Gone fishing
Craig Harris
AS OF June 1, 2015 I have been writing this column for three years, yes, three years.
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Who would have thought a bloke, when at school didn’t know a pronoun from a verb or an apostrophe from an exclamation mark could or would write an average of a thousand word essay every week for a three year period.
A total of around 153,000, the average book only has around 80,000 words – I might try and write a book, hey.
I do have to admit that I have missed three weeks in this period, once due to the election, once due to me not feeling like writing due to the insanity in the world when MH17 was shot down and once when I was crook.
A lot of what I write comes from the readers who come into the shop and talk to me about their fishing exploits and pretty much my fishing is in my mind through them/you.
Don’t worry when I do get to go fishing (remembering that the FYBO trip to Eucumbene is now only 13 sleeps away) you WILL read about it, a bit is also because I am in the boating industry and get firsthand knowledge on new products and a bit has to do with the people I know and have met within the fishing industry who are happy to impart their knowledge on so I can forward it on.
A bit has to do with promoting the Riverina as a fantastic fishing area that should be embraced and sold all over Australia and the rest of the world by all and sundry, a bit is to have a laugh at some of my good mates expense (it is a way of me getting back what they have given out) and I suppose a bit is self indulgence, although I wouldn’t mention Wagga Marine unless it was absolutely necessary to mention Wagga Marine as mentioning Wagga Marine too many times would be just a gratuitous attempt at free advertising, so I wouldn’t do that.
I do this because I like doing it, I don’t get any gratuities for doing it.
I do have to admit it is getting harder, not because I don’t want to do it but because I need your help.
If you have been fishing and you or your kids, missus, mates have had a great trip, embarrassing trip, flawed trip; let me know so I can put you in the column.
Any fishing clubs that want to “advertise” a fishing trip, a fundraising event, a meeting, just drop me a line and I will post it but anyway enough about me.
It is that time again, time for the boat shows.
The QLD Sanctuary Cove boat show is on this weekend and then all the capital cities will have their turn.
I have said previously that these are worth going to so you can see all the new boat models, motors, gadgets, electronics, fishing gear, etc but I have also said that don’t just make a decision there and then because it is easy to get caught up in the excitement of all the shiny new bits and pieces, go back to your local dealer/distributor to see if they can assist in what you are looking for.
Price is not the “be all and end all” of things, local knowledge, customer service and value for money are the best things to look for.
There are a lot of businesses out there that will try and up sell you to something that you may not really need and if you have an issue with a product that is purchased elsewhere it may be necessary to take it back to where it was purchased to have the problem rectified.
Keeping business local also creates opportunities to keep locals local.
Fishing around
Burrinjuck: A few decent yellas still being caught mainly on bait – shrimp and yabbies – in among the structure, no reports on cod, a few small to medium reddies and carp in droves off the bank.
Blowering: Not a lot to report, people mainly fishing Tumut river which is fishing pretty good, not huge in size but plenty to keep you interested, celta’s and wigstons are the pick.
Talbingo: A few trout being caught, some half decent sizes flat lining yellow wings and small hard bodies, reddies in and around any water flowing into the dam mainly on small hard bodies.
Tantangara: Lots of fish being caught, not huge but lots of them, rainbows and browns on the fly and flat lining yellow wings.
Eucumbene: Not huge numbers but good sizes, don’t be afraid to troll some bigger lures, yes you may be fishing for a smaller percentage of fish but if successful great rewards.
Jindabyne: Some very nice fish being caught, a couple of brown trout up to 9lb, some big Atlantic salmon 1 at 15lb and a couple of rainbows around the 7lb. Large hard bodies, not huge around the 70cm in the spotted dog pattern in and around the river mouths.
Hume Weir: A couple of reddies on the troll and a few more trout being caught, the Mitta is still worthwhile and the below the wall for a couple of cod.
Mulwala: Empty but go looking for that lure you lost.
The river: Very low around Wagga making entry and exit a bit hard, down towards Narrandera where the water is deeper is easier to get in but pretty quiet.
The South Coast: Unfortunately the Geelong Star (a massive foreign owned fishing trawler, it’s amazing what money donated to the government can do) is “fishing” in and around this area; hopefully it doesn’t rape the area – bastards (sorry). A couple of yellow fin reported but if you go stick to the beaches and estuaries.
Water levels
Eucumbene 49.3
Hume Weir 24.2
Blowering 24.9
Burrinjuck 41.5
Jindabyne 62.1
Tantangara 15.9
Talbingo 48.5
Mulwala 7.3
Dartmouth 74.5
Pictures to craig@waggamarine.com.au or 0419 493 313.