Tonto has been running his mouth off revelling in the glory of being the incumbent SFC champion.
Hubris will be your downfall Brother, Mr Bujaey taught us that. 2nd Persian War. Xerxes son of Darius was defeated by his own arrogance.
This is rumour control...........here are the facts;
Tonto currently holds the title of SFC Champion. Won fair and square back before Corona Virus. 2017 to be precise.
I hate the fact that Red Panda holds the title. It is unnatural for a brother whom I introduced to fishing to have held such an accolade for so long.
Remedy;
We get our lazy arse out there fishing.
2021 COVID edition of the SFC commences as of now.
Non attendance at a suggested (documented) session results in a penalty of 10 SFC points, if notice of such event occurs at least 4 weeks prior to the said event.
No response in 30 days, on the blog, transfers the SFC to Red Panda by forfeit.
Well, again it has been quite a while however fortunately a winter weekend away with the gang at a large cottage at Styx River near Ebor and on the doorstep of Point Lookout, New England National Park, created an opportunity to establish a 2020 round of what has been an infrequent Shrike fishing championship in recent years.
As the property advertised trout fishing as an activity, we conferred and decided to each take a rod and have a go. Geoff assuring me that our chances were slim to zero without proper fly fishing gear.
On arrival on the Friday arvo, we discovered there was a catch and release dam only 100m from our cottage, so headed down to try our luck. No other gear was taken, no net, lip gripper or pliers ... in hindsight a mistake! I attached a small minnow shallow diving hardbody lure to my line, while Geoff went with a soft plastic.
Threw out my first cast near a bed of reeves and within seconds hooked up a good sized fish that gave a bit of a fight. With nothing to properly retrieve the fish, I had to drag him on to the side of the dam, hoping the light leader wouldn't snap. A beautiful, and slippery, rainbow trout was proudly presented and kissed on the lips to ham it up for the onlooking media. Geoff, who seemed astounded as I was, congratulated me from the other side of the dam and began casting in earnest.
My next cast got me another, of similar size. Geoff kept casting. Then after half a dozen more casts I got my third rainbow trout, again a handsome size, this one managed to get seriously hooked with one treble hook firmly in his lip and the other further in its mouth. Took some work to dehook this one with only my bare hands. It was a bit of a bloody caper and as the dam was clearly signposted as catch and release we put him back in the water hoping it was only a flesh wound. Nothing happened so I gave him a bit of help to get water moving through his gills and he responded somewhat poorly, seemingly preferring to rest belly up in the water, an unusual posture for a fish. Geoff had been snapped off just before or shortly after this (can't quite remember), so we called it a day to go get a beer instead and wished the trout well. He also lost a hardbody trying to get on the scoreboard. I took great pleasure to recount my success with Geoff.
The following day, after an enjoyable night by the fireplace and much merriment, Geoff made a early morning inspection of the dam and found nothing floating on the surface so we assumed he lived! After a hike earlier in the day through the national park, we went back to the dam for another session, this time a bit earlier in the arvo than Friday. It was much quieter and harder work but we persisted. I eventually caught another in the 'barrel' of trout although he snapped my leader as I was trying to get him from the water to the dam bank, taking my trusty minnow lure with him ... no winners in that! Geoff had switched to a hardbody also and also finally landed a good sized rainbow thought, thus avoiding the dreaded donut. Again the complete lack of equipment saw him escape before he could be grabbed for a photo op, fortunately this time not taking the lure with him.
We called it and ended the session as beers and an outdoor fire beckoned. The results ...
We both added new species to our record books;
Without any measuring equipment and as all fish caught were of similar size, we're assuming legal and 1 point per fish, 4 pts to me and 1 to Geoff;
1 pt to Enzo for new species;
So Enzo wins 5 pts to 1, and quite possibly the 2020 championship!
It has been a long time ... A very long time! This blog hasn't been hacked and this isn't spam, that's right - this is an actual blog post!
After over two years since the last session, we finally got organised and got on the water again on Easter Monday 2017, the venue... ( following a coin toss) was Bonville.
Fishing gear was dusted off, cobwebs removed, and B game brought by all. Water was still a bit murky after some recent very wet weather too.
Gentlemen's hours of course, got on the water around 9.30am. New foredeck was a nice addition, thanks Red Panda. Some fish about but very quiet on the lines, despite using some vintage (and no doubt complex) squidgy juice... Lol, can't even remember it's official name!
We caught a tiny Flathead each over the course of a couple of hours, so changed tack and ventured up Pine creek. Geoff then got a 26cm bream. A little while later I got smoked by something big, snapping my pissy line off at the reel! About 10 minutes later or so we saw the line floating on the surface and Geoff managed to retrieve but it moved off when just in his fingertips and never sighted again, bugger! This was made up though shortly afterwards when I landed a 55cm Flathead, a personal best as well :-)
We called it at that time, very pleasant day on the water, must do it again sometime!
Signed off,
2017 Shrikefishing champion (presumed)
I am sure since the last entry Tonto & I have had 1 or maybe 2 unsuccessful sessions.
As to whom was responsible for updating the blog, I am sure its was his responsibility. But it matters not now as the moment has passed and neither of us will remember WT F happened.
2015 SFC championship seems a non event. And unless I can get the boat fixed or we come up with an agreeable alternate event. It is looking like the incumbent SFC will retain his title (BASTARD!)
So that being said........................... I went fishing today! Through the gracious generosity of Cameron (aka No.2) (new honorary Member of the SFC) who has a working boat.
We traveled to the Bellinger river at North Beach. Hit the water at about 0700hrs on a cool overcast November day. We headed up stream to the new Pacific Highway bridge and drifted downstream on an dropping tide. After initial interest around the bridge it was hard going until I got smashed just outside the Norco facility which resulted in the landing of a 44cm Trevalley. A new PB for me.
We continued our drift downstream and I landed a couple of under sized flatheads. Nothing to write home about. However No.2 was still to land a fish despite a couple of hook ups.
And that was how it went for the next few hours, Red Panda and No.2 toiled away for very little reward. It wasn't until a random act of kindness to rescue a fellow anglers boat after the tide had turned that No.2 snagged a legal jewfish at the reef north of the V wall. Nice Fish and all....
Then after a small debacle with the electric motor we headed back to Mylestom to engage No.2's local knowledge. It was then that a "CRAZY IVAN" produced a cracking 34 cm Bream for red panda. A new personal best !!!
We called time on the session at about 1630 hrs. Happy for a days fishing that at least delivered a couple of fish we could head home with to convince our wives we hadn't sent the day in the pub.
Thanks No.2 for a good day on the water. Tonto pull ya finger out and lets decide the SFC through a session on the water.
Red Panda.
p.s. There was bait used today but it needs to be documented that all fish were caught using plastics. Take that ya stinky baitos
Twas 09/11/2014. We did Boambee early morning. I got Tonto's lazy arse outta bed early, real early. Feck load of good that did us!
Cause we caught bugger all! More specifically Enz caught absolutely Bugger all!!! Can't really gloat about him getting a BIG FAT DOUGHNUT when we have only registered one other official session for 2014.
FECK ME BACKWARDS are we that busy we can't find time to get a little R&R into our busy lives? This is not healthy.......Ahhhhhh. Gripes go UP not DOWN. What I meant to say was......
We have spent our year perusing more rewarding endeavours, like ensuring that our grass doesn't get beyond the specified 55mm length required to be a respectable home owner. Moreover it is a with a sense of utmost pride there has not been a month pass in the year hence that the windows of said home have not been cleaned. I am confident that the Cosmos will repay such dedication to household duties.
So back to Boambee in November.... I caught Fish!!! A cod (endangered) so no size limit.
One point to Red Panda.
Later that session I landed a legal flattie. 50cm Odd, in fisherman's terms. (was very tasty) So 2 legal fish to Geoffro and diddily Squat to Enz. And that is how things ended. Enz obviously lacked the skill or finesse to land a single aquatic specimen. Leaving, the under achieving 2014 SFC championship all tied up!
And so to the morrow.................. an all out winner takes all bout on the spiritual home of the SFC. Coffs Creek in the canoe. THE BOYS ARE GOING OLD SCHOOL.
B games all round tomorrow. It will be the luck of the draw, A crap shoot, Russian Roulette, "you jammy Bastard, how did you do that' sort of thing.
Four months since our last session, can we remember what to do?
Decided for an early morning Sunday session at Urunga, well early for Enzo, on Australia Day. Getting on the water around 6.30pm as the high tide was just changing. Headed up the Kalang, past the big 'T intersection' to where it next splits in two. Quick amendment to the rules - first catch of the year worth double points.
Nice drift, with 3-4 boats about. Very quiet, a few tacks and one dropped undersize flattie by Geoffro. We drifted and drifted ... ah the serenity! Finally Geoff took the new reigning champion's advice and headed to the T-intersection around 9am. Within minutes Enzo had caught a 30cm Trevally, then we noticed consistent action on the water all over the place - this kept us busy for around 30 minutes moving theboat about to where the activity was, a few bites about but Enzo was only one to land another fish - a 25cm bream.
We then decided to drift down the Northern side of Newry island with a little bit of wet weather coming in. Very quiet. Moved to the oyster leases further down ... still very quiet.
Moved down to the highway bridge and drifted down from there ... still very quiet. Fished the rock wall - quiet. Moved up into the bottom of Bellinger River ... very very quiet. Although did Geoff pick up a 37cm flathead around this time!
We decided that another thing we would do this year, if no fish were about, don't prolong the agony! We called it quits and got off the water about midday.
