.....For The Topwater Artists.....

[fghjkl]

Hi again mate, i was curious on wat line rating ya megabasses were as im looking for new rod to put Chronarch on. (Want to be able to chase bream and flatties on it too )

Tight lines.
Cheers,
Joel

[ffejsmada]

what an awesome trip!!!

Great stuff Rick, gee those Sooties look solid, I'd love to get one of those babies!

How's your finger???

Cheers Jeff.

[wheezer]

good stuff 'B8...always great when all the planning that goes into such a trip is rewarded...when you are ready to come north in search of the JP let me know...a trip up this way will see you trekking for JPs deep in the jungle one day, to tangling with XOS barra at tinaroo the next.....

[Roo]

Great Report HardB8. It seems you're talented with both the rod and the words too! great read!. glad your trip went well and the little tacker is well again.
Kyles PB Barra would have to be one of those moments neither of you will readily forget. I can imagine the little voices in his head willing that fish to "Eat It!".

Cheers Roo.

[Jungle Jim]

Well written and photographed. a top read...

"topwater artists" just about sums it up.


look forward to the next report


Jim

[Obi _ Wan]

Hey Rick thats a sensational report mate, well done.

Also a great result, a trip that will provide you with many happy memories for a lifetime.

That topwater stuff is awesome stuff no matter how often you fish it.

Cheers,
John.

[ant_72]

Hey there Rick great trip and sensationally written. It was more like a novel i could not put down. Kyle has not shut up about the trip and giggles like a little school girl when he starts talking about it. Jokes aside great work, great fishing, and a trip like that is something that you will never forget and always dream about. Tell Kyle to slow down and not get anymore tickets

[Hardb8]

Hi Joel,
We had a total of 4 Destroyers on board for this trip,Also a rod from the Gan Craft stable.

Megabass have recently changed it's lineup,And I'm pretty sure that the Espada I was using on this trip,Is sadly no longer available.

It has however taken on some new propertys,And at last glance it was titled as :-Expada.It has the same specs,But the blank materials,And their placement have changed a bit.This will effect the overall action of the blank,It's sensitivity,And it's recovery rate.

Megabass Destroyers used,And their specs.

Espada...F1 1/2-63Xti.
Lenght :- 6'3".
Lure :-1/8 - 5/8oz.
Line :- 5 - 14lb.
Action :- Slow.

Griffon Evolution...F3-66XDti.
Lenght :- 6'6".
Lure :- 3/16 - 5/8oz.
Line :- 5 - 16lb.
Action :- Fast.

There were two Girffon's on board,As Kyle and myself both have one.

Jota...F4 1/2-64XFti.
Lenght :- 6'4".
Lure :- 1/4 - 3/4oz.
Line :- 8 - 20lb.
Action :- Medium.

Of the thee,I would recommend the Espada,A nice rod for what your thinking of doing.The slow taper,And soft action of the blank would be perfect for the headshakes of Flathead.It also makes an awsome topwater stick.Probably my favourite of the rods I own.She's also very light in actual weight.

Fortunantly for you,There is a massive ammount of manufacturers making excellent rods to suit this application.Megbass have quite a few others that would also be suitable for the job.Be sure to check out their website.

Kyle was constantly reminding me that I shouldn't have sold him that Gan Craft.He liked it already,But the more he used it,The more he fell in love with it.By day two I was really regretting the sale.I don't have the specs on hand for this rod at the moment.

Hi Jeff,
The fingers healin up great.No infection.Thanks for askin.

G'day Andrew,
Becarefull about what ya typein m8,You may not be able to get me to leave,And ya could end up with a permanant tent in ya front yard .Hope you are well.

Roo,
Thanks for your comments."Eat it" The coolest sayin in lurein.

Hi Jim,
I thought about the title for a while.And I gave it that one for a couple of reasons.I see topwatering as somewhat of a darkart.It receives nowhere near the attention of other types of fishing.

It is practiced by few,And even fewer are regularly successfull at it.I believe it takes a bit longer to peice together information about this style of fishing.But the rewards are more than worth it.

I see topwater students as puppeters.Twitching,Tweaking,Sliding,Stoping and Starting,Manipulating their offerings to be inviteing enough to get their quarry to rise to the surface.

Twitch a stick or pencilb8 in a perfect mesmorising side to side motion along the top,And try and hold ya rythum when you see a big fish comin.Then try not to strike at the massive disturbance of water when it hits.It's hard to keep ya cool.

Then go into tiny twitches to create the impression your lure has been injured,And can no longer swim on,To see if the offender will return to finish the job.

For some reason I see it as art work.

Some swing a brush.....I swing a Dog X.

So I titled it :- For The Topwater Artists.....For the fans of suface fishing.....For the fans of The Dark Art.

Hi John,
Thanks for your thoughts,Glad you enjoyed the read.I hope you and your family are well.

Hi Ant,
Glad you too enjoyed the read.I've been tryin to get Kyle to slow down scince I met him.I guess this skill only comes with age.

Once again thankyou all for your thoughts.

Regards. B8.

[Mozza]

Brilliant!

What a great read - makes me want to go there.

Top stuff.

Thanks
Mozza

[BLOOEY]

HARDB8, Your'e quite the wordsmith. Had me rivetted the whole way. The fishing sounds bloody sensational. Might have to do a bit of research on kinchant for the next hols i think. Ben

[.:::stotty:::.]

AMASING photo qaulity, love it mate. And great report to back it up. Best read all night. cheers buddy