Pink Eyed Paddle Tales of The Bohle River
by Arthur Dobe
It was a warm bright Saturday morning, the Barramundi season was now open. I pulled into Jason’s driveway with ‘Blue Moon’ our 5 meter purpose built barra boat in tow. "Where’s Joy?", Jason asked. "She said it didn’t worry her it was the opening of the barra season, she had a hectic week and will go with me tomorrow" I said, as I beckoned Jay to jump on board. The excitement began to build as I told him how I meet Owen and Mike a couple of club chums yesterday straight after work at the ramp and how I put them onto a couple of barras 9kg and 3kg. You see the barra season opened at midday on the Friday and they had the day off so I arranged for them to collect the bait and meet me at the ramp. "I took them down to the rock bar at the mouth and I guess it will be the place to go today if we can get a spot. Every man and his dog will be there today I guess." I said with concern. Jason soon started showing signs of the old ‘barra fever’ as he questioned me on our chances today.
Before long we had launched and were heading up stream to find the live bait that should help guarantee our success. The tide had just turned and started on the run out, "bait is a bit hard to find", called a mate who was standing on the nose of his punt. We slowed as we past to keep our wake to a minum, " I guess well have to go to old faithful, the tide is still pretty high though". I consoled Jay explaining old faithful is a mud bank that drops off fairly steeply and is a place of convergence on a corner. First cast and I had enough herring to fill both live bait tanks. "Pity about the size of these buggers, there are a bit small" said Jason. I replied, "Nah we will butterfly them, use two at time, just hurry up and help me get them out of the net before they die." We had our herring and one 6" mullet, " lets go straight to the rock bar and reserve our spot".
On arrival we sounded to find the exact location of the gutter in front of the rock bar. Even though the tide was running out we positioned Blue Moon so we would be set up for the run in which was due after lunch. The time seemed to drag, the sun got hotter, more and more hopeful fishermen arrived and anchored around us. One hopeful and his young son anchored behind us and begun to fish the gutter. But when the tide turned and we moved to the other side it put us right on the mark to fish the gutter on the run in. It now meant we were fishing straight at our late comer who just allowed his boat to swing around on his single anchor. As I searched for our only mullet I noticed the herring starting to die and quite a few had already died. Perhaps the overcrowding and hot conditions were to much for them and the wait too long before their use.
Out went the live mullet on the 8kg running rig, then the rod was placed in the holder with the bale arm on the Penn 650 left open. This allowed the line to be slipped under a rubber band on the handle so as to allow it to free spool on the fish‘s first take of the bait. I showed Jason how to butterfly the last few still flicking herring by hooking one through the eyes and another under the dorsal. For my second rod I did the same but with dead herring. The stage was set all we had to do now was wait for those big pink eyed paddle tail barras to enter the river on the incoming tide.
About 40 minutes passed and I noticed the slack in my line with the live mullet take up, the tip of the rod gave a nudge, I quickly removed it from the holder and lowered the tip so as the line came of straight. Without any resistance the line started to peel off the open face of the reel. "We’ve got our first sniff Jason," the line started to disappear as the pace quickened. It was time to slam the bail arm over and put on the brakes. I did this and lifted hard and the rod fully arced. "Holy mackerel will you look at that dad!" yelled the young angler in front of us. Eleven hundred millimetre’s meters of silvered ,gill flaring fish reached for the sky and crashed into the water right beside the young anglers boat. "It’s a barra dad!" he cried, getting to his feet and looking back at us as his dad joined him. I yelled, "I hope she doesn’t get caught on your anchor rope." I pumped furiously as she headed to my right and straight across there rope . Another blistering run of drag and then the highest jump I’ve ever seen with the big barras nose pointing straight up and tail clearing the water. By now this fish had all the spectators around cheering and clapping at this fishes performance. But sadly it was all over too soon as this 14.5kg specimen was bought to the landing diddle it was noticed this big fish had gut swolled the bait. We decided to keep this one as the chance of her survival would have been slim if nil.
Before long Jason was on his fish came straight to the boat still to green, with a flurry of water and one huge splash, he was gone. "Jason you took him to casual" I said as though master to apprentice. 20 minutes passed and jay had a commendable 750mm barra on the deck. By now we were using dead herring and our fellow fisherman moved and jockeyed closer. One group came over and asked about our bait, we had plenty so we gave them some and told them to anchor beside us. Young Salvo Tantilo fishing to our right hooked up and landed his first for the day.
Things started to quieten right off as the tide approached the top of the run. "We’ve had a good day I think we should head for the ramp." Jason nodded in agreement when all of a sudden his rod buckled over in the holder. "Shit I can’t get it out" he cried. He pulled back and lifted, out it came buckling around to the right. "This fishes has gone deep, wa-what is it he puffed," as it dragged him around. He staggered to the nose of the boat, "You reckoned this barra fishing is easy Jason, now lets see you work." "It’s a bloody big shark," he complained "It’s not jumping," "not all of the jump Jay, look out!, here it comes." "Strewth will you look at the size of that, help me Jason help me grab the rim of the diddle." The big fish was lowered to the deck, it lay there motionless. "Can we keep him," puffed Jay, "I don’t know about that we’ve already kept on large barra and besides it looks like she will go over the 1200mm legal limit."
I ran the dress makers tape from nose to tail, "eleven hundred and ninety millimetre’s, she’s under all right but she hasn’t moved." The big fish was dead. "She fought to hard Jay it looks like she’s yours." "Besides, the pro gill netters would have had her tomorrow." " I remember the night of last years barra opening when we counted thirteen nets in stagger pattern within three bends, and how we dug up sand with the prop to get around them."
The next morning we weighed the big fish on the clubs certified scales and checked the record book. " I think you should claim the record on 8kg string Jay your fish is 20.850 kg. that’s a new Australian record. A month or so later the master had to present the apprentice with his new Australian record which still stands today. Jason had up staged me on the same day I had my best ever capture. Are well, we might take out again this seasons opening.