After an all night solo Mary river trip for donut I hit the nana nap mode
for a bit waking around 2:40pm . I was supposed to be meeting up in 20min at the local servo so following a quick addition of the usual just in case last minute gear and lures i made it right on time. A quick 7.5L top up of fuel and rods and tackle loaded up we hit the road. The bitumen soon gave way to dirt and it was in mint nick and 100 was the speed we stuck to most of the way. The last bit of the road was a bit rough and a minor detour to double back after missing a turnoff had us about 5 min behind schedule but the mud tyres skipping the tips of the corrigated sections soon had us pulling to a stop on the bank of the creek. As the dust settled we loaded the usual bits and pieces into the boat after sorting the tie down straps and motor brace.
A quick and uneventful launch went by and we fired up and were soon navigating a big section of rocky shallows but my skillful timing had us sneaking through the bad bits with a good 20cm and 10min still up our sleeve. ( bit of a near full on disaster in another 20 minutes theres no way we would have cleared it to be honest and will definitely allow more time in future if we got a flat on the way we'd have been screwed for sure ) but once trimmed in we were at full rip enroute to the spot. Laughing .
Miles ticked by quickly and seeing the spot come up on the plotter we dropped off the plane and deployed the lures for a few troll runs over a hidden rockbar. Marking a few on the first pass we stuck with the group and did a few more passes. No luck, so I changed tactics, dropped the motorguide in and anchored over near them and began throwing placcies. Not even a sniff so leaving the shoal we hit a different area for a bit before spotlocking over near the area which I'd got a few salmon at on the previous trip. We spotlocked again and began casting .They didn't dissapoint and almost immediately it was action stations pulling the hooks on way more fish than the couple actually landed, we were having a blast.
Even just testing if my lure was still running straight with only 2m of my line out I hooked up in the eddy of the transom on another one. No double hookups today and an hour later following losing the gun lure that was killing it we left them and moved to one last spot to flick a few oyster rocks right on sunset. As one last crack at the barra for the day.
Sebastien rigged up with a yozuri purchased in France and we cut the motor drifting by the area we had picked for our last efforts. Only a few casts later he was hooked up to a nice barra and immediately it powered off peeling line with ease as we drifted upriver with it. Braid hissed though the eyelets as the spin reels drag screamed off. BARRA i said. .... yep , Big barra. Luckily we were in with a chance as we drifted over the snag free bits with it still fighting hard but it wasn't over yet.
The fish broke the surface as I assembled the net and I called it for a metery. nothing like a bit of added pressure hey .... offering a bit of advice as the fight neared the boat stage. Dipping the rod and a lap of the boat and we had the first opportunity for a net shot and I went for it. She came in with plenty more power left and once its head went in the net it went nuts spraying us and ripping an almost 100mm hole with its nose in my near new net as I hoisted it aboard. As I unhooked his yozuri 2 of its hook points were mangled but Seb. was stoked that it had held in there without pulling free and following a few pics and a mid photo session quick swim i swum his big girl for a further 10-15 seconds then it powered away without hesitation. Whilst catching them is good i reckon seeing them swim off strongly again is even better.
3rd ever barra and his 1st ever legal one and it's a horse. Gotta love it. ... bl..dy well done mate. Good to see. Beginniners luck strikes again .
