The last couple of days has provided some very fine weather down this part of the country, and with that on our side, it was time to wet a line.
On Tuesday, it was decided to try again to bag my first salmon for the season, but with very few reports in about captures, it was starting look like it was going to be a slow season.
However, walking down the track at gentleman hours, I passed another keen fisho who mentioned that he had caught four that morning, and the school was still hanging around - so i decided it may be better to run!
Arriving on the beach I was greated by a very small swell (for down here anyway), and a fresh offshore to aid my casting.
I scanned the ocean but I could see little in the way of salmon. As I couldn't see any fish, I decided to let my fishing Pal stretch his legs, and set off down the beach.
It wasn't long untill we came across a school cruising just behind the waves, but as hard as I cast, my lure continuely fell short, even with the strong offshore. I was joined by a handfull of other keen fisho's eager to bag themselves a salmon as well, but from about an hours relentless casting, I only managed two hits.
We were all about to give up when we spotted a pack of dolphins closing in on the school. We were all hoping that the pack would herd the school in close enough for us all to manage a cast into the mass of salmon, and sure enough they did! Unfortunately, the salmon were herded straight up into one of the local surf schools, making it too dangerous to fire a cast into the school. (There are all just behind the whitewash, and I was to busy waiting for them to move clear to get another shot:still_dreaming:)
Unfortunately, the salmon moved back out again, much to our frustration, and I gave up for that day.
On Wednesday, I had arranged to go bream fishing with one of my mates in the Blackwood River with the kayak.
A little bit too eager, I had a couple of casts before we even set off in the yak and much to my delight, my sandworm was smashed by an absolute horse of a bream. With out much of a problem a wrestled him to shore, and a couple of pics later, I sent him on his way.
Setting of in the yak, we worked the snags along the banks casting into the fallen trees, and we had only moved about 20m from where we had launched when my line came up tight. The fished pulled a bit of drag, and I was almost convinced that he was about to dust me, but his head was turned and suddenly I was getting him closer to the kayak. As the fish got closer I began realised that he was quiet a good fish being at least 35cm, ufortunately thats as close as I got, and the fish spat the hook about a metre from the yak and bolted under the nearest fallen log. All though devasting, the day seemed promising. As always, that was the only action for the next hour, and it was decided to try one of the sandbars. Almost immediately we beganto get hits, and it wasn't long untill we began to catch a few small tarwhine.
A few more small tarwhine later, we decided that there wasn't much else hanging on the sandbar, and we moved onto another set of snags. A few casts in and my mate was on. A short tussle latter, and he had a nice Bream in the yak.
After a few quick pics, he was sent on his way, and I decided that I'd better get my act together and catch a proper fish this time.
It didn't take to many more casts and my line once again came up tight, but this time the fish wasn't as keen to come to the boat. Diving for any snagg he could I struggled to keep his head towards the yak, and then from bolting under the yak, but this time it all came together, and I finally had a nice fish in the yak.
No more fish were caught for the day, but it was still a great day to be out on the water, and I reckon I might have to pop back out there again soon.
Cheers Nath
