Sweetwater Exploration - Club Trip 31 March 2012
This month we were scheduled to have our club fun day, but one thing has lead to another and we've had to put that off until later in the year. Options were asked for, and it seems that Dave hatched a plan to explore some local freshwater after an afternoon at work trapsing around some low, clear flowing streams filled with big spangled perch and unfortunately tilapia. Ward and his father, Richard S, and Omer were quick to jump on board and make it a reality.
The aim was to head down to a couple of creeks he had fished before, and to explore a new system that he had heard good stories of. Jungle perch, mangrove jack and tarpon (as well as spangled perch) were to be the targets of the morning. The fishing was tough, and the skinny water was a little crowded at stop one, but still, Ward managed some attention from a couple of junglies, and Dave the same from a little jack. The water was flowing fast in places, but was wadable, and our stream craft skills were definately put to the test.
An hour or so in, and we decided it was time to hit stop two. Now this creek we had only heard rumours of, and were pleasantly surprised when, after a good walk, the jacks and jungle perch made themselves known. While they weren't particularly agressive, the numbers of these fish in some schools certainly made up for it. Two fish came from this stream, both jacks,m (one to Ward and the other to Omer) but there were a few indecisive junglies that once again played with Dave's little brain. One highlight of the stream was stumbling on to a school of a dozen or so jacks, including one specimen that would easily have beaten the 40cm mark. Dave Sat high on the bank as Ward lay down his cast, and watched a palm-sized jack chase down and inhale Ward's fly.
Stop three was promising, we know there are fish here, but alas there were also a number of other people we had to share the water with, and hindsight suggested we might have been more fruitful to hit this stream earlier in the morning. A few pools were found, and some fish were seen again, we just couldn't convince them to eat.
All in all despite the uncooperative fish, we had an enjoyable morning, and I know that atleast one of us will be spending more time in these little creeks this year.
The aim was to head down to a couple of creeks he had fished before, and to explore a new system that he had heard good stories of. Jungle perch, mangrove jack and tarpon (as well as spangled perch) were to be the targets of the morning. The fishing was tough, and the skinny water was a little crowded at stop one, but still, Ward managed some attention from a couple of junglies, and Dave the same from a little jack. The water was flowing fast in places, but was wadable, and our stream craft skills were definately put to the test.
An hour or so in, and we decided it was time to hit stop two. Now this creek we had only heard rumours of, and were pleasantly surprised when, after a good walk, the jacks and jungle perch made themselves known. While they weren't particularly agressive, the numbers of these fish in some schools certainly made up for it. Two fish came from this stream, both jacks,m (one to Ward and the other to Omer) but there were a few indecisive junglies that once again played with Dave's little brain. One highlight of the stream was stumbling on to a school of a dozen or so jacks, including one specimen that would easily have beaten the 40cm mark. Dave Sat high on the bank as Ward lay down his cast, and watched a palm-sized jack chase down and inhale Ward's fly.
Stop three was promising, we know there are fish here, but alas there were also a number of other people we had to share the water with, and hindsight suggested we might have been more fruitful to hit this stream earlier in the morning. A few pools were found, and some fish were seen again, we just couldn't convince them to eat.
All in all despite the uncooperative fish, we had an enjoyable morning, and I know that atleast one of us will be spending more time in these little creeks this year.
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