Far West Coast - October 2020

Another year, another FWC trip. This year, I joined in after a two year hiatus, so you get a story!

This was the earliest in the season we've ever headed west Mulloway hunting, so we were somewhat nervous about being too early, but equally as excited to hopefully avoid the crazy crowds that have gathered there in recent years through the November/December period.

We rolled in to Fowler's Bay mid afternoon, on an overcast but otherwise fine day. Kym & I in were riding in the white Patrol, and Will & Darren in the Hilux. We had two 65 litre fridges and a 40 litre freezer on board. Expectations must have been good (or at least, plenty of room for cold beers).

Being a little bit earlier in the season, we hoped that few salmon schools might still be hanging around, but it wasn't to be. I think this was the 12th or 13th trip we've had out there, and we still hang our hopes based on that ONE year where Scotts beach was filled with Salmon. Anyway, there was no salmon. We trekked around the beaches and various rock ledges, but it was dead everywhere. The weather forecast was for strong south westerly winds coming in after dark, so we sought out a sheltered campsite amongst the dunes at sunset, for the first night. Zero fish on board.

The following day was more of the same. Searching the coast line for schools and coming up with nothing. With the strong winds still persisting, we camped out on the ledge, and decided to hit up the dog fence beach the following day. If we weren't catching bait, we may as well not catch bait at the dog fence instead.

After a failed attempt to short cut from Mexican Hat back to Nundroo, we finally made it back to the coast around 1pm, almost right on high tide. We didn't travel far up the beach before sighting a nice look patch of water - however since it was only 100 metres from another group, and we figured there would be plenty of space up the beach, we persisted on. Turns out the beach was still pretty popular, and we turned back and set up camp at the original spot we liked.

The wind dropped off and the weather turned golden, but no fish come to play that first day on the beach.

The next morning, we slowly got ourselves organised after breakfast, with a baits getting casted out one by one into the seemingly shrinking gutter. At low tide it became quite narrow and hard for us to all fit in the 'good spot' without encroaching on the nearby camp too much. I declared that 11:30am would be the time to get my bait out as that was the start of the incoming tide. I apparently mistimed this though, as just after 11, Will got a big bite and line started peeling out. 

Amongst getting caught up in his other line, he untangled that one and then landed a very nice mulloway, which seemed to increase in size every time it was sighted in the waves. The fish measured in at about 125cm long and 42 pound. The gutter held mulloway, we were all happy.

We set up our 4th and final campfire for the night (4 fires - a FWC record), conveniently the last day before fire bans came in and also before the weather really heated up. As it got dark, around 9pm, Darren's LED light started flashing like crazy and he soon found himself with his very first legal mulloway on the beach. Always a good feeling, and a nice opener at 93cm long.

It got hot after that. Northerly winds made casting baits out far very easy, but the fish weren't coming to play. A managed a rare salmon for fresh bait, but it was slim pickings

The following day it must have been 40+ degrees by 10am and gusting hot northerly winds into camp. The only relief was a dip in the ocean, and some Dolphins came over to inspect Will - very cool!

As hot and as uncomfortable as it was, we decided to pack it up and head back towards Fowlers Bay. At least we'd have some time in the air conditioned car. We only had two nights left, so getting closer to home was a bonus. It was getting close to sunset when we finally arrived back on the beach east of Fowlers. It is a small, but very steep beach, and unfortunately there was some huge lumps of seaweed holding in the little bay. After a hot and exhausting day, a feed and a few beers were had and then it was an early night.

There was some temptation to start the journey home the next morning as the weather was again predicted to be in the high 30's. Thankfully it was quite overcast and even a few drops of rain came through, keeping the temperature down. So the final day was upon us, and Kym and I sitting on big fat donuts for the mulloway catching comp. Team Patrol needed a big day.

A few fat salmon were caught which provided us with some nice fresh bait, but the sun was soon setting with out much action. The best catch being this nice flathead caught by Will.

By time the sun was well and truly down and the moon up, my gear was all packed up ready for the early start the next morning. It was about that time that Will got a solid hit and landed a very nice gummy shark. For half a second I contemplated getting the rod back out, but common sense prevailed. A nice cherry on top of an easy Gashes win for him.

Sheringa - August 2020

I've missed a few trips, and have just neglected to write stories on a couple of trips that I did manage to attend. 

Since my last post, there have been a Hillocks trip in February 2018 (I was Gashes winner), Nora Creina in October 2018 (Kym D winner) and two more FWC trips ('18 & '19) (Kym D winning both - with big mullies on each!).

Which puts Kym D on a bit of a hot streak of 3 victories in a row. And so it came to 2020 and with SA coming out of lock down, a plan was floated to head over to the west coast to have a crack at the annual Salmon fishing competition.

This is a trip in the midst of winter, camping on the beach with no facilities nearby. I expected just a couple of die hards might make the trip, but instead, we ended up with 6 Gashes participants (the most since August 2012 at the Coorong - maybe these freezing cold trips have their appeal?). Add in the non fishing kids and wives and there were 11 people all up, a big camp set up!

Also of note is this was Andy's first trip since that August 2012 trip, and the Tucker brothers first Gashes trip together since November 2006!

In the spirit of the Australian Salmon Competition, we decided pre-trip to tweak the usual rules around who wins the Gashes. Instead of overall best fisherman, we said that simply the biggest salmon would win - as judged by Kym's cheap arse digital scales. There was one asterisk to that point - a legal mulloway would trump all (realistically this was never going to happen).

And so, by 6am the convoy of cars started heading in the direction of Sheringa. Kym, Jason (first time Gashes attendee) and I met up with Will & Ellie at Port Augusta and continued on, rolling in to Sheringa around 2pm. Andy & Kelly weren't far behind and we quickly assembled camp before keenly rigging up and getting some baits out in the water.

Conditions were absolutely perfect - it was shorts and tshirts weather on the beach. Unfortunately the fish weren't coming to play early on.

Matt & Sarah rocked up nearer to sunset, towing his caravan into position and he was all set up. How things have changed.

Will did manage to land two small salmon that first night, but neglected to have them weighed in so officially, no one was on the scoreboard at the end of day one!

Another pearler day for weather greeted us the next morning. I was feeling slightly under the weather though and took some time to get going. My timing was perfect though as I landed a salmon with my first cast around lunch time and put the first official fish on the leaderboard at about 800gm. I was laughed at for weighing in, but difficult conditions would have this fish being right up there for a day or two at least!

Jason, amongst a tangle with Kym's line, managed to get on the leaderboard soon after with a miniature 400 gram fish, but it was on the board none the less.

The gutter was small with reefy parts on either end and a strong sideways current, so tangles were common.

Andy put in a very solid day fishing on Monday and picked up some small salmon and tommy ruff on a lure near the right hand side reef. All agreed that such an effort was worthy of a big result, but it wasn't to be.

Without much action from the nearby gutter, some plans were put in place to go on a bit of an explore on Tuesday. Will, Jase, Kym and I set out in the 4wd's and covered the southern end of Sheringa beach. Amongst a few boggings, we threw baits and lures around but didn't put a whole lot of effort in to it and came back with donuts.

Matt decided on an excursion out to Locks Well, and Andy put in some solid family time, perhaps to make up for the fact he was knee deep in the the surf for about 12 hours the day before.

As everyone returned to camp and got settled back in, Matt rolled back in from Locks Well. He was positive when we asked if he caught any fish, but couldn't hide a huge grin when we asked if he had anything to weigh in.

Matt rocketed to top of the leaderboard with a 3.29kg Salmon. At this stage second best was probably around the 1kg mark, so Matt was well on top.

The two 4wd car groups planned on moving up to Elliston to have a pub meal and clean up in the caravan park prior to a drive home Thursday - where as Andy & Matt were both heading home on Wednesday. We decided dropping in on Locks Well was now our best bet of knocking Matt off the top of the table.

By this time, there was an arctic wind blowing at the top of the cliffs at Locks Well. Heading straight to the pub was a highly tempting proposition. 

Still, a Gashes win was on the line, so we trudged down the stairs, and thankfully the cliff was providing a fair bit of protection, making it rather comfortable down on the sand. Things started slowly, but before too long we were getting a nibble here and there - fish ranging from half to 1kg mostly. Kym may have finally got his first fish of the trip at this time.

A school must have come swimming through though, as we all had hook ups in quick succession - Will with a 1.9kg, me with a 2.2kg and Kym with a 1.8kg fish. All solid fish, but well short of Matt's stomper.

The fishing was good, and I had multiple double headers, but all small fish. I gave a couple of them to some people walking past, and kept a small one as well as the big one for weighing in. Having not eaten all morning and getting closer to 1pm, we pulled the pin and headed up to Elliston.

After weighing in and checking in at the Caravan Park (around $70 for the two cars unpowered! No wonder we avoid caravan parks like the plague normally) we headed up to the Pub to grab a schnitty and watch the footy. To most of our dismays, they get Vic CH7 and not SA... so the footy wasn't on! Perhaps a blessing in disguise given how crap the Crows went anyway.

The predicted thunderstorm held off so we were able to pack up in the dry and hit the road. A few days later, I found out that one of my weighed in salmon... a 700 gram beast, won the weekly mystery prize, pocketing me a cool $200. But Matt took out the Gashes convincingly to get his name on the trophy for the first time in 12 years. Long time between drinks.

Cheers to Kym for the photos on this one - I was more than slack with the camera.