Reptile on the ramp

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Dick
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Reptile on the ramp

Post by Dick »

Fished the lower Ord late into the night Saturday. Got back to the Mambi ramp close to 11.00pm. The lump of cement that constitutes the ramp is still under water so you launch and retrieve on the flats above it. The only option is to use the track as it’s compacted, either side is just too boggy. Because it’s so flat you can’t pull up to the shore, more a matter of grounding the craft and wading to the bank. If you want to get your trailer rollers under water you end up out nearly 20 metres.


I pulled into the ramp and noted there’s half a tonne of reptile perched on the exposed bank on the ramp’s left shoulder. I drove past it a couple of times playing both the boat's headlight and spottie on it, it just looked at me a bit but didn’t move. Retrieving away from the ramp wasn’t an option, I’d would have needed at least 4 straps, they were all home anyway. The thought of shooing the thing away didn’t cut it, at least I knew where it was if it stayed put so idled the boat up onto the right shoulder of the ramp, grabbed the anchor rope and stepped into the water with boat between the beast and me. I kept the spottie played on it and started to wade ashore. As soon as it heard me in the water it arced up, lifting its head straight up and turning in one motion. I could see the belly scales and its underside in the lift as it bolted into the water. At least we were moving rapidly in the opposite direction to each other.


You tend to get a bit blasé about crocs the size of the boat when you’re on the plane or at least in deep water and moving. With the boat grounded and me stepping out within 10 metres of the bl..dy thing it doubled in size straight away. Keeping the spottie aimed at it kept me reasonably secure but I’d have preferred not to have had to take those steps.


Getting the boat on the trailer was still an issue as I still had to try and work to the ramp and there was a tree that stopped a straight pull of the boat up away from the water. Ended up having to wind it on a next to the water (that was as black as) by wedging the stern into the mud and driving the trailer back under the boat a little at a time. Old mate was still lurking I picked it up a few times in the light just off shore watching what I was doing.


On a brighter note the 40k trip up the river in the moonlight buzzing crocs and big mullet was as always pretty cool. Pity about the no fish thing, not even a shark and I had some nice bony bream as an offering.


Regards Dick
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Matt Flynn
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Re: Reptile on the ramp

Post by Matt Flynn »

Mambi is a great spot to camp, but I remember shining the torch out there at midnight, and dozens of red eyes looking back.
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Re: Reptile on the ramp

Post by ponyplay »

Think we met him to early sunday morning just gone . after preaching the dangers of crocs to the visiting father in law from canada on the trip out, we where greeted by the same one by the sounds things slap bang on side ramp. The look on in laws face was priceless.
On return to ramp around lunch there was hire car parked beside it sum blokes from perth fishing with 8 foot surf rods frozen mullet, wat was even less funny was they had lumps beef offal lungs hearts tied to rope in water trying to net cherabin :? :? :? one was floating in the launch bay , i held it together in front of my guest

O fish for us as well , in law loved the crocs though
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Dick
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Re: Reptile on the ramp

Post by Dick »

A few years ago one camper down there told me that ol' mate had camped up between their boats that were just pulled up next to the bank for the night. He approached from the side and didn't spot the croc until he came around the bow. A little bit of poo came out apparently :D

Silly Perth people!!!!!!!!!!
Regards Dick
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Dick
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Re: Reptile on the ramp

Post by Dick »

PS yeah can't believe the no fish thing, got the start of the run in and the start of the run out on various creeks all for one undersized barra wtf???
Regards Dick
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Re: Reptile on the ramp

Post by nomad »

Bugger that. I would have camped in the boat til morning
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Re: Reptile on the ramp

Post by theodosius »

Gamer than me!
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Re: Reptile on the ramp

Post by ponyplay »

Dick wrote:PS yeah can't believe the no fish thing, got the start of the run in and the start of the run out on various creeks all for one undersized barra wtf???
i just figured it was because i had visitor and was under the pump , be solo next week and they will be jumping in boat
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Dick
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Re: Reptile on the ramp

Post by Dick »

ponyplay wrote:
Dick wrote:PS yeah can't believe the no fish thing, got the start of the run in and the start of the run out on various creeks all for one undersized barra wtf???
i just figured it was because i had visitor and was under the pump , be solo next week and they will be jumping in boat

Yeah Easter! the river will be full of tourists.
Regards Dick
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Re: Reptile on the ramp

Post by Pecheur »

Hi there,

You are much braver than I: I would have stayed in the boat, no way I would have gone in the water…

Have a good day,
Pecheur
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Dick
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Re: Reptile on the ramp

Post by Dick »

If it had been daytime I'd have done something different Pecheur, the spotlight wouldn't have been any use. Those LED lights are hard to look at and impossible to see past, least ways for us. The gamble was the croc wasn't going to run blindly towards the light i held plus the lights on the boat a pointing at it but either stay where it was or go to the safety of the water. I chanced my arm so as to speak but not blindly I don't think.
Regards Dick
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Re: Reptile on the ramp

Post by CJ87 »

Better man then me Dick!! I'd probably still be knocking my knees together in the tinny.

Stilll plenty of water over the shallows down stream of the ramp i take it? Only been down there once. wasn't much water around.
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Re: Reptile on the ramp

Post by Dick »

dropped back into the normal boundaries mostly CJ
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