Happy New Year 2020
Spent the first day of 2020 with wonderful @jane_and_felix . Full of enthusiasm Jane wanted to catch her first Bass on fly but the wind forced us to pick up the spin gear. Even though it was Jane’s first time with conventional tackle she soon boated 2 of #clarriehalldam finest. Well done Jane. Love your work ❤
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Clarrie Hall Charter December 28
Some very solid Bass around today. Thanks for fishing with us Eugene and Anna 🎣👏#goldcoastfishing #bassfishing #australianbass #northernriverssportfishing #clarriehalldam #shimano #shimanoaustralia #shimanofishing #fishshimano
#squidgies #powerpro #catana
Bass Summer Session December 7
Had a cracker of a session out on the water today with Micheal. It was a slow start at first and the first few hours went by with only a few bumps. But someone must have flicked a switch because by at about 10am the fish turned on! Over the next few hours we landed 10 fish between us all but 2 in the mid 40’s. It was certainly a session to remember. Thanks Michael.
Time to OzFish
OzFish Tweed River Chapter members Tom, Jake and Simon spent some quality time on the water today chasing bass. The fish are growing noticeably bigger and fatter in the dam which is a great sign there is ample resources for the fish. We encountered two 45cm bass today which were as big as any I have seen in these waters. Happy days.
European Carp
Carp are a pest species here in Oz but they are simply ace fun to sight cast in the shallows 👌 This one took a liking to a modified Bass Vampire fly.
Bass Season is Open!
This kid can fish! Flying up from Tasmania especially for this trip, Lucas an his Mum were on a mission to add a new species to his bucket list. Luckily Lucas is just as skillful with a fly rod in his hand as he is with a spin rod. The mission was accomplished when Lucas boated his first Australian Bass on a diving minnow. True to his form he followed up with another 2. His efforts are a credit to his passion for fishing and his mothers dedication to her boy. Congratulations to you both!
Winter Bass
Winter time often means picture postcard days at Clarrie Hall Dam. Today bright blue skies held the mountains and the lush green lilies that fringe the lake margins. The cooler water temperature at this time of year requires slower bait presentations to spark the interest of the bass. Adding plenty of scent to the lure and slowing down the retrieve is the key. Even ‘dead sticking soft plastic can work wonders, with very small movements triggering the ever watchful bass into striking. Right from the start Marie mastered this technique and connected with a number of fish throughout the day. Marie’s first bass ever was a very fat & healthy 40cm specimen. Well done and thanks for a great day!
Bass Charter
What better way to spend your 14th birthday than bass fishing at Clarrie Hall Dam with your mates! Fish of the day went to Oscar who caught a ripper of a bass on a soft plastic 🕶 His technique was to dead stick the plastic on the edge of the weed and just sit there and giggle 😂 Worked like a charm 🐟 Thanks for a great day and happy birthday Keanu 🎂
Kayaking with Keanu
If only more kids were like Keanu who takes every opportunity to wet a line. In this modern era of ‘i-gizmos’ and ‘x-amathingies’ its great to meet young folk that would much prefer to go fishing than stagnate in front of a screen. Keanu, an NDIS participant, insisted on a fly casting lesson too. His dedication to master all aspects of this sport is inspirational! More tackle boxes and less x-boxes people!
A Yellow Dog and an Aussie Fly Fisher
It’s always an honor to show folks our beautiful part of the world. But our latest trip was something very special. Josh Hutchins from Aussie Fly Fisher and Simon Chu from Yellow Dog Flyfishing Adventures joined us for some bass fishing in some truly breath taking country. Although the bass eluded us today, the Eastern Cod were a very welcome by-catch. Josh stole the show with a beautiful 76cm fish. Eastern Cod are an endangered and protected species so we are always careful to limit handling time and release the fish as soon as we can.
Put yourself in this picture and have Northern Rivers Sportfishing guide you through this remote fishing oasis. Call/text 0409 760 380 or email northernriverssportfishing@gmail.com
What was your ‘first’ fish?
For any keen angler catching a ‘first’ of any species is a special milestone. Big congrats 🍾 to Monique and Jacob who both landed their first New England Murray Cod yesterday. I am sure these green and gold nuggets will etch a special place in your fishy memories. It was a privilege to be a part of the action 👍
Cod Almighty!
Each year NRS fishing guide Harry Davey engages his local community for a family fishing day. This year a fantastic turn out produced some pretty impressive captures. Around 100 catfish and an incredible 6 Murray Cod caught today all between 85 and 110cm, including 2 over the magic meter mark 😮. Well done Tenterfield!
Fly Fishing for Murray Cod from a Float Tube
The headwaters of the Murray-Darling river system provides the perfect opportunity to target Murray Cod on fly. Here the dentritic patterns of streams that drain the Western Dividing Range are not much more than mere trickles. But even for the avid angler, gaining access to fish these Cod rich waters creates a challenge. Isolated river access points due to private property and thick bank side vegetation restrict access options. Canoes and kayaks open up possibilities, but for the fly fisher it is hard to go past the float tube.
Float Tube Pros
Presenting a fly to a Murray Cod holding in structure is a precise skill. The angler needs to be positioned just right to place the fly within inches from the fishes ambush zone. With a float tube the angler can hold himself in the current using his fins and make multiple casts at the snags. Comparatively, a canoe or kayak is much more susceptible to wind and current than a float tube, which has the angler constantly on the move. In a moving kayak, casting to ‘windows of opportunity’ is fleeting at best.
A fly fisher can also readily position a float tube in the middle of the stream, allowing plenty of space for his back cast. The wayward nature of the kayak or canoe would see the paddler struggle to maintain this position. One cannot paddle and cast at the same time. But by positioning a float tube by ‘finning’ with the legs, the arms are free to focus on the cast.
A small Murray Cod taken from a float tube
Another big advantage with a float tube is the ability to pull the fish from the snags. Imagine sitting in a canoe and hooking up to a large Cod, only to be pulled by the fish (canoe and all) back into its cover. After hooking up, in a float tube you simply hit reverse and start finning away, effectively dragging the Cod out into the open.
Another restriction with a canoe or kayak is the launch and retrieve. These boats are heavy and can require significant lifting ability to transport them from the car to the river. Most problematic is the retrieval of the canoe/kayak at the end of the river journey. Two vehicles or some kind of shuttle needs to be pre empted to have a car meet at the finish point. This is where the float tube has one huge benefit. A float tube can be carried down to the river in a back pack. It can then be inflated for use and at the finish point can be deflated for the walk back to the car. This opens up opportunity to access previously inaccessible waterways that have hopefully seen very little fishing pressure.
Float Tube Cons
Of course, canoes/kayaks do have their benefits. They can carry more gear, more passengers and travel faster than a float tube. They also handle and manoeuvre much more efficiently. A float tube may hold position better than a canoe/kayak but they handle rather like a stranded whale! Also you cannot travel forwards in a float tube so the only option is to face away from your chosen destination and travel backwards. This can be a bit disconcerting when navigating through trees and small rapids. Not being able to see clearly where you are going could be especially dangerous in rivers that contain a lot of snakes such as the high country in Victoria and NSW.
At the end of the day the float tube is a tool like any other piece of equipment or tackle. It opens up more opportunities to catch fish. And I for one am definitely up for that.
Float Tube Designs
Originally donut shaped in design, modern float tubes (also known as kick boats) have progressed in shape with pontoons encompassing more ‘V’ and ‘U’ shaped designs. A well-built float tube will include features such as an inflatable bladder inside a durable canvas outer, elevated adjustable seating and tackle storage. Most float tubes also come with a stripping apron and anchor points for attaching shoulder straps. These come in handy for backpacking the inflated tube from pool to pool.
An entry level float tube will get you on the water for as little as $200 (plus fins). The Caddis Sports Nevada Float Tube is perfect for those wanting to test the water (pardon the pun). It has all the necessary features:
- Stable U-shape designed tube is easy to navigate and provides a very comfortable ride with a suggested 225lb weight capacity.
- Rip-stop style nylon upper and a heavier cordura bottom and ends for durability.
- Wide nylon coated all mesh working & stripping apron
- Padded stabilizer bar adds to the stability of the float tube.
- Four main equipment pockets and two auxiliary pockets
At the upper end of the market is the Caddis Sports Premier Plus Float Tube. The design incorporates all the standard features with the addition of being made from heavier duty material, more comfortable seating and having a larger carrying capacity compared to the Nevada Float Tube.
- Heavy duty rip stop material on top
- Heavy duty tarpaulin bottom and front ends
- Adjustable 4″ foam seat and 2″ foam backrest
- Two large main equipment pockets, and two auxiliary pockets
- Maximum weight capacity 325 lbs
Float Tube Propulsion
A good set of fins is essential for manoeuvring and propelling the float tube. Specially designed Float Tube Fins will not only make it easier to navigate the tube on the water, but also allow you to easily put on and take off the fins. This is important in Cod country where you need to portage from pool to pool by walking around or through shallow rapids. A good set of Diving Boots with a hard sole will allow you to walk through sharp rocky terrain and have the added benefit of keeping your feet warm.
Tackle
Big Murray Cod often like big flies and the ability to cast large streamers and poppers is a must. A 10wt fly rod will allow you to cast large flies with up to 6/0 hooks. Of equal importance is the length of the rod. A shorter rod of around 8ft or less has several important benefits. In a float tube you are sitting at water level which can increase the distance between the rod tip and the net. This actually makes netting a Cod much harder.
In the final stages of the fight, when using a standard 9ft rod I have found the Cod will sit just beyond netting distance. This can not only be very frustrating but also greatly increases the likely hood of ‘high sticking’ and breaking the rod. A rod 8ft or less in length will bring the fish closer to the net and make landing the big one much easier. It’s hard to go past the Sage Bass 2 for this type of fishing. The versatile performance of this rod will have you casting large flies all day with ease and will land even the largest of Cod.
A large arbor fly reel is always beneficial as it will allow you to dispense and retrieve line fast and efficiently. The Sage Spectrum Fly Reel has a large arbor and will compliment your Sage rod perfectly. It has a sealed carbon drag that is good for use both in freshwater and salt. Murray Cod are not known for their long blistering runs, so having the best drag in the world is not a priority. However, this reel will also come in handy should you venture into the salt in search of large GT’s, Queenfish and the like.
As with all things always buy the best quality that you can afford. This is especially true with line. Although cheaper line will get you by, quality line will make things easier for you, literally with every cast. Ideally buy a floating and a sinking line. But if you only get one line get Rio Tropical Outbound Short. The 10wt is a floating/intermediate sink tip line that is ideal for streamers but will also work with very buoyant surface flies. It has a blue body and a clear tip which is less visible to the fish.
There are a few good local fly tiers that create patterns specifically for Murray Cod. Ammo Flies, BWC Flies and Kaos Cod Flys will tie customized or existing patterns on order.
Guided Fishing
A good way to help you decide if float tube fishing is for you is to ‘try before you buy’. Northern Rivers Sportfishing offers float tube, kayak and land based fishing for Murray Cod in the New England area of NSW.
Conclusion
Fly fishing from a float tube is an excellent way to target Murray Cod in skinny waters. The nature of the float tube allows the angler to easily maintain the ideal position to meticulously work over a snag. The float tube is also easily transportable, which gives the angler greater access to remote and unpressured waters. Modern float tubes are a great addition to any serious angler who loves targeting freshwater fish.
Kayak Fishing Expedition – New England
Private Access Guiding
Our guide Harry Davey showing John, Nathan and Donald around some private access fisheries in the New England today. The boys had plenty of follows and hook ups and dropped a donkey of a river yella estimated at 63cm! The fish of the day was a 70cm cod taken on a Hell Yeah Chatterbait in white/pink.
Christmas Eve Bassin’
Twas the day before Christmas and went fishing with a lass. Not a creature was stirring except for a Bass! 🐟 What better way to spend Christmas eve than Bass fishing out on the lake? Stella from Jakarta joined us today and put in an absolute ‘stella’ effort 😏 The fish must have celebrated Christmas early because they certainly weren’t hungry. But with plenty of patience and tenacity Stella scored her first Aussie Bass. Shortly after lunch she sealed the deal with a second one. Another great day at Clarrie. Thanks Stella and well done 👏
New England Trip Dec 1st – 4th, 2018
With our fishing trips recently expanding into the New England area, the opening of cod season on December 1st was all the excuse I needed to head west and test the waters with our new fishing guide Harry Davey. Harry took me to a number of beautiful creeks and water holes around Tenterfield, only accessible through private properties. The big cod that we had hoped for must not have got the memo that the season had begun, but the yellas certainly didn’t disappoint. I then headed for Glenlyon Dam where again the cod were a little quiet but the yellas were all fired up. Completely chuffed to have Harry as a guide with Northern Rivers Sportfishing. His local knowledge and ability to find quality fish will put ‘many a smile on the dial’ for years to come!
Fly vs Lure at Clarrie Hall Dam
In years gone by, whenever I went fishing I would always bring a fly rod. But more often than not it would stay stashed away in it’s tube and instead I would fish all day with spin gear. Why, because I simply had more confidence in catching fish with lures. After all, a fish can feel the vibration of a lure from a much greater distance than a fly right? But as I grow older the tables have turned. I now find myself reaching for the fly rod for the majority of my fishing. Initially it was because I love the challenge, but to my surprise I seem to be catching more fish on the feather & fluff.
It would be nonsensical to say a fly will out fish a lure every time. Or visa versa. Every situation in fishing is different. But at Clarrie Hall I am definitely noticing a pattern. Many times I have witnessed lures being fished from the same boat as fly. Being fished in the same location, at the same time and in a similar way. But the fly often catches more bass than lures. And I have a theory why.
The fishing at Clarrie Hall can often be challenging. I often hear folks say they never catch anything there or they only get one or 2. Their reasoning is that Clarrie is perhaps under stocked and Fisheries should put more bass in the dam. But I am not so sure. My theory is that there is literally millions of bass in Clarrie Hall. Some days you can see hundreds schooling up on the sounder, but this is during winter when they leave the protection of the lily pads and head out into open water. The rest of the year they are happy to spend most of their time under the lilies. After all this is where their food source is, their oxygen is and their shelter is. For the most part, these fish are inaccessible to fisherman.
Firetail gudgeon
But first thing in the morning the bass will move to the edge of the lilies in search of food. This is the window of opportunity. It is likely that all these bass have seen lures of all types swimming past. Indeed many have been caught and released which perhaps makes them weary of lures. But for the most part, the bass at Clarrie probably have enough baitfish to feed on without having to risk attacking a large vibrating food item. There are literally billions of Firetail gudgeon that live under the lilies, which is the likely food source for the bass.
Flies on the other hand are much more subtle in their presentation. They can more closely resemble the size and action of a smaller baitfish like the gudgeons. I think this makes a fly generally more appealing than a lure to a Clarrie Hall bass. My theory is further supported by the idea that a lure is much more likely to get noticed by a greater number of fish, compared to a fly. A fly makes very little vibration (if at all) and no sound. Where as a lure simply cannot be missed. Diving lures, crank baits, blades, spinnerbaits etc all leave a sonic and visual signature in the water that would be very hard for a fish to go unnoticed. Yet the fly often gets more hits.
My other theory is that perhaps the bass are attracted to the fly line. Bass are a bit like cats, they are inquisitive. Often you will see them on the sounder just sitting under the boat. Perhaps the fly line is a curiosity to them. They follow it and watch it go past. Then low and behold there is a small baitfish (the fly) following the line too. Well that must be breakfast!
October 27 Report
Another typical start to the day out on the water with a misty haze providing low light conditions needed to give the fish the confidence to move out from the cover of the lilies. There were plenty of bass milling around the points and I landed 4 fish up to 42cm before the sun burnt through the fog and pushed the bass back to the safety of their homes.
The water in Clarrie remains nice and clear despite the recent deluge of rain. However the top end of the dam is now choked with the dreaded weed Slavinia molesta which must have been washed out from the lily pads and into the open water. To avoid the weed I simply headed out towards the down stream end of the dam.
Book you charter today and hook up with a piece of the action at Clarrie Hall Dam.
Starlo Goes Northern Rivers Sportfishing
Perhaps it was Rex Hunts Fishing World where Steve ‘Starlo’ Starling first made his TV appearance and became a well known fishing identity. Since then he has written countless articles, blogs and books and appeared on any number of fishing and outdoor adventure shows, both in Australia and overseas. For more than 30 years now Starlo has been one of Australia’s most respected recreational anglers. So when he first contacted me to go fishing I was more than a little excited.
The plan was to film 3 fishing stories for 3 episodes of the Offroad Adventure Show. As a fishing guide I often feel the pressure to deliver to my clients, but this time the pressure was really on! However I had a few things on my side. First I knew that the scenery of the Northern Rivers would no doubt provide enough natural beauty for the cameras. Second, I knew that if anyone was going to catch a fish it would be Starlo. Boy was I right.
On the first day of filming Starlo, his lovely wife Jo, Shaun the producer and myself headed straight for Clarrie Hall Dam. As always Clarrie strutted her stuff for the cameras and put on a stunning display of misty mountains, blue skies and lush green lily pads. Jo Starling is an accomplished angler in her own right too and turns out she is an avid fly fisher woman. We hit it off immediately. The idea was to get Jo her first Australian bass on fly. It wasn’t long before Jo’s rod buckled over as she skillfully arm wrestled a solid bass away from the weed. Moments later she was holding up her first bass on fly for the camera.
Meanwhile Starlo worked the lakes margins from the Slayer 10 Propel kayak. Steve is no stranger to the Native Watercraft as he owns a few of these boats too. He commented how this type of kayak is ideal for Clarrie Hall because once hooked up he could just start pedaling in reverse and pull the bass away from the weed. When the first bass for the day snatched his offering, Starlo demonstrated just that. He too was amazed at the pulling power of these Clarrie bass. The day was off to a great start.
By 10:30am the sun had climbed above the mountains and burnt off the mist. The bite had slowed and so we headed for the river. I took us to a part of the river where I had caught bass the day before. Starlo and I fished the run out tide from the Slayer kayaks. But do you think I could land a fish? But that was no problem, because Starlo caught enough for both of us. By 2pm Steve had tallied 2 fat bass, 3 flathead and a bream. All of us had smiles from ear to ear. It was only mid afternoon on the first day and we already had our 3 stories!
Day 2 we returned to Clarrie for more action. Starlo hooked up to 2 cracking pocket rockets but they jumped off at the side of the boat. After getting her first taste of bass on fly the day before, Jo decided she wanted more……so more it was. Jo did a fantastic job teasing out the bass from edges of the lilies with her bass vampire fly. She experienced several hits and by mornings end she had scored another 2 or 3 beautiful Northern Rivers bass.
Over the brief 2 day period the Starlings visited Murwillumbah, mother nature really turned it on for us. The bird life and the fish, the water dragons and goannas all came out to greet us. And at the end of the day we drank cold beer and sat watching lightening crack over cane fields and we laughed and said that this is Australia.
– Simon Fitzpatrick , Northern Rivers Sportfishing
Tweed River Fun
I was lucky enough to spend the day with Vinh and his delightful family fishing the lower Tweed River yesterday. Fishing from a houseboat was a new experience for me, certainly no need to go without the simple pleasures. In fact the matriarch of the family lovingly cooked up a storm in the kitchen whilst all the kids and grand kids played, fished swam and paddled. Lunch was a feast of delicious Vietnamese food! As always it was such an honor to share and watch the fascination that fishing brings to the young ones. A great day I will never forget. Thanks guys 🙂
Springtime Bass
DON’T MISS ALL THE ACTION…. book your bass fishing charter today! Springtime is a great time to go bass fishing. The weather is hotting up and so is the fishing. I took a trip out to the dam this morning and found there was no shortage of bass that were looking for a feed. All the fish I caught were very well conditioned and took off like little pocket rockets. I had the drag locked but still many fish beat me back into the weed. I find 10lb leader is absolute minimum here unless fishing out wide. There was also plenty of surface action and popping sounds could be heard throughout the morning as bass inhaled bait fish against the surface. Once daylight savings starts the gates to the dam will be open 1 hour earlier which means 1 extra hours fishing the magic morning bite!
The river is also fishing well now the bass have returned to the fresh after their winter spawning. However there is still plenty of weed scattered through the water column which makes the fishing very tricky. But if you manage to run your lure past the weed long enough a fish will grab it. Surface and shallow running lures are the go. Weedless flies, surface poppers and Dahlberg divers are also worth a try.
Bass Fishin Mission
Visiting ‘ofishionardos’ from the UK worked hard for their fish but the rewards were all the more sweet!
#tweedriverfishing, #goldcoastfishing, #shimanofish, #catana, #nexave, #squidgies, #powerpro
Trees for Fish Day
Mother nature always gives freely and asks for nothing in return so it is always great to give something back. Yesterday I helped plant 400 trees on the banks of the Tweed River. Some native fish rely on river bank vegetation to provide up to 40% of their diet! Insects, frogs, lizards, birds and other fish are all attracted to this type of habitat so it is important we replant areas that have been cleared. OzFish Tweed River Chapter is dedicated to doing just that and also aims to undertake all types of projects that improve fish habitat in the Tweed Valley.
Of course I never miss an opportunity to wet a line so it was great to get out on the water afterwards and hook up a few bass. The river looks good but could certainly do with a flush of rain to wash away the weed that is floating throughout the water column. Nevertheless we had a great day! Looking forward to the coming warm weather, the insect life and the surface bites it will bring 😉
OzFish Tweed River Chapter is looking for volunteers. If you are interested in helping restore fish habitat we would love to hear from you! Email ozfishtweedriver@gmail.com
