BLOG: Fishing & fireworks

The joys of fishing in a big city can test your patience ... I don't know why the driver of a small hatchback needs to park in a space clearly labelled "cars with trailers only". A small pissweak car taking the last trailer spot as I'm driving towards it with intent wasn't the start to the day I was hoping for...

I'd made the mistake the year before last of going for a fish on New Year's Eve. While the revellers were bunking down for a night of frivolity, those in the know were nailing the jewies up river. The tides were spot on and the fish were around on that fateful December 31. I figured I could hit the water for a few cheeky hours, catch a few jewies then head home to dose up on bbqs and fireworks.

One thing stood between myself and the master plan - well actually there were four things. Picture a car park full of cars along with parked trailers. I’d factored this scenario in, so was planning to park on a side street. What I hadn't accounted for were the four cars parked side by side on the incline of the boat ramp. Where's a parking officer when you actually need one?

Fishing in amongst the holiday crowds requires a strategy - you need to fish outside the usual "weekend warrior" operating hours, or fish locations that are far off the beaten track. A lapse in concentration saw me in the middle of a warrior melee this past festive season. No sooner had I reached a location that initially appeared barren than a throng of warriors came in for battle. The site of a bent rod usually stirs them into action, however, on this occasion even I was a little taken aback when one boat ambled between me and the fixed structure I was fishing - there was hundreds of metres of clear water behind me but old mate needed to thread the needle in the less than 10 metre gap between myself and spot X!  At that stage I realised it was game over and I had taken a sniper round to the head. it was the right place at the wrong time scenario and I should have known better to hook a fish within binocular range of a holiday maker.

Escaping the crowds provides the tranquillity that a text book fishing trip should offer. I'm all for people getting out and about but constantly marvel at the few that manage to draw the ire of the polite and courteous. Don't get me started on the champion in the 30-foot plus gin palace trolling awesomely large lures straight through a school of fickle salmon. He probably didn't know better, or probably didn’t care.

If I haven't been battling crowds then I’ve been battling the weather. A recent sortie down south saw the river system chocolate brown and swollen with stormwater runoff - awesome if you're a few days after the event and chasing jewies, not so awesome if you're down there chasing bass on surface lures ... unfortunately I had light outfits and poppers on board that morning.

If it hasn't been bucketing down it seems to have been blowing a gale. I was hoping for a solo marlin the other day but reassessed plans for heading offshore in a 16-foot boat when the prevailing and forecast winds were fresh to frightening. Conditions have been tough, however, opportunities abound in the face of adversity - the dark skies keep the crowds at bay and all the rain has stirred up the jewies in the river and some bigger kings offshore.

A 2am tide, discoloured water and 15-20 knot winds saw me enjoy some fantastic jewie fishing with not a boat in sight and while far from a fair weather fishing experience, many opportunities exist for the dedicated amongst us who brave the conditions and think through fish movements during inclement weather patterns.

While I muse about local misadventures over the past few weeks, we should spare a thought for those in the flood affected areas in QLD and northern NSW whose holiday season has been dark and unfortunate. The plight of those who have lost friends, family, their homes and their livelihoods to the flood waters is unimaginable - my heartfelt sympathies and thoughts go out to all affected by the devastation.