Windy day on Darwin Harbour

Well we knew the weather, as in the wind, would be crap!

But both of us were crazy desperate for a SWOFF (a fly fish in saltwater)
Instead of a big long weekend out of Dundee Beach the wind forecast had us fishing day trips in Darwin harbour

But even as we readied the boat at Peter’s at 5:30am – the wind was crap

Launching the boat at 6:20 and the wind was crap

All the wet salt  spray trip to Weed Reef - the wind was crap

I think you get the picture!

Weed Reef was devoid of fish life

However, we kept casting – we kept looking for signs of fish activity

We eventually ended up at the place we have fished many times before at the gravel edge as the water surges off the flats with the outgoing tide

Nothing was showing but in only a few casts Peter was on –

Peter got a few while I got nothing – so I changed to a tiny white clouser

But this usual performer didn’t make the grade

Peter was into several other fish to my one 35cm Brassie trevally

So I upsized my fly

See here the white clouser with mono weed guard I changed to

And then the next fly the much larger blue/grey clouser

the bigger fly was instant success - I got three fish in four casts – go the fly change!

up or down or colour - can't hurt!

But we occasionally were seeing late swirls of fish attacking the flies we were retrieving

So Peter said we should change to a surface fly – both of us kept casting

Then off to my left I spy a larger queenie hitting bait just under the surface - you could see its flash and swirl 

Now the wind is still crap and howling up to Weed Reef from Middle Arm – wind chop was large and intense, not my usual situation for a surface fly as too mush wave noise and too hard to find the fly in all the wind chop

But I give it a go and in three casts get three fish – all good queenies (well compared to ones we had been catching) -  One went 65cm. I went through a hot patch of many fish and Peter also changes to a surface fly

One of my versions of a gurgler - seen here abouts

There is NOTHING better than seeing a fish attacking a surface fly - nothing!

Peter missed a few fish on his surface fly and then after a while it all went quite – except the wind – which was crap! And making the day crap! – Hate the wind!

But both of us kept casting, kept SWOFFING as we knew it would soon turn into a good day

Time now 9am.

We ventured slowly due to wind slop waves to Talc Head

Searched the flats behind it out of the wind and wave – got a bit excited about some slashes in the shallows that amounted to not much – bugger

We then started the cross over of the harbour but those waves were nuts and the wind was … you guessed it _ _ _ _! 

Add to that the ride was rough, bumpy and wet

We search Kaitlyn Beach, Cullen Bay mouth, cruise along the shoreline heading to East point = but zip, nada!

East Point was a bust with nothing showing - but now the wind seems to be getting less.

Despite knowing the ride back would be as rough as - if the wind didn’t lessen – we head off to Lee Point

On arrival some bait danglers are in our favourite spot - how dare they!

So we move a touch inshore from them further along the reef and start casting – nothing again

Round two o’clock – we start to write off the day to bad wind and begin to head back to Dinah Beach boat ramp – but……….

But finally we see some bird action – when close we also see a few slashes

This in the area south of the reef we fish towards the Hospital building in the distance 

Peter on front deck, a meter higher than me, starts to see thick schools of baitfish moving through

They are getting herded up against the shallow reefs by predators and we too join in targeting the predators

Peter sees bait passing boat, next thing he is on – we call it for a tuna given its thickness and length

Peter is pumped to say the least after a day of much wind and only 35-45cm fish for the boat (aside from my couple of larger queenies on the surface fly)

This fish has three great runs into Peter’s backing – he gets the line back and off it goes again

We are thoroughly enjoying ourselves to say the least!

Eventually it comes to hand and we both high fives and give a little (maybe no so little!) “yahoo!” with this 80cm mack

Now we are seeing birds in large groups above many schools of macks, trevs and queenies.

This is more like it 

Peter hits a hot patch and is getting fish after fish. We chase birds, we see nervous water - we cast - we get more fish to tighten our lines – well Peter more than me!

Peter loves his Silicone Surf Candies (see this link for the tying method blog of the fly)

I am using an extended body version of this fly - helps with bite offs with fly tied in at bend of hook which usually works as well as the normal version. But after Peter's many fish I change over to the Standard pattern and am instantly on.

This one particular fly became a sort of lucky charm for Peter. it wasn't bit off by the big mack rather pinned the toothy critter right in the jaw hinge 

He then catches a little yellow tail pike and had to check his leader which had a few nicks in as he didn't want to loose his magic silicone surf candy!

We cruise past on the electric the land based anglers at Lee Pointwho are out of casting distance of the action - so nice to have a boat We are chasing the circling birds whom are over baitfish being hammered by predators as they work along the current lines

To the side of one area of mayhem, Peter sees a small patch of nervous water (bait school tight against the surface  wrippling it) - he puts in a rapid "speccy" cast and instantly hooks up with a hard fighting Golden Trevally that ran rapid circles around him while the boat was on electric anchor.  

It soon also comes to hand - Peter is having an awesome afternoon !
several times he would see surface activity accurately cast near the disturbance and then after a couple of strips of the fly, hook up - textbook!

He still hasn't lost his lucky fly !

Again hooked in just the right spot of the large siphoned rubber lips of the Golden Trevally

 

He did eventually lose his lucky fly but I had given him a box of them for Xmas last year so he was back into fish quickly

We chase birds, slashes and nervous water - and we cast till we could not cast one more time

We caught 30 or more fish in the space of a couple of hours - this after a very hard day in crappy wind and rough water

While we were happy given the conditions earlier in the day to catch a few before 9am - the afternoon with the wind finally under 10 knots - the water came alive and we revelled in its wonder and glory! 
Don't you just love fly fishing in saltwater !! (SWOFFING)

In that final session at Lee Point - we caught fish after fish and you could not have taken the smile off our faces. a great time for the first time back in the SALT for awhile for Peter after being home to Canada for a couple of months

The trip back to ramp was almost pleasant even!

Still I was very tired by the time we had washed the boat and said our good byes

Still had to clean a few fish for daughters and prepare the off cuts for the two cats

But you do what ya gotta do to do what you want to do!

See you on the water

Sunday is a late start on harbour again

Monday might be freshwater - we shall see!

Wind still Crappy!

Here's a crappy video clip on part of the fight with the mack that at the time we thought was a tuna!

my video cam I wear on my hat isn't working so this was taken with my iphone

Foam post Baitfish slider

There are so, so many creative tiers out there - tying some fantastic flies

Some of the stuff you see on the web is mind blowing in detail, in innovativeness or creative use of materials or sometimes all of the above

Some of the materials used, how it is used is beyond comprehension til someone shows you how or provides images

Until the fly tyer comes up with the idea

One creative tyer that comes to mind is....

Jay "fishy" Fullum is a regular contributor to the US based Fly Tyer magazine and the stuff he does is incredible as to the materials and their use – go to their web site or search the web for his stuff

I have been getting the Fly Tyer magazine since I don’t know how long, I have the entire collection of magazines - all that has ever been printed

And the first thing on arrival - I always would turn to would be - Fishy’s regular column. 

Always Inspiring! constantly dragging you to the tying desk to start tying the next innovative fly presented in his regular column

That is not to discount the countless others out there of course

Sometimes you get a one hit wonder like a rock band on the radio with only one song ever that makes the charts

But others are long term contributors

Some tie stuff so weird it is useless but it gives an idea you wouldn't have thought of without them

Now I like to tie flies, it is a big as part of my SWOFFING as any part of this my favourite pastime

But I am not that creative - far from it 

                                  

But rather I can take this one idea and inflame it, take one idea and join it with another

Not all of it works but its fun testing them

Recently I saw an image of a fly - just in passing, wasn’t even looking for a pattern to tie 

The idea was cool, sorry don't know if it was original or the tyers own who tied it - I think it was tied originally for US east coast Stripers

mine:

the webs::

But I thought - that could work. Let’s tie a few 

So here it is

My Foam Post Baitfish Slider 

First step is to slide on your firm tubing that will form a dome on hook shank later

Next is to tie on a foam post  above the hook eye - this is to hold the pattern just under the surface when stationary with the foam post protruding out of the surface.

You will need to hold foam out of the way to tie leader on but no hassle really

I am using a light gauged hook here – it reduces weight allowing fly to be more in the surface rather then be dragged under by the weight of the hook

Then I use some firmish tubing I got from spotlight to help form the hollow head type pattern of a baitfish

I fold this forward to keep it out of the way while tying the rear part of the fly

For this version based on what I had on hand – I tied in some grey crinkle and flash material in at the hook bend

Next I tied in some long olive craft fur – ensuring the grey fibres are covered by the craft fur all the way round the hook shank

Then I add in enough layers of shrimp coloured fibres to form the body of the baitfish

As using a longish hook shank here, it took three bunches of fibres to fill it

Tie in of this main body materials in enough bunches, till the shank is full right up to rear of tube flaring dome   

I then fold back the tubing to form a half dome – this flares the material given a large profile to the pattern

Then I tie in two (or three) bunches of shrimp coloured fibres to form head of fly in front of tubing dome

Tie off thread

Add eyes 

Epoxy head and eyes to give eyes more durability with the toothy type fishes

And your done

The end product is about 10-12cm long

Then let’s go get it wet! 

So Boat in workshop - tie flies??

So my goal at start of the year was more flats fishing, shrimp and crab patterns to be tied

Well now it is almost half way through the year and only been fishing twice - but one of those was with a lure guy trolling for barra and that doesn't really count - so that's only once on the water (thanks Chris! see previous blog for trip details)

During this last 5.5 months - I have tied a few crab flies but sadly not much else tying has been done
However, finally the learning curve at my new job is ebbing and waning and getting on top of things - although I still have 120 assessments to mark before weekend

And despite the support work for the builders of my new house most afternoons - I seem to have a little more free time lately - they have just started doing the block work (will be finished by Friday I am told)- I am only needed when ready to paint the ceiling and tidy up rubbish in the evenings

Best thing yet - ...............
My regular fishing buddy, Peter, is back from 3months visiting relatives in Canada and is very keen on big fish off Dundee and its sail city out from Peron Islands, With his wife heading off for five weeks - he is hoping to get tennis elbow from too much fly fishing happening!

So on the weekend for an hour or so i had a foray into some tying with a few guys whom I share a Messenger group with (thanks Rog and Cath for hosting!) - the end product even though they were all tying shrimp flies - for me was a surface slider type fly
(yes I know - a promised flats fishing only 2017! and here I was tying baitfish while all tie shrimp!)

Got the idea off a web image (see below for screen shot of it) and I modified it to suit the materials I had and the flies I have tied previously

Am happy with the result - the fly I tied (not shown yet) is all white with large red eyes, while  the material is X wrapped and folded back on itself to create profile. The head is epoxied to secure eyed more. The post of white foam (should I have used red???) hangs the fly, when not in motion, just under the water surface and has a nice little walk the dog wiggle when stripped intermittently. Given the materials used and how it is tied - the tail of the fly pulses and moves with the slightest of motion when the fly is moved - awesomely seductive! (well - to a fish I hope).

The end product about 10-12cm long - hopefully a perfect snack for bigger fish!
Plus I can take a few of permanent coloured markers and add colour or striations if needed to "match the hatch"

I will write up a blog entry on the suspender fly I recently tied - soon! have all the pics just need to write up the step by step procedure

As for next time on the water...................

Peter while just back is still focused on his wife (after 3months away who wouldn't!) before she flies to Canada herself but then he will be super fishing mad for every opportunity to wet a line

So if i want to practice a bit of casting in anger before I head off hard core fishing with Peter (and this guys can cast ALL DAY! non stop!) that means I need to get fly fishing this weekend if I can - but my boat in the workshop with water in the gear box (cleaned and resealing of gaskets) and replacing the small motor (rusted out) that tilts the outboard motor. Not cheap but cheaper than buying a new outboard at least - still was quite amazed the wife approved the repair as she is real tight with money while we are building the house at our rural block. Still I have earned heaps - mega heaps even, of brownie points prepping the block to be built on - so why not spend a little on the boat and the guy who did so much work!

If I fish this weekend  - the boat repairs need to be done by Friday so that I might get the chance to wet a line in the local harbour - Recent reports show the fish about but you still got to work for them - so here's hoping! my kids haven't eaten fish for ages ( so a few released into the ice slurry will solve that) and my cats give me the evil eye every time through the door cause I don't smell like fish when I come home.

So that is the state of affairs as it stands today in the world of the NT SWOFFER from Darwin
See you on the water - that will be me yaaahooooing at the top of my lungs capacity, with the bent rod and a tight line and backing zzzzzinging through the rod guides connected to a HUGE fish!

Bring it on!
NT SWOFFER

On the water at last - a great day with Chris

Two weekends ago - I had the opportunity that instead of pouring a concrete slab for my new 25000 litre water tank - i could go SWOFFING on Darwin Harbour

So hard a choice - NOT!!

The initial plan was for 65km offshore to the oil platform rig doing routine maintenance and about to move according to the grape vine

But the local city harbour was chosen due to neap tides and timing for getting the boat in and out at the Darwin Trailer Boat club's ramp. and some decent fish (tuna and queenfish) caught in the harbour during the week by some fellow SWOFFERS

It was great launching so close to East Point - saving 20-30minutes of run time from either East Arm or Dinah Beach ramp - (Chris has a few issue with some of the negative cowboy etiquette of Dinah Beach ramp at times and rightly so given the stories he shared during our day on the water! - com'on guys be nice at the boat ramps!)

Within a few minutes from launching we had scoped out nothing happening at East Point and headed for Lee Point

What an awesome morning - first time in many trips that I had seen such calm awesome conditions for fly fishing

The dropping neap tide can go off at Lee Point on such conditions - but not today

Then we started seeing pods of Longtail tuna a few hundred metres away and with nothing much else about we started chase the sporadic pods of torpedoes porpoising in and out of the water 

The tuna were hard to get near!!

The tuna were flighty

The tuna were up

The tuna were down, and just as quickly

Time for a search around harbour to distract us from these maddening tuna!

But East Point not much

And 6 mile nothing showing (like the opposite of what it had been all week for some!)

Then a few hundred metres off Mandorah - BIRDS!!! Hold on let’s get there!

We almost got in a few casts to fleeing tuna a few times but no happiness of a tight singing line rapidly spinning off the reel under the pressure of a fast big tuna!

We start to chase another pod further in the harbour but funny motor noises and no power had us thinking the worst - blown head or piston?,  after a quick poke and prod of everything on the motor, particularly an electrical zap when touching a spark plug lead - we surmise spark plug issues more than anything major mechanically 

As still early we thought a quick trip to shore to get a new spark plug might fix the problem - we had to leave though it was extremely hard to see the large quantity of tuna splashing about and to leave them behind 

But without a means of chasing them down we really didn't have a choice

It was a slow ride with lots of bird action too far away to putter over to with no power

We did have a moment of power surge like the problem fixed itself but it was short lived

However it did ease our concerns of major work (like blown power head) and costs of such a repair 

We get back to the DTBC and have a more thorough investigation of the problem

All spark plugs out - all seemed good 

All leads off, one of the leads had a little corrosion and maybe saltwater 

Had the saltwater acted as an electrolyte and shorted out everything????

A blow (the plug lead only - you dirty minded individuals!), a dry and a refit - saw the problem gone 

Lucky a service is due shortly - !! 

So off we go back chasing those tuna off Mandorah hoping that fixed it

But the tuna are no longer there - maybe the lure tossers who were roaring right into the school before casting had put them down and out for the day!

We venture into the harbour chasing a few birds fluttering about

We find some tiny fish around the T rock bar south of the Mandorah Jetty but inconsistent and we head further into the harbour

At Talc Head where I have hardly ever seen fish activity (others might but I hadn't).......

We find several bait and lure boats working the tip

We then spot queenfish and little macks periodically attacking the tiny baitfish as they get pushed against the point with the flowing tide

We will be in on that!!

A rapid cast between boats to the frothing water - sees me hook-up almost straight away 

It’s a good fish, using the current well to fight away from the boat even got into the backing 

But there was a problem

I had earlier changed to a lighter leader – 10lb, this incase the very, very clear water of today’s neap tides made the usual 20lb leader easier to see – thus putting off the fish

So after a prolonged struggle to and for – of course the leader breaks.

Chris had another on during this time and he gets his to the boat

Well done for him – sweet bugger all for me – booohoooo!

Look at those conditions in the image background - fantastic!!

I hook another and lose it before I tweak to the leader issue and change my leader setup

This time of changing leaders is so extremely hard when all you have caught all day is tiny fish, chased tuna and now while the pressure is on and you are tying those special knots one needs to connected and stay that way – while the fish are going absolutely nuts hammering baitfish with abandon all around the boat – Uuuggghhh!!!!!!

The fish were doing a lot of skittering around behind the fly as it was stripped in.

No real commitment to attacking and thus eating the fly

So changed flies regularly, size, colour and type = but no real improvement

I did have one awesomely heart stopping moment when the behemoth of queenfish, that I first thought was a massive GT given its thickness through the shoulders and depth of body front on as I clearly watched it in the gin clear water as it nudged and chased my fly right to the boat, but as it turned I saw its extra long length and those tell tail spots and elongated body shape that easily identify it as a queenfish. 

It was massive, biggest I have seen in a while.

That nudge it gave the fly that transmitted through the leader to the fly line and to my fingers as I strip the line in - was like an electric shock - that and its size took my breathe away as the concept hit me of what could have been!!! 

Man, I love SOWFFING in NT waters!

Then as always with changing tides the action slowed - so we move off to chase tuna and birds

I think we did a few circuits of the mid harbour area – a cast here and there but no substance of consistency – neap tides?? – No, as I have caught plenty of fish on these exact tides – the fish really seemed sleepy on this day and not quite into it like at other times

We eventually get back over to Mandorah after visiting the esplanade area, the naval base rock wall, East Point and then Six Mile again

At Mandoarh the pelagic fish are working a tide line north of the jetty created by the now incoming tide, we chase, they disappear, but we keep at it

Working around the few lure tosser boats also chasing the schools - got a cast or two in the right place out of a hundred casts but no successful hook up

We move up the current line towards the front of Mandorah jetty....
Finally hook up to a fairly decent mackerel from one of the marauding packs of fish, at first it doesn’t believe it is hooked writhing about down deep and then it wakes up to its situation and puts down the accelerator – problem is my fly line whips around and double wraps around the electric motor control head (not one wrap mind you - it wraps twice locking on itself as it tightens)  – I quickly try to save the situation and unwrap it - 

But too late –ZING!!!! PING!!

And it was 'gonski', with a little hairy lip jewellry for its efforts

That was my day – out of practice and found three more ways to lose good (BIG!!) fish

BUGGER!

I did get a few species for the fishing comp we have at the school I teach - got to enter in two of the comp classes - the smallest and the most species for an outing - the students got a few laughs at me but its all part of the fun of the school comp. The 'ROCK ON' finger sign in each image changes each week to indicate we had caught the fish recently

Thanks Chris for the great day, he worked really hard chasing fish while driving the boat – I just got to cast at the fish and still messed it up!

Chris worked real hard to get me onto some fish as the day drew to a close but I wasn’t up to it this day!

Maybe the next one!

Been digging water and power trenches last weekend and most likely this weekend too for our house that is to start being built next week – will be hard finding fishing time for next few months as I do bits and pieces around the builders to save some money as why pay  tradies to clean up after them selves at tradies hourly rates – but time on the water will happen! As the boat will be back from the mechanic and its service by the next weekend! - on good spring tides this time

Bring it on!

Must tie a few more flies too!

Read to cast -- (almost!)

So been off the planet lately -
Well i might have well been seeing the lack of SWOFFING and tying not taking place

You know the important things!!!!

It has been 10weeks of getting use to new Job at a new school
New programs, new students, new systems - new everything
So no time for SWOFFING

First few weeks of new role I was in the fetal position sucking my thumb - Week 10 too was in this anxious prone position -  as far there seems to be too many students 12-15 years of age who think they know everything and are constantly giving me the look that means "who the hell are you to tell me what to do" - let alone correct their poor behaviour and disrespect = sadly what the teaching job is these days 40-60% behaviour control and the rest teaching those who want to learn

New house is coming along too and eating up a lot of time too - currently putting in a concrete pad for the 25000 litre water tank so the builders will have access to water at pressure when needed

But finally to much relief and stress breaking activity - today, the middle day of the school term break, I finally got back to fly tying and have been working on my fighting crab pattern based on the crab lure used for permit in the US and in smaller versions by some of the bream comp anglers in the east coast of Australia

Added lead base, legs, carapace and claws today - all 'loon'ed in place

Used size 0 split rings to solve the problem I had with hook eyes being too small to attach to the hook shank eye I tied to side of main hook shank. A bugger to manipulate that small and a few went zipping-zinging across the room lost for ever - till I got a handle on them.

Legs look a touch too stiff and short proportionally to carapace size
also think it needs a bit more material in the mouth area
Additionally claws seem to be out proportionally as well
think I would like a finished pattern 20-30% smaller - maybe - we will see the fish's reaction first.

Water testing has the fly sinking well, landing right, and sitting perfect with the claws in the correct upright defense position

So I am still confident despite a few construction flaws mentioned above - when place in front of a fish mooching along a Darwin or Bynoe harbour flat will find it close enough to sample

It is a heavy fly - so casting it for the first time will be interesting!!!

Getting on the actual water is 99% there too

As the boat in finally on the second hand aluminium trailer I scored for a great price early December
(yeh I know - a long time ago!!)
Fixed the damage from bogging in the old owners front yard
I redid the full electrical cables, place new brake pads on it

Three things remain........before I can get on the water .
The first is to adjust the rollers and skids on the trailer to suit the different hull from what used to be on it (tomorrow second job after working on lawn mower and starting form work for concreting)

The second is a motor service and a repair to the tilt-ram of the motor which current ain't working

The third can wait - but need a new thick aluminium plate welded onto the bow of the boat to suit my new electric motor

So hoping on the water in a weekend or two to field test these new crab patterns recently tied.
More blog updates soon - and hopefully more blogs after the recent sojourn of not writing any for ages.
Been 10 weeks since I caught that little Saratoga in Manton Dam. Furthermore its another 8-10 weeks before that to the last time fly fishing - so a few decent 100% fly fishing trips are more than over due

Main fly fishing partner - Peter, is still visiting folks back in Canada till early June. He sent me a nice pic of a cold river and a nice steelhead - the one and only fish landed for a day's fishing -

But doesn't the scenery looked awesome! so off planet to the saltwater mud banks and mangroves, and the freshwater billabongs with its lilies - typical fishing locations around the Top End. No crocs for sure in cold Canada but Peter has more than enough stories about giant bears to balance the equation of which place is better.
The two-handed rod at his feet was something he had been missing casting for a while.
But with sails, macks and other good pelagics in large numbers off Darwin Harbour and Dundee I am hoping Peter is still keen to get back to the Top End and its Swoffing!

Until the next time blogging - get at it - tie some flies and go SWOFFING!!

Stormed blows out fishing - but got one!

So planning started Monday for weekend fishing options after the rain out last weekend

Darwin Harbour was to be plus 10knots all weekend and the neap tides with a high tide a little before midday meant the spots we could fish given the tide timings would have a wind that had been blowing for the week - so washed out basically.

Peter is off for 8 weeks back to Canada for family stuff (maybe a bit of 4w trout fishing too that he has promised to send pictures and info about - if he gives me enough info and pics I could put it up here on the blog maybe)

So given his boat would be not going anywhere for that time- run in the fresh sweet water would wash off any crusted saltwater residue. So with roads into most billabongs out due to flooding or flood damage - Manton Dam was suggested.

Manton Dam is just out of Darwin and close to my rural block as well. but most guys fishing it always struggle for a fish.

In prep for the freshwater outing planned - I thought I would tie up some mega foam dragonflies with weed guards - so the night before the outing I finally got a good session in at the tying desk - first time in ages - yaaaah!          And it was GOOD!!! I had forgotten how much I like tying flies. Especially not having the right material and working out a substitute as I have never been one to follow the recipe exactly!

They were rough but it turned out- effective. I tied some orange black and some all blue foam Dragonflies. Extended foam body segmented with thread wrapped periodically down the foam with grizzle hackle wings. the heads were tied gurlger style with a 20lb wire weed guard - due the lilies, weed and tress I would be casting into. I tied a couple of Christmas beetles and a few oversized Turk's Tarantulas too. (but they were very ugly indeed!!)

First few casts went unmolested but that might of been mostly due the poor casting. 10 weeks without fly casting makes the SWOFFER a very bad caster!

By the 40th cast the fly was sort of landing where I wanted it but still needed to get closer to the sunken logs and likely locations of an ambushing Saratoga.

Peter mostly used a sinking line or a sink tip fly line with a pink thing or similar whistler style fly on his tippet -- a setup that has worked well for him in the billabongs. However the weed constantly fouled up his deep sinking fly till he removed the eyes with a pair of sidecutters - relying on the sinking line to help the fly go deep.

I stuck to a floating line the whole day to avoid the massive amounts of weed. I tied on one the foam dragonflies I tied the night before

Once I started to warm up the casting arm with a heap of dreadful casts - I landed the blue Foam mega Dragonfly I had tied on first to my leader in the middle of a large gap in the lilies. In the gin clear water I saw a sub 30cm Saratoga zipped at the fly from a lily pad a metre away. It rolled over the fly but sadly didn't hook up.

Five casts later further along the steep bank, this cast between a couple of bankside trees, now engulfed by the recent rain flooding into the dam, I get a large swish of water and hardly had to set the hook such was the take on the blue foam based fly.

The small toga really took the large fly down its gob!

Not a record breaking fish but it was a nice drought breaking fish - first fish in 10 weeks on the fly
The bonus of the capture was using a fly tied the night before, for that exactly fly fishing scenario

Peter got some excitement a couple hundred metres (i.e. hundreds of casts later)  down the steep banks working our way from the front of the dam in a clockwise direction. We had come to a tree freshly fallen into the water, it still had all its leaves. Peter lays a beautiful cast right to the bank along the edge of the fallen tree.

Within a fraction of a second of Peter manipulating that fly of his - it was smashed hard by a quite decent Saratoga. The swirl and movement of water on hook up was tremendous - a fish easily twice the size of my baby toga. Peter was for a while keeping its head up but the size and strength of the fish, plus the long distance from the rod tip allowed the toga to sink its head and dive for the tree branches under the water - Peter stayed tight but those larger togas are masters at removing the hook once in amongst the timber or lily roots. Bugger!

Later we went right up the back of the dam amongst the sunken trees but far too much weed about. We also noticed significantly hardly any baitfish seen, and no herons, cormorants or cranes on the bankside either. (did see two croc traps!) Hardly a tarpon rolling on the surface either. We did see a few toga towards the front of the dam in the western shallows opposite the dam wall that were occasionally free jumping completely out of the water in a manner that we thought was them targeting the Dragonflies flying about in large numbers above the dense weed beds (the reason I was happy I tied a few the night before - next time i will tie them a bit finer in detail and black/green or black/red rather than my boof-headed mega foam versions I tied the night before).

As we got back to the front of the dam (to try for the fish Peter had lost - hopefully still at the same spot) two storms seemed to meet in the sky above the dam. We abandoned the fishing after a few close calls with lightning strikes near the hills about the dam. As we raced back to the boat ramp you could readily see the rain and gusty wind approaching from the back of the dam - misting out the view as it came such was the amount of rain it brought. The first wave of gusty rain hit us as we waiting for another boat to get up the ramp with a huge gusty intensity.

Peter struggles with the canopy as the zipper was stuck - I grabbed a large garbage bag with the corners and neck cut out so it would slip over the shoulders. Peter sort out a poncho from under the front hatch and knuckled down with his back to the raging rain. I was facing the rain trying to ensure the boat stayed in the right position to use the ramp as soon as it cleared of the previous boat.

The canopy wouldn't have helped much as the rain came sideways as the vicious wind whipped the rain along. The rain drops were large and stung the face and body even through the shirt and face 'buff'. As the ramp finally cleared we got a short lull in the raging storm, but the wind kept sliding the stern out making getting the boat on the trailer difficult - fourth attempt finally did the job.
  
So overall ...................
I tied a fly that worked a treat for just the scenario of the day and location- awesome!
Peter got to run his boat in the fresh - lost a nice one (sadly!) but at least he hooked a good one
The top of the boat got a freshwater rinse in the downpour of the afternoon storm at the ramp and on the way home
We both got to warm up the casting arm and practice our fly placement

So whats next.............
Peter's out next weekend - his final one in Aussie land before he heads home for family stuff for 8 weeks - so his wife takes precedence
(come on Peter! are you sure you cant wet a line? but I understand - sort of)
I have a bit more work to do on my own trailer - just a little
The boat motor needs a service, the tilt-ram needs replacing (maybe)
But the wife has spent my boat money account balance on the house pad and electrical connection on our rural block -
(the nerve!!! house before fishing - Never!!)

At least I can tie some flies!
Blog updates soon

But until then....
Go on - get out there - tie a fly with a fish or location in mind then go cast it!
Then strip it, feel the take, then strip strike setting that hook into the fish's jaw
and enjoy the tight line singing through the water!!!!

Rained out

No time for blog updates lately - I blame the finally arrived first decent wet season in five or more years which has stopped the fishing (for the soft old guys like me but also my boat off its trailer and Peter been back to Canada for family visits) ---- the wife allocated me that time instead to working on the rural block (see prev blogs) and since late January I have started a new teaching job at a new school with the usual massive learning curve (feel like I am straight out of uni again!) that my anal retentiveness has to get onto top of asap eating up all my spare time. Got most of subject paperwork done but still a few more things to learn. The first few days saw me proverbially in the fetal position sucking my thumb not knowing what I needed to know but now starting to enjoy myself. Getting there now two weeks in - even inspired a little - just what I was wanting after getting too comfortable in the last teaching role I had.

IN fact, getting so on top of work - that halfway through the week a late fishing plan was organized over a chat app with Peter (back from Canada but about to go back for 8 weeks maybe)

Both of us haven't fly fished for at least nine weeks - so the itch is at a very high level. The itch was further inflamed by a social media photo of a130cm queenie caught on a lure in the harbour earlier in the week - so something must be swimming in the harbour waters beside that huge fish

Earlier in the week we talked about it but with the amount of rain over the last three weeks the local harbour was a mud milkshake plus wind and rough seas - so by Thursday we canned the idea despite our nagging need for a SWOFF

So we decided a tying arvo would dull the ache and itch slightly (though it would probably inflame it if anything!)

However, late Friday - it only took one short message to get the plan to fish going again. However, Peter had plans for Saturday - so Sunday was allocated for a morning fish at Weed Reef to fish the turn of the tide - always a good short trip option if species of fish you want to catch doesn't matter (pelagics - queenies and brassie trevs mostly - but my pedigree cats haven't had fresh fish for a long time which the scratches on my legs prove!)

Anyway - Saturday morning was awesome weather wise - so very calm early on - wind got up at 9am but tide drop would require us to be back in by then. No rain but a touch of cloud cover to keep it cool - perfect!
But we were fishing Sunday weren't we!!!!

Saturday Night while gaining brownie points looking after kids while wife out with friends - I am eagerly preparing my gear - organizing fly boxes (popper box was so full I couldn't close it so swapped out with my 'THINGS' box - much better), then I re-tied all the leaders on the four fly rods i would be taking - I was very keen and ready to get amongst it!

Sunday 5:15am - waking up, doing the usual prep (on the can!) and the messages start flying between us
And despite the need to SWOFF - the BOM radar loop showed a very wet day was occurring - BUGGER! (it is now 9:30am and its still pouring!)

So in-between rain showers today - the 'new' trailer I bent up in a few places would be getting some work

Spent a gift voucher won at a recent fly comp at Voyager trailers for the replacement leaf spring, a couple of rollers for a few that are out of shape and the replacement U bolts for the ones I had to cut off to due to rusted nuts (don't go there!).

Thanks for the fly club support Voyager trailers!!!!

I fitted the leaf spring - U bolts still to go to re-attach the axle

As for the fly fishing - well sadly not this weekend
But we have re-sheduled for next weekend - Saturday or Sunday - undecided - lets hope we catch the good weather this time instead of the rain

In the fly tying scene - still haven't finished the crab flies - haven't even been back to the tying table for those sadly. but the plan is to get them done in time for dry season flats

anyway maybe next trip will see a tight line and screaming reels!!!!