Curmudgeon
08-11-2007, 06:32 PM
The latest verse in the Ballad of Brian's Botched Barra Bid
It was with some reservations that I put the little flick stick in the car this morning. This was my first piscatorial (love that word) foray since the barra season closed a week ago.
In my best attempt to target a flathead, I headed out to Palleranda Beach for a look. It was only a quick look. The place just wasn't "speaking" to me. So I back tracked to the casino breakwall, where the waters were calm and crystal clear. Second cast... strike! No hookup. Next cast... a decent barra appeared out of nowhere just as the lure reached my feet... but no strike. That got the heart rate going. A bit further along the wall, I got another good hit and saw a broad flash of silver before the hook came unstuck. Maybe barra, maybe tarpon.
With the wind picking up, I jumped back in the car, swung through kfc for lunch and headed up the river. Bugger me if second cast, I'm not onto a goood barra! Played him out patiently for several minutes before taking the trace to lead him in through the shallow rocks when the hook pulled! Before I could clamber the last two steps to pick him up, he idly paddled back out from whence he'd come. He was a very broad shouldered fish, and every bit of 70cm long. The 2/0 hook had straightened!
Somewhat shaken by this episode, I hastily re-rigged. The drag was backed off half a turn as well, just to look after the wimpy hooks. The very next cast was monstered by a 43cm barra which put up a very good account of himself, before politely posing for a photo and swimming off.
Thinking that I'd just about exhausted this patch of river bank, I was deciding what to do next when I got clobbered again! This big girl didn't get fully airborne when she jumped, but it was more than enough to prove that she was a bigger fish than Mozza's 91cm specimen a few weeks ago. HO-LEE COW! With the fish up and swimming away from the snags, I was well connected and settling in for a mighty battle. Life, it seemed, was good. Moments later, the rod sprang straight. No warning. Just one second, I was connected to a dream barra, next second she was gone. Only half my double came back. Both strands sliced through.
Now in a state of what I can only describe as apoplectic shock, I had to tie a new bimini. My hands were shaking so badly, it took me three attempts to tie it. Nearly fifteen minutes later, I resumed fishing. By this stage, I'd run out of the magic jigheads that had been doing the damage (no, I'm not going to tell you which ones). I tied on a hws jighead as my next best choice and for some reason, changed lure types as well. Didn't that turn out to be a waste of time, as twenty minutes passed for no result. As soon as I switched back to the lure of the day, I was on again! Another big mother of a barra that left a swirl on the surface about as big as a dining table before the 1/0 hook pulled.
Shortly thereafter, I had to call an end to proceedings as I had another appointment to meet.
Without a doubt, that was THE most amazing barra session that I've ever been a part of. To think that it happened smack bang in the middle of Townsville is just staggering. And apart from a photo of a 43cm barra, I have absolutely no proof to show you that it ever happened.
Believe it, or not.
Thanks for reading.
Brian.
It was with some reservations that I put the little flick stick in the car this morning. This was my first piscatorial (love that word) foray since the barra season closed a week ago.
In my best attempt to target a flathead, I headed out to Palleranda Beach for a look. It was only a quick look. The place just wasn't "speaking" to me. So I back tracked to the casino breakwall, where the waters were calm and crystal clear. Second cast... strike! No hookup. Next cast... a decent barra appeared out of nowhere just as the lure reached my feet... but no strike. That got the heart rate going. A bit further along the wall, I got another good hit and saw a broad flash of silver before the hook came unstuck. Maybe barra, maybe tarpon.
With the wind picking up, I jumped back in the car, swung through kfc for lunch and headed up the river. Bugger me if second cast, I'm not onto a goood barra! Played him out patiently for several minutes before taking the trace to lead him in through the shallow rocks when the hook pulled! Before I could clamber the last two steps to pick him up, he idly paddled back out from whence he'd come. He was a very broad shouldered fish, and every bit of 70cm long. The 2/0 hook had straightened!
Somewhat shaken by this episode, I hastily re-rigged. The drag was backed off half a turn as well, just to look after the wimpy hooks. The very next cast was monstered by a 43cm barra which put up a very good account of himself, before politely posing for a photo and swimming off.
Thinking that I'd just about exhausted this patch of river bank, I was deciding what to do next when I got clobbered again! This big girl didn't get fully airborne when she jumped, but it was more than enough to prove that she was a bigger fish than Mozza's 91cm specimen a few weeks ago. HO-LEE COW! With the fish up and swimming away from the snags, I was well connected and settling in for a mighty battle. Life, it seemed, was good. Moments later, the rod sprang straight. No warning. Just one second, I was connected to a dream barra, next second she was gone. Only half my double came back. Both strands sliced through.
Now in a state of what I can only describe as apoplectic shock, I had to tie a new bimini. My hands were shaking so badly, it took me three attempts to tie it. Nearly fifteen minutes later, I resumed fishing. By this stage, I'd run out of the magic jigheads that had been doing the damage (no, I'm not going to tell you which ones). I tied on a hws jighead as my next best choice and for some reason, changed lure types as well. Didn't that turn out to be a waste of time, as twenty minutes passed for no result. As soon as I switched back to the lure of the day, I was on again! Another big mother of a barra that left a swirl on the surface about as big as a dining table before the 1/0 hook pulled.
Shortly thereafter, I had to call an end to proceedings as I had another appointment to meet.
Without a doubt, that was THE most amazing barra session that I've ever been a part of. To think that it happened smack bang in the middle of Townsville is just staggering. And apart from a photo of a 43cm barra, I have absolutely no proof to show you that it ever happened.
Believe it, or not.
Thanks for reading.
Brian.