# Manly/Sydney - On the boil (now with pics of BRUTE)



## MrX (Feb 7, 2008)

The fishing was hot!!! So what could go wrong?

Launched with Rod ("rnmars1") off Shelley beach at sparrows yesterday. Great morning to be on the water, but no fish to be found. Took the opportunity to familiarize myself with a new launch spot, and put the new revo through its paces. The verdict: will be back!

Dropped down to Many Beach for a quick swim this afternoon. Was greeted by a magnificent sight - a patch of sky a few hundred meters off South Steyn was black with diving birds. Went strait home, threw the revo on the roof, and shot strait to my new favorite launch spot at Shelley beach. The car park was full - except for one spot between a couple of cars in the corner. Perfect - free parking for Manly residents (more about that later), and beach was packed with stunning babes waiving me off for a "gentleman's hour" mid-afternoon fishing expedition. Couldn't hear their shouts of encouragement, as I had cricket Jim Maxwell and the boys describing the cricket in my earpiece.

A bit nervous about the NE chop, and stability of the new craft (compared to my old queen-mary tempo). A few minutes of peddling through the slop (what a great craft!) and I was amongst it. Water was boiling - I was worried about being scalded when a wave broke over me. Gulls were doing kamikaze impressions in every direction. And the noise! 500m offshore, but the roar sounded like being among the breakers. Tails slapping, silver flashes, heart pumping.

I dropped an sx40 behind me on the 20lb rig, and lobbed a small mettle lure into the boil on the 8lb spinning rod. Nothing. Tried again. Nothing. There was so much activity in the water, the fish must have been ducking to avoid the trebles. Remembered a tip - try flecked sluggos - apparently the fish see them as a school of tiny fish. Quickly re-rigged, but the boil was gone. I knew it was too good to be true.

Then the forgotten sx40 went off. Yippee - I can break the revos cherry! Then zzzzz, the sluggo heads off in the other direction. What to do now? White cap crashes over me - soaked. Figured light gear needs more attention, so battle with it, impressive aerial action from a nice little salmon. He self released as I tried to get him into the yak, so no time wasted to see what was taking drag on the other rod - now quiet. Bugger, its gone under the yak, and snagged the rudder. Another whitcap crashes over as I try to get it loose. Opened the bail arm, the snagged fish found clear water, and I brought a solid 35cm plus trev up to surface. Dinner isn't releasing, so I took the collapsible net out of the rear rod-holder (love this boat!). Due to lack of use, the salted-up rusty "collapsible" is "unopenable" with one hand (while fighting a fish with the other). Got there eventually, took camera out of glad-bag, snapped a photo, and dropped him in the back of the yak. Threw out the sluggo, then set about extracting the sx40 from the fugging net.

The birds are resting, so nothing expected - then bang bang on the sluggo, then nothing. Pull it in - a mangled half a sluggo remains. Thread another one on, then back to the fugging sx40 and the net. Bang bang zzzz ping. Rig up again, this time leaving the spare hooks and sluggos in the net cover thingy on the side of the revo. (Now I know what it's for).

Take my phone out of the zip-lock glad bag and ring Rod - left message - geT down here!!!.

Then the birds go nuts - to a spot about 100mtrs away. I go nuts too, zoom over (you can really move with those peddles!), sluggo trailing behind. Get to the edge of the boil, grab the rod to cast into it, but bugger! I'm moving, but the lure has stopped dead. I've somehow snagged the hook on the bottom! How did I do that in 20m of water? Then the bottom took off like a train. ZZZZZZZZZ - the little spinning real had no chance. This wasn't a little ***** or trev, this thing was unstoppable. Thinking big sambos or tailer are clean fighters, I let it go for a while. Running out of line, I tightened the drag. Negligible effect, so tightened a bit more. Ping! The line was frayed, so it must have reefed me. Kingy?

Rig up another sluggo, and the boil-ups gone, so back to that sx40 and fugging net&#8230;.

Then the birds again - this time a few hundred meters away towards Bluefish Point. Not confident peddling across the chop, with occasional whitecaps, so tack up and down. Get there, and expect them to dive. But they don't! No stinkies in sight, and these fish mustn't know about yaks. Bang bang, zzzzz - another little ***** - about 35cm. Took a few photos of the boil (hope they turn out).

More of the same for a while - chasing birds up and down the coast - caught and released a few more sambos. Then the tailor appeared - smashing up my gear. Yakked three choppers - all solid little guys between 35 & 40 cm. Averaged two mauled sluggos per solid hook-up. Bled and kept one for dinner. Forgot all about the increasing nor-easter, and the rising chop.

How do you get a fugging sx40 out of a fugging net!

Then peddling flat out towards a boil, the yak suddenly turned sideways, whitewater crashed over my shoulder, the yak turned upside down, and I was in the drink! How did that happen? Anyway, spun it back around, and climbed back on, audited the damage. Found some 8lb line wrapped around the yak, with rod still attached! Winched it up from the bottom. Heavy rod was still in its holder, connected to the sx40. But no net! Learnt valuable lesson - if struggling to remove trebles from net, simply roll the yak Works every time! Gear bag floats - retrieved. Croks stil under bungees in the back. Lost glasses, pliers, lipgrippers, scissors, couple of hooks, dinner. Not too bad. Phone & camera in pocket of PFD, should be OK because I keep them in waterproof snaplock bags&#8230;..er, expect for today&#8230;..buggered! Radio? Stuffed!

So&#8230;. lost glasses so can't see, soaking wet, howling nor-easter. Probably should head in? Then rrrROARR - water starts boiling again (heard it before I saw it). Bugger it - this is too much fun!!! Peddled over to the action, threw out another sluggo in the direction of the noise, and bang, ZZZZZZZZZZZ. Had that jerking pull of a tailor, but this one has some real power. Let it run for a while, then started gaining line between runs. Eventually I had the biggest tailor I have ever seen next to the yak. What to do next? Light gear, no net, no lip grippers, no pliers, half blind, sitting on a kayak in a rising sea. Tried to take a photo of the brute, but the ex-submerged camera beeped and died. So I lifted his head, and grabbed him by the throat. It worked! Let him thrash around for a while, and strapped him in the back, under the bungees (so, that's what they're for!).

Peddled back to a crowded Shelley beach, and fielded questions from the sun worshippers who had never seen anything like a fully pimped peddled-powered hobie, with blind drenched fisherman grinning like a split watermelon.

One of them (might have been a babe- couldn't tell) kindly pointed out that I had a parking ticket on my windscreen. I didn't park in a marked bay!

I should have some pics in my memory card, and will put them up - when I figure out how to extract them without a working camera.

Cheers


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## paffoh (Aug 24, 2006)

Thats one hell of a trip report,

Classic stuff mate, roaming back out to boils without glasses sums it up nicely...

YOUR HOOKED ( And not just on your net! ).


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## Red Herring (Dec 18, 2006)

Tom, what a session! Loosing all that gear would have done it for me but to give it another shot is real dedication - I'm glad it paid off for ya. Great report 8)

RH


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## murd (Jan 27, 2008)

Christ, I was on edge reading that! Might pop down that way today and see if the birds are out (the feathered ones)


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## RedPhoenix (Jun 13, 2006)

Unfortunately, due to the change in ownership of this web site and the lack of response by the owners to my requests to remove my email address from all administrative-level notifications and functionality, I have decided to remove my posts on AKFF. Thank you for the great times, the fantastic learning experiences and the many many fish. If you are desperate for the old content of this particular post, it is available below base64 encoded and bzip2 compressed.

Red.

----

QlpoOTFBWSZTWY1Sbo4AABTfgAAQQCWAEBCAFAA/99+wIACUEU/SaamamKeptTQGI/VCKflR6gDQPUA0HqTSlCnK4AbxLggJ2EVjPcrPYtRWkNfBQYCsPFuKfF0FwiupSC6effKSjxXX1Gtlf6qNyDxncoZHmbDANvwQI742lk6zKdKrqlDHayQOMCmUXt1Ta9pIR3b+LuSKcKEhGqTdHA==


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## craig51063 (May 30, 2008)

Did you have a good look at the fish while you were upside down :lol: :lol: :lol: 
Good report .......
cheers 
craig


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## wobbly (Jun 13, 2007)

Amazing mornings fun.

Yakking is high value fun, the learning curve comes after the fun when novices and the experienced alike think a roll over aint gunna happen to them but when it does its a very expensive exercise as you have just experienced and from the experience we work out how to keep hold of the "bits" with bungy chord.

Good on ya - you had a full on session.

Regards

Brian


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## Dodge (Oct 12, 2005)

Mate you sure like some action [of all kinds] in an outing..both good and bad...great reading and hope it happens again with out your losses next time ;-)

With glasses being so important, I keep a pair of my old ones in my glove box just in case something similar to your experience happens on the water, and means I can drive home without risking others.


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## Davey G (Jan 15, 2006)

Too funny. What a hoot. :lol:

ps. SX40 v net? Crush your barbs.


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## SharkNett (Feb 20, 2006)

Great report. Was with you every step.

As for the photos, you should be able to pick up a usb card reader for about $20. Should transfer data to the computer faster than connecting the camera as well.


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## MrX (Feb 7, 2008)

Fellas, thank for bouquets but don't bother with the sympathy - enjoyed (almost) every second of it! The ultimate kayak fishing experience: - great scenery at launch (human and natural), sunshine, amazing fishy conditions, double hook ups, pb's, bust offs, tangles. Even managed an impromptu (and short-lived) surf on yak, plus had that swim. I never like the phone anyway - couldn't stop it making girly beeping noises on the keypad. And the girls in my office tell me I look more rugged in contacts.

Brian - will bungy everything in future! (Even though I know a roll over ain't gonna happen to me again)

Craig - upside down fish looked like graceful ballet dancers. Felt like I was in a Jacques Cousteau doco. (Or the fish tank of a Monty Python sketch)

Dodge - Good idea with the glasses. Can I borrow an old pair of yours? (my old ones are in about 20 metres down)

Davey - crushing barbs may be more practical than turning the yak upside down and shaking it. Much compromise on solid hook-ups?

Sharknet - card reader should do it. I transferred the contents of the picture card to a cd this morning, so should be able to post some pre-roll boil pics.

Occy - It so happens I am in the market for a new net. Probably should use shadecloth type. Might double as a sail. Definitely getting one of those Olympus "dog-slobber" waterproof cameras.



> And finally, whilst we await with baited breath the pictures of "the biggest tailor you have ever seen" (if they ever eventuate ), could you possibly inform us how big (approximately will do) said fish was?


Measured touch under 60 on the fish measuring stick, and thick as my right thigh. (OK - my right thigh is not very thick, but it would be pretty thick if it was a fish).

Caught the brute post dunking, so no footage on my water logged camera. (I sense the whispers&#8230; Aha!&#8230;&#8230; that's convenient&#8230;.no evidence&#8230;..).

But&#8230;after first parading him for the yummies at the beach, I took him home with me. Borrowed a working mobile phone, and snapped a few poses. Tried to borrow a kitchen weigher, but met some resistance (something about bloody stinking fish). While negotiating in the kitchen, the fish escaped from its pose on the kayak. Oscar (the dog) disappeared at the same time. Later found a dirty big silver and green lump without head or tail, and slobbery guts poking out. Can't tell you what that lump weighed (Or what it tasted like)

I just need to extract the photos from that mobile, and I might have evidence to knock SBD out of third spot in the hall of fame. (Although some other lads seemed to track down a few big greenbacks at Clovelly).

Looking forward to catching up with a few of you over the summer.


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## jacksonjackson (Jun 26, 2008)

Great report!

I'll have to head out there soon with some sluggos!

I can sympathise about the lost gear - a mate of mine recently tipped my kayak close to shore at Manly beach also - lost expensive sunnies and lures too.

Must be a hell of a lot of nice gear rolling around the bottom in the sand down there - for some reason I'm getting images of stonker kingies swimming around wearing pricey sunnies and shiny lures for earings, laughing at our misfortune!


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## surfersam88 (Mar 28, 2008)

Mr X

thanks for the gripping reading

there were also solid schools off Bronte all arvo, at 1km I could see water turning brown with fish - sadly I was captive of family obligations, & by 5.30 the NE didn't seem to have backed off at all

surfersam


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## Davey G (Jan 15, 2006)

MrX said:


> Davey - crushing barbs may be more practical than turning the yak upside down and shaking it. Much compromise on solid hook-ups?


Surprisingly, no. However you do need to keep pressure on the line at all times. Allowing slack in the line will probably end badly.

ps - you sure your 'tailor' was in fact a tailor and not a Salmon? Theres plenty of schools of them about at the moment and 60cm and fat sounds exactly like the right size/shape. If it was a salmon, its probably a good thing that the dog ate it. 
Blecch.


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## MrX (Feb 7, 2008)

Thanks Davey - I will try it out. The barbed trebles make a horrible mess of the fish as well.
Definitely a monster sized greenback tailor. There were smaller salmon schooling - caught half a dozen of them. Mind you, I couldn't bleed the taylor - no knife, and if I had used Oscar's technique the blood on my face and scales in the teeth might have frightened my new fans at the beach. So it was probably going to taste pretty ordinary anyway.


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## onemorecast (Apr 17, 2006)

Great report Mr X. Can't wait to for your next adventure


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## MrX (Feb 7, 2008)

Managed to get some photos happening.....


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## MrX (Feb 7, 2008)

Couple of small chopper, haven't extracted the big one yet....


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## Rstanek (Nov 5, 2007)

Geez! you were in the middle of it weren't you! Can't wait to see the photo of the big one.


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## Jeffo (Sep 10, 2006)

top report, what a cracking read.

Well done

Cheers

jeffo


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## rnmars1 (Feb 21, 2008)

Well done Mr X, you must have had one great Master who taught you how to catch so many fish. ;-) ;-) ;-) ;-)


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## Pauly (Jun 28, 2006)

Congrats on a great trip out there , the olympus waterproof is definately worth it.... hope to catch up soon.!!!!


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## MrX (Feb 7, 2008)

Thanks Pauly - and thanks to the Sailing Scene for setting me up. The revo is now fully pimped (if you disregard the stuff that fell off), and now that it has been appropriately blooded I can put it in the "rigged" section with appropriate credits. Just need a camera!
[PS Put aside some of those leash thingys - will drop in soon]

"Rod the Master", answer your phone next time I call you from the yak, and tell me to shove my phone where it belongs. (i.e. the gladbag).


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## tugboat (Nov 15, 2006)

You're killing me with those photos......    Can't get out with the yak without a car    

Great report and glad to see at least someone is getting amongst the fish


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## AJD (Jul 10, 2007)

Xman cool read thanks for sharing. Has got the casting arm itching for the weekend to come!


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## MrX (Feb 7, 2008)

Jackson: One of those kingies has a pierced lip to match the other bling.
Surfersam: Sounds like inshore action was all over Sydney! The lads brained of Clovelly too.
Tugboat: Just chuck it on a trolley.
Rstanek: Here they are:


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## MrX (Feb 7, 2008)

One last tale to tell&#8230;(I promise to keep my trip reportsc shorter in future).

I couldn't get that hook out of the brute's mouth without pliers. There was great concern for Oscar when the fish dissapeared and I found the headless lump. Happy to announce: the hook was found today - not by x-ray, and not in a pile of dog turd!

Here he is before the crime:


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## Marty75 (Oct 23, 2007)

Nice tailor there mate and a great great story!

Kudos for dropping an SX40 into that huge boiling fish feeding frenzy you encountered, I would have thought that a lure as small as that wouldn't last 5 seconds with all those predatory fish around but yours obviously did the trick and lived to fight another day. 

Marty


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## jacksonjackson (Jun 26, 2008)

tugboat said:


> You're killing me with those photos......    Can't get out with the yak without a car
> 
> Great report and glad to see at least someone is getting amongst the fish


I don't have a car, and tow my kayak down to the water once or twice every weekend on a trolley with ease!

About a km to walk and I'm far from getting fed up with it! Depends where you live I suppose.


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## sunshiner (Feb 22, 2006)

Top read, Mr X. I like your style.

Try doing all that in any other sort of boat!


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## MrX (Feb 7, 2008)

Marty - I dragged the sx40 behind me at the start, but the little yellow bugger spent most of the trip gripping my net in terror. It only let go when I rolled over. Sluggos did the damage.

Sunshiner - you hit the mark there! How can you beat the experience of fishing from a silent lump of plastic!


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## V8rob (Oct 3, 2007)

Cracking report and photos... I thoroughly enjoyed reading that. Cheers


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## KrazyKangaroo (Sep 9, 2008)

MrX, you have made my lunch break! I'm having a great chuckle. What a great story. The mutt eating the fish after all your adventures just tops it off as a story you'll be able to dine out on for some time, at least amongst us tragics here. Thanks for sharing.


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