Back into fishing.

Hi there,

I had not been able to fish in nearly three months...
In fact since I had a little car accident in mid november.
But being back from some rest overseas, I was starting to show some serious fishing withdrawal symptoms...
The twitch in my hand could have been wrongly interpreted, I just really wanted to flick a lure, not learn to play drums.

So I sent some PMs to some of the guys who form this disparate land based gang on the FFF forum, and one said he was at work, another that he was too tired to fish and so on...
But Sarrge got back to me and said let's go to the Cullen Bay rock wall.
Great!

So at 20 to 6 this morning I walked of the door of my home and found him already waiting, despite the fact that he had said that he would be there at 15 to 6.
The man was eager to get a fish too.
So off we go in his car (thanks for the lift), and arrived at the Cullen bay parking, and start to wait for Chase and Emma...
We had to wait for them as it was their first time fishing in Darwin, and they didn't know where to go.
They were no where in sight and arrived a bit later after a stop at one of the 24H fast food joint that they found on the way.

So quick we walk to the wall, arrive there, Sarrge and I casting some poppers a few time and Sarrge said: The water is too dirty, too much wind, we should go somewhere else. 
I said i's your call, and he said let's go to the gorge.
And that was a good call...

So back to the car, another drive and another walk, and there we are.

I start to try the popper again, and got the small half of a hit, but it did not connect.
All the while Sarrge took the time to start a trail of bread and I could see some swirls in the water on my left, and he explained to Emma what to do, and baited her hook.

Then in no time she was on.
And for the first time I saw someone saying: I have a fish! What do I do!  And not holding the rod, but just he handle of the reel and waving her other hand while the reel screamed and the line peeled from it at good speed...
Then three blocks saying at the same time the fasted possible: Grab your rod! Hold on to your rod!
Of the four of us, I do not know who panicked the most...
But to her credit, she landed the fish and it was a nice little Golden trevally, that Chase dispatched and said that this would be his dinner.

So I restart to cast my lure, then change it for one of these spinner that I brought back from overseas. 
It has a very nice action and weight in the water, but did not produce on this day.
And mostly by now, I could see the three other getting bites and ear their reels singing...
So I took my other rod and too, started to use bread instead of a lure.

But they keep getting hits, and me nothing...
They continued to get some fishes and me nothing...
What was going on?

Then I got a very nice hit, and the line start to fly from the reel.
That is it my boy I said to myself, you are back in the game!
And my 15 pounds braid snapped...
Ha! 

They continue to get some action...
I dont...

Then I got another hit, I hook the fish and start to reel it in, it works, and Sarrge grabbed it as it is at his feet, and dropped it on the rock behind me.
Happy I was... Not for long...
I decide to bleed it first and grab it by the tail, start to poke my knife in the gills, and the animal makes a last attempt to freedom and fall from my hands, straight in the water at my feet, and despite bleeding and not being at his best manage to swim fare enough in the water that I did not want to wade in it after him... Remember my irrational fear of crocodiles? I let him go...
Ha! (x2)  

They continue to get some action.
Me not...
And to be fair, they all offered me each time that they caught a fish: "I already have enough for me, do you want this one of mine?"...
I politely decline saying that I will eventually catch my own...


And Sarrge who can't help himself but repeat for the 100s times: it is like fishing fishes in a barrel...
Yeah right!

Then I am on and get a fish, land it, and manage to bleed it, gut it and put it in my cooled bag on some ice...
Gee I had become rusty in the past three months! 

My first one after three months of abstinence.

And now I just want to catch one for my mother in law.
But once again, they catch some fishes, I don't ...
Once again: Pecheur do you want this one for your mother in law?
No, I will catch it myself...

Usually I accept with no shame the fishes given to me by other fishermen, but with so many trevally cruising at our feet, in full view that you just had to drop the bait in front of them... I wanted to get mine.

I then got a nice... Mullet!
And Sarrge to start to explain to the others that I loves fishing for Mullets and that I may make it last... 
Then I got another... Mullet!
I try to tell myself that I have to see the positive in it and that it is alway nice to catch a few different specie on a fishing trip...
 
Then I am on again, and it is no mullet!
The fish aim for the horizon, then come back toward me at full speed, then make a sharp turn for the left, and bingo! Straight in the mangrove trees...

Another line broken, another fish lost...
And still no fish for the mother in law...

Then a little tap tap on the line, and hope the line became tense the rod bent and we play again.
This time it is a smaller Trevally, and I land it, he is for my wife's mum.
I will stay in the good books!

By the time I have it bleed and gutted, resting on ice, the other are all sitting on the rocks.
I ask if there is any bread left?
Something like 3 slice, wet or crumbling take your pick... Out of 12 loaf of white bread...
So while they start to fillet their catch, I bait my hook, made a very nice cast, with the hook going on the left, and the bread on the right...
Of course Sarrge tells me that considering the amount of bread left, maybe I should be carful not to wast it...
With no shame I explain to him that I was just merely restarting the burley trail... 
I put another little piece of the white stuff on my hook, cast it and look at them in my back, still laughing, when I heard a little splash, and felt the rod suddenly pulling away from me.
Hu Ho be carful my boy!
And the run is long and fast once again for the horizon, then the thing swim fast toward the bank and I have some trouble to keep up with the fish as I can't retrieve fast enough. 
And I call it for a Milkfish...
Not very big I think, but a nice fish nonetheless to swim that fast.
I was right on the Milkfish thing, but not on the size thing... 

The milkfish start to take a big long run on my right, but step by step I can reel him in, and just as he arrive close, he takes another run, but for the left this time.
And that is when that I realise that just in front of me is a little single and lonely mangrove tree..
I though, ho I will have to be carful if he comes back around here that he does not get the line in there...
Well, this is just what he did!
So as I try to walk on the other side of the little tree, without getting in the water, the fish decided to head for the horizon one more time, and this untangled the line from the branches!
And not long after that he was back to the shore, and I was able to land it...
So when I said that I was wrong on his size...
It's a baby! 

Look at the baby.

Just a small Milkfish and he gave me all this trouble...

By then the other have nearly finished to fillet their fishes, and I decide that I needed a rest so started to cast a lure for a little while then to pack my stuff.
Then we wait for Chase to finish his last fish, and we walk back to the cars.

All in all, it was a great morning, I believe that we all released more fish than we kept, which is not a thing that I can afford to do on all my fishing trip.
I don't think that I ever saw that many Golden Trevally before. 
So thanks guy for having shared with me this new spot.


And yes, I did get slightly sunburnt.


But hey, it could be worse.
Have a good day,
Me.