Mickyj

Heres the pic, was close to 40cm i think didnt get a measure...

Well done Luke you put me to shame mate well done on another great fish . {SMILIES_PATH}/grin.gif

Just one more thing. When I stopped fishing last Friday I got to chating with two older guys who were fishing with bait.One chap told me he had been fishing the lake since it opened in 78 .And in his words we are just approaching the Bream season!!! Of course I said yeah but your fishing with bait !!! So with bait the Bream fishing is about to pick up .And us people with flies or those plastics things u guys buy will need to try harder or catch other fish .

Wrasse, that sounds cool... There are also big mullet schooling up in the lake again, around the steps. Ill post a pic of one i caught today soon...

On a lure ?

Bream are opportunistic feeders so in general they will feed on what is easiest to come by. In summer when the warm water brings multitudes of baitfish to the surface, the Bream will feed on these and Soft and Hard Plastic Minnows work very well. Same when the Prawns are skipping; then Poppers work.Like Lee i've found that in winter the fish head down deep to where warm pockets of water are. Baitfish and Prawns will be most active here, though not in the numbers or at the level of activity during summer/autumn. Everything seems to be a bit slower and Ripping SoftPlastic Minnows usually stops being so effective. Instead Suspending Minnows, fished dead slow have proved deadly for me. It is also in the depths of winter/ early spring that Lipless lures work best of all. Rattles will draw in fish from the surrounding area and the action can be as fast as in Summer, however when the weather is variable or when the fish are slow and hard to tempt, SILENT VIBES Like VXs or muted Jackals tempt finicky fish. At this time i have also found small plastic grubs to be sucessful, especially if your rigging technique allow them to spend a lot of time down in hte strike zone, which is the key to winter fishing, imho.Well thats probably all wrong, but its how i see it anyway...Yak.

It can not be wrong Yak if it works for you .With flies I have found that you always have to fish them slow for Bream .Most times its cast count to 10 two strips stop count to 10 repeat etc.If the water is really deep then count 20 even found myself day dreaming and been upto 30 or 40 and a bream has attacked the fly.Some really unproductive water has produced some follows from small bream with the longer count .Other fish are different mind you every fish I have caught lately have all been count 10 and strip .with the exception of a couple of ST'S they kind of catch themselves at times.Cheers

I released my flounder to {SMILIES_PATH}/grin.gif Have seen a few big ones but they would not take the lure {SMILIES_PATH}/smiley.gif Weird looking fish {SMILIES_PATH}/grin.gifSambo

Smarter than they look {SMILIES_PATH}/wink.gif

Thats quite unfortunate to come across such people on the lake as i have fished many areas day and night and all manner of hours and the only people i have exchanged words with are councillors from charles sturt council regarding their discrimmatory signs against fisherman, Have observed them yelling all type of abuse at fishing patrons even ones with young children in tow. This council is breaking the law by stopping fisherman using all public areas of the lake ...." IT'S DISRIMANATION AGAINST PEOPLE PERSONS OR GROUPS FACILLITATING USE OF A PUBLIC AREA".... Which is written in the australian constitution.... They threaten, they call police but no one has ever been fined, any fine challenged would not hold in a court of law yet they harras and abuse us.......SHAME SHAME SHAME on you charles sturt council for attempting to make crimminals out of people facillitating use of PUBLIC AREAS.... {SMILIES_PATH}/sad.gif

Mine have just been hoons at the bower rd end .But some of the people that come up to me and chat about fly fishing and do you catch anything in the lake .Well some of them would scare the you know what out of a saint .Like I say never judge a book by its cover {SMILIES_PATH}/wink.gif.Some of the older European guys are very nice but could talk the leg of a wooden chair .Makes it very hard to get fish back and target the next one {SMILIES_PATH}/grin.gifCan anyone shed some light on how they get the umm young lady joggers to stop and chat {SMILIES_PATH}/shocked.gif {SMILIES_PATH}/shocked.gif {SMILIES_PATH}/shocked.gif {SMILIES_PATH}/grin.gif

I notice every year when it comes to winter the fish head for deeper water in the lakes but I always have a lure that seems to work then...well it does most times of the year... and it is soft and plastic!! {SMILIES_PATH}/grin.gif

Well you have the advantge over me Leethal .Or you did in past winters this year I have waders .So I can get out in the lake and cast my Flies further to those damn addictive fish

My PB West Lakes Flounder

Nice Fish Sambo {SMILIES_PATH}/grin.gif.Lady I work with husband caught one on bait the other day and released it back in the lake something to do with me.Saw its pic to was just as nice as yours

yeah both on lures, the top one was on half a camo worm and the bottom on a fry in the green colour, forgot the name...

Something new to chase in the lake with my green rubber band flies {SMILIES_PATH}/grin.gif .Well done Luke and I can see which end of the lake in the first photo you were fishing. {SMILIES_PATH}/wink.gif A few weeks back that side of the lake was very quiet nice to see its picked up.Have also heard of Wrasse in the lake in recent times.cheers

yeah! once you could send the tin lids down to the jetty to do a bit of night fishing while us parents stayed back at the shack and told lies, not any more!, What's wrong with these idiots

Mongrels

''mickys got waders''.about time dude {SMILIES_PATH}/grin.gifblindyaka brent61sthoz

Hey Brent Yeah the fish were complaining about my hairy legs mate {SMILIES_PATH}/grin.gifnot to mention the last time i went out and stood in a burly trail something was banging into my wading boots {SMILIES_PATH}/shocked.gif

Ah mate spewing! I got some new flies given to me kindly from Thahn, they look the goods. I've gotta get out tomorrow morning for abit of a fly flick!

Nah Chaser I was not used to my waders when on I was on leave ,and I got lazy fishing just one beach.There was more water in my waders from sweating than in the lake.4 weeks back at work non stop walking I am back {SMILIES_PATH}/grin.gifIf I get out tomorrow the old mickyj will be back with waders but walking from one side of the lake to the other.Or beach to beach if you like.The one thing with fly fishing is keep plodding along {SMILIES_PATH}/wink.gif

I have gotten yelled at fair few times by cars driving past ,but never had them come after me .Watch yourself young fella

The worse thing Brenton i could see the ones around 40cm just out of arms length from were I was wading .Ahh the joys of bream fishing {SMILIES_PATH}/grin.gif

Just for those who like to fish or read about my attempts at SWFF here is a little piece from today. :roll: Arrived at the lake around 9am and after doning my Waders. And I am pretty sure a knight in shinning armour had less trouble getting into his suit than I do into PVC pants .Anyway hit the water and noticed it was very low in level .Not to sure if it was low tide or the water levels are very low at present .So thinking are there any fish in here after reports saying there were very few fish.And on my fourth cast bang I am off and bang on and off again two more casts and bang on and off .Some small Bream playing with my fly moving spots I pulled in my fly to notice that one of the fish had removed one of the flies eyes .So not to bore anyone and several more moves and changes of flies with small bream follows and one of an unknown fish following a pink and black fly .I settled back to where I began and bang a very very small tiny tiny tiny bite.And that was that .I ended up chatting with a couple of older bait fishers and chatting with them while I dried off.They were having better luck than me 1 STin the bucket of the high 20's to 30cm's. And lots of undersized Bream caught and released.So what did I learn today yes the fish are there but are very hard to catch on flies.More work on my part to catch them I think I shall return to my old tricks of walking from one side of the lake to the other in my hunt for my scaly friends .And as I drove home I noticed the lake was spewing water into the port river so not to sure if low tide had started when I arrived or levels have been kept low.Cheers and tight lines

The funny thing with the names is I have had guys interstate drooling to catch Salmon Trout until I tell them they are aussie Salmon .thye still drool mind u {SMILIES_PATH}/grin.gif

Great idea on that clean-up Ranger,i'd like to get a few of those shopping trolleys out of there.I always pick up any rubbish i find laying around if i,m near a bin but i have noticed the residents don,t ever seem to want to get their hands dirty and will step over it and then give me the evil eye.I reckon they think their too good to pick up rubbish and by the quality of some of the dollybirds walking the fringes.....well i don,t blame them {SMILIES_PATH}/tongue.gif cheers brenton

yeah the dollybirds look good in the warmer weather {SMILIES_PATH}/grin.gifOnly the old ones stop and talk to me {SMILIES_PATH}/shocked.gif

Have never been hassled myself at the lake.Almost been run over by the garbage truck once or twice when they drive on the footpath/Grass.Of course I don't really stay in one spot too long being a Fly guy and I don't leave any trace of me behind.Have seen the shit left behind by bait guys and fish hanging in the electricty wires that stuff pisses me off.I think they over stepped the mark IMHO but they do work for a council {SMILIES_PATH}/rolleyes.gif.And I would think the residents would fear the local parties that happen in the houses .On one fishing trip I found tables chairs pot plants etc all floating in the lake .The poor home owner said one of his neighbours had a 21st party and chucked his stuff in the lake.Now I ask you would u prefer the local yobbos having a party or some 40 something guy fly fishing !!Have been watched by one offical one saturday morning pretty sure he scratched his head and walked away {SMILIES_PATH}/grin.gifCheers

When I was a lad many many moons ago I used to catch Carp that size (and smaller {SMILIES_PATH}/grin.gif) on bread under a float down Underdale/flinders park way .No one would believe the really really big ones that would swim by in those days.They may not have been the 50lb ones I have seen from England and France but they were very long .CheersI always enjoy your Pics Kelvin

Don't knock those Clousers I read a south African article \ webpage describing how they would catch large numbers of Mulloway on them .I wasn't having ago at the fly by the way just the price {SMILIES_PATH}/wink.gif

geez the price of flies has gone through the window since i started tying my own.Chaser perhaps u should join a club(yes that was mickyj writing that) and learn to tie your own mate .that way you can try new stuff and colours etc .and they are better on your very own fly .Cheers

Thanks guys, I stick with 4-6lb. leaders, went out on sunday morning and dropped a little bream just wading out on a beach, hoping to go out in a mates boat for abit of fun chasing salmon, any ideas on wot flies to use for them little buggers? {SMILIES_PATH}/grin.gif Cheers!

If they are feeding on bait fish use a bait fish imitation fly .Or anything with a tail .But as Nick says they will hit anything and if they are hungry all u have do to do is put the fly near them .

Great stuff MC,Nailing a fish onya first effort, top stuff mate {SMILIES_PATH}/grin.gifPersonally I never go lighter than 5 / 6 lb leader. 4lb line will getcha more strikes but, Leader cops a hammering, last thing u need is damaged leader giving way onya fluke mullies or monster breamers. Great place to start is counting down before you begin stripping. Trying different depths. Keeping the fly on the bottom completely still can even produce a strike. Great work keep us all posted onya progress, next time take your camera so we can see some piccies

Don't go heavier than 6 lb chaser the bream wont touch it at 8lb .

yea went up to 4lb. fluro carbon today, which end do u fish mickyj? I've been reading some of your posts on the fly fishing section on FSA and noticed you use green flies, they work good in the lake?

They were working great .Last fish I caught on a fly had a green head and a yellow tail. when I added daimond like eyes to the head they worked great even had Squid chasing different coloured flies. i am getting lazy i need to tie more green flies damn footy season {SMILIES_PATH}/shocked.gifAre the large schools of baitfish still in the lake ?What end do i fish ?Was asked that question on a footy forum by a fly guy who reads my posts on flylife .Got him thinking and now he is trying for Bream {SMILIES_PATH}/grin.gifThe southern end IMHO has to much boat traffic on the weekends far more than the North end.unless its Dragon boat race day .So I like the northern beaches and if the boats (all types) are out I like should I say this out in the open .When I SETTLED my mind I will tell you {SMILIES_PATH}/wink.gif That will give evryone a clue {SMILIES_PATH}/grin.gif.It also depends on the wind .But Settled should give u a clue Are you wading Mullies Chaser ?Because I need to wade when I fish the beaches at the lake to get out amongst the baitfish or over the top of them and the fish.Its to hard to cast at the fish that see you and drives me mad .just like waiting for the salmon to come on the feed .Have not been out for a couple of weeks due to footy arthritis and work .Am allowed to have a quick flick tomorrow morning I do miss the warmer weather re the Bream.It was far easier walking from one seaweed bed to the next and casting and getting hits and fish.But if it was always that easy it would get boring!!I am craving Salmon I found once Highfly introduced me to them its an addiction I can not shake !!!Now i meant to answer this above but your bread flies should work.Every place i read about them they say they work.i have seen Bream go for bread thrown in why not try that and cast your fly out .Dont tell the pruissts that!!CheersAlso been dying to wade the rail bridges at low tide but time is always against me .I used to walk the entire north end beaches but pvc waders mean I drive to one beach and just fish that .I hope the settled clue worked lol

Darren makes some good points re Flies. I have caught some Bream on small flies but a lot more on larger flies. IMHO The Smaller the fly for Bream the less chance it has of working.They seem to need in the case of my flies a tail to latch onto and in some cases swallow. as this small Bream did on a beach at West lakes.The longer tail on bream Flies does mean a few more tail spits by smaller fish.Mind you when fish that small are taking flies and chasing off the bigger boys do you really need an 8 weight. {SMILIES_PATH}/rolleyes.gif