It'd dropped about 6in and the water had a distinct chill to it now so I wasn't expecting to get onto many barra this time. Soon I'd arrived at the area we had been successful in on the last few trips avoiding most of the mud on the way. Also there were way less prickles covering my shirt and groin region this time too after having run this track a couple of times now.
I had my light spin gear along with me again despite the sensible advice of my mate. So with a brand new crystal minnow tied on I headed down to the spot. First cast I had a small sooty on the bank. But only a few casts later was annihilated by a decent barra which instantly blew me away around the timber.
Re rigging again. .....dammit
I was kicking myself for not bringing the baitcaster out with the 50lb as I walked back up to the bike as the sounds of the barra echoed up the pool as it was repeatedly jumping trying to rid itself of my lure.
I had a spare with me it was a different colour : silver blade with white back.
I tied it on along with a new 2m length of 45lb schnider and was soon back into it. No more bites from the area disturbed by the last one so I moved to the area around the corner.
First cast producing a jarring strike from a barra in the 70's... he dropped it but on the 2nd cast I was hooked up solid. For about 3 seconds. With very limited room and the barra easily accellerating through the nearest log i was snagged.
The fish got off but I was able to recover my lure off the branch it'd been hung up on. Stoked I guess. .... could've been worse
I got a few more sooties and went back out to the bike and loaded up. I hit the throttle and punched through the scrub another few km creating a new track into another untouched area of the river. Following a few minutes of de prickling once again i was in position. The lure was new to these fish and I was soon watching the schools of sooties attack the lure from their snags in 4m over the sand. A couple of times i had 2 on the lure at once or a rat barra and sooty combination.
I did get onto a few good sized one's and got peeled through snags twice more but luckily was able to recover my lure each time. I would have caught about 30 decent sooties and 6 barra and a pile of the underzized rats that'd often take the lure from in front of a legal one sizing it up.
On my travels earlier I had come across a small spa and even had a quick dip to rinse off the sweat and cool down in the freezing cold water. It would've been great if it was fed by a hot spring but we can't be too spoilt now can we. Shortly afterwards a late lunch was demolished before catching one last sooty before I headed back out.
''Do the miles get the smiles '' proving to be the case once again in this area, it was a bit of a mission but well worth it.
Still, it's a nice place to spend a few early morning hours.