Star Gazing - May Club Trip
Bob Avery
Day dreamer, wonderer, thinker, star gazer. Some people think these words describe me. The first three might do, but a star gazer. I am not the prettiest flower in the bed but only a mother could love one of these.
Where is this coming from? Our May fly fishing excursion to the Burdekin was cancelled due to rains and a high level of water in the river. The good old back up of Alva Beach was suggested.
Saturday saw 3 of us on the beach at high tide at 8.00 am and we fished until about 1.00 pm. Things were very quite as our main target of flathead were scarce. Dave managed a Giant Herring of about 46 cm quickly (from a small pod of working fish) but that was it for a while.
There were a few flathead lies around with some very large ones in the creek on the S.E. end of the beach. The lies measured at 70 cm so the fish itself would have been even larger.
The tide dropped rapidly and I was working the outer bank in a fast running current. A place where I normally capture some good flatties but they were absent. I eventually felt some weight and hooked up. Snagged. I let the fly line go slack and again lifted the rod to feel a kick. I had indeed hooked something alive.
It wasn’t much of a fight but it was a fish. Once I saw colour and I recalled a similar fight, I knew what I had hooked. A Northern Star Gazer (Ichthyscopus lebeck scannio)
Apparently they range from Japan to the southern end of Queensland and grow to 630 mm while weighing up to 7.5 kg. They are found in sandy areas and can bury themselves within 3 seconds, which is what this one did once it was placed on the wet sand.
My reference book says they are good tucker as well with a firm white flesh. I don’t think I am that desperate for a feed of fish.
I am yet to work out why some days the fish co-operate and some days they do not. I believe the moon phases have a lot to do with their activity or the lack of it.
Only time will tell with a bit of research. Until then I will fish whenever I can.
Bob
Where is this coming from? Our May fly fishing excursion to the Burdekin was cancelled due to rains and a high level of water in the river. The good old back up of Alva Beach was suggested.
Saturday saw 3 of us on the beach at high tide at 8.00 am and we fished until about 1.00 pm. Things were very quite as our main target of flathead were scarce. Dave managed a Giant Herring of about 46 cm quickly (from a small pod of working fish) but that was it for a while.
There were a few flathead lies around with some very large ones in the creek on the S.E. end of the beach. The lies measured at 70 cm so the fish itself would have been even larger.
The tide dropped rapidly and I was working the outer bank in a fast running current. A place where I normally capture some good flatties but they were absent. I eventually felt some weight and hooked up. Snagged. I let the fly line go slack and again lifted the rod to feel a kick. I had indeed hooked something alive.
It wasn’t much of a fight but it was a fish. Once I saw colour and I recalled a similar fight, I knew what I had hooked. A Northern Star Gazer (Ichthyscopus lebeck scannio)
Apparently they range from Japan to the southern end of Queensland and grow to 630 mm while weighing up to 7.5 kg. They are found in sandy areas and can bury themselves within 3 seconds, which is what this one did once it was placed on the wet sand.
My reference book says they are good tucker as well with a firm white flesh. I don’t think I am that desperate for a feed of fish.
I am yet to work out why some days the fish co-operate and some days they do not. I believe the moon phases have a lot to do with their activity or the lack of it.
Only time will tell with a bit of research. Until then I will fish whenever I can.
Bob
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The herring slayer... post capture