Clarence River Options

[nimrod]

Not much to write home about, and not even really worth the report here, but I spent
5 days on the Clarence river on Goodwood island.
1st day mostly spent sitting around with a bunch of guys, getting to know a few new blokes
and wemen and learning a little about the river and likely spots where I'm in with a chance
of getting a good catch, didn't bother putting the boat in as there was a private whalf just
60 metres from our shack which produced some good fish at times.
First day I managed 5 legal Bream with the biggest going around 32 cm and a few undersized ones
just about legal but not to my keeper size.
Thers were some flathead about and most were around the 46 to 50 cm size, just nice keepers.
1 salmon caught on Bream gear that gave Dave a decent fight for about 8 minutes or so, a fine capture on light gear from the rocks.
Day 2 I hardly wet a line and talked a lot around the camp site with all the new guys that own the shacks.
There are 10 shacks, of verious size and condition on this one block of land covering about 1 acre, and
all the people were great and joined in with a group get together each night around the camp fire.
I didn't wet the boat till the sunday and then only fished till lunch time when I went back to camp the V8's were on so I sat and watched them, when the race finished I went fishing again.
Didn't take the camera out of it's case, only on one occasion and that was to take general snapshots
of the area and the dogs etc that were there to share.
Damn long drive for little result, but next time I will leave my boat at home as there is 4-5 tinnies up there that I could use, just take a motor and tank up, save dragging a boat all that way to sit in a paddock and not get used.
Another keen fisho that took his boat didn't bother launching it after saturday as he said there was no fish worth the effort to launch.
They tell me the fish will be on in about a months time.
Another husband and wife team with an outside boat scored a little better the day they went exploring out in the blue,, only a couple of k's off as the wife usually don't go out the heads, they are staying a couple of extra days.

This post has been edited by nimrod: Sep 19 2011, 04:38 PM

[Jumpus GooDarus]

Goodwood island

Sounds like a Goodarus place, Fish should've been Jumpus'n everywhere

Gather ewe didn't fish for any red throat niggers up there

[kkw]

How'd you find the sandflies, Frank. When I was there a couple of weeks back, they were very hungry and on the bite most of the day. I found early morning and dusk to be the most productive times. Not as prolific as the time JG took me to Greenwell and we cleaned the catch at the ramp. I thought my feet and legs had tiny black seeds on them as they changed colour from tanned to black. The itching and swelling drove me nuts for days later. The red throat nigger gets to that stage when only the best angler manages to catch them. Went Monday, but the wind was howling and I only managed three. Motored past Goodwood Island and saw a few guys casting lures. Ah well --- you may have to come out and have a go at the red throats, one day.

[nimrod]

One of our group is a guy called " bigdog " we call him doggie, he is a 65 year old weights about 20 stone and is as about agile as a lump of jelly.

Took the dog fishing to try and find a deep hole he had heard about, didn't find the hole
and headed towards the ramp that was somewhere north west of us as it was starting to get dark , first time on the river and didn't take much notice of where things were just knew the ramp was near the roadway somewhere.
Anyhow diggie was pretty confident that his superior bush tracking talents would find us at the right location, so I took his word for it and headed in the direction he said, getting darker and still no sign of this ramp where my car was parked and to be honest,, I was starting to doubt the dogs sence of direction.
Finding ourselves stranded on a sand bank in the middle of the river didn't do much for my confidence,, but managed to clear the sand and get back into deeper water.
A little further up the river and around another bend and the ramp came into view, great relief as now we were on track to get the boat back on the trailer before black set in.
On the approach to the ramp going very slowly I looked behind me to see what I would need to move out of my way to get back and tilt the motor etc, and looked back forward,,,,,, meanwhile the dog had decided to crawl his way to the front of the boat, to assist in stopping the boat from hitting the concrete ramp too savagly,,,,
His intent was to sit on the bow with legs dangling over the front, and as the boat touched the ramp he intended to step off the boat onto the ramp and secure it there for me,,,,,, Great thinking,,,,,
Instead as I looked back I seen the dog laying on his back half in and half out of the boat,,,, hands and legs up in the air doing the dog paddle in mid air,,, reminded me of a huge turtle on it's back waving its arms and legs around trying to feel terra-firma, such a funny sight but my heart nearly stopped, as I instantly though he was going to fall out and crack his head on the ramp.
Forgot about the motor and rushed up to try and upright this huge frame of a person to a sitting position. Managed to secure a grip on the old bugger and sat him upright.
I now call the doggie TURTLE.

Got the boat on the trailer and went back to camp. the following morning,, the rod I was using was missing from the boat,,, must have decided it liked the roadway better then my boat and jumped out.

[nimrod]

How'd you find the sandflies, Frank. When I was there a couple of weeks back, they were very hungry and on the bite most of the day. I found early morning and dusk to be the most productive times. Not as prolific as the time JG took me to Greenwell and we cleaned the catch at the ramp. I thought my feet and legs had tiny black seeds on them as they changed colour from tanned to black. The itching and swelling drove me nuts for days later. The red throat nigger gets to that stage when only the best angler manages to catch them. Went Monday, but the wind was howling and I only managed three. Motored past Goodwood Island and saw a few guys casting lures. Ah well --- you may have to come out and have a go at the red throats, one day.

KK I didn't have a problem with the sand flies, although one of our group who ventured down toward the mouth did complain of them,,, must be a close to entrance thing.
We were based about 1 k up from the whalf where the boats call in to load cargo etc for Norfolk Island, and apparently it's a hot spot along the river they call black rocks, certainly no shortage of bream off the home made jetty.
This jetty by the way isn't registered as it doesn't touch the water, it's an overhang and was made by the guys who own the shacke we were living in, also they have built skid ramps along the rock wall for launching their tinnies,,, will put photo up as soon as I work out the best way to get them here.

Yes mate one of these days I will accompany you on a redthroat venture.

[nimrod]

Spot the member



You can see the structure overhanging the water with no part of it touching the water, otherwise it would need to be registered.
Also see the tinnies on skids.

[oz man]

GEE A OZMAN LOOK A LIKE

[Jumpus GooDarus]

One of our group is a guy called " bigdog

I've got lures called Big Dog did he design them

Wonder how bigdog would've handled little mutt bastard of a thing is becoming a terror as he's getting bigger

[Fed]

Spot the member biggrin.gif

KKW?

[kkw]

HaHa. You're a card. You need to be dealt with. I will bring the croupier over next time I visit. Looks like Sumo's brother or maybe it IS Sumo?

[Jumpus GooDarus]

Spot the member

Definately not Fed

There's more shine coming off the water than under the hat