Fraser 10th to 17th September

[chappie]

Hello All, We have just returned from a fantastic week (again) at Fraser. Stayed at Orchid Beach and the weather was just about perfect all week, bar a few showers Tuesday. Some very good tailor about, we caught a 75cm on Tuesday and an 80cm on Wednesday on pillies in the close gutter at Waddy, where the boats generally launch from. Had a ball in the same gutter on Thursday night trying to sneak 50 to 60 cm tailor past a brigade of sharks. Week started off slow with 30 cm tailor and the size improved through the week. Not too many dart about, however we found the gutter on the north side of ngkala had a few in it. Also saw a seal that had a gash in its back in the water off waddy point. Apart from the mass of people ignoring the no fish area at waddy, it was a great week.

[GM-Bluewater]

Hi Chappie,

Looks like you guys got a few monsters alright!! I got a few 35-40cm out of that gutter on the Thursday night as well, was good fun!

I know what you mean about those knobs on the inside of the line, it is people like that who ruin it for everyone who does the right thing.

Cheers

[chappie]

GM were you one of the guys taking advantage of the conditions and heading out? there were heaps of boats heading out each day. Did you get sharked thursday? we ran out of gangs and ended up using a 6/0 hook with a sinker running straight onto it, didn't seem to put them off. The two biggest ones were caught in the morning 7 o'clock or so with a still bait.

[GM-Bluewater]

I got up there on Thursday arvo, straight down the beach to catch up with some mates then waited for the wader brigade to start hauling some tailor out of the gutter on dusk before i chucked out a raider to grab a few, which was fun after a few ales! I got out in the boat on Friday and Saturday which was good, the fishing was a bit slow though, still managed to get around 35-40 fish over 2 days which wasn't bad. Got some monster red throat on fresh tailor!

My mate sent these pics yesterday. I think this was one of the buggers having a feed at your expense! He did go back though.

Attachment 71780Attachment 71781

[BLOOEY]

Good stuff chappie. i saw that seal on the 9th in the gutter in front of orchid,looks as though a noah may have had a go at him. Ben

[chappie]

Ben that was our initial thought as well (this was on the following Tuesday) but it looked like a fairly straight cut. Were you getting into the trevs at hook point on Saturday, we arrived just as they moved out of range, still a pretty nice sight within a few minutes of getting on the island.

[micksta]

Hi Chappie,

looks like a good time, didn't think about flake for dinner?
Talk soon
Mike

[supa29]

hey Chappie, im usually up there the same week but dealyed this years trip until first week in october, by the looks of the fish you got i hope they are getting bigger towards october. we fished the same gutter last year and got fish up to 6kg and saw 2 fish over 7or 8 kg taken by locals after dark on a slug. didnt believe it either except i saw him throw it.

looks like you had a great week mate it is a magic place and a great place to unwind.

well done mate
kel....

[Damned67]

Yeah, was with Blooey when we saw that seal. Figured it would have been shark bait before the night was over. Good to hear the little tacker is/was still kickin' on.

Magic place. Had a ball up on the Cape... The 70+cm Bone fish was a pleasant surprise!
Can't wait until next year!

[whynott]

Great report there guys.
I leave for Fraser in the morning for 2 weeks.
Here fishy fishy.

The seal has been around now for a while up there.
It was swimming around Inskip Point during the recent Rainbow Beach comp.
I just could not beleive my eyes when I saw it the first time.

Graham.

[lunatic]

Great report Chappie,
We leave for Fraser on Sunday morning, can't wait! Hopefully we can get onto a few good fish too.
Cheers,
Lunatic

[chappie]

Mick, couldn't keep the flake attached long enough to land it let alone cook it. Kel, magic place alright, we were there last year around the same time and saw the horses on slugs. Apparently the local Orchid beach tailor expert uses a lot of poppers. I tried a few this year without any success.
Damned I can't believe the seal has been around for that long and survived the noahs, it would be interesting to know if it was injured when Graham saw it? How did you find the bonefish? Some guys from the Creek to Coast program were camping up there for 3 days at the start of the week we were there filming a Fraser is show to air in October. Lunatic and Graham i hope the weather holds for you and the fish are large and plentiful. Good luck

[Damned67]

Chappie,
I know I shouldn't say anythingto avoid upsetting the purists, but both Bones were caught on pillies on ganged-hooks. Both were released. Attached is a pic of the first, and smaller, Bone. Still waiting on a copy of the pics of the second larger bone.
The first Bone was a surprise. The second, a shock!
Photo of the seal was taken on the 9th.