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View Full Version : First Barra a Hi Flyer at Awoonga.



flickflack
24-10-2006, 11:16 PM
Hi All

With my job I dont have much time to get out and have a fish for more than a day. I tried to head up to the dams last year to get my first Barra but after plenty of dramas with staff had to cancel the trip . I had written off the flight but was since informed that I had a credit and it had to be used by the 9th of november. I had the oppurtunity to head out on the water with Johnny Mitchell the local guide and after many long conversations on the phone I finally shook hands with him at gladstone airport. I only had one day to fish and had to be back at work again on the tuesday. So he was under no pressure to produce a fish ::). THe fact that it was blowing a solid 25 knots from the SE also didnt help as this is supposed to be the poison wind. Well after Monday I recon someone should tell the Barra that. Johnny's knowledge of the fish and the dam is truly amazing and he managed to produce the goods and not only get me my first Barra but we eventually put 8 fish in the boat :owith 6 over the metre mark and drop almost as many :o. Iwas absolutely blown away. It took a few dropped fish for me to work out the do's and dont's. But once we had the pattern worked out as to what would stimulate the fish into biting we never looked back. It was very hard to keep contact with the lure with the roaring SE but Johny kept altering spots and boat positioning to help us to overcome the adverse conditons. I cant praise his efforts enough and thank him for an excellent day on the water. Truly one of my best days chucking lures around. We caught all the fish casting the weed edges(not that there is a shortage of them in the dam) and working the lures back to the boat. The fish were from 87cm to 115cm. I cant wait to get back out here again and have another bash at them.

Good fishing to you all

Roderick

flickflack
24-10-2006, 11:17 PM
Johny with the first fish of the morning

flickflack
24-10-2006, 11:18 PM
A high flier

flickflack
24-10-2006, 11:19 PM
just before touchdown

flickflack
24-10-2006, 11:20 PM
First good size fish for me.

flickflack
24-10-2006, 11:21 PM
there she blows

flickflack
24-10-2006, 11:22 PM
and another goodie ;)

flickflack
24-10-2006, 11:23 PM
johnny with the 115cm fish

Matthias
25-10-2006, 03:00 AM
Awsome mid air shots Rod. Shame about the weather but after all those barra thats the last thing you'd care about.

Congrates on the first barra mate.

Pete.

eotbmg
25-10-2006, 07:03 AM
Great report there FF. And awesome photos to boot.
You are giving me an itchy casting arm.
Cheers
Ben

ele-phrez
25-10-2006, 07:34 AM
well done I'm going there on sunday to hook up with johnny

flickflack
25-10-2006, 09:34 AM
ele-phrez

good luck mate. Hope you get a few I am already starting to make plans for a round number 2 !

Rod

bearclaw
25-10-2006, 11:43 AM
Nice aerial pics better than you see in most magazines.

Myles

el_carpo
25-10-2006, 12:17 PM
:o :o :o WHOA-HO-HO-HOOOOOOOOO!!!!

HOW COOL WAS THAT?!!!!

Great pics Flickflack! Awesome!

blaze
25-10-2006, 12:52 PM
Could'nt get a better guide in my book, didnt catch as many the day I was there but I could'nt have asked for a better day. Johnny knows his stuff. Love the ariel shots.
cheers
blaze

Big_Ren
25-10-2006, 01:02 PM
Right that's it. I'm moving to Gladstone :o Rod, you're making me seriously jealous there mate ;) Some awesome fish, especially for your first barra, and love the aerial shot.....deserves to be framed. I take it you have a digital SLR.....what settings if you don't mind me asking....shutter speed, aperture?.

Seriously well done.
Cheers
Paul

flickflack
25-10-2006, 01:44 PM
Big Ren

Mate I am not sure of the settings at the moment I muck around with them all the time. I think the lense I have just bought is more important for those shots. Its a 75 to 300mm image stabilized canon lense and I had the camera on rapid shooting. You were flatout just standing up on the boat but as soon as you hit the auto focus on the lense the fish was there. I am over the moon about it and cant wait to use it again.

Rod

Big_Ren
25-10-2006, 02:07 PM
Big Ren

Mate I am not sure of the settings at the moment I muck around with them all the time. I think the lense I have just bought is more important for those shots. Its a 75 to 300mm image stabilized canon lense and I had the camera on rapid shooting. You were flatout just standing up on the boat but as soon as you hit the auto focus on the lense the fish was there. I am over the moon about it and cant wait to use it again.

Rod

Thanks Rod. I have the Canon EOS 350D digital SLR and it is a great camera. I use the 75-300mm lens at the extreme end of its focal length quite regularly and get some great action shots in continuous mode. If you keep taking top pics like that, you could give away the restaurant game for a career in photography ;).

Cheers and once again, a top report.
Paul

flickflack
25-10-2006, 02:29 PM
Paul

I am starting to enjoy the writing and photography side of it just as much as the fishing. Will hopefully see those shots published in a month or two.

Cheers Rod

black_sheep
25-10-2006, 02:30 PM
Great shots Flick- what's your excuse Big Ren! You have all the gear ;D



Navi

Big_Ren
25-10-2006, 04:11 PM
Great shots Flick- what's your excuse Big Ren! You have all the gear ;D



Navi

Lol Navi. Catch me a decent fish and I'll take a decent photo of it ;D ;D

Rod, looking forward to your next instalment (with pics) in QFM.

Cheers
Paul

Shooter
25-10-2006, 04:57 PM
Congratulations on your fish FF, excellent photos too. Well done!

Smailesy
25-10-2006, 05:34 PM
great fish unreal pics

fish_head
25-10-2006, 08:04 PM
Excellent report and a top catch. What type of lures did you get your barra on

flickflack
25-10-2006, 08:58 PM
Fish head

We used B52s, Rapala X Raps and timber lures. In that order.
It seemed the combination of the three provoked a strike. If the b52s didnt get them on a rapid retrieve then we followed them up with the others and would get them on that.

Rod

TroyJ
26-10-2006, 07:34 AM
Unreal mate ,top photos .
You can see how windy it is from the look of the water in the back ground ,good to see it didnt affect your catch rate .


Troy

SeekingBarradise
31-10-2006, 11:04 AM
Well done - great fish and some of the best pics we have seen wow put a couple of them in the Barra room!!

Thanks for the Camera info guys we are looking at buying a canon and have been checking them out for awhile (slr's etc). Your info has helped as we want it for shots like the ones posted - great shots.

Keep the great shots coming.

Cheers SeekingBarradise

Toppy
31-10-2006, 06:24 PM
Hey Rods, great pics mate. Is there anything you dont do well??? ;)
Look forward to the shot from Lenthals.
Cheers
Toppy

gregdeeth
03-11-2006, 05:29 PM
great pics rod and top story + unreal fish