archerfish

I used to take a jar with some lime juice and chilli in it whilst out taking for crabs over Panga's way. Whilst taking and stepping in RF cut em open take the meat out throw in the jars and leave guts in the water. Keep walking a few hundred more metres getting crabs before turning around and getting twice the amount of crabs on the return trip feasting on the guts.Time you get back to the car and load up you have a jar of scrumptious razor fish to mung out on👍

Pickling is done with vinegar, lemons or limes.
It's also a personal thing in that there are no hard and fast rules for what amount of vinegar to spices.
Personally I wouldn't do so a fine seafood as Scallops, nor any other seafood as I am not a fan of vinegar.
But if I were I would use cider vinegar say roughly 60%, white wine roughly 30% and the rest in lemon juice.
Then it's up to your own taste buds. Like it hot? Slice a chilli or two and throw into the mix with seeds and all, the longer you leave it the more kick you get.
Other ingredients include some or all of the following. Bay leaves, whole peppercorns, coriander root, lemon grass, ginger, palm sugar, ETC... and again, up to your taste buds, no set amount I can give you. This is where some chefs can't give you a written recipe as it's all about tasting as you go and adjusting.
You can put your raw scallops straight into the mix and leave till it's pickled (possibly overnight, possibly longer, size dependant.
You can kick start the whole process by warming the liquid to just below boil point then throw the scallops in.
As we spoke te other day Lindsay my fav was whilst out on the boat dice up fresh snapper or other firm flesh fish like queen fish, throw in lime juice with ground pepper and a few hot chillies. An hour later delicious, next day delicious with a bigger heat kick.
One thing I have never understood is why people like taking something as delicate and sweet as blue swimmer crab and subject it to pickling? All that vinegar destroys that delicate wonderful flavour

I borrowed some long handled razor fish tongs from a friend over here on Yorks as I have one area that when I walk for crabs (great fun) but the dam razor fish are every where so I thought I need to take a few out in the very near future. Hence the tongs from a friend.
Here is what they look like.

 
Then thinking about them....  the light in my small brain went on, I know it amazed me too.
 
They took about 10 minutes each to make and cost me about $5 each as I used s/s wire rope which I had and the handles are left over net handles that "friends" broke on ventures dabbing 4 gar. Got the idea from my crayfish diving days. Check it out as it will work and I can walk 4 crabs at the same time    Happy Days.
 

 
If you want to make them let me know (PM) or post here and I will let you know but it is easy. The handles knobs at the end are my old golf balls by the way

I finally got around to rigging for a tuna trip
Took a few photos
First is with shed light
second UV only
Last both
The mono on that reel looks amazing with UV lol might change that...
The squid jags and lures glow nicely as well
The small skirts are on 80 fluorocarbon but had trouble keeping rig straight during crimping. When tested to destruction the crimp slipped chaffed the line rather than just breaking line😬
I found the 150, 200lb jinkai so much easier to use
Now I need to do my favorite hard bodies and service reels
I have been trying to get ready for last few months but sick, family and trying to run business has slowed me down.
Feel so much better now
BRING IT ON....  

Thanks for that, Panga. $80 is probably going to have to get me a whole lot of Razorfish!
The only reason I asked the question is that I finally tried Razorfish for the first time earlier this month and have now become hooked.
Good luck on your most excellent adventure tomorrow (sorry I won't be aboard).
 
Cheers
af

As a massive jerky fan, I have been contemplating purchasing a dehydrator for a while. I know you can do jerky in a very slow oven for an extended length of time, but the dehydrator option seems the go. In the interim, I purchase my weekly fix from Barossa Fine Foods.
While researching dehydrators, I found this:
 
http://www.eziconcepts.com.au/Recipes/EziDri/Jerky.aspx
 
Hope this may be helpful.
 
Cheers
af

With the trout season opening only a couple of weeks away I had a nice surprise this morning when Pam walked in and gave me a package that she had picked up at BCF..
 
Having lower severe back problems and suffering with angina Pam went bought me a GME personal locator beacon. I have been thinking of getting one for quite some time mainly because I always fish the rivers on my own. This one also has GPS which will put me a 5 meter radius of being found which is better than a 5 kilometer range.
 
So I registered it this morning and it's all go from now.. Let's hope I don't have to use it..
 
cheers
Adrian
 

I stayed up all night wondering where the sun went ....Then it dawned on me 

A sad day, indeed...Alvey has been part of the lives of countless Australian fishers.
 

I just read the news that Alvey Reels Australia is closing down.
 
This is from the Alvey Reels Australia Facebook page...
 
 
To our wonderful customers over many, many years. It is with great sadness I have to announce that Alvey Reels Australia will be closing down.
Our manufacturing facility at Carole Park has served us well since 1978 but sales of our reels are now so low they can not generate the income required to keep the business going.
Our loyal and skilled staff have kept the quality of our products very high and we are proud of this reputation as being the toughest reel on the market.
So I would like to sincerely thank all our staff, many who are very long term employees for their support even now during this very sad time as we wind the business down.
We still have substantial stocks to be distributed to retailers and we will endeavour to support warranties and spare parts for our products as long as we can.
Thank you again for your support as an Alvey user, it is you that has kept us in business for the past 97 years.
Kindest Regards,
Bruce Alvey
 

Some of you may know that the Onka Stompa BBQ crew were setup on Saturday at Mile End Bunnings to help raise funds for The Childhood Cancer Association.
 
Doobie, Dain, Jono, Nigel and myself were manning the BBQ and after a flat out day managed to raise an awesome $2,023.80 to add to the Onka Stompa kitty for the end of year comp.
 
The next BBQ will be in September!
 

 

** This is an article I wrote & had published for the trout season here in Tasmania last season, it may be of some interest to the trout fisher's on the site..
 
    Hope it may be of some use to all the fisho's on the site actually, enjoy the read..
 
 
 '' EARLY SEASON RIVER STRATEGIES - BAIT AND LURE.''
 
Well with another season soon upon us once again (5th August), early season fishing can run hot and cold for this time of the year. With the season start still being in Winter we are still going to have quite a bit of inclement weather to put up with for a month or two. Cold, windy and wet days at times making fishing conditions very hard and every fish is well earned for those who tough it out. Then there will be the very clear, cold frosty mornings when the temperature is so low that the water from the line freezes in the rod eyelets preventing one from retrieving the line back in after a few casts with the lure. For those of us who love trout fishing rivers, well that's just some thing we take in our stride.. Remember to be well rugged up, that's the main thing, and really you don't have to get up and be on the water at first light this early in the season either. Well I don't any way, I start around 9.00am and still get a good catch on most trips . Early season trout fishing can be very rewarding with many nice plump trout being taken by both bait and lure fishing rivers. The rivers may be running high and dirty, or they could be running medium and reasonably clear giving us the choice of bait or lure fishing. It all boils down to how much rain we get during this early part of the season.
 

Flooded rivers early season, good time for bait fishing..
 
 
''Bait Fishing.''
For me it will depend on how much rain we've had and if they're high and dirty, then it will be bait fishing. I'll be sitting back on a river bank with two rods set in a backwater with a bunch of worms on the hooks. I love the start of the season when the rivers are high and I can do a bit of bait fishing as it is so relaxing. One can sit back and enjoy the beauty that surrounds us while waiting for that fish to eventually take the bait. It's even better on a clear sunny and calm Winter's day too.
When bait fishing high water always look for a backwater, flooded paddock or a very slow flowing pocket of water close to the river bank. Trout will be feeding on worms that have been washed into rivers or drowned in flooded paddocks. This is where you will catch most fish in these conditions. I have caught several very nice browns in some of the smallest calm pockets of water close to the river bank, so always flick a baited hook into those areas when you come across them. The one thing you must have when bait fishing is patience and plenty of it. Patience will be rewarding for you in the long run that's for sure. I have sometimes picked up a fish before I've had a chance to get my second rod in the water. Other times I've sat there for two hours before picking up a fish, but that's how bait fishing goes. I often throw some soil with a few worms mixed in with it out into the river and then flick the baited hook out to that area. This regularly results in a catching a few browns by doing this as well. Most times I have my baited hooks sitting no more that 6 meters from the bank. The trout won't be any further out than that as the flow is too strong.
 

Waiting for the take...

Bait rigs for bottom fishing ..
 
The set up I use is a small ball or bean sinker (around 2 - 8 gms) set above a swivel, followed by a 600 – 800mm trace with a size 6 bait holder hook and a nice bunch of gardens worms on it. Once you've flicked your bait out, let it sink to the bottom, flick the bail arm over and loosen off the drag so the fish can pick up the bait and move off without feeling any resistance. Then place your rod onto a rod holder or push a Y-shaped twig into the soft ground and rest you rod in the top of the Y. Then it's just a matter of sitting back and waiting for a bite. Please do not use any willow twigs and branches for your rod support as these will shoot and grow if left in the ground.
 

Flooded paddocks & along the river banks are always good areas to bait fish for trout..

My trout hole at Weegena.. ( Mersey River)
 
Some bait fishers will leave the bail arm open and place a small stone on the line so when the fish takes the bait the line pulls free from the rock. The same basics also apply if the rivers are running high and clear too. You just have to remember the water is very cold and the trout will be slowing moving around feeding as not to waste energy. They will be solid well condition fish, and you can expect to pick up fish around the 1 kilo mark or better. With flooded paddocks, you should fish much lighter with the sinker (or none at all) as the water will be much shallower than the river, and you will often see trout tailing in these areas. There are many rivers that fish well once the water flows over the river banks and into the paddocks. The Leven, Mersey and Macquarie rivers are just three of them that fish extremely well when this occurs. So there you have it, try a bit of early season river bait fishing whether the water is dirty or clear, give it a go and enjoy the moment. It's also good as family outing, and a great way to get the kids started in fishing rivers for trout. Remember to leave the area as you found it when you arrived to fish, please take you rubbish home with you.

Just lay back in the Winter sun and enjoy the surrounds..

A couple of solid trout for the smoker..
 
''Lure Fishing.''
Lure fishing early in the season can be a frustrating time when spinning for trout as their metabolism is low due to the very cold water. Cold, fast flowing water and sluggish trout can make for several trying trips. This is when I look to fish the slower sections of river because early in the season trout will rarely be taken in fast water. They will be along the edges of the river banks and in the slower runs just off the main flow of the river, waiting to pounce on any thing that passes by. They will be holding deep in the areas that will be energy saving for them. When using blade spinners and with the water being so cold it pays to use a bright coloured lures (silver or fluro) as this will help to stimulate the fish and get them to strike the lure. If the river is running high then it is advisable to work the lure from the river bank and not take any chances of being in the river chasing them. The river bottom is normally very slippery early on in the season, and it's just not worth risking your life getting into a fast flowing river even though it may look okay to you. This is where rivers that flow through open pastures are great to spin from and there are plenty of rivers like this around Tasmania that are accessible too. Remember, if they are not one that has the Angler's Access set ups on them, then please contact the land owner to gain permission to enter the property. Just because you have a trout license, it doesn't give you the right to enter a property without the owner's consent.
Whether you are using a hard body lures, soft plastics or blade spinners make sure they are a bright coloured ones as I stated earlier, it will stimulate the trout into striking the lure. Cast the spinner up and across the flow, then keeping the rod tip at around 45 degrees let the lure drift with the flow and slowly retrieve the line as to keep the slack out of it. Give the rod a light twitch every now and then, by doing this it you will have a better chance of a strike and a hookup. Continue this method as you slowly work your way upstream along the river bank. Always look ahead of to see if there are pockets of near still or slow water along the river bank, and if there is cast directly upstream and work the lure down through it.
These pockets of water will often give up a trout as well. If you come across a run of slow water amongst some trees and there is ample room to flick a lure, then do so. These areas can and do hold some nice solid fish in them. If the water is cloudy or even a little dirty then use a dark (I would recommend black with fluro dots) coloured lure. A dark colour shows up more to the trout in these conditions than a bright lure.
When I do decide to have a decent few hours of spinning in a river I'll normally go for a smaller river or stream rather than tackle the bigger rivers. Though I still hit the bigger rivers at two or three times a week and have a session early in the season, more often once the weather is more settled.. With the smaller rivers they seem to settle down much quicker than the large rivers and I can get in and wade them in safety. It pays to have a set of thermal underwear and socks on too, as the cold water really hits home. You have to remember that early season spinning for trout in rivers will be much slower until the weather warms up and the water temperature rises to a suitable temperature for them. I still work the rivers the same way early in the season as I do through out the whole season. The only difference is the clarity of the river, water temperature and the lure colour. I do up my blade spinner size in the larger rivers at this time of year too because of the extra river height. Where as I normally fish a #00 (1.5gm) spinner I go to a #1 (3.5gm) spinner as it will run much deeper, once the levels drop then I go back to the smaller size.
 

Fluoro spinners, ideal for early season spinning.
 
Then there's the hard body lures, a sinking or suspending lure is my preferred choice only because of the rivers being much higher and trout will be holding deeper at this time of year. There are plenty of very good hard body lures available now days so pop into your local tackle shop and pick up a few. Talk to the sales staff if you are unsure of what lure you looking for, they will only be too happy to help out. Once you're on the river it's only a matter of casting them out and working the lure in much the same way as using the blade spinner. Only different thing I do is to not let it drift with the flow. I will work the hard body lure from the time it hits the water. On the retrieve I will flick the rod from side to side, this helps to give the lure a little more action as you work it through the water. Remember it's up to you to get that trout stimulated into striking the lure.
 

 Hard body lures such as  Rapala work well all year round as do many other varieties..
 
When using a hard body early in the season I normally stick with a rainbow pattern or a silvery (shiny) coloured models as these have always worked well for me. Fishing cold water with lures can often be a lot of trial and error. Don't be afraid of changing your choice of lure at all, especially if you haven't had a strike. A change of lure may just result in getting your first trout for the season.
Once the river levels have dropped to a safe wading height, then get into them and start working those lures and spinners hard. Your catch rate should now improve as you will be able to cover more water with the lures. Just remember, do not take any risks as no fish is worth drowning for. So whether your going to start the season off with a hook full of juicy fat worms, or are going to flick a lure around, remember the main thing is to enjoy the time spent on a river chasing trout with the family, friends or a mate. All the best for the new season ahead.
 
Cheers  Adrian (meppstas)
 

'' Rewards from early season bait fishing, a 1.1kg & 1.3kg brown trout.''                               

Here's a few photos of the sunset tonight taken from our backyard here in Sheffield...
 
cheers
Adrian
 



 
And one from June below..

 
 
 

I just came across this beautiful specimen while browsing through Reddit, and thought it was pretty enough to share. According to the comments, it's either a California Golden Trout, or a palomino trout; either way, you'd have to get a kick out of reeling something like this in 
 

 
Imgur link: http://i.imgur.com/o2nn9eS.jpg

Got any of these down there Adrian?
 

Here's a photo of Dave with one of the many large wild browns he catches in the Tyenna River.... makes me green with envy, may have to go South for a weeks fishing I reckon..
 

more fungi from a trip to Loongana and a very small cluster of them inside of a hollow  retaining wall block at home.. note the slug in there with them. I didn't notice it until I trimmed the photo..
cheers
Adrian
 


One lonely fungi at Loongana..
 



Small fungi at home..

I heard the Daiwa were not producing the Gekkabijin Yoguri lure any more, well the small ones that I use any way which are the 4F models (42mm/ 2gm) floating hard body lures. So I rang Daiwa Australia to confirm it and they said "That's correct, they're being discontinued and they have 15 left in stock. If want them I'd have to be quick and get hold of a Daiwa seller and get them to get them in for me. Well I was quickly on the phone and was lucky enough to get twelve of the Ghost Brown ones that I use from Daiwa.. so i do have some nice trout lures to see me out for a while proving I don't get busted off too often like I did towards the end of the trout season when I lost two in two trips, then broke the bib of the only surviving ghost brown one. Now what's left of them are probably in tackle shops around the country..These were selling from $17-95 to $22-95 each and I picked them up for $11-95 ea which I was very happy with.. also came with free postage too.. 
cheers
Adrian
 


The last 12 available from Daiwa..

Here's pic I took the other day while fishing a small river.. it's a real mirror image.. just a shame it was a dull overcast day..
 
cheers
Adrian
 

So very hard to release these back

Good numbers

A quick update on the dam.
 
On taking up habitat4fish offer, part of the plan was to set some operahouse nets to see if the yabbies were doing ok.
 
I think the pictures tell the story best
 

 
 
 
One of the biggest

Hi Sheep
 
Please be aware that cast nets are illegal to use in SA.
(Refer to smokeykebab's post above)
 
Cheers
af

April/May comp time....     Every report posted up in From today April 15th until May 31st will give you the chance to win a Balzer Alegra Air 3300 RD Reel thanks to Adore Tackle and a SH prize pack.   The prize pack includes: Balzer Alegra Air 3300 RD Reel, Tackle including, float, hooks, swivels, glow beads, a SH beanie and neck warmer.     Check out the Adore Tackle website www.adoretackle.com for their full range of products including, reels, rods, lures and fishing tackle.   Also check out the Adore Tackle Facebook page to keep up to date with all of their new gear http://www.facebook.com/adoretackle       At the end of May the site staff will choose the best report. Reports should be posted in any of the forum categories not in the comps category as we can check all posts from April 15th until May 31st.   You can target any fish, crab, cephalopod, saltwater or fresh, boat or land based, if you catch heaps or none at all. All reports are up for the prize as long as it's legal and clean. We will be looking for a quality report, get us immersed in your fishing adventures, photos always help tell the story, videos can really add an exciting edge too.      
The comp starts NOW April 15th 2017 and ends on May 31st 2017.
 
 
 
*** As we have a few members in other states, this comp will be open to all states of Australia! ***
 
 
Good luck everyone   
 
 

Bit of an update. 
 
I fitted two of my HBs with single hooks, making sure I had an identical HBs with trebles to use as the "control" in the experiment. 
 
I fitted out a Daiwa "Girken" with 2 x size 8 hooks and a Daiwa Double Clutch with 2 x size 4 hooks. 
 

 
After testing both of these, the action seemed ok, however I had issues with the hooks on both set ups. The size 8's were too big and tangled with each other more often than not when twitching the lure. The size 4's were also too big, but for a different reason. When twitching the lure, the middle / belly hook would foul itself on the head of Double Clutch. 
 
To rectify the "Girken" I removed the middle / belly hook and simply run a tail hook only.
 
 

 
Works GREAT! Action is better and the Bream seem happy to have a crack at it. Whilst I dropped a few fish this morning with the above set up, those that stayed on were quickly released without harm. I also found that even though I had plenty of hits, it was only the bigger Bream that could fit the larger single hook in their mouth - a great side bonus as I get sick of releasing rat sized fish that get snagged on the smaller trebles.
 
With the Double Clutch, I have simply downsized the hooks from size 4 to size 6, keeping both the tail and belly hooks. I havent had a chance to test them though so I will see how this works out.
 
Will see how this experiment continues to work out over the coming months.