WRT – Page 2

The Big River

Posted on February 1, 2018February 25, 2018 by WRT

Glen had booked this trip looking for a mix of fish and some amazing camping in the hope that he and his boy Mitch could spend some time on the water before the school term started.
The weather looked great except for a bit of wind. The moon, pressure, river height and all the other factors were as good as they could be.

I picked up the 2 of them at 4.30am from the Motel and we set off having decided to paddle the big river even though the Bass have been on a slow bite lately. They had gone for a walk the night before after we had met up for a beer and Mitch managed a good Bass off the surface on our local river.

After arriving at the launch point we set off down through the first rapid and I smiled as Glen and Mitch managed to hit every rock on the way. Canoes can take a little time to get used to and Glen confessed he may have only been in One or maybe Two in his life and he was excited to learn some new skills. He was not to know at this point that by the end of the trip he would look like he had been doing it for years.

We navigated a few smaller rapids and as we entered a slower pool Mitch`s Pompadour was smashed off the surface by a nice Cod.

The young fella was stoked and after a few pictures, we were on our way.

As the day went on Glen picked up a couple of good Cod and a 1mtr+ Eel but Mitch was the top rod at the end of the day landing another 3 fish.

We set up camp and everyone was knackered so after a quick flick and me missing an opportunity of a Bass we decided to have an easy night around the fire and a few beers.

Next day was a big paddle and for some reason, the fish had shut down even more. Things became really tough, Glen managed a couple more Cod and I eventually hooked a fish but poor Mitch didn’t see a fish all day. I don’t think he cared too much though and we enjoyed the river and Mitch loved the rapids.
Once camp was set up we headed out for a walk up the banks in the dark and I managed to lose a big Cod right at the bank (idiot). After a couple of hours fishing and no fish, we headed back and had a quick drink then bed.Morning came and after some Eggs and Bacon we set off for the last part of the trip. Just as we were about to stow our rods away Mitch had a Cod smash his lure in full aerial strike. There is nothing better than a hungry Cod hit surface strike.
This trip didn’t really deliver the numbers this guide likes to show but his clients had a great time.

The river was in perfect condition and Glen and Mitch were the most awesome guests.

Lucky Escape

Posted on January 17, 2018 by WRT

David had booked a trip with us back in spring and we had been exchanging emails and photos of tackle boxes for weeks and weeks.

He was flying up from Melbourne, and when I collected him from the Airport it was clear on meeting him that the trip was going to be easy at least as far as the companionship would go. We headed back to my place to start to load Canoes and prep our gear.

The next morning we arrived at the launch point, parked up and unpacked our gear. I spent some time with Dave loading his canoe as it was his first experience with one and then went and loaded my gear. By the time I had set up my rod and checked everything I noticed something really odd. The river was now up to the tyres of my Ute.

I scratched my head and tried to work out why I had parked so close to the water and then it hit me, I had not, the water was coming up and bloody FAST!

I jumped on the Satcom and asked Curto to check the heights for me and he came back that it was already 1.4m and rising.

So that was that. You can run the big river at 1.54m+ but not with fishing gear and no helmets etc. We packed all the gear away and I thanked our lucky stars that we were running an hour late as we would have already set off and we would have had a problem. Dave, of course, was completely oblivious to how lucky we had been. On the way back he did make a random demand that he wanted a Strawberry Milkshake and I put this down to him being from Melbourne. I drove into town and as all good guides should, I delivered what the client wanted.

By midday, we were now at an alternative launch point. The one I had previously decided not to use as it was still running a little dirty. However, you gotta do what you gotta do.

After a few hours on the water it was just as I had feard the bite was really tough and unless you put the lure right on the fish’s nose they were not interested.

Dave was going to take a day to get to grips with the Canoe and tune into the situation whilst I picked up a couple of nice Bass with the biggest going 47cm. By the time we hit the first camp he had not had a fish.

We set up camp and went out for a night paddle but with no hits and the fact it was 35c and humid as Hell we decided to head back and get an early night.

The next morning we made an early start after some Eggs and Bacon and paddled our way down the river. Dave just didn’t seem to get a hit and I managed a couple more fish from putting my lure deep into the cover. I was really starting to worry and felt bad as he had come so far and now it looked like it was going to be a rubbish trip for him.

In the late afternoon about an hour away from the next camp I heard “YEP” and was relieved to see Dave getting towed into the bushes by a decent Bass. By the time I made it to him he had subdued the fish and I slid the net under it (thank God).

A quick measure and photo and Daves first-ever Aussie Bass came in at 46cm, not bad hey?

We made it to camp and followed the usual routine of setting up and headed out for a fish. A few hours later and we were back at camp with nothing to show for our efforts. The wind had started to really blow and the weed floating in the water was seriously becoming a pain in the backside.

Jo had sent us a message saying that there was a weather change coming and I hoped this would be the catalyst for a better bite but sadly I was wrong.

I awoke in the night to find myself freezing. It was really cold and I didn’t have much more than a light sleeping bag and a small blanket or “Blanky” as Dave called it. Brilliant.

Next morning the Fish were totally shut down and we paddled the river hoping things would pick up. I cycled through my usual lures and tried some other wacky stuff but it was of no use and we just had to keep flicking.

We found a few more fish as the day wore on and over the next 2 days it was truly a hard slog. We did have some fun on the last night as I paddled Dave around a decent hole. We witnessed a Bass smash something off the top just in front of us and then Dave managed his first Bass at night.He also managed to have an Eel boof his lure off the surface (horrible things) that I had great fun with.

I think Dave had a great trip and even though we had a few things against us he came away wanting more as he had rebooked for spring next year.

Incidentally, amongst the 20+ fish we also managed a couple of deformed Bass that only a mother would love….

Close but no Cigar (Hat)

Posted on December 18, 2017December 18, 2017 by WRT

Owens wife had secretly organised a trip for his birthday back in August so when we collected Owen from the airport he was as keen as they come.

With the Rivers still running a little dirty, we set off in the late afternoon and headed for our first nights camp. We fished what would normally be productive water but worryingly the fish were completely shut down. After setting up camp we headed out for a night session but after a couple of hours called it quits and paddled back without one hit.

This was not looking good.

Next morning we were up early and fished for a couple of hours and Owen managed a couple of Boofs off the surface but they didn’t result in a fish.

We set off and made our way to some lower pools. Finally, we found a few small Bass here and there falling to our Spinnerbaits, then a small Cod. We had Lunch and talked about how we hoped things would pick up but the reality is sometimes it just doesn’t happen.

As we neared the end of a smaller hole I hooked a decent Cod and this perked us up a little so we pushed on.

We set up camp and headed out for an afternoon session hoping that the storm we could see building would get things moving.

Wasnt long before Owen was onto a big Bass and after a bit of excitement (mostly from me), it was safely in the Net.

49cm of Bass is a great fish but being 1cm off the magic 50 left Owen without a “Wild River Tours” hat (50cm Bass or 1m Cod wins a hat) but I don’t think he was that bothered and we paddled back to camp feeling victorious.

Next morning we were up early and within a few casts, a monster Cod had smashed my Pompadour off the surface. She was a cracker of a fish going 90cm and it took Owen 2 seconds to change his lure from a spinnerbait to see if we could fool another fish.

With Owen sitting up the front of the canoe, I paddled him up the river and in no time his Lure was destroyed by another monster.

For the next 2 hours, Owen was in Cod heaven.

With 5 cod over 70cm (90, 87, 84, 80 and 70) we headed back to camp for breakfast and to talk about what had just happened.

I have had some sessions with Cod but never had only Big Fish hitting the lure like that.

Great stuff.

Winners are grinners :)

Posted on December 10, 2017 by WRT

Some of you may recall that in the closed season we held a competition for an overnight trip and my companion for this weekend was the winner of that competition, Sean Conneely.

The rivers have been difficult of late and last weeks storm had really added some colour to the river but after a recon visit the day before, I was confident there was just enough visibility for us to harras the local Bass. We had already decided that Spinnerbaits (I hate them) and Beetle spin setups would probably win the day due to the colour but we were hopeful of being proven wrong.

Day One started slowly with Sean picking up the first fish on a paddle tail soft plastic. We cycled through the usual Lures but nothing would work. We decided that I would throw a Spinnerbait (ugh) and Sean started to work the Beetle Spin in the tight edges and snags. Sean had landed 5 or so fish so I changed to match his setup and that set the tone for the rest of the trip.

We soon worked out that the Fish were tucked right into the bank and snags and unless you managed to cast and put the lure on the fishes nose you would think that the river didn’t have any fish living in it what so ever. As the day progressed Sean was smoked by a monster Bass and he then realised why us country folk use 20lb braid and not 10lb braid like those city fellas (isn’t that right Sean)?
At the end of the day we had managed 15 fish and as we paddled back to camp we were treated to one of the most stunning sunsets I have ever seen that went on for over an hour.

Day Two and we awoke to a Satellite message from Joanne saying that Super Cells were expected and severe storms were heading our way. Brilliant!

As an experiment, Sean changed from a Motor Oil to a White plastic. After I had picked up 4 fish casting at water he had already fished we agreed that there was only one colour (Green) and that was that.

The Fish were on fire and so was Sean, we were having a blast. That is right up until I noticed a big white cloud forming in the distance. Within no time the storm was all around us and I was feeling a little silly, you see I had reassured Sean 10 minutes before that it will probably miss us.

This was by far the biggest Hail Storm I had been caught in and when I can I will upload the Video. It was actually frightening at one point.

We had a Beer and some lunch (Tin of beans) as we took shelter from the remaining storm and after 30 minutes we were back fishing. The fish didn’t seem to care about the storm and we picked our way through the tight rapids and bottle brush trees adding another 25 Fish to the tally before we hit camp.The final day and we awoke early and were fishing just on first light. I was smoked by a big Bass on my second cast that made for its home in the mess of bottle brush roots. Sean was on form (again) and was landing fish after fish. We went back to camp and packed up and made our way down the river. As we progressed nearer the exit point the fish shut down and we closed the trip on 56 Bass and 2 Cod. We had lost maybe 20-30 fish and considering the terrible water quality Sean had done brilliantly.

Such a great trip, Joanne and I are really happy that Sean had a great time and I can honestly say he was a very deserving winner.

On a side note check out this amazing Python that we passed that had just had breakfast from what looks like some poor Duck or maybe a bush Pheasant.

Up from the Big Smoke!

Posted on November 27, 2017November 27, 2017 by WRT

The boys from Bass Sydney Fishing club were waiting for me when I drove in and after a few handshakes and G`days we loaded up my Ute and headed off to our start point. Doug, Rico and Damien had a million questions and couldn’t wait to get going. We set off in the morning mist and the boys started cycling through Lures trying to find something that would get us on the board.

24139210_10159909058790352_1065840605_o — Ricos stunning Cod

Reports had suggested that the river was shut down and after a tough day fishing, we had only a few Cod to show and one small Bass so it looked like we were in for a fairly challenging trip.

24139096_10159909059270352_516813785_o — Doug having a swim

Whilst portaging a main rapid we had a small mishap with 1 of the canoes and after some panic, shouting, leveraging the canoe from its pinned rock and then retrieving all the dry bags and gear Doug had earnt the nickname “Dangerous Doug” or “DD” (to his friends) for the rest of the trip.

24139829_10159909058910352_1136593114_o — O dear

We set up camp and at dusk we went out for a paddle only for Doug to have a fish hit his surface lure and whip the Rod out of his hands. He couldn’t believe it and it looked like it was lost to the river. I was fairly confident we could find it in the morning, so the boys pressed on and fished into the late hours for only a couple more smallish Cod.

24139994_10159909059235352_1037534758_o — Another tough day at the office

In the morning we managed to get “Dangerous Doug`s” Rod back and headed off down river hoping to pick up some bigger fish. Over the next couple of days, the boys focused on trying to find a decent sized Bass but the river was on lockdown.

24139960_10159909058980352_490673275_o — Damien at the end of the falls

On the last night, Rico managed to sneak a perfectly conditioned 40cm whilst throwing large surface Lures as we all walked the bank for a few hours.

24116740_10159909058865352_1107128801_o — Rico with his Bass

29 Fish with a 40cm Bass and a 60cm Cod was the final tally. I think the boys had a great time and from a guides point of view, you couldn’t ask for easier clients.

24139281_10159909249685352_215809197_o — I’ll say nothing.

When it blows from the East the fish bite least

Posted on November 12, 2017 by WRT

23 fish may sound a lot but when you put 4 experienced Fisho`s on New South Wales premier river (arguably) over 3 days the numbers should be 60-80.
However, Bass can be moody little buggers and we were faced with the fact that the weather had turned to custard and the barometer was sitting at 1011. Then add an Easterly wind this was really going to be a struggle.

Day One Scotty upset a great Bass from out in the middle of a decent size hole. It was all smiles and photos as this Bass smashed Scotty`s previous best and it set the mood high and we all thought that maybe things would be OK.Unfortunately, this would be the only fish landed for the rest of the day and by the time we hit camp the mood was low. A few beers and some very nice Scotch that Chris had brought along (I think it was very expensive) lifted the mood and I ended up having one of the best afternoons just sitting and chatting that I think I have ever had on the river.

Day Two and Chris paddled out whilst we finished breaking camp and within seconds a small Cod had taken a shine to his lure. I wouldn’t call Chris an excitable fella but he started shouting and gesturing as a giant Cod came up from the depths and grabbed the small Cod he had on. The big Cod let go and just before Chris could do anything a different Cod came up and hit the small Cod off the lure and then took the Lure. Chris only had light fishing gear so we quickly paddled out to help to land this stunning Eastern Cod.The rest of the day we picked off Bass and Cod mostly from the bigger holes. Jason had sent a deep diver down and was rewarded with one of the biggest hits I have seen and we all thought he had hooked a really sizeable Cod. By the way the fish was hugging the bottom you would have thought it was a 70cm Cod but he coaxed her up and netted this perfect Bass. I think I was more excited than him as it is great to see not only a client but also a bloody good mate catch a new PB.

When we neared the end of the same hole I hooked a 40cm Bass and just as I had him beaten I also had a giant Cod come up and grab the poor fella. The lads laughed as I shouted and screamed for the 90cm+ oath to let my precious Bass go and after a big tail slap on the surface he/she sunk back down into the darkness.
2 Cod attacks in 1 trip are really unusual but its great to see some big fish around and I really wouldn’t to be a small fish living in that river.

Day Three and we awoke to wind and spitting rain.
We had already decided that we might paddle out and get back to the cars early as work commitments loomed and the weather was just crap.

So on reflection, it was so amazing to be back on the big river again after 3 months I absolutely love it and dread the day I am too old to paddle it. Although we didn’t slay the fish I think 4 new PB`s for the lads on 1 trip is pretty bloody good and spending time with people like Chris, Jason and Scott really make this job pretty easy.

Dave.

The Perfect Trip?

Posted on November 5, 2017November 5, 2017 by WRT

We had changed our minds a few times over the last few weeks in regards to where we will fish, but we finally agreed on some high Northern New South Wales hills and we made the drive towards some access I had secured the year before.

When we arrived there was a local fixing up something by the gate so I jumped out of the car for a quick chat and things escalated quickly. He was aggressive and in my face within seconds and it looked like we were about to have a dust-up. After some short words and when he accepted the fact that I was not going to back down or was not there to rob his house, he softened just like Jackal and Hyde. He was all smiles and now giving me advice as to where I can drive in and what to look out for.

Some odd people live in those hills.

Laughing this off we unloaded the Canoes and said our goodbyes to poor old Joanne who had to make the drive home past our new friend’s place (Mr. Hyde).

23376272_10154926885946288_8177040154204580924_n — Always good to have a launch picture so the rescuers know what to look for!

We got to camp in a few hours with no sign of a fish and made ourselves comfy for the night around a small fire and a couple of cold beers.

The next morning Frank was up like a shot and paddled out to a small hole not far from camp.

Twenty minutes later he was back and he shouted: “get the camera”.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — Frank with his 48cm Bass

Now with high expectations, we set off around 9am and fished hard but with the massive Moon, I didn’t expect to see much till late morning.

Around 11am the fish started to show and we started to clock up some good numbers.
Just around Midday, I hooked a fish with my Mazzy Popper that had some weight. It took me straight into a snag and I was bricked. I instantly jumped into the water like some lunatic and swam towards the snag leaving my canoe and paddle to start to float down the river.

I managed to untangle the line from the snag and to my amazement the fish was still on. Soon as she broke the surface I could see it was a big Bass and in the excitement, I was shouting all kinds of nonsense at Frank (he has this on Video and may hold me to ransom one day).

23261905_10154924940066288_1940227401_o (Large) — 54cm of Wild River Bass

By the time we finished up at camp we had 20 or so fish. We set up camp and went back out straight away. We fished from a single canoe, walked the banks for a few hours just picking off Bass and Cod until we had over 30 fish in total. That night around the fire we talked about the crazy wind we had been competing with and of course the amazing Bass & Cod we had landed.

23269632_10159800619285352_258562260_o (Large)

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The next day we were up early and as keen as Mustard.

We picked our way down the river and targetted pools with the Mazzy Poppers, Alive Chatter Baits and anything else we could use. Frank used a spinnerbait in the deep holes to upset the Bass that thought they were safe. With this type of fishing, Eastern Cod are a bycatch but as they are actually a protected species so you need a quick photo and return them to the water to go about their day.

In the late afternoon, Frank hooked onto a really big Cod that had him in all sorts of trouble. His reel was given a run for its money but he landed the 80cm chunk and it was not till later when we stripped it we noticed he had totally melted his Clutch.

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OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

The fishing on this trip was as good as it ever gets and even with the wind and the giant Moon, the fish played the game.

The final score was 114 fish and by the time we got to the car (on Franks 40th Birthday) we had both had enough.

Dave.

Long wet weekend.

Posted on October 2, 2017 by WRT

Normally my fishing trips and guided tours seem to be filled with schedules and stress. It always seems that I have to get from point A to B by a certain time or make sure I don’t forget something. Is the client happy? Will we get a big fish and so on.

This long weekend we loaded up the cars and trailer, threw in a few of our favorite people, some beer, wine and sneaked off onto some private land where we could relax and have a little fish if the mood took us.
The weather was wet for the most part with drizzle and showers but no one complained as it really didn’t matter and after a 4-month drought the rivers and farmers need every drop.

We managed to do a bit of fishing and even went for a night session which resulted in one of the biggest Bass surface hits I think I have ever had. This resulted in a mid 40`s Bass who played up like she was a 50+.

Considering the water is so low we ended up with plenty of Bass and a couple of small Cod and dropped plenty.

Few drinks and a decent fire and a fair bit of bullsh*t made for a great couple of nights away.

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Roll with the punches

Posted on September 22, 2017 by WRT

So Paul and Andy`s trip was cancelled last year due to floods and this trip did not start well at all. On the first day, Andy fell crook with a 24-hour virus that really knocked him around. My Canoe fell off the back of the trailer (first and last time) and this resulted in us having to chase down a Drover who thought he had scored a free Coleman Canoe. He had it all tied up on his horse truck and was just pulling away. All that said and done once we got into it we started to find our groove. It was tough on the first day with Andy crook and the Bass shut down but with a change of weather the fish switched on and the next 2 days were as good as it gets. With Bass up to the magic 50cm and some surface smashing Eastern Cod by day 2 we were over 20 fish and the boys had already booked the next trip. We lost count but I think the final tally was between 30-40 fish with a healthy mix of Bass vs Cod.

What to do……

Posted on September 16, 2017 by WRT

So the drought continues and the rivers are just getting more unfishable each day.
With new clients heading this way on Wednesday I am faced with having to make a decision on what system to fish.

I went for a quick overnight 40km- 50km paddle (It hurt) to pre-fish some tidal water and managed 28 fish.
It was a big paddle but I shouldn’t complain when you get to camp in spots like this…

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You would think that my problem is solved and just take the boys there. However, the problem is the biggest Bass was only 44cm. Now I get that a 44cm Bass is awesome but that should be the average size of a fish on our trips.

So do we drag and haul ourselves down a dried up river bed looking for 5 fish or fish the lower river and take the numbers.

What would you do?

If you are looking for a day trip to tangle with some Bass or maybe just to try your hand at Bass fishing. Maybe you would just like to go for a Paddle, well we can guide you on our local waters and get you among the amazing scenery and the biggest fish. We supply morning tea and lunch with light refreshments on our day trips.