Trip Reports
Lake Macquarie
Date:
Sunday, 19 April 2009
Forecast:
Showers; Wind, S , SE @ 12, gusting to 37 knots; Temp, Air 21, Water 22 ; Tide, High, 4.50pm Low,10.45pm ; Barometer, 1017, rising : Moon, Half waning

I woke in the dark to the sound of wind & rain . It was cold too. I’d hate to be out working in that I thought, thank Christ I’m going fishing instead. After completing my first magic act of the day, making a couple eggs on toast & a cup of tea disappear without the aid of a rabbit or a hat I then embarked on my second trick. Turning a fly into a fish. To this end I travelled up the highway to Gwandalan & the meeting place near the roundabout where I found Ken Colmer performing marvels of his own. It seems a few of our members had discovered prior engagements & had pulled out leaving Ken to work out a new boat/crew roster on the spot. Water off a duck’s back apparently as soon every one was teamed up & on the water.

Ken took John Roberts , Bob Williams shared with Craig Parker , Rob Harwood shared the delightful “Dora D” with yours truly while Andrew Waters lived up to his party animal reputation by taking both Jim Hyatt & Mac Lyall on “Kamikaze, resplendent in her new livery. The wind was strong, the sky brooding, fishing a lee shore the best option. Most of the fleet tried the nearest southern point while Rob & I in the larger boat decided on a reconnoitre of Pulbah Island. The wind was swinging from SSE to SSW & left few places untouched by it’s presence. We rounded the northern point of Pulbah to find a few yachts & motor cruisers anchored up out of the weather. We found a spot, anchored up & started a berly trail. Jumping fish, the flash of scales, signs that drive fishermen on were there in front of us although the sounder was telling a different story, one far less hopeful.

Lake Macquarie has fished well recently due to the commercial fishers licence buy back . There are reports & rumours of the many species being caught there, from Dolphin fish & Giant Herring to Kingfish & Hammerhead sharks. This day however the weather was denying us the opportunity to target anything that didn’t swim close to a sheltered shore. Rob & I chose to fish intermediate lines & we varied our flies often, trying to fish different flies from each other as we searched for something that worked. Bob & Craig braved the passage to the island. They had fled the slim pickings of the bay to try their luck on the wide. Our tale of woe left them undaunted & they were soon a dot on the horizon, proceeding no doubt to destination “X”. Ken & John turned up & Ken promptly gave us a slap on the wrist for using berly. It gave us an unfair advantage he said as he had left his prawn heads & bread at home. Right. When asked they predicted mayhem on Kamikaze which is what you’d expect on a boat of 4.3m with 3 Fly Rodders all waving at once. While we stayed put Ken & JR let the wind be their guide & drifted, casting all the while.

Meanwhile back in the bay the 3 amigos had worked out a system whereby all of them could cast without drawing blood or bruises. Mac stood on the for’ard casting deck, Sticker had the aft deck while Jimmy as the best caster took ‘midships. What made this system work was Jim’s ability to perform a steeple cast, no mean feat in conditions which saw gusts over 30kts. The boys worked both sides of the bay up to Point Wollstonecraft, wisely forgoing a trip to Pulbah as the open water was quite choppy. As was the case they missed out on nothing by staying in the bay.

By 11.00 Rob & I decided we had done all we could & had to admit defeat at the island. Both Bob & Ken had returned to the bay with neither they nor their crew hooking up. The trip back was predictably wet but with the ramp in sight we had to have one last cast. Rob has a passion for birds of the feathered variety & he kept a weather eye on any sea birds in our vicinity . He was hoping our luck would take a tern for the better. It payed off as his eagle eye spotted a ball of baitfish. We motored up & drifted back several times & while my white haystack attracted some follows & a couple of tail nips that solid connection remained elusive. A smaller fly seemed the answer so it was off with the haystack & on with a small Charlie. It was too late I’m afraid as 2 casts later the heavens opened & stumps were pulled.

There was a surprise waiting for us back at the ramp. Paul McGrath & Richard Hassel had launched 1/2hr before the rest of us & were there now to welcome us back. They had done better than most of us, boating mixed bag of 10 fish. These were Bream, Tailor, Flathead, Pike, Trumpeter & Snapper, the latter being a new species for Richard. Two other members also bagged a new species, Craig with a Bream while Stickerman nabbed a Trumpeter. Jimmy too scored with several Bream & a Flathead. As for the rest, well there’s always next time.

Flies: Crazy Charlie (various colours), Golden Dog (weighted)