Repton,Bellinger River

[blackjew]

Gday im going to Repton on the weekend,camping right on the river at Repton ,with my family can anyone give me a heads up on some spots or GPS marks for jewy holes,never been there before,so any spots will be a huge help,taking the tinny to,need a decky if anyone is keen for a fish at night .Does anyone know how its fishing of late since that flush of freshlast week.

Cheers Rob

[mylestom]

Will send a pm mate

Trev

[rabbi]

Used to live there for a while when I was growing up. The old man had a house at Mylestom or North Beach.
Used to get heaps at the old rail bridge. Just ask a local;D
Steve.

[Matt_Campbell]

Used to live there for a while when I was growing up. The old man had a house at Mylestom or North Beach.
Used to get heaps at the old rail bridge. Just ask a local;D
Steve.

The road bridge at Urunga was THE spot rabbi!!

Not sure you'll get any jewies blackjew - according to the locals, they've all been caught

[mylestom]

Rob,
Hope the PM's were ok mate, yep the Mylestom tag is from there, have been coming here for over 60years, boat house on the river in the 50's/60's and now lived here for over ten. Might just classify as local now. Also involved for the last 10years in the local Putt Bennett Fishing Festival. The locals "Guns" include people like Ross (same last name as mine but not related) in the river system and NigelR on Ausfish for outside, also spearfishing.

Lots of good fishermen and women (Heather) would have to be included. It's not a bad spot, but floods and netters do have some effect and are not always welcome.

Always willing to help those that treat the system with respect. Haven't been on the water lately due to back problems, but most reports come to me pretty quick, usually on a daily basis.

Regards

Trev

[rabbi]

The road bridge at Urunga was THE spot rabbi!!

Not sure you'll get any jewies blackjew - according to the locals, they've all been caught
Hey Matt,
Everywhere was THE spot back then.
We knew an old couple by the name of Williams and they used to get 40lb jew off the beach on handlines on a regular basis. That was worth watching!!

Forgotten what a jew looks like here on the northern rivers these days:'(

[mylestom]

Rob,

Your private message folder is full and you need to delete some msgs to receive more.

Trev

[mylestom]

There are still good jew off the beach, at the right time a bit bigger than that, also some that size in the river. The old boys like the handlines and also launching their rowboats off the beach. We caught many good large jew in earliers days in the river as well as big tailor and extremely large flathead from the boat shed most nights. Still some Williams around the area, not all related though.

Some great old timers still around, many a great story they will share including a 94lb jew in front of where the Mylestom hall is now. Just about where our old boathouse was. Bit before my time though and the photo his daughter still has.

Trev



Hey Matt,
Everywhere was THE spot back then.
We knew an old couple by the name of Williams and they used to get 40lb jew off the beach on handlines on a regular basis. That was worth watching!!

Forgotten what a jew looks like here on the northern rivers these days:'(

[nigelr]

Well, to state the bleeding obvious, one thing we don't need is more rain!
Couple of big tides at night this w/e BJ, should put you in with a chance at one of the lower bridges, still a bit of fresh in the river so I'd try near the Repton rail bridge first up. You may well hear the mullet getting smashed on the adjacent flats (SW of bridge) if there is any action.
Yep still fish taken adjacent to the Urunga H'wy bridge.
Good luck and hope you enjoy!

[blackjew]

Sorry trev all empty now,
thanks heaps fellers ,gone are the good oll days .

Cheers Rob

[blackjew]

Beuty thanks heaps for that in put nigelr thats what i was hoping ,and mate it will be great to get away and wet a line ,in another piece of paridise.Can you tell me do you fish with placcys t night ,or prefare livei'es

Cheers Rob

[nigelr]

Mate I would use livies, live beachworms or fresh squid myself but only because I'm totally ignorant about plastics!
I know guys have caught jew on placcies here but can't imagine how or what they use!
Bear in mind I very rarely fish the river, Trev is way better informed than me in this regard.
Cheers.

[blackjew]

Ok mate thanks again,i have pages of info saved from trev,what a legend .Think ill get some livies.Cheers Rob

[blackjew]

Oh mate i forgot to ask ,is it worth throwing in the dilly for a muddy or 2 cheers Rob

[webbc]

Any chance of sharing some of that information Trev? I have spent many hours trying to work out the river down there.
Had some success on jew with plastics (atomic 6" jerk shads in Real Shad) east of the road bridge, but nothing of real size.

[rabbi]

My father used to troll white tennis shoelaces below the rail bridge past the rockhole and used to get some big schoolies on a regular basis. S.P's in its earliest form I guess.
The old swimming pool used to hold some big lizards on the outside edge and also the mouth of the river.
Used to be a bloke who had a projector and used the side of his shed for a screen and used to show the latest reel movies for the local villagers when I was there.
I must have been around 10 or better and the local jew experts used come around in their old landrovers to pick up the old man n myself for the friday night jew trips. Saw a 67lb jew get caught one night and I always reckoned I was gonna get me one of them!!
Might have to go down there for a look one day and take the yaknrubbers.
cheers, steve.

[blackjew]

Wow stevetheres some dam good memrebilia,shoe laces,how do your dad rig them ,thats amazing.I recon between a mate and i when we were kids and expeimenting with squid jigs,wrapped some rag around the old wire fish jig,the less rag you wrap the faster it sinked.tyed of with some white cotton,then along came the yozurri,Oh well there goes another squillion
.sounds like my dad with the movie on the side of the shed ,but mine used the inside of the door with a sheet over it. ,i remember on friday nights a heap of blokes rocking up at our place ,and dissapearing to the shed ,lots of moaning and growning coming from the shed whats going on out there mum ,there watching a horror movie.And you know what my mate got the shock of his life one night,poor little bastard would have been scared for life ,oppening the door to find a sheet he asumed i was in there he lifted the sheet and went in to the shed to find that he had this blinding light shining at his head.with all these blokes shouting get out the way ,sit down .so he did i think he was 13 or so ,when he found me he had this big smile on his face whats up i said lol.
Going fishing with dad ,yep lots of great memories,mate i recon that one your holding must be close to 60lbs.
Cheers Rob

[blackjew]

Hey Steve can i send you a pm ,

[rabbi]

Yeah Blackjew,no problem.
Dad use to get an 8/0 hook and 1 white tennis shoe lace and loop it around the top of the hook and bind the eye end on with binding thread and then just cut the end out of the loops on the hook end and put whtaever size ball sinker was required on the attached line. Sorta looked like a poormans rubber squid but it worked on jew,tailor,flathead and the odd mudcrab from memory.
When we wanted mullet for bait we used to drive the boat along the edge of the island at night and they were so thick that we would often get as many big mullet jump in the tinny as we needed.Got smacked in the head one night so I got a bit gun shy after that.

[blackjew]

Hey steve ding i just had a brain wave what about the clooured laces they make these days ,im going to get a few different colours and give it a go .

Cheers Rob

[blackjew]

WoW Thats great info steve i cant wait to try it,so let me get this right there will only be 2 tags ,dangling from the hook.

if i set one of those bait traps on that side you recon that would be the go to get a few mullet.

Thanks mate great info

Cheers Rob

[rabbi]

One shoelace makes about 6 loops so when you cut them there will be 12 strings as a tail.
I havnt caught mullet for bait for years so Im out of touch there.
Rob, your mailbox needs clearing

[mylestom]

Lots of mullet in the system all sizes Lanos(Sand) not as plentiful. But all size of Bull.

Livebait on baitjigs is probably the quickest, last weekend about five minutes to score twenty or so.

Also in the old days, white feathers and white rags used a lot, large tailor also in the river. Salmon havent been as thick this year, but in previous up to about 8lb in old scale, some of them that thick mate Steve caught a couple in his landing net beside the boat.

The new sand barge has been in the last fews years and moves around a bit, but with the recent floods back up near the old Butter factory.

The shags and other bird life have been giving the baitfish a hiding in front of the village most days, with some large predator fish also into the mix. So the recover is usually pretty quick after a flood event with the water quality on top a bit murky, but lots of life below.

Beach has been fairly consistent, with most locals and tourist getting a feed each day. But take only what you need. Maritime will be around over the holidays and doesn't always put the boat in. Fisheries hopefully will be active as some people, still believe in catch and keep everything.

Beach worms have been fairly consistent with even the district pro wormers working one point for three days at the right time. Then some locals the next and still worms there. Not much debris from flood on North Beach but a bit on the Urunga/Hungry heads side.

The river bar this week had reasonable access with calm seas to outside, but this bar can get very dangerous very quickly.

One idiot in about a 4m dinghy with tiller steer this time last week, power out to the break at the south wall, switch off motor and then start casting. No lifejacket or anything. Yep have the photos, so if someone you know please advise them that all on the south wall were calling him a di##head.

Enjoy your fishing, your welcome, but please treat our area and its fishing with respect.

Trev

[blackjew]

Mate my box is empty,i keep getting a message saying its full,im getting really pissed off,i have sent 4 emails to admin with no replys,not sure what to do.Cheers Rob,oh yer now i get the shoelace lure ,thanks Rob,ill give you a bell today trev ,you be home
The following errors occurred with your submission


You have reached your stored private message quota and cannot send any further messages until space has been created.b
I dont have any messages saved,and i cant send any .grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[blackjew]

Thats real great info Trev,im getting twithchy just thinking about it ,cant wait to get down there,thats great your river recovers that quickly,the Clarence takes about 6 weeks to get back to normal,which is a bit of a drag.

[mylestom]

Rob,
Should be around most of the day, if not at home give a ring on the mobile, as usually go for a walk around the village about 3 to 4 times a day. Also whale watch time at the Surf Club.

Light showers again today, but the tides should be right for a fish or three. Raining as I post.

Trev

[mylestom]

The Bellinger/Kalang system is not a long system but with plenty filter systems in the catchment.

A quick trip up river after a flood will show how quick it can clear. Even after a 7 to 8 metre event at Bellingen/Lavenders bridge will see fish caught down here in some of the deeper holes within two to three days. The only problem would be the debris in the water.

The last event had river debris still going out for about 8 days, but the birds and the bait activity was active in river within that time.

Observation and history, sometimes we flood up to 9 times in a year, so suppose it just one of those things you get used to.

Trev

[stonecold]

Trev...I think Ballina got your share of the salmon this year!....Rabbi and I decided you can have em back ;D

[blackjew]

Ok Trev give you a call soon,
yep Salmon ,i remember when i was down south on the west coast , even the crayfishermen didnt buy em,they just caught rock cod.lolI had to chuckle when i heard they are sending them south.

[nigelr]

Those salmon were here in droves Stonecold, thankfully a lot have continued to move north, although there will be more plague-like invasions between now and X'mas, unfortunately!
I haven't seen so many salmon hereabouts this early in the year as were about in April and May.
Horrifying!

[mylestom]

The salmon certainly were thick on the beach, still a few around, but we didn't seem to get them in the river like we have had on previous occasions. Although in the river they can certainly be entertaining on bream gear and light plastic. When I said about them not being here, was talking about in the river.
To get to Ballina they have to go past here anyhow, but hopefully they set up elsewhere for awhile.

[rabbi]

Hi guys,

Did you get my PM Blackjew??

I went out this morning for a fish and guess what?? SALMON,SALMON AND MORE#@$%SALMON.
They are eating us out of house and home!!

Why do they protect the Shitfish and allow open slather on the quality fish, the Mulloway/Jewfish.?? Beats me??

I got some good news for you fishos at Yamba/Illuka too.

3.5 Tonne of Mulloway netted in the Clarence in the last week.

Happy fishing guys.>:(

Hope you got a 5 year fishing licence cause they are better value:P

[stonecold]

Hard to believe that in the day and age where we as fishers are protecing coral fish (whatever the terminology is) during moon cycles for spawning, protecting breeding cod, bass and barra. Protecting breeding female flatties and considering protecting breeding snapper the poor old jewie is f#@rked. Bycatch? my arse. I can name half a doz rec jew fishos who can tel you within 5 days of when the jew will arrive in the local river. Where they will be and what they will be eating..... 3.5t of jew netted in one week as bycatch?...what do you reckon those jew where doing?..well thats my rant,,,,,I need another beer..............and maybe sum
rum

[mylestom]

The only way netters, whether estuary or beach haul are allowed to harvest spawning or breeding fish is vested interest. It is not in the interest of Rec Fishers so why do fisheries and others including the netters persist with this.

I will have a beer with you, it really pisses me off as well.

Trev

[nigelr]

They do it because they can, ie no-one in officialdom stops them.
Why, I don't know. Not enough rec fishing licence holders aware/give a rats I suspect.
Thank you NSW Rec Licence holders for restocking for us!
A large amount of 'expletive deleted' phrases follow here!

[rabbi]

Thats why they look after the Barra in the top end more these days. They know the attraction of the tourist dollar goes way further than a "quick fix" in the back of a net.

I was talking to a retired Pro today and he was saying "theres too many bloody whales out there now"
Had to laugh at that one.

Lookout Humpbacks!!
They are easy to spot, apparently!!

Think I need a R & C myself. Mite be a bit early considering I finish work at 7am sunday.

[stonecold]

Humpbacks...that'd be an interesting bycatch

[murf]

Humpbacks...that'd be an interesting bycatch

had a few whales under the boat at the crack of dawn this morning :) kept checking the sounded to see if it picked them up (no luck :( ), bloody things leave a great big boil of water around you when they dive under

cheers Murf

[mylestom]

Any chance of sharing some of that information Trev? I have spent many hours trying to work out the river down there.
Had some success on jew with plastics (atomic 6" jerk shads in Real Shad) east of the road bridge, but nothing of real size.

Chris,

You need to clear your mailbox.

Trev

[webbc]

Cheers Trev, keep forgetting about the sent ones. All good now.

[blackjew]

Wow just catching up on my thread ,wow im nearly in tears bastards ,our fish have got no chance as long as those scum bags are about .What can we do about it other than sit back and wait until theres no fish left in our rivers.
Thanks to everyone for your help on the nice area down here ,not one bite,and no sleep,Next time i take the family away i have to look past the fishing side of things ,and not stay in a park right on the highway lol Not even a bottle or 2 of muscat dulled the droan of the Bdoubles.

Cheers Rob