# The frost-bite: Jindabyne 21 Jul



## RedPhoenix (Jun 13, 2006)

Kayak fishing Jindabyne in winter. You have to be hard, determined, or mad. Or perhaps a little of each.










3:45am rolled around, and I think I got out of bed, got dressed, and had some brekkie. In truth, most of that was a vague blur that I assume must have happened in a sleep-deprived daze, as I was surprised to find myself dressed and ready to roll when Squidder arrived in the driveway somewhere around 4am. The grass crunched under-foot as Canberra's winter made itself known while we loaded the yak and gear.

Craig, Paff and Funda had already loaded up the night before:









.. and were setting off at a similar time.

After a dark, but uneventful drive to Kalkite, on the north-eastern section of lake Jindabyne, team Canberra launched into the lake - quite a funny sight, watching 6 grown men trying very hard not to get their feet wet whilst launching their yaks (Actually, make that 5 - Squidder had waterproof pants/boots).

Garrick, plus mate Steve, rounded out the total of 8 fishermen. Steve stuck to the bank, whilst Garrick switched between the yak & bank options.

I'll let each tell their tale in turn, but here's a rough overview from my perspective.

Put out two lures to troll, and paddled south into a small bay, where there were a couple of small trees poking out of the water. I saw the tail swirl of a fish, and quickly pulled in one of the lures, and yanked off a glove in order to cast with a little more accuracy. Landed the lure right on target, and twitched it a few times to get it under the surface.

Thwak. Took me around 8 minutes to land the fish - it was not well hooked, and I had to be extremely careful. During the process, my other lure had a brief hook-up, but the hooks didn't set quite well enough to keep the fish on the line while I was working on the first option. Got the fish into the net eventually; a 53cm atlantic salmon, within the first 5 minutes - woohoo! New PB. 

Continued trolling around the shallows, and headed to 'brass monkey bay', in the hope of finding some rainbows. A Lyrebird voiced it's multiphonic song from the treeline, while I trolled around.

Nothing there unfortunately, so I continued around to the bay where the Snowy river joins.
The wind picked up for a little bit; sloshing a few waves over the top of the Adventure's bow. Continued trolling, and casting - still no result. The wind dropped, the lake went suddenly glassy, and the sun started shining. Fingers and toes finally started to thaw, and I swapped one of the lures to a soft plastic instead.

Cruised over to 'brass monkey bay once more' and investigated the trees once more - spotted a small rainbow sitting in a little 'nest' of twigs near the top of a old submerged tree.

Threw a lure over, and started twitching it back towards the yak. The fish started following.. I paused.. he waited.. I twitched.. he hit! Argh.. didn't stick though.
Suspect he must have felt the hooks, as he darted down into the depths, never to be seen again.

Wandered over to where Squidder was fishing on the bank, and caught up with the rest of the team. Squidder had been doing pretty well using powerbait - I'll let him tell the story.

*Caption Contest: Who can come up with the best caption for this photo? *









I cast out a SP, and some powerbait for around half an hour or so, before popping back into the yak to continue trolling. Despite the fact that I'd had no real action on trolling, I decided to continue anyway. Good exercise, and it gives me a basis to compare with for next time (which I suspect might be primarily SP-based, with a large lure trolled as a backup).

Wandered down towards the point at which the Eucambene river joins Jindabyne, then headed back to the ramp (just as the trout rises were starting for the afternoon unfortunately), then back to CBR.









So, results were not high on quantity for me, but the quality wasn't too bad. All in all, a great experience, and a enjoyable trip with some genuinely nice people.










Red.


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## Guest (Jul 21, 2007)

Caption contest entry:

Paff and Squiddlymod comparing sizes after the winners were announced

Entry no. 2

Geez it's cold!


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## bushwoodboy (Oct 5, 2006)

Nice report Red &congratulations on the P.B.

My entry for the caption comp- When are your transfer applications to Queensland going in? Mine goes in first thing Monday!

Cheers Mal.


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## GuardianZAct (Feb 7, 2007)

Wow, Sight Casting SP (swirl Target) 50 CM + Fish from a Kayak.
Got to be happy with that....
Then when you get a second chance... you got to watch the Process (well not quite due to missed hook up) whould have been heart stoppping an then disapointing.

Sounds like a fun trip. I am disapointed that I missed this one. But my young family is piroity at the Moment. May be next year. Who knows may have 3' helper by then....

I did get a quick 1hr to put a fly over a resident carp. No hook up but great fun to try. The fly line iced up and my runners froze in to little ice cubes. Thats why Canberra can be fun......

Well done Liegh.

Adrian


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## GuardianZAct (Feb 7, 2007)

Caption: "His is bigger, that wont make any diffrence to size."


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## whoohoo (Feb 3, 2006)

Nice report Red &congratulations on the P.B.

Here's my caption contest entry:

"It's so bloody cold I feel like I've had a sex change!"


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## Peril (Sep 5, 2005)

Congrats on the PB Red.

Caption: Allan to Craig: "Look away mate, that's just wrong"


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## Guest (Jul 22, 2007)

What a top day it was for me, I had a hoot of a time.
PB yak caught brown trout @ 55cm
PB shore based rainbow trout x2 @ 50cm
An absolute top day with a good bunch of blokes.
Thanks to all who came for making it one of the best days I've ever had on the water, I'm soooo looking forward to doing this trip again in the very near future.

Heres a few pics.

Red









Craig450









No it's not Fiji but I like this place just as much.









PB 55cm BT









55cm BT









5Ocm RT









Home time


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## fishinflo (Nov 7, 2006)

Great report Red, and nice atlantic.My caption entry: Don't look so glum guys, there is a slim chance the Wannabies will get a point on the board against the All Blacks tonight


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## RedPhoenix (Jun 13, 2006)

> (gee - it could almost be an album cover).





















Red.


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## Fishing Man (Oct 4, 2006)

great report fellas,

looks like braving the cold payed off, 50cm+ trout are unreal, 
well done to u all


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## craig450 (May 11, 2007)

It sure was a great day out, a little cold at first but turned out to be a really nice day. I came home fishless AGAIN but still had a heap of fun, that was my first fishing trip to Jindabyne and i am very keen for a second trip now.
Thanks to Allan for driving me and my yak down there, and a thanks to everyone that came along for making it such a good trip, hope to do it again soon. 

Allan with his nice brown trout

















cold start to the day









Thanks again fellas


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## craig450 (May 11, 2007)

Caption comp entry: can someone get the brag mat please, its going to be close.


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## evarn (Jul 10, 2006)

Caption Comp: "Ever since Chernobyl, my penis is falling off"


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## Dodge (Oct 12, 2005)

Nice results fellas, and pretty scenery again.

caption: "let's just pretend we are sorry, so she lets us back inside near the fire"


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## bazzoo (Oct 17, 2006)

Caption ,,,, Ohhhh shes gunna kill me when she sees this.


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## DougOut (Dec 31, 2006)

any PB trip has got to be a Hoot, regardless of temp., conditions look great otherwise, well done lads. 8)

caption:

:shock: mine looks like an SX40 minus the trebles.:shock:..... how's yours..... 
 just plain "minus" mate


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## paffoh (Aug 24, 2006)

Allan, Craig and myself (Team Darkside) packed Alâ€™s Pathfinder the night before in preparation of an early departure to the shores of Kalkite, leaving Canberra around 4:15am the next day was tough but the capital city provided a rather mild morning compared with times of yesteryear. Many Kangaroos alive and dead littered the streets out and down the Monaro Highway as we headed towards Jindabyne, anticipation was high and from all reports gathered through the wonders of the Internet, magazines and tackle shops, the fish were well and truly on and ready to commit.

Andre and his diesel guzzling 4WD joined the procession just before Williamsdale so we all pulled into the first Cooma Petrol Station for some Red Bull and a general catch up. The traffic was building already with snow bunnies and assorted tourists making there way to the ski fields for there daily dose, by all accounts the predicted weather reports over the last week were fantastic and Saturday was set to be the pick of them.

The plan for Team Darkside was to find a beaten track somewhere before the town of Kalkite and tack our way west closer to the Snowy arm to launch, what we didnâ€™t expect was how difficult this was to become due to darkness and some unfamiliarity within our surrounds (Even armed with detailed maps of the area) so after a few puzzling minutes traipsing round Kalkite we conceded defeat and decided to launch with Jason and Leigh (Team Mod Squad) at the boat ramp just outside of town.

Last weekend Funda and Squidder found the weather was most harsh with a wind chill factor that would have been close to â€"5, making for uncomfortable conditions. Even the most prepared Fisherman, whether Kayak, Boat, or land based, would have found the conditions difficult. Safety is paramount on Lake Jindabyne with 100km winds, waves of two meters occurring as the weather turns and a chilly water temperature of 4 degrees early morning (It reached 7 degrees around 3pm).

After removing the three Polyethylene platforms from the car rigging up our Kayaks was quick and easy compared to packing the night before. A couple of Hobie Adventures (Allanâ€™s modified with a Minn Kota), Craigâ€™s Hobie Revolution, Andreâ€™s Hobie Outback, Jasonâ€™s Cobra Fish â€˜nâ€™ Dive and my Hobie Quest adorned the waters edge ready for the days trickery ahead. Spare UHF handsets were distributed to members and we pushed off pre dawn in search of some legendary Salmonidae (Brown Trout, Rainbow Trout, Brook Trout and Atlantic Salmon).

Looking for structure was a relatively east task, submerged trees and boulders lined the shoreline in most directions governed by shallow and steep muddy banks. Our sounders started showing fish immediately but were holding low on the bottom around 12 meters. Moving slowly opposite the ramp whilst trolling a Predatek Micro min almost paid off in the first five minutes, my light rod setup went off and just as I was set to play the fish out it jumped 3 ft in the air behind the Kayak and threw the hook.

Muttering some choice words to Craig over the UHF I had not realised he was replicating the result about 100m behind me, ultimately voicing a similar response. About 300m in front we spied Allan heading for a rocky point enjoying the perfect trolling speed produced by his electric motor while to the east Team Mod Squad were working the other side of the lake for an instant result. Leigh had sight cast to a magnificent Atlantic Salmon which became tentatively hooked whilst striking at his lure, the offending 8 minute battle resulted in a new PB for Red Pheonix and the first fish of the day.

Trolling became tedious with many fish striking short or snapping at our presentations, after many hours a few members decided to have a rest and fish Powerbait from various locations along the banks, I lost sight of my team mates as I continued moving around the shallow weed beds so moved across and back down the opposite side of the lake towards the ramp. Rounding a shallow rocky point I spotted a fin protruding in what would have been as little as 15cm, the fish (Presumed a Brown Trout) moved in and out sojourning 
the edge while I carefully evaluated my floating position.

Taking my time I cast my Micro Min as close as I dared landing my lure on a boulder close by, slowly working it back I covered the water in the exact same point I had seen the fish 15 seconds earlier for no result. Slightly gutted I had spooked the fish with my rocky antics I moved on in search of my teammates and found them bank side fishing Powerbait just east of the boat ramp. Allan had managed to previously troll up a whopping 55cm Brown Trout using a winged lure (Pink Tasmanian Devil) and was enjoying some lunch with Craig and some tame Kangaroos.

The peaceful speechless tranquility was to be short lived though, Allan noticed one of his lines going tight and set the hook on a lovely 50cm Rainbow amid hoots and hollers, his big Brown Trout had not only secured the fish of the day but his Rainbow was putting serious runs on the board for Team Darkside. The fish kept rising all around us but ignored the subsequent offerings of brightly coloured artificial bait so we moved on, by this stage I was desperate for a fish so decided to cruise solo trolling along the exact path I had followed this morning (Made slightly easier with the use of a GPS).

Frustration was setting in but confidence was still high, I passed Squidder on a bank who had fared well with two nice Rainbow Trout on Powerbait and had a quick chat before moving on in search of Leigh. Coming to a set of trees that showed high signs of life holding deep I managed to troll up somebodyâ€™s lost snagged rig with a Tasmanian Devil on the end, I removed the bonus lure and placed the old line in my pocket to discard later on, this water way contained many strands of monofilament dangling on exspoed branches due to wayward casts and perhaps previously high water levels.

Tying on a Jackal (Lipless Crank Bait) I cast between the sticks hoping to avoid the snags, counting down till it hit the bottom. From my first presentation a lift of the rod tip produced a hit and the fish was hooked, desperately trying to throw the hook the fish hit the surface early but I was ready and controlled it with a tight line into my net, I was unsure of the species so mentioned to Squidder I was joining him bank side to identify, secure and measure my catch. It was then recognised as a 46cm Atlantic Salmon ( EDIT : 46cm female Brown trout ), a new species and a my first Salmonoid from a Kayak, thanking Jason for his help I rushed back hoping to produce another.

Finding the fish still in the exact same spot I cast the Jackal again allowing it to hit the bottom, the rod tip was lifted from my first cast but this time it was hit on the first flutter providing an exciting fight. This fish felt similar but slightly larger, playing the game dirtier than its counterpart with loads of darting and weaving before attempting to jump. With gin clear water I found myself at an advantage, spotting the fish rising quickly the line was kept tight and another Atlantic Salmon ( EDIT : Larger female Brown Trout ) was netted (I was now on a hat trick!).

â€˜You wont believe this Jason!â€™ I squealed into the UHF before bursting into fits of laughter and paddling frantically toward the shore, I may have had the fish in the net but it was going mental trying to avoid becoming my PB and another fish to Team Darksideâ€™s tally. This Salmon ( EDIT : Trout ) measured 51.5cm and was to be my fish of the day, by this stage my ranting on the UHF had brought fellow members in search of a species trifecta.
I bid Jason farewell and hit the water in hope of my hat trick, unfortunately this ws not achieved but the fish were still there with some huge specimens appearing on the fish finder.

Leigh appeared around a point and joined us all for a rest and another Powerbait session on the edge just down from Jason, many stimulating tales were told and fish shown off and paraded like short-skirted girlfriends on a nightclub strip. Before most members had a chance to rig up there fake bait Allan was already on, landing another nice 50cm Rainbow Trout and bringing his total to three fish and a crushing five for Team Darkside. The sun started to set behind us so jackets were once again donned as the temperature started to drop, we all packed up and commenced one last troll over to the boat ramp arriving around 4:30pm.

Was a big, long day out, an impressive one and ultimately a rewarding experience for all (Fish or no fish) on the shores of Kalkite. We loaded the vehicles and said our goodbyes before driving home, collecting a bag of ice along the way. Thanks everyone for a truly awe inspiring day and the collective company only AKFF can provide, congratulations to Team Mod Squad for a commendable effort on the water.



























































































Hope you enjoyed the report! 8)


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## Squidder (Sep 2, 2005)

Nice report and pics all, it's pretty much all been said so I'll just add my 2 cents worth. It was a gorgeous alpine day with great company - I also made a couple of new kangaroo mates who kept me company during my day of (mostly) bait fishing from the bank.

We started trolling in surpisingly pleasant conditions. Leigh landed a great Atlantic Salmon after a spirited fight:









I trolled for about 2 hours without a hit, so decided to 'cheat' and fish with Powerbait from the bank. I was soon joined by some company - this little fella decided to help me keep an eye on my rods.....









And a mum and baby also had a look - they were certainly curious, and enjoyed licking at the salt on my unwashed PFD and seat.









Before long I had a bit of an enquiry, and a nice 48cm rainbow joined me and the roos on the bank.









I lost 2 fish in a row (one of which jumped then spat the hook) before redeeming myself with a 41cm rainbow. This was the end of my fish catching for the day.









I spotted Paffoh powering towards me, he said he was sick of sitting on the bank catching nothing, so had decided to go for a bit of a paddle to warm up. Neither of us knew what was to follow!









Paff continued on to fish a little bay, and he soon returned with a ripper Atlantic salmon:









And then he paddled back to the exact same spot and caught an even bigger one first cast!!









Thanks for a great day gents, looking forward to the next Jindabyne excursion  

*PS:* What was actually said in the 'photo caption' shot:
Me: "Hey guys, it's so cold that now I have an 'innie' belly button and an 'innie' penis!!"


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## pcsolutionman (Apr 9, 2007)

great results fellers you braved the elements and got the rewards

Lee


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## Biggera Yakker (Jan 25, 2007)

Great report Gents, with some great photos!
Sounds like you all had a great day!!
Well done!


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## .329 (Apr 17, 2006)

Some excellent reports, photos and results guys. Very jealous that I couldn't make it up there with you. Am very keen try to to join you for the next trip


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## garrick (Sep 2, 2006)

Well done to all of you guys. Unfortunatly it did not work for me. I did not even get a hit. And that from all the diffirent lures I tried. Shallow mid and deep divers only resuted in me loosing some nice lures to snags. The powerbait was also dead quiet for me although my friend Steve caught 4 rainbows and lost 2. At one stage i came over to Allan to hear what they have been doing and after seeing his brown and getting encourage to try again I realised I did not have my pfd on. So it was a quick turn around and paddle back as i could not get the fins of my yak to lock in and had to use the oars. Getting back to where my mate was I saw him trying to chase a couple of cows away. Apparently they were licking on my pfd. All i can think is that they must have been attracted to the salt from the last ocean outing.

I am glad to hear about all of PB and other successes. Hopefully next time I will be lucky again.


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## MangoX (Feb 18, 2006)

:shock: wow!!!

top report guys !!  Actually....the best I've seen posted in a while  
love the pics and detailed accounts of lures and techniques...

What was the final tally ? Team Darkside just got over the line it seems...

Any other lunatics on the water ?? 

Congrats on all who had a go ....

 would love to give the fresh water a go....
will keep an eye open for future meetings


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## varp (Sep 12, 2005)

fuggin ell....what am I doing here....I've only been to Jindy once and dipped out, but I did fall in love with the place. Fabulous spot, brilliant trip and a huge congrats to all those PB busters.

Best pic for mine is of Funda connected to that fish off the bank. I can feel the weight, andrenaline and sense of expectation that you can only get from being connected to a good thing.

Great read fellas!


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## paffoh (Aug 24, 2006)

Been having a discussion about the species of fish I managed to catch and have come to the conclusion ( With help from a few Trout specialists ) and others from AKFF that my fish are indeed female Brown Trout, both fish have golden hues on there lower fins typical of a Jindabyne Brown, Leighs fish looks considerably more silver compared to my larger fish which looks darker than my smaller specimen.

Either way im not too phased, ate the smaller one tonight and its flesh was soft and pink and very tasty, both my fish will make the HOF lets just hope we get the type of fish correct ( As I wouldnt have the foggiest Idea ), saying that I think your Salmon entry from the previous weekend may indeed be another hen Squidder!

Lets have a discussion friends, im not the best at defining species and often rely on others...


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## craig450 (May 11, 2007)

I originally thought the larger of the two was a brown for sure but thought the smaller one may have been a salmon, great fish anyway Paffoh and well done on finding the lure/technique required when nothing else seemed to be working


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## Guest (Jul 22, 2007)

Paff my first call was for brown trout the moment I seen em, atlantics are silver in colour and have different spots, they also (usually) dont have spots below the lateral line.

Leighs fish is an atlantic, yours are brown trout, I'm 100% certain of it.


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## RedPhoenix (Jun 13, 2006)

buggered if I know, but here's a few quotes and piccies from various places to help you work it out:

"Atlantic Salmon very closely resemble Brown Trout. Atlantic salmon have a forked tail, a small mouth not extending past their eyes and their body scales are small. Their back is blue to silvery blue, to brownish olive. Their sides are silvery, their belly silvery white and they have small dark spots on the back and sides."

They seem to have a fair variation w.r.t colours:

Here's an atlantic, in spawning colours:









Another under water:









And another:









and some more description:
"Description: Closely resembles the brown trout, with the caudal peduncle longer and more slender. Tail usually more deeply forked. 11-12rays on dorsal fin; 9-10 rays on anal fin. Mouth smaller not reaching back past eyes. Scales small (110-125 along lateral line); vertebrae 58-60; gill rakers 17-21. Common size in Australia for landlocked fish is generally 1-3 kg. Broodstock for Tasmanian aquaculture has reached up to 12 kg."

I usually use scale size and scale 'tenacity' to work out the difference. Atlantics tend to shed their very small scales reasonably easily (a come off on your hands usually when you get them on the yak). Browns hang onto theirs a bit better.

BTW: NOW you tell us that there was a competition on!
not that I would have done much differently... but I probably would have swore a lot more when loosing a fish! 

Red.


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## Guest (Jul 22, 2007)

Leigh in that first pic you'll notice the Atlantic in spawning colours has a few lines of reddish spots extending past the lateral line, to the best of my knowledge Atlantics in Australia do not go thru the dramatic colour changes attributed to spawning in our impoundments.

Also found a PDF file that says Atlantics have large scales.

http://www.sf.adfg.state.ak.us/statewide/regulations/2003/southeast/pdfs/atlantic.pdf

I've seen a lot of browns that look silverish in my time and also caught a lot of browns from streams and Eucumbene, I've never caught an Atlantic but have seen a fair few, Paffs two fish are definately brown trout and I'm sure of it.

BT









Atlantic


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## garrick (Sep 2, 2006)

I am also no expert at this guys but I will definitlyy say that those fish are browns. I also heard and was shown that atlantic salmon have a couple of black marks that at closer inspection looks more like little crosses or x shapes. Closest explenation to that x shape is something like the hash button on a phone.

*[flash=]SO WHEN IS THE NEXT DATE???? [/flash]*


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## Guest (Jul 22, 2007)

garrick said:


> *[flash=]SO WHEN IS THE NEXT DATE???? [/flash]*


4th of August


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## granpop (Mar 23, 2007)

Hmmm - seems like my earlier post went into the great bit bucket. Looked a great day, with good weather, even if it was an 'innie'  producer.

Couple of nice browns and rainbows - lake atlantics are usually very lean, silvery and the spots extend onto their tails.

Cheers

Dave


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## PhilipL (Apr 15, 2006)

That's some quality fish. Great report guys


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## Milt (Sep 2, 2005)

Yes some beaut fish, but god damn you fellas are keen to brave that icy water :shock:

Milt,


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## Davey G (Jan 15, 2006)

Terrific combined report fellas - and a brace of quality fish to boot. Well done for 'taking it on' - its trips like these that are breaking new ground (or cracking the ice) in regard to Australian Kayak Fishing.. You guys are the pioneers!

(You are also seriously deranged :shock: :shock: )

As far as the caption comp goes...









_*
Beachfront accommodation, great lake views and a big adventure - it sounded great in the brochure, but I won't be booking our ski trip through AKFF travel agents ever again! *_


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## Y-Knot (Sep 26, 2006)

fair bloody dinkum those photos and the reports that came with them were awe-inspiring, apart from the obvivious cold the condions look smashing and the fish were of such quality... great work on the fresh water fishing.

Caption Comp " Who's got a rough tongue, cos ive got itchy b...s"


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## Squidder (Sep 2, 2005)

I initially thought that the fish were atlantics, but I now agree that they're probably browns. I came across this in a Tasmanian 'Anglers Newsletter' from 2004 regarding the differences between browns and atlantics:

"Atlantic salmon are very similar in general appearance to their closely related cousin the brown trout. Whilst there are features that easily distinguish them, such as *the absence of teeth on the bone inside the top of the mouth*, these are quite often difficult to detect for the average angler. Salmon tend to be more streamline in shape with the wrist or caudal peduncle (area between the tail and the anal and adipose fin) being longer and thinner than that of a brown trout. The tail is also often deeply forked. Salmon lack the pale halo markings often seen on brown trout. Sea run brown trout also display a silvery streamlined appearance, the halos around the spots are often absent and the tail tends to be forked unlike river and lake fish. A reliable way to distinguish the two species when they show such similarities is the position of the mouth in relation to the eye. For salmon the upper jaw finishes level with the eye but for brown trout it will extend in most cases past the eye."

I think that the Atlantics' absence of teeth on the bone at the top of the mouth is the key feature - I remember that Dereks two fish definately had teeth on the top of their mouth, so they must have been browns. Not too sure about the mouth extending past the eye as a diagnostic feature though, I reckon on Dereks larger fish the mouth ends about level with the eye. :?

Leigh, do you remember whether your fish had teeth on the top of its mouth?


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## RedPhoenix (Jun 13, 2006)

Squidder said:


> Leigh, do you remember whether your fish had teeth on the top of its mouth?


Nup. Though looking at the piccies, the mouth finishes in line with the eye.

Steve: Fish was great.
Very lightly poached on one side, pulled out, then rubbed salt/spices/herbs on the skin. Oil in a very hot pan, and seared the skin on the other side for about 20 seconds before sticking on a plate. Yummmm.

Kim: a fair few rises early (first hour or two), with occasional rises throughout the rest of the day. Started again in bulk again at around 4pm.

Red.


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