Reply With QuoteDick,
I remember being right at the cut one day and thinking, this is going to overflow soon. And so it did - got some good photos too. Probably 91, maybe 92.
Just a modification the the spillway structure itself to make it a bit more fish friendly Darryl
Dick,
I remember being right at the cut one day and thinking, this is going to overflow soon. And so it did - got some good photos too. Probably 91, maybe 92.
Dick: thanks for the update. All good news, eh.
I've caught sooties from a great height at the Spillway cut. has the lake ever been high enough for run to occur in any direction? Far as I know it's never filled.
Borisdog: Keep us posted re Alan...
He used to fish the Ord a big with Greg Harmon and also guided. I fish a bit with his brother Rick out on the Drysdale but for the life of me can't recall the surname. Grrrrrrr, killed too many braincells, mate. Something I drank...I think.
Al convinced me to try Turkana alias the Jade Sea during Africa travels.
Guess that's the trivia for the day.
Darryl, Rod
Some pics of the electro fishing work done by QDPI and our mob. Chucked in a pic of a $1.08 fish (just to keep on topic) that got zapped and kitted out with a tag and some dye.
A couple of spillway, one with the flow being 8 metres over the plug in Mar 2002, that was the highest the lake has been. Other pic was this year or last when it went over by only a half metre.
I've lived in KNX since 90 and it goes over often then not, even since they lifted the level by 6 metres in the mid nineties.
Yep, PNG1M is definately a catch & releaser apart from the occasional specimen that is destined for the hotplate.
When the PNG fishing club I'm in (Star Mountains Sports Fishing Club) started to fish the SUKI area of the Fly River in 2005 the locals just couldn't understand why we were catching the fish and then letting them go back into the water. They were mind-boggled at first until we explained that the fish were still there, and maybe we could catch them again some day.
Of course, to the locals fish are FOOD for the family. They rarely catch large fish themselves as they don't have the means. They are usually content to catch the small ones (whatever bites) on light handlines. They don't have access to decent fishing tackle & lures etc so when they see us with all our flash gear, hauling in the big-uns of course they want us to give the fish to them.
In the early part we used to hand a few over so they could feed their families and to establish some 'good-will' but after a while our perseverence with 'catch & release' paid off. Now they generally accept the practice as a positive thing. As the people are trying to build up a tourism project based on bird-watching & fishing it in their best interests to keep the fish stock up high so that the place doesn't end up 'fished out'.
Last year our fishing club started a program involved with tagging Black Bass. So far the club has tagged around 70+ fish. One was re-caught after six months and it had grown 6cm in length.
Our club policy is to release 100% of the black bass that are caught. In the early days we used to keep a few of them too for the barby, but not any more.
If the barra happen to be on, we usually keep a couple for the hotplate and give a fish or two to the driver & deckie (for their family's dinner), but the majority of barra are returned to the water.
In the early days of fishing this area (ie 2005/06) the guys that did catch their first ever metery - including myself - kept the fish. But now, as a club we have imposed size restrictions on the barra we are allowed to keep. Thus the larger ones will always be released. The Suki area is a natural wetlands region and it is an amazing place - complete with herds of wild (ferel) deer splashing around the place.
When I head up there for a trip in late July I'll be accessing some new areas; very remote and previously unfished with lures. So hopefully there'll be plenty of catch & release happening with a spot or two of evening char grill.
Last edited by PNG1M; 17-05-2008 at 09:52 PM.
If you happen to be in East Africa, Uganda and are prepared to dodge the LRA bullets (Lords Resistance Army) there are fishing permits available to fish the Nile River up at Murchison Falls National Park.
That's where the Nile River narrows and squeezes through a small gorge opening a few metres wide, known as Murchison Falls. I've been there but didn't brave the fishing option. The water looks so wild and filled with fishing potential.
The LRA rebels wouldn't be your only obstacle though as the place is teaming with hippos & crocodiles and I saw six lions patrolling the shoreline - not to mention the occasional marauding bull elephant. But, if you are an adventurer and want to fish a seldom fished before African hot spot - try there!
These blokes took a chance at it - check out the Nile Perch (or click the link to see the pic)!
Last edited by PNG1M; 17-05-2008 at 10:16 PM.
2 good posts PNG1, the July trip sounds awesome, one I have promised myself I will do, the other is a trip on Nomad into the coral sea.
Looking forward to some pics and a report on your trip
cheers
brian
It's worth remembering that Vic McCristal fished the Suki region of the Fly river back in the 1960s. He was the first to document the presence of the black bass.
There are no spottails along the Gulf of Papua rivers. They only come in east of Mullens Harbour where the barra taper off. During trips into the Aramia and Bamu, which drain off the same swamp complex and the Fly system, we caught bass, barra, toga and sooty grunter in the same session. On one trip there were stacks a dead fishwe figured were killed by pollution from the OK Tedi mine. The cleanup bill is now bigger than the remaining deposits.
And over on the Kikori, bigger and tougher water, I fluked a 6 pound jungle perch while filming a commercial on ABU/Garcia spin reels reels for American TV. It was useless, they wanted a bass. Ten or so reels later. they got one.
Black and spot-tail were identified by Dr. John Paxton, curator of fish at the Sydney museum, as freshwater members of the worldwide snapper family (no relation to our red nobby of recent soft plastics fame) after I delivered specimens to him circa 1970s.
Last edited by rod harrison; 18-05-2008 at 03:51 PM.
Thanks for the info Rod,
Interesting to hear that the Suki area was fished in the 60's.
20kms north of Suki up the Fly there's a creek & wetlands known as Kwima (makes Suki look like a metropolis). Currently 4 of the IGFA WR black bass have been caught at Kwima.
A bit further up the Fly past Kwima there are more small creeks and a couple of large semi-landlocked lagoons that used to be bends in the river. We'll be testing those out at some point...and the adrenelin is starting to tingle just thinking about it.
Between my Jap version CT 400 Calcutta on the Loomis; my TE Conquest 300 on the Egrell and my new Curado DSV 300 on the t-curve all spooled up with YGK Ultra x8 it should be a matter of just 'reel'em 'n in'.... I won't dwell on my tried & tested Blacksheep 300 or my Penn 965 as my mates'll be using them.
And here I am complaining to my wife that she spends too much when she goes out shopping...!!? How many other blokes have smuggled their recent tackle aquisitions into the house or shed while the other half is otherwise occupied?
Then we quickly stash it with the rest of our stuff; strategically dispose of the packaging (if we didn't already do it on the way home) and when she sees you with the gear later on - we pretend we've had it for ages...hmm, been there done that?? (Then the temporary guilt trip hits when you get a mental flash of your remaining bank balance)....shiiiiish!
Last edited by PNG1M; 19-05-2008 at 04:07 PM.
"...a voice in my head keeps telling me to go fishing..."
At the height of the pax australia in PNG a lot of the kiaps fished. Steamships in Morseby were the ABU agents and they imported everything, I mean everything. So state of the art tackle - that of the day, anyway - was easy to secure. The hi-lo and killer (a run made under contract by Pradco were the ones) were the gun lures.) There's not a lot of water along the gulf that hasn't seen a lure at some time or other.
Anyone still able to fish up there, is very, very fortunate.
Wish I was.
McCristal seems to be forgotten in today's "look at me"
style of fishing media. He was doing bream on lures, and
Nic Creme stuff (he invented the soft plastic) before a lot of todays soft handed fancy shirts were a backlash in their old man's ball bag.
Originally Posted by rod harrison
just picked myself up off the ground after laughing so hard at the "backlash in their....." line, thas gold.
You just have to love that Harro stylejust picked myself up off the ground after laughing so hard at the "backlash in their....." line, thas gold.
Never let it be said that Harro has not got a wonderful command of the Queens English........Priceless.......Cheers WhittoYou just have to love that Harro style
Good Mates....Good Food.....Good Fishing....Priceless
Tell us how you REALLY feel Harro
Love the backlash in the ball bag!!
I'd better go moisturise hands and iron my shirt...going fishing tommorrow.
Got get me a cover shot
Steve
PS I am actually hanging S$%t on myself and the current fishing era in general. I agree with you. Pioneers are sometimes forgotten...or there legacy is not passed on for one reason or another..so thanks Rod for the fishing history lessons. For a relative young bloke, this info is much appreciated and great to learn.
Harro and others.
The article on Nile Perch mentioned above was from Andrew Blake, published in July '89 edition of Modern Fishing entitled "Jade Sea Giants".
It's a great read. For interest sake and those that remember that edition it's got a series of 6 photo's in it of a MASSIVE giant bluefin Tuna of 8 - 900 lbs trying to eat a tailor.
Dick , the penny drops with what you're talking about re spillway - They lifted it huh?
Cheers, Darryl
Last edited by borisdog; 21-05-2008 at 05:17 AM.
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