burnett river

[jonesy]

What is everyones general feeling about a new dam on the Burnett river so called "paradise dam" ,has been a bit of a topic on talkback radio this last week.. interested in every ones view ,fore/or against .

jonesy

[Randall]

Jonesy, all I have seen is what was in the courier Mail last friday. Seems that 40 klms of pristine river upstream will be deluged. I`m not familiar with the area but am told its a real pity.
I have a few trains of thought about it though. If the storage is for much needed water for drinking and so forth, well maybe that justifies the rape of all the land and river. However, if the resource is for bloody farmers with huge irrigation needs, I think this is wrong. Particularly with cotton crops. (Not relevant in the Burnett region though).

I have also heard on the grapevine that the completed dam shall no support any recreational activities. This is one of the better spin-offs of constructing a large water body. If theres no fishing , well that sucks big time.
My thoughts only mate.
Regards, Randall.

[Fitzy]

HI Jonesy,
Several groups such as FFSAQ have been opposing this new dam for some time. The last hope of stopping it is with the Federal govt & the greens, the Qld govt has approved everything so far.
In the event that it does go ahead, we will be fighting to ensure public access & facilities are catered for. There is also the issue of provisions for fish migration that need to be addressed with any new barriers.

A few other Qs about this issue has been raised too. Will BP dam be constantly drained to keep Paradise at optimal levels? A good fishery ruined?
Will the existing weirs on the Brunett that may be made reduntant by Paradise be demolished?

Fitzy..

[jonesy]

#As allways with these govt ,"incentive projects" for the benifit #of the local community , there are many more problems than meet the eye .
These weirs are they fed govt owned qld govt ,or have the local land owners had them installed for flood mitigation /to maintain a water supply for crops /cattle .
Heres a selfish thought ,If this dam goes ahead is it in the southern barras normal range might be a good location for the barra that we carn't get into big w,a selfish and completely unethical thought i know .You can only imagine the self loathing i am experincing at this moment ,25lb barra 10lb sooties submarine sized toga,, # the drowwning of thousands #of hecters of land displacement of wildlife etc .just so ican cure an itchy bait casters thumb Iam a wicked wicked man. 10 hail marys and a beating by loomis should cure my wicked ways. i,am not into pain honnest mr loomis.

Should not make a issue like this light hearted as i would assume many people will be affected by it's out come be it good or bad.

# Have not had the chance to go to bp yet ,may get a chance with my next holidays.I understand they have cabins of some discripition ever taken a squiz Fitzy .Have already been told that i can't go on fishing holidays by the wife unless she has something to do as well #>.so cabin sounds good i can clearoff before first light for a bass attack and be back in time for breaky .A plan is startting to form he he #


#

[Fitzy]

Barra are naturally found in the Burnett so it shouldn't be too much of a problem stocking them there. A couple of weirs + Wuruma Dam upstream have been stocked with barra, yet not in BP, Cania, or Boondooma except for 65000 northern barra that were dumped into Boondooma a few years ago. But with the brain stormers in fisheries that selectively apply the Translocation Policy you never know. Toss a coin I recon.
Sooty Grunter are no chance. Saratoga, yellow belly, silver perch & bass stocking should be ok (note that saratoga are native to the Fitzroy system, bass were never that far north & yellowbelly & silver perch are from the Murray/Darling) You try to work them out! #

For info on BP I've written a couple of articles on it, go to
http://www.ausfish.com.au/fitzy/firsttimers.htm
or
http://www.ausfish.com.au/fitzy/barambah.htm

Info for tourist park & guide is all there.

Hope that helps,

Cheers,

Fitzy..

[jonesy]

thanks for the info fitzy top web site too.
65000 barra in boondoomba 8) have they recorded any captures yet,,,maybe not northern strain wuss fish can't stand water cooler than 24 deg .If they survived they should be around legal length by now , don,t suppose you have been up there recently..

jonesy

[The_Walrus]

Hi Jonesy,

I was at Boodooma for the yellowbelly comp.

The local stocking group believes that when the dam had a major flood after the barras were stocked they all went over the wall. As far as I know ???, there has not been a barra caught in the dam.

As far as "Paradise " dam, have to agree that if it's only for irrigation, forget it.
As for no access if they built it, well ok if the farmers pay for the dam, but as it will be built using taxpayers money, taxpayers own it and can access it.

Luc

[lordy]

I think we have enough dams at present, but like Randall said if its needed for people watering not plant watering there may be a case. Take away any chance to fish it and I've got even less reason to begin supporting it.

I doubt all the barra jumped out of boondoomba, 65000 fish is a lot to all leave at the same time. An incidental capture or 2 may have been passed off as bass but people that couldn't tell the difference. More likely they just died of cold. Boondoomba gets cold, Kingaroy has some of Qlds lowest overnight temp, in freak years getting down belows -8 occasionally.

[Fitzy]

I've heard tales of a couple being caught there, but nothing confirmed. I'm sure Robert Smith will see this & fill us in on the goss there. He's the "Dooma king.
Another reason for scarce or nil captures is that no one employs barra tactics & gear when fishing there. Perch styles will rarely work on barra.

[Randall]

I have heard tales of 50-65cm "Bucket Mouth Perch" being caught there occassionally. Some old guy that works for Kingaroy S/C regularly trolls deep there for "Yellow Perch" and came up with the Bucket Mouth a few times.

This is what he claims anyways.

RG

Now THIS is a BUCKET MOUTH PERCH!!!!!

Complements of Faust .

[Brett_Finger]

Jonesy,
70% of the Burnett is under weir's the Ben Anderson Barrage last one before mouth has taken aprox 65km of tidel prism and turned it to 16km, how to kill a river!!! am currently seeking facts re/ Paradice dam, will post as soon as i have these.
Hookin,Brett

[jonesy]

i suppose if anyone had discovered a suriveing population of barra in boondoomba and has sussed out a reliable method of capturing them they would keep this info fairly close to their chest,we all know how secreitive bass fisho's can be. can't be any differant than slack jaw perch fisho's
Lookin forward to seeing some actual facts on the proposed dam and the enviromental impact study (should be good for a laugh)odd how mental can be associated with the enviroment

While i am thinking of barra anyone had success at awonga ,,,any tipps ,for a axe murder casting syle fly fisho
locations and fly patterens would be nice too .
Looking to go up some time in april around the full moon.have been told impoundment barra like some light at night to hunt by ,a bit like me whilst graseing in the fridge at three in the morning

jonesy

[Katrina]

We did ok in the morning at Awoonga. Got two in Barra cove chucking around Gold Bombers. Good luck!