Wednesday 30 November 2011

Jurassic Park

Just fresh back from a whirlwind trip to New Zealand I am quite awestruck with the place.  Having only been to Christchurch before I found the rugged beauty of the North Island quite something and I can't find the words to do it justice, but Jurasic Park come off the top of the head, quite awesome.  In summarising this trip, we traversed above the Bay of Islands at out of the way Whangaroa to avoid strong winds further south however we still met some uncomfortable conditions either side of one calm day where we made the absolute most of it.  Whangaroa is a famous marlin port and we were definitely 'out of season' but it was a better option than sticking with the plan to fish the better known Coromandel area when the weather dictated we would not get out as we were fishing from a 5.5 meter trailer boat - the decision to stay or go is one of the many dilemmas in fishing.

We had pretty much no idea where to find the fish however a quick scan of a nautical chart revealed many a submerged pinnacle worthy of an explore and they did not disappoint.  The bigger kingys that I was longing for were scarce but the sheer numbers of fish pretty much made up for it.  Bust up after bust up provided a unique layer of birds, mako sharks and schooling trevally on the surface, kahawai just below, then rat kingfish, snapper mid water and then lower down numerous pesky jig stealing couta and some bigger kings of which a few provided a quick rub off on the ample reef testament that we had our chances.  Jigging, soft baiting and surface luring all produced equally and quite simply, I am busy planning my return trip when the water is a touch warmer.  Hope you enjoy the images.

Atomic Guzzlers were a hit with the locals!



Dory on a jig - not something you see every day and we snagged a couple

A magical view








All day the fish and birds were up on the surface - amazing stuff that gets the casting arm twitchy!




Its awesome when reds rise to midwater - they will hit a soft bait with enthusiasim!


Schooling silver trevally by the thousands

Tuesday 22 November 2011

Swimming With Sails

This article was first published on the web in 2010 by Jay Furniss and is reproduced here for your reading and visual pleasure - Rompin is clearly a special place that I intend to visit next year perhaps with jay showing me the ropes.


Rompin; Swimming with Sails

Three years ago I came across an article featuring Sail Fishing with ‘Hook on C Adventures’ in Malaysia.  Unfortunately, I had just started a new job and the chance to scratch the Sail Fish itch was not likely anytime in the foreseeable future.  Even so I kept the article in that pile of hope-to-one-day destinations, that most fishos like myself would have.

Fortunately, I live in a small costal town located on the Mornington Peninsula which provides great fishing on my doorstep, but when the opportunity arose to escape the 10 degree temperatures that winter had set upon us, it was an easy decision to pack the bags and head off chasing my dream.

On short notice, a family trip to Sri-Lanka had been planned and I knew this would be my chance to hit the Sails in Rompin, so straight to the magazine stash I went.  A quick e-mail was sent to the charter operator Charles and within a few days the plan had been set and my five day family trip to Sri had been extended.

From the moment I arrived at the Rompin River Chalets, a soothing calm came over me.  Whether this was the relief of stepping out of the white knuckle taxi ride from Johor Bahru or just part of the Malaysian ambiance, I am not sure.

Set on the banks of the Rompin River the village is a typical fishing village.   There is the choice to stay at plusher accommodations down the road, but if you want a bit of cultural charm with your fishing holiday, there is no need to look any further. With comfortable air-conditioned twin rooms a stone’s throw from the water (one could cast a line whilst sitting in the room) this place is perfect!

Having arrived a couple hours prior to the fishing crews coming home I was free to poke my nose around and start to familiarize myself with this wonderful new setting. Soon enough I was hit by the aroma of chilly and garlic - so first thing firsts I got stuck into a local restaurant with the aid of a cool Tiger beer.  Could this setting get any better?  I doubt it.

Finally, the wait was over.  I woke the next morning after hearing evening stories from the previous days fishing.  To say I was over excited would be an understatement - and we hadn’t even left the dock yet.  Charles asked me to stop pacing a couple of times.

But first things first – bait collection.  As is often the case with any good fishing, fresh and live bait is best.  We fished for a mix of scads, slimys and red bream which were soon brought on board and kept swimming in the massive live tanks.  From there we headed out to the sail grounds; tell tale signs started to appear -with birds circling the time came to set the baits. Setting a live bait 4 – 5 meters below a balloon and drifting it out anywhere between 30 – 80 meters behind the boat was the chosen method. A very light or free spool drag is essential as the sails will quickly drop bait should they feel any tension early in a take. After an initial 6-10 second run the bail arm is flicked over or the drag is set.  All things 4/0 – 5/0 circle hooks will set themselves without striking the rod. The use of circles hooks for releasing fish is essential and a very well practiced method on the sails.

As day one drew to an end I was still a sail virgin, we only took two fish for the day and dropped six.  As it was early in the season, it was not unexpected that the fish were a bit finicky and mouthed the bait as opposed to smashing it.

That night there was a storm which gave me hope; with a rising barometer I could feel it was going to be the day - the one to pop my cherry, as they say. As it turned out, the early morning sky parting and radiant sun saw us set off for the sail grounds.  There was a lot more bird activity that morning and within 10mins of leaving the bait grounds there they were; sails everywhere.  Excited crew pointed with screams of, “one here, one there! Another one!”  It was a sight to behold; they were everywhere, surface cruising in the morning sun.

With four live baits quickly set, I decided to try my luck at some sight popping off the front of the boat.  Joined by AJ on his fly gear we quickly had a line up of sails following both popper and fly but unfortunately they just wouldn’t hit them. About five minutes in and just at the point when they were starting to look more likely to strike the call came, “guy’s your on!”

It was a double hook up on our ballooned rigs and you have never seen two guys move so fast from one end of the boat to the other.  This was it, my time to land a sail!  Ten minutes later, hugely disappointed, I was still a virgin.  Not all was lost however, as AJ was still battling his fish.

As we re-set the baits, I was thrilled when I hear the reel scream.  Bang I was on again and this time the result would be was different!  A solid scream of the reel, then out she came, dancing and tail walking a solid 300 meters away.  In and out, off she went for another 150mtrs with the aerial show continuing.  After a forty five minute fight my first sail was traced, put in the boat for a quick photo and back in the water for the revival process. Essential for the survival of this fishery is the release process.  Ensuring the fish swim off in the best condition possible.  It can take up to 15-20 minutes but once you catch one of these magnificent animals you will understand why.

The rest of the day fired up with the captain A-Ping deciding to mix up the methods a bit as the sails were still being finicky. Trolling live baits was the call and in no time we had a double hook up with both fish landed immediately.  A-Ping asked for the balloons to go out and bang, another double hook-up.  We then went back on the troll, a four way strike had us all excited with two of the fish finally being boated.

Calling it a day, we started heading back to the river when we come across a couple of sails on the surface.  A-Ping ordered us to cast poppers.  Within two casts the popper I had the sail at the back of the boat and AJ pitched a live bait out.  We were on again, what a way to finish the day!

It was an amazing days fishing to say the least.  Sometimes it’s not just about the fish; to me the adventure, hunt and culture is all part of the grand experience.

Two things can be said when visiting Rompin fishing.  You will never go short on amazing food.  It has some of the best local cuisine in Malaysia.  The local restaurant was one thing but the road house open restaurant, a short drive, was to die for. Over the 3 nights, I was astounded at what they could do with our left over bait, no joke!  The selection of food was brilliant, I think we had around 8-12 courses each night of meats and seafood. 

Finally, Charles is yet to leave a virgin sail fisher unfulfilled.  Kuala Rompin is a hidden gem and I hope it stays that way.  Sail fishing is some of the most explosive fishing you will ever come across, package that with a great cultural experience and it really makes for an ideal fishing holiday.  I’m already planning my return.  Thanks to Charles Lee of Hook On C Adventures http://www.hookoncadventures.com/













Thursday 17 November 2011

Interesting Finding

Interesting finding of a tumour in a flathead taken from Port Philip Bay

During a recent fishing trip off Carrum, a flathead was caught with a severe lesion around its lower jaw. Fortunately it was possible to sample the lesion and have Panaquatic’s consultant veterinary pathologist, Dr John Humphrey, examine the tissue to determine what the lesion was. The lesion was a tumour known as a fibroma. It was confined to the lower mouth region and had not spread through to any other organs in the fish.
This type of tumour can affect a wide range of fish species. A single case like this is generally not a cause for concern. However, it would be interesting to know if any other flathead have been caught that have similar lesions as multiple findings of this type of lesion on this species of fish from one location would be interesting.

Paul Hardy-Smith
Principal Veterinarian
Panaquatic Health Solutions Pty Ltd
23rd October 2011
Phone: +61 (0) 3 9818 5100 Fax: +61 (0) 3 9818 1200 Mobile: 0404 121 996
www.panaquatic.com info@panaquatic.com








Tuesday 15 November 2011

Japanese Fishing Royalty Comes to Town

For those that aren't aware there is somewhat of a revolution in what we call squid fishing or good old squidding.  I know its blasphemy to some purists (or is it that they just have not caught on?) but the Japanese influence on the gear and techniques under the broad banner of 'egi' has been significant.  The interesting thing when considering this fad is.... well..... it works.  For my money the techniques of darting or 'violent jerk' combine with the gear that is so well designed, weighted, finished, matched and the bottom line - effective that you can catch more squid and arguably have more fun doing it.

In Australia over the last two weeks we have been visited by the rock stars of Japanese fishing - the pro staff from Gan Craft.  Its pretty curious and unfamiliar to Australians to combine the concept of clebrity and fishing but these guys commonly get mobbed in their native land so big is the sport and their status within it built primarily through the bass fishing scene and to a lesser extent egi.  Founder and owner of Gan Craft Mr Hiraiwa (Gancha) breezed in with his entourage and the team competed in the Eden leg of the Yamashita Squid Series, the national squid comp http://www.australianegitournaments.com.au/ and absolutely blitzed the field both days.  Interestingly they don't normally fish tournaments so perhaps they should!

I caught up with the crew whist they delivered an in-store demonstration at Fishing Fever in Mordialloc this week and found them to be great guys.  Whilst I have been fishing using egi techniques for a couple of years now, I actually realised how little I know but it was great to meet the guys and chew the fat, I may have even learnt a thing or two. If you get a chance to go along to one of their presentations, or the other variants around town I encourage you to do so.

Lee Raynor and Morne Mulers Fishing Fever
Australian Egi Tournament Paul Carter warms up the crowd

Mr Hiraiwa takes us through the concept of 'violent jerk'

The Fishing Fever crew looks interested!
The Gan Craft crew - Mr Kake, Mr Hiraiwa, Paul Carter and Mr Yuach


Monday 14 November 2011

New Victorian Based Fishing Guides

The concept of employing a fishing guide is not a new one when it comes to the travelling angler, but is less considered when thinking of your own backyard because we think we 'have it all covered'.  Regardless of your skill and experience level, the learning process never ends and even the most seasoned anglers know that you should never close off the mind to how others do it.  For 'newbies' embarking on their fishing and boating journey, engaging someone to teach you how to operate you boat, electronics and successfully target local species is a wise investment - fishing is after all more fun when you know what you are doing!

Victorians now have two new but highly experienced guides to choose from depending upon your fishing preferences - I have fished extensively with both these gents and can assure you of money well spent.

Dale McClelland (Victorian Saltwater Fishing) contactable on dale@victoriansaltwaterfishing.com or 0400902492.

and Marty Ellul (Southwest Guiding) contactable on marcaz1969@yahoo.com.au or 0409366151

Dale being a south-east Melbourne local is the man to speak to for your Port Phillip Bay and Westernport needs while Marty based out of Warrnambool covers the west coast both inshore and bluewater.

Dale McClelland - Victorian Saltwater Fishing
Marty Ellul - Southwest Guiding

Sunday 6 November 2011

East of the Prom

I was pretty pumped to get back down to the Prom.  Recently I had been on a land-based mission around the western side and on this occasion it was an explore to the east side from Port Welshpool with local gun Rodney Gilham.  I had not fished from Welshpool for many years so it was another eye opener at both the fishing opportunities and the beauty of the area.  The day turned it on weather wise allowing for good light for photography and offshore the water clarity around the islands was excellent and had that turquoise colour synonymous with waters much further north.  Cruising around in Rod's Quintrex 'Top Ender' made me feel like we were not in Victoria at all.  We sought a mixed bag of bread and butter fish for the day and were pretty well rewarded - I saw enough to say I need to get back again soon.