Home

Articles

News

Find Us

Rules

Join Us

Gallery

Red Letter Day

Trevor Salmon

Once in a "Blue Moon" we all have what Matt Hayes likes to call a "Red Letter Day". Well, today was mine but it didn't feel like it from the start. Two mates pulled out so I was going on my own, I over slept so instead of getting to the water at first light Peter had come in for a break by the time I arrived, I left the deads at home and the top ring on my favorite rod broke and had to be patched up with epoxy.

Not a good start but the tides were right, Peter had already caught and the weather looked perfect so off I trundled, fish finder scanning the water to try and find the elusive Pike that had migrated from their usual haunts due to the recent weather. After a few hints from Peter, I was motoring along in the vicinity of a few recent catches when the sonar went mad, fish so thick it felt like you could get out and walk on them. A bit of careful scrutiny and the telltale echoes from fish lying on the bottom were there, not just there but scattered all over the area.

No bait so it was down to lures, even if it was the beginning of December I had no option really so out went a flouro pink Barramundi special ( better known as a "Rutland Fly" ) and within a few minutes a nice double was on its way to the boat, unfortunately it never made it, shook its head within a few feet of the rod and spat out the hook (barbless of course ) but at least it was witnessed by Peter. Out went the lure again and within a few minutes a smaller Pike was being unhooked in the water by the boat. This went on for about an hour but still no more doubles so I decided on a change of lure. A Bagley Fire Tiger deep diver accounted for a few but blues, greens and silver had no effect at all. Back to a flouro pink and lime Halco Sorcerer and bingo, a fish every 10 minutes or so and no let up.

I lost count of the total for the morning but it was well over twenty and would have been more if the battery hadn't gone flat on the motor. What a brilliant day, especially as I have always been skeptical whether colour really mattered that much, I'll never doubt it again.