June 2008
Is this Winter or what?? 10degree starts at 0600 and into the low teens as soon as the Sun comes up, finally we start to get some good weather. Not only that the Tailor are on the chew, hitting, you guessed it, clousers and other baitfish imitations. However some mornings smaller, size 8, is better to snare the Bonito and Mac Tuna amongst them.
Some good Flatties are starting to turn up, and my favourite the humble Bream are starting to school up in the deeper sections near the Seaway entrance. One customer has already landed a Bream that went 37cm fork length. Ahhh Winter!
February 2008
Thanks for stepping in with the report Desi. With the wind and rain of late I've had to spend a lot of time in the canals, of course I'm not complaining about that as it has helped me fine tune my surface Breaming and develop a new surface Fly, no it's not a Clouser with a flotation device. (now there's something I could work on!!)
The surface fishing has been excellent with heaps of Bream and the inevitable Jack ( Lutjanis Argentimaculatus for our U. S. readers) and Trevally ( Jacks for our U.S. readers)(????) explosions. Unfortunately the light leaders I use for Bream are no match for rampaging Jacks and Trevas.
Out on the flats there have been a few large Flatties falling to the good old Clousers. The Southport Bridge has been producing a lot of Queenfish and Trevally, including the Golden Trevally which is a bit of a rarity on the Coast.
The rains easing so I'm off to try my new Flies!!!!
Angus
____________________________________________________________________________________
JANUARY 2008.
Angus has been a having a ball down on the coast, he has been so busy with his charter business, that he hasn't had time to put a report in, but has told me that there are plenty of good fish on the "Broadwater" and is regulary pleasing his charter customers with full bags of all species, he tries to get six species every day for all his customers, not many charter operators doing that constantly.
The Nerang River, is a complete smorgasboard of fish and is full of fishing spots, what with all the private jetties up and down this river system, just remember that the jetties may be private, but there is nothing the owner can do if you place well presented flies under his jetty or boat.
Some bigJacks are all up and down the system, as are "Flathead", "Bream" and "Whiting"
For shore based anglers, one of the top spots is the big bridge over the river at Southport fishing from the downstream banking you have a good chance of hooking anything, maybe even the 6' to 9' Bull shark that the Council so far have been unable to catch as it moves up and down the canals and river. They may only talk about this one, but remember that where everyone cleans there fish at the tables at this bridge, then there are always latge fish hanging around this area, and what feeds on large fish ????? So don't let the kids swim in the front or near the ramp.
The fly that Angus uses almost inclusively is ofcourse his version of the "Collins Clouser", he did show it last year so if any of you remember it, tie a few as they are mustard in this area, and are taking all species.
An exceptional Summer has been and gone and Autumn has got off to a flyer. Squire have been a regular target on fly in the Broadwater over the last few months, as have Estuary Cod, Trevally, Bream, Queenfish, and Flatties. The incidental catches over summer have been interesting with a large number of reef species such as Large Mouth Nannygai, Sweetlip, and Blackall being regular catches. The water has consistently been around 28degrees C, according to my Humminbird sounder.
The good old Black/Orange clouser has accounted for its share including a Mac Tuna, which was totally unexpected. We were using the Clouser at the time so we cast at the "bust up" and hooked up straight away. I have been using a Green "Charlie" style fly with a Green Marabou wing for the Squire in 4m of water, in my "secret" spot just 100m from the esplanade in Southport, quite a busy area for those of you who don't know.
As I mentioned Autumn is off to a flyer with a couple of Mangrove Jacks, a good Sweetlip, good Chinaman Fish and I've got a day off tomorrow so I'm going fishing!!!!
09 October 2006
Where does the time go? I've just had two very good months and I think the highlight was a Fly Fishing charter in 26 knot winds and the customer scoring 4 Flathead in a short session. No need to tell you what colour or pattern was used!!
My camping weekend was great. The 4wd park/farm "Levuka" was wonderful, the ammenities were spotless and there was enough room to not have to set up camp on top of the next lot of people.
The "dam" was at most 50metres across and stocked with Bass, 3 years ago, and Golden Perch 18 months ago. I had 1 or 2 short sessions per day and by the final session the Bass were very spooked. The first session was great there was a lot of surface activity and it looked promising. My first lap was with small hard bodied lures, no joy, then a lap with a weed guarded soft plastic, got a few hits, then and unguarded softy for two fish. Then 2 laps of surface and sinking flies for no result.
My second session saw a couple of hits on sinking flies but nothing on the surface even though the fish were active. My third session finally produced on the "Green Charlie". All the fish caught were between 25 and 27 cm's and no sign of the Golden's at this stage. There were lots of frog on the edge and the occassional snake. The rough scaled's are venoumous but you should have enough time to seek help if bitten!
Unfortunately with the drought the "streams" were non existent and from what I saw would not hold much in the way of fish even when full. The farm has a "new" dam that was recently stocked with Goldens but it appears they were wiped out by eels.
The Flatherad Classic has come and gone, I fished it for the first time this year and unfortunately I didn't get a chance to wave the wand. Reports came in of Mangrove jack's to 46cm's in both the Nerang and Coomera Rivers, still some good Bream around too. I was happy with my 29m whiting on soft plastic but was a way off for the largest of species. Off course there was the Flatties, largest this year was a comp record of 98cm.
Charter wise I've had a few first time Fly Fisho's and we've had fun on the Queenies, Pike, Flatties and Bream. Stand out Flies have been Muz Wilson inspired Fuzzle fish and the good old Clouser.
Until next time.......
Angus
23 July 2006
Even later with this report. Too much time out fishing??? Never!!
The Bream and Flathead are around in good numbers at the moment with the Bream seeming to school up one day and disperse the next. My clients have still been picking up Tailor mid morning with no visible signs that they are around. Trevalley also are appearing but it seems that if you want to catch them just keep plugging (Flying) away in likely spots.
Following up on my april report, I was able to put the Fuzzle flies to good use in the Seaway. My mate and I caught 6 good size Queenfish between us while the persistent lure chuckers caught Nil. i'll even count the Queenie that grabbed my Fly as it dangled over the side as we motored back up current. I know it wasn't "purist" but it was unintentional!
I recently competed in the Tweed River round of the Bream series and was one of several competitors to land a Bass. It was a PB for me but I was of mixed emotions when it came alongside the boat and was olive not Silver!!
On hearing this a South East Qld Fly Fishers club mate called me and organised a trip on the Tweed. We landed 7 Bass to about 40cm. Mine were on a Black over Green Size 6 Clouser, (well what would you expect me to use!!)and a Muzz Wilson Cyclops, a pattern I picked up at the Seminar last year. Speaking of which the seminar is on again in September and is apparently filling quickly.
Until next time.....
Angus
18 April 2006
A bit late this month, due to an unexpected trip south due to the passsing of my Grandmother. As it was my "Nan" who influenced my fishing in the early days I thought it appropriate to fish her favourite waterway, the Glenelg river, and was rewarded with small Australian Salmon, on 4wt, and some good Bream on plastic. The weather changed from freezing wind and drizzle to a perfect blue sky day on the day I chose to fish, by the evening conditions had changed back to attrocious!
Back on the coast there are plenty of good sized Flathead around and Bream are replacing Moses Perch in my "Bream Spots". Catches this month so far have included Estuary Cod, Golden Trevally and Tailor ( hitting the surface at about 0930am!!). On easter Saturday there were schools of, possibly, Tailor or Queenies busting up on the high Tide around 0900. I don't know how they found the room to rise to the surface with all the boat traffic. Of course there were the lure chuckers throwing brick sized metal slabs at the school and for some reason not catching any fish. It still amazes me that with the access people have to reliable fishing techniques there are still a lot of cringeworthy techniques still around.
I've just assembled some size 6 & 8 "Fuzzle Fish" as i have a free day tomorrow and am hoping the fish will still be rising. Hopefully I'll have some pics for next month . Until then......
08 March 2006
Wow the month that was! The good old Black and Orange clouser fired again on a few big Flathead, Moses Perch and even Butter Bream. Tailor, Trev's and Dart taken in the Seaway on White Clousers and Baitfish profiles. A double hook- up in the first ten minutes of a charter is a good way to start the day!!
The Seaway has been consistently inconsistent, with seemingly every day a different species on the chew. Masses of baitfish moving up the Coast being hounded by everything that swims. The bait balls finally appeared in the Seaway and Broadwater itself. I came across a school of Tailor busting up in the Main Channel at mid day!
Any way, then it rained, turned the Broadwater to mud so who knows what will happen this month!
I consoled myself by chasing Carp at Beaudesert but was unable to tempt any of the four or five 1-2 kilo beasts that kept doing laps of the patch I was fishing. Next time will be different!!!
I fished from the boardwalk at Bond Uni lake yesterday to see if the fish were active in the very dirty conditions, and was rewarded with 5 good Bream, to about a kilo, in just over an hour. Unfortunately all were on soft plastic!
Until next time,
If it's not in the water.....
Angus
From: flyrot.
G'Day, welcome to my Gold Coast report.25/10/05.
Firstly a bit of background one myself. I've lived on the Gold Coast for 30 years and spent most of that time fishing with the smelly stuff that some people still put on their hooks. I saw the light about ten years ago when Desi started coaching me in the noble art of tying. I am now a guide specialising in Fly and Lure and drive a Glass bottom boat and Jet Boats in my spare time. On with the report:
October has been quite a windy month and several of my charters have been in winds of up to 20knots but we have still been able to get onto some nice fish, predominantly Flathead and Bream. The best fly this month has been a Black and Orange Clouser ( of course) in size 2. There are still some good bream around and trevally and tarpon in the seaway. Incidental catches this month included a squire and mackeral scad within earshot of the Indy race. I managed to land a nice longnosed trevally in the Palm Beach canals and this morning the same canals seemed to be alive with trevally busting up regularly. Unfortunately I didn't get a shot at them.
The Glass bottom boat is a bit of a bonus as I have been able to hover over Flathead of around 80cms in about one metre of water, ironically I found three of around this size in the shallows while watching some boats in the Flathead classic jigging the deep water for them!!
Till next time, if it's not in the water you wont catch fish!!
01 December 2005
Wow what a month! Winds to 37knts, big storms,huge tides but still we fished!! flathead and bream are still the reliable targets while Moses Perch are starting to make their presence felt, as are XOS Butter Bream on 3inch soft plastics. Usually seen at around 10-15cm these fish are closer to 20cm and chunky. The fly of the month is once again the Black and Orange Clouser.
There have been huge shoals of tiny baitfish throughout the seaway and adjacent area but they do not appear to be "balling up" so it's been difficult to locate the bigger feeding fish.
My "home paddock", west end of Lakewoods estate, is currently under a metre of water due to the rain last night. As the water drains over the next day or so I'm expecting the Tarpon to be a bit more active. Hopefully I'll have a more exciting report and photos next month.
Tight Lines for Christmas!!
Angus
Till next time, if it's not in the water you wont catch fish!!
23 January 2006
What a year already. The Broadwater was chaotic for the first week or two but I was still able to find Bream, Moses Perch, Flathead, Trevally and some good Queenfish. We've just had 30cm or so of rain and the waters have been muddied a bit, but it should clear in a day or two.
Our club had its annual One Fly comp, rules modified slightly!!, and I was fortunate enough to take out the longest total length of fish. With two average flathead!! The water had been quite muddy and the water conditions weren't the best but there was a lot of fish action but usually just out of casting range.
I've just returnde from a week in Singapore and I'll post a report on the main page.
Till next time, if its not in the water........
