Andrew and I did our fisheries degrees together in Plymouth (in the eighties) and both ended up as fisheries bureacrats in Australia. Me in NSW and Victoria; Andrew in the NT, NSW and WA. We both cut our teeth on small trout streams in the UK, and each year I fish with Andrew in the Snowies. This blog illustrates the desperation of the fly fisher with no trout:
By Andrew and Lynne Bartleet:
In the West there are very few trout waters – so we have to consider other options to keep the gear from gathering dust in the cupboard before the next trout-trip to the Snowies or NZ.
For a number of years Lynne and I have been travelling to Augusta, the most south-westerly point of Australia chasing herring on fly.
These small schooling fish are lumped into the “bread and butter” class of fishery regulation in WA. They grow quickly to a homogenous 400-500 grams. They are usually caught on small lures made from bright tubing passed over the hook, trailed behind a burley “blob”. When hooked they are feisty, pull strongly and leap like a demented rainbow. An ideal target workout for light trout tackle.
This year, we decided Augusta would be the start point for our “around Australia” odyssey in the caravan. Where better? Start with the small fish and work our way up in size as we head north.
Which reminds me, what do you say when you hear the well worn cry “I… SAID…. DINNER”S READY!”
“What? There’s something wrong with my herring”.