# NSW - A night in the Cowan Sunday 3rd June



## paulb (Nov 12, 2006)

After a tense week of watching the whether change a dozen times from good to bad and back again - we were in luck with a late afternoon break in the rain.

Our luck was even better when we only encountered two boats on our trip out to the bay, plus enjoyed a couple of tailor on the troll out. All moorings were empty on arrival so we all claimed our spots and started the burley going.

It didn't take very long after dark for mysterious bite off's and the frustrating hook up and lose fish began. Jim scored early, whilst Johnny was generating sonic booms that echoed off the cliffs and far up the creek, as he smashed the life out of some poor prehistoric beasties head whilst it rested on his kayak.

A very fun night with no rain, sporadic action - with almost everyone landing at least one hairtail, with a little by catch of *****'s, tailor and small soapies.

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## sbd (Aug 18, 2006)

For a night that held little promise weather wise, it was a very pleasant outing, and when you find your target species, it could only be called a success. Not the craziest action you'll ever see, but a steady trickle of hairies & bycatch made it well worthwhile.

Special mention for AJD who seemed to catch a dozen species, including his first hairtail - onya Al, you'll have to come again when it gets properly cold, & Jim, who had a blinder (but failed to supply kebabs).

My favourite moment had to be towing a conga line of 4 yaks, when we decided the action was all 100m Jimwards. Much hilarity ensued, & Steve's decided to buy a Hobie ;-) .

Can't believe there wasn't a drop of rain the whole evening. We weren't worthy, it shoulda pissed down (again). Next trip in a few weeks hopefully.


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## Wrassemagnet (Oct 17, 2007)

This was just such a relaxing, fun mission for me. The frustration of dropping fish after fish after several seconds of mayhem (those hairy's can really pull hard) turned into cheerful resignation after a while but only after I landed a beauty that was probably 1.5m long. There were many highlights for me, the conga line was just hilarious as were the sphincter jokes and seeing Al bring bluewater fishing to the cowan with his *****'s and bonito. I got a poor photo of his enormous tailor (see below). I also cracked up when Paul announced he was being towed around by his live yakka, there was so little current and the water was just like a mirror Paul had hooked a hairy too early on but of the buttock kind, thank goodness that turned out ok. We both managed Tailor on the troll out but he wisely kept his for slab bait while I bridled mine up with an elastic which snapped when I peddled a tad too fast and released the fish before I reached the mark. johnny's bladder management technique got me through the night no sweat, I had so many layers on it would have been a real challenge to have to take a piss out there. It was funny to watch how fast Keza was towed around whenever he hooked up as his yak is so light. Man I have to thank Dave/sbd in particular who gave me directions to the place no less than 3 times, shared the good oil about how to rig up (baitmate rocks!) and shared my hipflask. It was all about sharing on the night after all and I was strangely gratified when everyone decided to mosey over and fish in my enourmous burley slick and we started squishing pilchards into the water with our bare hands to bring them on the bite.

Overall these opportunities to fish, joke around and even have a bit of sober conversation and reflection on the majesty of nature too are just so precious and thanks to all the fellas for a great night.

My postscript is also unforgettable.

I blew a tyre on my car as I entered the eastern distributor around 1am. The incident response team helped me replace it with the spare which wouldn't inflate. They then towed my trailer and my car to the nearest service station, the coles/hungry jacks opposite the Moore Park Supacentre. I waited there an hour for the NRMA towing contractor to arrive. He had no problem loading my car onto the flatbed but couldn't find a towball, then when he was told over the phone where to find the ball he couldn't find a socket wrench to put the towball onto the back of his truck for the kayak trailer. My shifting spanner was 1mm too small and the clayton's servo had no tools. We ended up using our hands and writhing around on the ground twisting the thing on by brute strength and lucky it held until I got home. The M5 was closed westwards too by the way so we took backstreets. At Mascot we turned right into a street with a level crossing and blow me down if the friggin red light didn't go on, the claxon sound and the boom drop in front of our noses. The towie lit up a ciggy as a freight train probably a km long meandered past. Finally we got to Airport drive and the towie took a right instead of a left and increasing the distance home by 20% compared to if he'd gone left as I'd suggested. Never mind, he was a nice bloke who did feel a bit chagrined and when he helped me push the trailer with my pilchard-slick covered kayak into my garage at 3:30am I gave him a tip. Oh I forgot to mention that every bloke on the incident response team as well as the towie wanted a good look at my 1.5m hairy and I even let them have a stroke of it too. My missus absolutely hammered me in the morning when I woke after 2 hrs sleep to take my eldest to Summer Hill by 7:30am, come home, take 2 of my other kids to school and then drive to work in Liverpool using her car. I then picked the kids up from school at 3pm, picked up my eldest after sport at Summer Hill at 5pm, took my daughter to ballet at 5:30pm, worked at home until now and wrote this post. I'm off for some shut eye now, when can we do it again!!!!!!









the boys and their toys. My fishbag on the front is full of pillies for the slick









bluewater Al









johnny and paulb looking for hairy love as the fog rolls in









Al's cracker tailor


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## Marty75 (Oct 23, 2007)

Great report gents!

If the weather holds out over the long weekend anyone keen for another soirée at the hairies?

Marty


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## avayak (May 23, 2007)

I'm amazed that the rain stopped and the sky cleared just as we were rigging up. The Cowan must be a negative parrallel universe. Last time it was predicted to be fine and we had a mini tornado trash North Turramurra.
The hairtail kept to the script this year waiting until winter before making their appearance. Johnny cubed pilchards hard and brought up this silver python.


paulb said:


> Johnny was generating sonic booms that echoed off the cliffs and far up the creek, as he smashed the life out of some poor prehistoric beasties head whilst it rested on his kayak.











The bites were timid. I pulled the hooks on a couple and caught a couple of smaller models. I fried them, coated them with caramelised sugar/ginger/garlic and braised them with leeks and rice wine vinegar. There were no left overs.


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## Levi (Nov 24, 2008)

Great results... amazed the conditions look so good out there, the cloud cover must have helped keep you from freezing your bollocks off too!

Must say, I'm pretty impressed with some of the lighting on the yaks!!!!

Great stuff guys.


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## onemorecast (Apr 17, 2006)

Looks cold


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## sbd (Aug 18, 2006)

I did Gary's recipe too, ended up being one of the best five fish meals I've ever cooked. Very counterintuitive - who dumps sugar into cold oil, proceeds to make caramel, then throws in some (prefried) hairtail? From now on, I do.

No leftovers here either. Yummo.


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## paulb (Nov 12, 2006)

That recipie makes me want to go out now and catch another !!!! 
Jim - that's a shocker of a trip home .


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## MrX (Feb 7, 2008)

Well done!

Lunatics!!


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## keza (Mar 6, 2007)

I'll get some pics off the camera tomorrow but a nice 55cm tailor on the way out was a good start to the trip, shame I did get the jew that was following him as it was at least 3 x as long.
My hairy session started by having my 27lb wire bitten through, that's a first.
Couple of hairies for the smoker.
Soaked in salt, lemon, brown sugar and ginger for an hour and then smoked.
Bloody delicious.
The new yak is so light that I get towed all over the place. The tailor headed straight for the rocks and then took a left, leaving my yak to cruise into the rock before I could get the paddle out. Even the hairies managed to tow me around.


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## Clarkos (Oct 11, 2006)

Jeez Jim, that's a bugger of a trip home. Getting home on the back of a tow truck is usually my trick.

No pics or fish for me, but after a couple of shitty months at work, I was quite happy just being on the water. Warm and dry were the bonus. Johny's sonic booms and the boaties response of "just wring it's bloody neck" were the highlights. Getting towed around at the end of the conga line was fun, and although not having to paddle for foward propulsion was fun, not sure I'll be switching just yet Dave. ;-)

Count me in for another trip if another window appears.

Steve.

Jim, I guess Summer Hill is TGS. I was there about a million years ago.


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## Wrassemagnet (Oct 17, 2007)

Yep, my TOW involved several tows :lol:

TGS is a bingo.

I did mine smoked in a gale on my veranda last night. Kid's said they taste like bacon so Squidder's smoking hints really work!









brining









stackem rackem and packem









smokem if ya gottem









hairy bacon


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

eric said:


> I'm really inspired to get some night fishing in now.


Contact Al. He works for a company that makes street lights. 

Trev


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## AJD (Jul 10, 2007)

A top night out. Thanks for having me tag along folks.


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## avayak (May 23, 2007)

You have broken the Sydney fish Hoodoo now Al. 
From now on it will be going off!
Or it could be just going off.


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## Guest (Jun 6, 2012)

Looks like it was a good social event with some decent fish caught all round. What are the hairies like to eat? I remember chasing them in Newcastle harbour as a little bloke but can't remember eating them.


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

nezevic said:


> What are the hairies like to eat?


I've eaten a few. And they were delicious.

Trev


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## AJD (Jul 10, 2007)

nezevic said:


> Looks like it was a good social event with some decent fish caught all round. What are the hairies like to eat? I remember chasing them in Newcastle harbour as a little bloke but can't remember eating them.


I can only comment on the smoked one I did and I had to fight the kids to get just one piece. It went down real well with a glass of white!


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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.

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## johnny (Aug 12, 2007)

What a great night..plentya laughs....I lub youse all

So many superheroes.Legends.The avengers and wwe need youse.
Lets do it again


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## jace89 (Apr 21, 2012)

What boat ramp is that? Looks like a great session!


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## sbd (Aug 18, 2006)

jace89 said:


> What boat ramp is that? Looks like a great session!


Apple Tree Bay, near Bobbin Head.


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## jace89 (Apr 21, 2012)

So you guys stay down their all night because wouldnt the gates close?


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## sbd (Aug 18, 2006)

jace89 said:


> So you guys stay down their all night because wouldnt the gates close?


No, the gates don't close. We stay down there all night because we're foolish.


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## keza (Mar 6, 2007)

sbd said:


> jace89 said:
> 
> 
> > So you guys stay down their all night because wouldnt the gates close?
> ...


And scared to go home because we're late.


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## yaktopia (Nov 30, 2008)

That hairy bacon looks the goods! Great session boys!


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## DAC (Aug 29, 2008)

Well done on a top sounding trip.
Wish I'd been able to go...
Look forward to joining in soon


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## Barrabundy (Sep 29, 2008)

Thanks to AKFF Select I just had a read of this report, missed it the first time around somehow.

Hairtail flesh looks nice and reasonably light in colour, does it have a mild taste or is it strong flavoured?

The weather looked pretty crap at the ramp.


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## Wrassemagnet (Oct 17, 2007)

It's quite mild Con and the fillets are thin and broad so they soak up the smoke flavour (or any other flavour for that matter) really well.


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## keza (Mar 6, 2007)

Same as ribbon fish if you see that around.
A friend saw it in the fish shop for $1.99 kg recently, which I find pretty disgusting.


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## kayakone (Dec 7, 2010)

Do you guys get the hairies only at night?

Just read up on them in Grant's Guide ....as long as 2.3 m and up to 6 kg! Now that'd tow your boat Kerry.

trev


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## keza (Mar 6, 2007)

Late afternoon and in to the night seems to be the go.
2.3 would be interesting.


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