Greetings - another from Oz

[Thommo]

Hello all

Another Australian, based in Armidale Northern NSW.

Started on trout on the Monaro about 40yrs ago but now much more interested in other species on fly (carp is my latest obsession, but also Murray Cod, Australian Bass, Golden Perch and recently saltwater estuary species such as bream & flatties).

Have run a part-time guiding gig for the last 28yrs (https://www.facebook.com/FlyFishArmidale) which I fit around my 'real job'.

Tie all my own flies these days.

[George C]

Welcome. Cool facebook page. Interesting fish.
I, too live in New England, only on the other side of the world.
I was shocked to learn there was another.
Which makes me a typical American I suppose.
Tight lines
G

[Paul Arden]

Hi Thommo,

Welcome to the Board, mate. I’ve heard about those Murray Cod and they’ve intrigued me. I has some good Aussie Bass fishing up in QLD. Hope to get back to Australia when this bloody pandemic is over

Cheers, Paul

[Thommo]

Hi Thommo,

Welcome to the Board, mate. I’ve heard about those Murray Cod and they’ve intrigued me. I has some good Aussie Bass fishing up in QLD. Hope to get back to Australia when this bloody pandemic is over

Cheers, Paul

Here you go, a little Murray Cod on fly action.....from just before the drought devastated this spot. It's the toughest country I ever fish in.

In a local dam, they often go over 1 metre. A 1+ meter fish from the river on fly is the Holy Grail! 75cm is my best so far.

[Paul Arden]

rapid breathing on the playing of the fish… a true sign of excitement!! Nice water, mate! Does it flood in the winters or is it less regular than this? Did the fish survive the drought?

Cheers, Paul

[Bendix]

Hi

Welcome to the board!

/Bendix

[Thommo]

rapid breathing on the playing of the fish… a true sign of excitement!! Nice water, mate! Does it flood in the winters or is it less regular than this? Did the fish survive the drought?

Cheers, Paul

Rapid breathing - yes, getting old, despite still dabbling in a little triathlon (can no longer do the IM stuff like you do, unfinished business there!).

Yes, it does flood, and not only in the winter.

That video was taken in 2019, in June I think in the middle of a worsening drought. I went there a few months later and sadly found dead Murray Cod floating everywhere. But in the last 18mths, all it has done is rain like crazy! I went there again a few weeks ago, the water looked perfect, but I only hooked one which I promptly lost. It seems the me the drought massively reduced the population & it will take a few years to re-build.

The day of that video was crazy. There were cod in the most tiny pockets of water, and many willing to hit surface flies (my infamous Muzzy Mouse pattern) all day long. Usually, you only get cod surface action very early & late in the day. In the heat of the day, you need to be sub-surface.

The Muzzy Mouse fly - ugly but they like it.

[Paul Arden]

That’s my kind of fly!! I love the fact that you put ears on it. That will satisfy the traditionalists.

I have a few more 1/2IMs in me. Whether I can get a full IM in again depends on how long Covid keeps me from travelling! My major issue is time. Usually I train 60-90 minutes/day with some pretty high intensity. IM is much more time-consuming and fishing is my priority. But we shall see. I’d love to do Langkawi IM and I find it hard to assess my fitness in the tropics.

It will be interesting to know how long it takes the river to recover. I think it varies between fish species and how much damage was done to the eco-system. My mother lives in a house next to a river that had some very big carp and chub. Someone tipped varnish down a drain upstream and completely wiped out the section of river for several miles downstream. This was 25 years ago and the fish still have not returned (there are pike).

The river we are working on as a C&R FF water in the Belum jungle was virtually wiped out through netting and overfishing 5 years ago. It has now recovered very well. On the other hand, I used to fish rivers in NZ that would dry up in sections annually. But every year after the rains the fish were back!

Cheers, Paul

[Graeme H]

G'day Thommo,

Welcome to SL. Always great to see another Aussie on here.

Cheers,
Graeme

[queenfish]

Hi Thommo

Great to see Murray cod on surface flies or poppers.
I used to fish deep water river a lot, I can say fished from the beginning to the end of the river, with poppers only.
My preferred place at older age was deep water station, if you know the place.
in the video that place looks like Ben falls area.
ohh how I miss fishing that places now.

Good to see you in here, hope you show us some more of your fishing.

cheers Vince.