A Barra Bonanza in the Boyne time!

I ventured down to the Bray Park boat ramp and jetty on Saturday afternoon to see what was happening and I was greeted with dozens of small craft fishing around the rocks in the middle of the river and heaps of kids fishing off the pontoon.

All were chasing the illusive Barra as they really come on the bite with the first quarter of the lunar phase.

As you can see by the picture of the kids fishing on the pontoon, there are ones throwing in cast nets for the got sized prawns and mullet, which were schooling up around the structure, others chasing the big black bream sitting in behind the piles, and the rest doing what kids should be doing having fun.

It was also nice to see them remove their gear whenever a boat came in to the ramp and lets hope this continues as we have seen and heard of many confrontations with kids, and adults alike, not budging when a vessel comes in to tie up.

Those who were on the river, like guide Paul Dolan, had a very successful charter landing 12 in the session I was talking to him with the biggest 119cms.

He told me that plenty of boats were all over the length of the river, but he found a nice rocky outcrop, which no-one was sitting on and pulled a heap off it.

Others like local guide Jason Wilhelm, positioned his boat so that he was casting back onto the bridge structure between Boyne and Tannum on the incoming tide.

Local resident Brad Anderson had the box seat from his house, down stream from the bridge, on Boyne Island, watching three or four fish being fought and caught to be released again.

Many folk are doing just that, catching and releasing these fish and maybe taking one home for dinner.

All this activity stems from when thousands of fish exited the Awoonga Dam at the start of the year.

Hundreds either died or were killed from smashing into the concrete at the bottom of the spillway but at the end of the day it was a small percentage which perished.

Last week friends of John Ohl ventured down to the Boyne, with three in the boat, landing 32 for the day, all on lures, returning 29 to the water with the biggest being 127 cm!

Having this sort of action not only in this river but also Wild Cattle, South Trees, Auckland Creek, and the Calliope River has created a big influx of people to the region trying their luck and testing their skills.

The amount of NSW number plates in the Bray Park car and trailer park was fantastic, as many will be using the accommodations facilities, supermarkets, pubs and restaurants, service stations, and tackle shops we have in the region.

A mate of mine Mick Megaw who worked out at Caltex Boyne River for years is now behind the counter at Boyne Bait and Tackle shop. I have no doubt he is relishing being in an industry which is his hobby.

All of those who are in this type of business are there because the want to be there, they love it and are willing to share their knowledge. All you need to do is to ask them what they know.

A couple of weeks ago local TV aerial installer Jim Connolly took the day off to nip out to the Bindaree, a wreck approx 4 or 5 miles north east of North Entrance.

Now Jimmy was out by himself, I think, and decided to put two lines out, one for bottom fishing, and one in case a mackerel came along.

After a while the bottom bait took off, and then snagged. Just as that happened the mackerel line took off so he let a heap out on the bottom line, and fought the mackerel, only to hear a big rattle, and watch his Ugly Stik with a Calcutta 400 disappear over the side.

Obviously a few choice words were used once things settled down, and he landed the mackerel.

So folks, somewhere around the Bindaree, there is a fish, maybe a rather big fish, with a very flash rod and reel still attached to it. See if you can catch it!

The weather for the rest of the week looks ordinary until the weekend when it looks as though it might come right on Saturday and Sunday.

Hooroo Dags