One of the things I love about fishing with lures is the hunt. Trying to work out where the fish are going to be and why. Coastal lakes and rivers are big places and to cover them effectively with lures could take hours or even days. Throw in the variables of tides, cloud cover, recent rain, time of day and…
Author: Graham Fifield
It’s good to be back!
Our last post was back in 2018, nearly four years ago to the day, and a lot has happened since then. The authors of this site now have 6 new humans to look after, much of Australia has been ravaged by fire and floods, and collectively we have faced an unprecedented pandemic in the form of Covid-19. Also this blog…
Tournament time – a litmus test for us anglers
The annual Tuross flathead and bream tournament is just around the corner. Never heard of it? That’s understandable. This tournament on the south cost of NSW is a relatively low-key event run by the local fishing club to increase visitation to the small town of Tuross during non-peak periods. There are a stack of rods, reels, lures, an electric motor…
Trolling up a storm – kayak trolling for estuary staples
Trolling is a really effective way to cover LOTS of water and catch fish. But when you’ve spent years casting lures or flies and constantly hunting and searching for fish as I have, trolling seems like a really passive way to go about our passion. Put the lures out, start moving and wait for the fish to climb on. Trolling…
It’s the vibe of the thing – Bream on vibes
One of the most famous scenes from the classic Australian movie ‘the Castle’ is the courtroom scene. A small town lawyer tries to stop an aussie family’s house from being re-possessed by the nearby airport. He constructs his case around ‘the vibe of the thing’ and a tenuous link to Mabo (a famous native land title case for indigenous Australians).…
A winter fishing wonderland
It’s winter. It’s cold. The trout streams are closed, the ski fields are open and there is nothing better to do that curl up in front of the fire with a nice glass of something warming and hibernate until the spring. Right? It’s only a couple of months to go … What if I told you the last few weeks…
Exploring new waters – Blue Mountains NSW; making a date with trails and trophy trout
Lured by the Ultra-Trail Running festival I’ve spent a couple of recent weekends poking around the trails (and the waterways) of the blue mountains of NSW. Between leg-debilitating runs there has been some time to explore the local rivers and dams dotted around this amazing landscape. Thompsons Creek Dam – clear water and trophy trout If there is one thing…
Is social media killing your fishing mojo?
We had just left the harbour, passed the channel markers and deployed the spread of 5 trolling lures. Each lure, made of lead and resin and a colourful skirt created an impressive bubble trail underwater and every few seconds would send up a huge spray of water as it broke the surface like an oversized GT popper. After only 10…
Stalking bonefish on the flats – what to do when beginners luck runs out
The morning had been dotted with captures of small reef fish, each fish slightly more bizarre than the last. First a bluefin trevally, then a parrot fish, a cornet fish and then a strange little goby thing with razor sharp teeth. Looks aside, they were a bit of fun and they helped to keep me enthused and my mind alert…
The best worst day of fishing – Hawaiian bonefish, broken leaders and the curse of the banana
The alarm sounded at 5:30am but I didn’t need it, I was already awake and bristling with anticipation and nervous energy. The kayak from the hire shop was strapped to the roof of the car, the esky was full of ice and two rods and a backpack waited by the door. I grabbed my belongings, say goodbye to my dozing…
Rediscovering the NSW south coast estuaries; Merimbula lake fishing report
Down in numbers, but all of good size – early spring fishing in Merimbula lake What a treat to be able to spend the labor day long weekend down on the NSW south coast at Merimbula. Our extended family had gathered to celebrate the old man’s 70th birthday and accordingly we had splurged on some nice cabins and were treated…
3 tips for eating raw fish and why it’s a good thing
Do you remember the first time you ate raw fish? Do you eat it regularly? Are you afraid to prepare it yourself? The first time I remember eating raw fish was during my 20’s when Hamish prepared Kingfish sashimi on the south coast of NSW. It involved thin slices of white flesh arranged neatly with just a little wasabi and…