Unseasonal Fitzroy flushout

Well,

We've been getting some rain since Thursday night. Heaps of it. All over the catchments of the Dawson, Comet, Nogoa, MacKenzie, Fitzroy, Isaacs and Connors Rivers.

System is large so its not often we get enough widespread rain to create a flush especially in winter.

Rocky can end up in real flood trouble like 1918 or 1991 when all the peaks hit Rocky at same time. Not likely this time but it'll be running for a while.

Falls of up to 335mm in some parts with 256 mm in North Rocky. Major roads cut all over the place.

Winter time nomads will be stuck in some places for a while.

over 300mm at my place near the Croc farm. Seen a report of over 400mm near Yeppoon. :eek:

Had 115mm in Blackwater, the Mackenzie is still rising at Bedford weir.

Just saw news of flowing Fitzroy gee its goin hard

What will that mean for the barra now and in spring???

The small barra that went upstream in the last river run will now be bigger barra and will come down to the salt and be replaced by a new lot of smaller ones which will travel upstream.

On the salt side of the Rocky Barrage, run-off from the floodplains will do the same thing. The floodplain lagoons will be replenished with small barra in a safe haven until a flood allows them to return to the river. These floodplain lagoons are a bit like stocked impoundments where nature does the stocking.

Breeding schools of bony bream in the lagoons provide ample food and these little barra will grow up to 1mm per day. 1 inch per month in real lengths.

These lagoons can really turn on some numbers of that's all you want. In a couple of 2 hour tagging sessions, I've caught 66 and 73 barra up to 40cm in the past.

The numbers of larger fish below the barrage will increase.

Spring is looking good for barra fishing.