I could hear it all night, sounding just like the old haunted house; wind whistling through every nook and cranny. When I got downstairs to the yak shed just before day break the wind was still howling and it was freezing cold! No prob’s, upstairs again added another two pair of pants, two more jackets and a thick Sicilian winter scarf, it was a bit hard to move, particularly once I put the life jacket on top, but hey! I was relatively warm.
Once in the yak and on the water all these clothes turn into a big warm cocoon, usually as the sun comes up and it gets warmer I start to take layer after layer off, not this weekend, I’m sure I could see snow on top of Mt Warning.
I headed straight to the blue hole to see if those nice big bream were still around. My game plan was this: I thought there’ll be no trawlers/charter boats or any boats really, the only guys I spotted were the VMR Currumbin & Tweed Boats and Pete from Maritime, oh and I also ran into local legend “Paul Hargreaves”.
I was fishing right at the choke point near the blue hole and I could see a boat ripping up the river, looked like it was heading straight for me, and it was.
I didn’t recognise the boat, but when it got next to me the driver said “It’s Paul Dave! How ya going?” I’d never seen Paul on the water before, on a nice boat too, I hinted maybe I could be his decky.
Funny, Paul’s family have fished this place for generations, if I’ve got any questions to ask about the Tweed he is the man I go to, he’s also the guy who told me which is the true blue hole.
Now to the fishing, it was awesome, I fished the same area for at least four hours and landed seven legal bream, a couple of long toms and a few pan sized flatties, but the three bigger bream I caught put up such a good fight I’m beginning to wonder if sitting on the yak makes for a better fight as I normally stand up but with this broken toe that isn’t going to happen for a while yet, interesting thought though.
If you do fish from a yak make sure you’ve got a long enough rod so you can guide a fish around the front and back of your yak, don’t think smaller is better on a yak, it’s not and with a longer 6-7 ft rod you will be able to cast better as well and control the fish.
Sitting here on my balcony overlooking the river contemplating the two sessions I had over the last two days, I hadn’t really been sure if I’d be able to feel my lure in wind like it was, I up’d the jig head weight to a 1/8oz instead of 1/12oz and got into it.
I soon found I could find the bottom easy enough, keeping the line tight, rod tip flicks and I’m on meanwhile controlling the yak in a ragging current with gale like winds, you gotta love it. Cheers.
PS. Then VMR go by (biggest wake on the river).
