics with some great fish :thumbsup:

spyderfuji
Rank: Premium Member
Rank: Premium Member
Joined: Fri Mar 11, 2016 5:03 pm

Re: 3 trips in a week!

Post by spyderfuji » Fri Jul 08, 2016 10:51 am

Now that's awesome fishing blog!! thanks for sharing mate... enjoy reading every bit of it!

Basti
Rank: Premium Member
Rank: Premium Member
Joined: Thu Aug 29, 2013 3:50 pm
Location: SE Melbourne
Has liked: 15 times
Likes received: 8 times

Re: 3 trips in a week!

Post by Basti » Fri Jul 08, 2016 11:05 am

Top effort fishing Marlo and Nelson in the one week man. Great pictures as always.

User avatar
fitzy90
Rank: Premium Member
Rank: Premium Member
Joined: Mon Jul 01, 2013 11:23 pm
Likes received: 1 time

Re: 3 trips in a week!

Post by fitzy90 » Fri Jul 08, 2016 11:10 am

Super report and snaps!

User avatar
Sinsemilla
Rank: Gummy Shark
Rank: Gummy Shark
Joined: Fri Apr 29, 2016 2:35 pm
Location: Northern Subs
Likes received: 272 times

Re: 3 trips in a week!

Post by Sinsemilla » Fri Jul 08, 2016 12:03 pm

Tops mate! nice work!

skuxliss
Rank: Australian Salmon
Rank: Australian Salmon
Joined: Fri Nov 23, 2012 12:02 pm

Re: 3 trips in a week!

Post by skuxliss » Fri Jul 08, 2016 12:38 pm

Top effort bud. Photo's are insane! Good capture

Nude up
Rank: Kingfish
Rank: Kingfish
Joined: Thu Aug 08, 2013 5:08 pm
Location: Bellarine peninsula
Has liked: 333 times
Likes received: 569 times

Re: 3 trips in a week!

Post by Nude up » Fri Jul 08, 2016 2:26 pm

Great read great photos as shronkman said living the dream

Post Reply

Return to “Other Victorian Fishing Reports”