I wasn’t overly fussed about the AFL, but I do have to say, I did give out a bit of a cheer when North QLD leveled the score at the 80-minute mark and then sent out a couple of messages to a couple of mates who are born and bred NSW people who follow Brisbane (and QLD) after the game – puts a smile on my face.

Anyway let’s talk fishing.

Put this date in your diary – Wednesday, November 11.

We have organised Shaun Clancy to come back up to Wagga to once again talk about how to get the best out of your Humminbird sounders, Minn Kota electric motors and Cannon Down riggers.

Little bit of fishing history about Shaun - 2005 Vic Bream GF win, 2007 Barra Classic Champion Visiting Team, 2 x ABT Bream AOY titles, 2010 ABT Bream GF win - and while these may be a couple of years old, Shaun is full on, employed by BLA doing all the boat shows and travelling round Oz doing these sort of shows so he does know a little bit about the products.

It will be held at the Wagga Boat Club and entry fee will be $5 which will be donated back to the boat club.

There have been a few changes in the Humminbird and Minn Kota products – all for the better, so if you are thinking that you came last year and you won’t get anything out of it, think again.

Even if you just want to refresh what you learnt last year, even if you have a different make of sounder I am sure you will get something out of this.

Speaking of last year, there were over 50 fishermen and fisherwomen who attended at the Boat Club, so get in early.

You can pick “early bird” tickets up at Wagga Marine, or at the club on the night.

There will be a few giveaways; a Humminbird sounder as the lucky door prize, and some you-beaut special pricing on all products mentioned.

With the way the weather is going, the amount of water around available for us to fish, and the footy over for another year, it has to be time to get out and wet a line.

I was asked recently why I love fishing so much – by a non fisherman who stated that fishing is boring and a waste of time (and I always thought that this type of person, a non fisherman, was nonexistent, it’s what horror movies were made from and a person made from demon spawn) - and it got me thinking, why do I love fishing so much?

Fishing to me, and I have been fishing for over 40 years, is a place for me to escape. It’s a place where I don’t have to think about anything except what I am doing at this particular moment in time.

Even from a young age my mind has always raced from one thing to another (many, many voices) and as you get older you get more responsibilities, which make your mind race even more, and then you become a small business owner and then its a 100-miles-an-hour job.

Fishing slows all this down.

You only have one thing on your mind and when you get to this state it is so relaxing and then you catch a fish, even if it’s a small one, the adrenaline kicks in, it is one of the best natural highs you can get.

So to me, that’s the main reason why I enjoy fishing.

Another reason is that you get to hang with your mates, something that doesn’t happen anywhere near often enough these days, but now that I am only a one job person, it WILL happen more often.

Pictures to – craig@waggamarine.com.au or 0419 493 313.

Burrinjuck: Some good fish being recorded and as per the photo, some good quality, Dougy and Jaynie Charlton did come across a huge cod (deceased unfortunately) on the up side of this was that it had no untoward markings on it so it looked like it wasn’t killed and I suppose fish do die of old age the same as us.

Blowering: Lots of fish being seen following lures and when presented correctly as per Bryn Mathew, some good hook ups on good quality fish.

Talbingo: No reports.

Tantangara: Some good numbers of small to medium trout on flat lined Tassies, bait such as scrubbies and grubs were also popular.

Eucumbene: Late morning and mid afternoon seem to be the best times to fish especially for browns with bait giving the best results, a large termite hatch with lots of rainbows grabbing an easy feed may see the fishing slow in the next week or so.

Jindabyne: No reports.

Hume Weir: Still some nice trout being caught on small hard bodies. The yellas have slowed a little possibly because other impoundments are firing and fishermen are travelling to these, still worth a go.

The river: Lots of people on the river last weekend, haven’t heard too many reports, a couple of yellas on bait and lots of carp.

The South Coast: A couple of yellowfin out wide, lots of striped tuna but in close Mako’s, snapper and a few gummies. Flathead in the estuaries and the standard tailer and salmon off the beaches. The weather is looking better so should be better toward the end of the week.

Eucumbene 53.1, Hume Weir 48.1, Blowering 49.5, Burrinjuck 71.7, Jindabyne 64.7, Tantangara 21.6, Talbingo 82.6, Mulwala 96.9, Dartmouth 64.1.