At last a day without wind or rain had me heading off with the trout rod to check out a couple of rivers to fish. Well the two that I was hoping to have a session in were both running too high for my liking so I went to a small creek some 20 kilometers away that I often have a fish in early season. Today I'm hoping it will give up a fish or two today as well. Once there I found it was running reasonably high and very cloudy in colour, but still fish-able. Before I put the waders & boots on I thought I would just flick a WildBait hard body lure from the banks of the creek. It only took a couple of casts before I had a hit and miss, so the signs were there that there may be a few fish about. I fished along the creek for just on fifty meters for three nice browns all in the 300gm - 500gm range. So it was back to the car and on with the wading gear.
Working my way up this little creek in water that was just on 7 degrees I picked up another two solid browns before the little 5 cm lure was taken by one very solid brown. I couldn't see it for the first twenty seconds or so as it stayed deep. I was actually hard up against the clay bank of the creek and keeping my footing was really tough. I kept the drag to the minimum required as not to bust this fish off. Then finally it came to the surface and made several leaps and runs both up and down this narrow creek. It headed for a sunken log and some rushes next to the bank and I thought, well this is it, this fish is going to take me down. Keeping the rod tip high I just managed to hold him off and stopped him reaching that log and rushes. Four times I thought I had this big bugger beaten, but each time I went to slip the net under him he made another run for freedom. I was really getting worried now as I could see the lure wasn't holding by all that much now. Then I made one last lunge with the net and slipped it under him and soon had this big brown on the grass. It was then the lure fell from it's mouth. It had straightened two of the three hooks on the top set of trebles.
I can tell you now, it was a relief to finally see that fish on the grass that's for sure. It was a big 2.65 kg male brown and beautifully coloured too. Two quick photos and I soon had him back in the creek and watched him swim off. This fish is the second heaviest river brown that I have caught in my time fishing the rivers here in Tasmania.
I fished on for another hour and caught and released another five nice browns from seven hook ups in which was a good days fishing. Oh, after catching that large brown I lost my landing net, lucky it was a wooden one as I found it up against the river bank as I headed back to the car. It had travelled around a kilometer downstream. With thirteen hook ups and eleven of them landed it was a great second trip for the season.. One I'll remember for quite sometime too..
Adrian
solid 2 65kg brown
solid 2 65kg brown head shot
nice well conditioned brown
one of eleven for the session
