# Reaching for the soap, Lake Conjola Gathering 2011 wash-up



## Junglefisher (Jun 2, 2008)

Got to be one of the best weekends ever.
Most people turned up on friday afternoon / evening.
In order of importance we had :
Junglefisher + family
Squidder and Squidette
Craig450 +1
Paffoh + families
Koich + 1
Badmotorfinger
Grandpop
Occy
FishnFun
Patwah + family
Plus special guest appearnaces by GregL, Blueyak and Andrew(?).
_Kim, Craig450, Paffoh, Paffette, Junglefisher, Junglemistress, Christine450, Patwah, Koich, Badmotorfinger, Squidette, Squidder, Koichess._









Saturday dawned warm and fine and most were on the water by 8 (except Me, Patwah and FishnFun).
The fishing was very reasonable and I landed a heap of small Tarwhine on nippers, hooked a flattie on a plastic that got off yakside and landed a few bream on nippers / lures. I forgot my tackle tray so only had 2 lures and a plastic with me. The plastic got savaged by jackets. I also got bitten off twice by what I think were large flatties - nippers on 6lb mono on the bottom.










We fished off the bank and a few people caught legal fish but I'll let them tell their own story.










Saturday afternoon with a storm threatening about half the yaks headed out again. I made a last minute choice to jump in my Finn to chase a flatty. I once again forgot my tackle tray so had a single rod with a pink micro mullet. Less than 5 minutes of trolling, the rod went off and the fish pulled some drag. A 48cm flathead in the net. It was necked and I headed back as the edge of the storm hit us. Apparently the storm really brought the fish on, but I missed out except for the one fish.










Sunday morning most headed out again, this time I was second on the water to Grandpop. The fish had really gone off the bite, the water was clear as and most found it tough. I got two whiting and a few bream on nippers and dropped a few on plastics.









This afternoon I went snorkling on the island reef and picked up a couple of abalone.

Oh, and Paffoh has a story he wants to share.


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## Squidder (Sep 2, 2005)

Yes a terrific weekend was had by all, it was reminiscent of AKFF gatherings past, with veterans and new members alike enjoying some great fishing and company.
Squidette and I convoyed from Canberra with Patwah and family on Friday morning, with a slight delay near Braidwood while the effects of travel sickness were cleaned from Patwah's back seat and his son's shorts, which he proudly displays below:










Arrived at Conjola to some very ominous skies, but we only received a few drops of rain while setting up. Everyone was keen for an early start the next day, but to make sure this would be as challenging as possible most of us stayed up talking, drinking and chasing prawns until the wee small hours. Nonetheless there were quite a few early starters on Saturday, eager to sample Conjola's wares without the ripping tides which the system is famous for (the entrance had closed a week before our arrival).










I was lucky to score a 62cm flathead on my third cast of the day only about 100m from the camp ground, which smashed a surface lure, and put up a great fight on the light gear.










I hoped this might be the start of a hot session, but I stayed fishless for quite a few hours. A few of us were meandering up the system and fishing the flats towards Berringer Lake, when we heard an almighty splashing near the edge - initially we thought it was tailor busting up, but closer inspection revealed a kangaroo who decided that life would be better on an island, and was hopping his way across to it through the 0.5-1m depth water. He passed right between Paddy and Paffoh on the way. There are many ways to spook fish when you're flats fishing, but this was a first!










Eventually I found a fairly nondescript looking flat which was crawling with whiting and bream (like most of the flats in Conjola really) - but these fish actually wanted to eat! Scored about 20 whiting (mostly tiddlers), kept 3 from 31-35cm, and released a 30cm fork bream. Headed back to camp for lunch and demolished bacon and eggs.


















The storm clouds were building, and a lot of guys headed out in the yaks on Saturday afternoon - I wish I had joined them as they came back raving about the best surface fishing of their lives before the rain started. Craig450 caught a monster 42cm whiting which was FAT. Instead I opted to bait hooks for Squidette during a fairly productive land-based session where many small tarwhine, a ripper silver trev, a legal flatty (captured on a 3 foot pink rod by Patwah), some dirty leatherjackets and other random species hit the bank. The variety on offer at Conjola amazes me every time I go there. We feasted on meat on Saturday night (some salad may also have been consumed).

Sunday dawned cloudy, and with slightly less early starters than the previous day as the late nights started to take their toll. I got 5 legal bream on the big flat straight out from the camp ground, and spent the rest of the morning searching for hungry whiting, which I eventually found when I'd run out of time. Quickly boated 2 35cm fish then headed back to pack up. Car battery was flat after a weekend of opening/closing doors and using the power socket to blow up mattresses etc, Junglefisher helped me out with a charge which got us on our way, much appreciated mate. Special mention also goes to Junglemistress who had a knack of showing up right when we were starting to feel peckish, with various delicacies which she had conjured up in the caravan, including (but not limited to) orange syrup cake, choc-banana cake, and curry puffs with home made pastry! 



Junglefisher said:


> This afternoon I went snorkling on the island reef and picked up a couple of abalone.


Great that you got a couple Craig, look forward to hearing how you cook them.


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## Junglefisher (Jun 2, 2008)

indiedog said:


> Hmmm, I feel dirty just reading this, but also strangely excited.
> 
> Where are the pics of the canapes?


The home made curry puffs, various cakes, fresh salads, floured flat head tails etc were all eaten too quickly for photos.


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## koich (Jul 25, 2007)

I caught a mowie.


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## Guest (Nov 13, 2011)

Lawn mowie?


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## koich (Jul 25, 2007)

Junglefisher said:


> Got to be one of the best weekends ever.
> Most people turned up on friday afternoon / evening.
> In order of importance we had :
> Junglefisher + family
> ...


We also had BobNobby and his wife, as well as AkMckay and his son and a super special visit from everyone's favourite wookie, David Guetta


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## koich (Jul 25, 2007)

nezevic said:


> Lawn mowie?


It was mowievember


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## pescado (May 17, 2007)

Ripper fellas, wish i could have been there. That pic of the roo hopping along the flats is a great shot. Go the bent minnow!


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## paffoh (Aug 24, 2006)

Don't forget the Wookie Davey G!

Great weekend, good fishing to say the least...

...and that is all im saying, the least...


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## mattyp (Mar 7, 2008)

Sounds like a good weekend had by all.


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## craig450 (May 11, 2007)

Awesome weekend guys, lets do it again soon.

I arrived on saturday morning and just relaxed, watching the AKFF crew do some landbased fishing before heading out in the yak during the arfternoon.
Paff, DaveyG and myself got onto a hot surface bite, Paff and i were going fish for fish 5 metres from each other, both of us landing some great fish, my best was a 38cm bream, and a 42cm whiting.

Today was a lot tougher, a couple of just legal bream, and one that hit 30cm fork length exactly. Whiting were shy, they would chase the lure until they were right behind it and then drop off the chase.
I did manage 1 nice one casting a small ecogear blade over the sandflats and ripping it back. And just on the way back in got a flatty which would have gone mid to high 40's.

Looking forward to the next one 

Paddy with a massive bream, with the massive pink rod









AKFF crew smashing it landbased style

















Paff and Paddy having a moment









Paddy onto another fish using the massive pink rod









The result of Paddy's pink rodding skills









Paff got hungry









Paff having a go with the pink rod









Squidette onto a good fish, while Squidder gets ready to drop a steamer in the water









Squidette with a good trevally









Junior JungleFisher with a little Tarwhine









One of my bream from yesterday









Another









And one from today


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## craig450 (May 11, 2007)

Junglefisher said:


> Oh, and Paffoh has a story he wants to share.


Oh, please share it with us Dhurkin


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## paffoh (Aug 24, 2006)




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## paffoh (Aug 24, 2006)

On a serious note, well, mitey note...

Couple of ticks found, just had one burrow into my arm only 5 minutes after unloading kayak this morning.

Kim found one on his back when he returned yesterday, gather it was probably from packing up his camper trailer.

Check your kids, wags, penis...


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## Davey G (Jan 15, 2006)

Well what a great weekend....

Location. tick

Weather. Tick.

Fishing. Tick.

Company. Tick

Beer, bacon and more bacon. Tick, tick, tick.

Great to catch up with old faces and meet a few new ones.

I arrived Friday early arvo and set my tent up in the 30 knot noreaster which hung around all arvo. Yak fishing was out in that wind so I wandered over to the surf beach and dug up a few pippis and had a quick fish in some likely gutters for an hour or so, with no luck. Back at camp and we had a leisurely arvo, barbequed some meat for dinner and consumed plenty of beers, and chatted into the night. GregL turned up for a cameo appearance with his black kangaroo.








Saturday and I was up at 5.45 as last nights beers were forcing my bladder out through my eyeballs. After relieving the pressure I had a quick breaky and was first on the water at around 6.15. Forgot my waterbottles so paddled back to camp and then headed out again, realising that my sunglasses were also back in the tent, so another about face and I was finally fishing properly at around 6.45. A perfectly still morning, glassed out water and lots of surface activity promised a great day ahead. After not having fished from the yak for many months I struggled for the first couple of hours (apart from a few small whiting and a bull mullet which dragged me around for a few minutes). Around 9am I finally found a flat which was producing and pulled a couple of good whiting (38 and 35) and several mid 20's bream. Nothing spectacular but good to break the Conjola hoodoo and on such a nice morning (I've always struggled here in the past). Back to camp, more bacon, coffee and a leisurely arvo watching the campground activities and soaking a few baits off the shore with the AKFF pink rod team.
















A mid arvo storm approached around 3pm however I jumped in the yak and myself Paff and Craig450 all took off at around the same time, soon joined by Junglefisher. Distant thunder gave way to lightning and we were soon getting wet and it looked like we may have to get away from the approaching electrical storm but we soldiered on and it was well worth the risk as the next 2 hours were some of the best surface fishing I have ever had. From 4 till around 6pm it seemed like every fish in the lake wanted to eat my popper. I'm not sure if it was the electrical activity, humidity, air pressure or just 'right time right place' but it was literally a fish per cast for over an hour. I reckon that I hooked and landed at least 60-70 fish in those few hours, with bream up to 34 fork, lots of mid-30's whiting and dozens of other legal bream and whiting falling victim to the surface offering. All this happened on a flat which was no more than 2 foot deep. At one stage I was laughing to myself thinking 'this cannot be for real' as another fish hit the lure. All fish were released and as usual I didn't bring the camera so no photos of the action.

However the highlight of the afternoon was the 15cm whiting that ate my popper. :shock: :?

As I was skulldragging it back to the kayak, daydreaming and not really paying attention, the water at the side of my kayak ABSOLUTELY EXPLODED. With slightly stained undies and a heart rate of 250 I realised that the 15cm whiting had just been engulfed by a massive flathead who was also now attached to my popper/whiting. My reel started screaming in a good way as pink braid peeled off the little shimano.The fish took off across the shallow flat with masssive headshakes and started towing me behind it for a good minute or so until I started gaining a bit more control. Slowly I started working line back onto the reel, the fish made a couple more blistering runs and I was having a ball trying to get some control over a crocodile on 4lb leader until the inevitable happened and the flatty sawed through the thin flouro. Heart in the mouth stuff and as good as it gets. I only got a quick look at the flatty but the head on it was like a dinner plate so I'm guessing she would have been a big mumma around 90cm. Terrific stuff.  








Saturday night was another social evening albeit a little more subdued than Friday. Stewie (BlueYak) and Andrew (rebel1) had told us of a great offshore session they'd had that morning so the plan was hatched to pack up early and head up to Bendalong (half hour drive north) to get offshore on Sunday. I was up and on the water at Bendalong by about 8.30 to glass calm seas and plenty of action on the sounder. 2 or 3 big seals were lazily lolling around on the surface and condituons could not have been better. Rounding the headland I spotted Stewie and Andrew already bobbing around and expecting them to be amongst a school of frothing salmon I was disappointed to see there was no reel screaming action as they'd described.. Instead stewie threw up his arms and exclaimed 'nothing!'. I searched around and apart from a few small tailor bust ups and lazy schools of yakkas/slimeys there was no predators and no fast and furious action. After persisting for a couple of hours I headed in, cleaned up, grabbed a coffee and more bacon and headed home.








Thanks to all who organized and made the effort to come along, it really was a perfect weekend in a great spot.

Cheers.


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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.

----

QlpoOTFBWSZTWaPeYosAABRfgAAQYIUACCEIFCA3796gIACFDVT2RT0Y0pgyaJ6n6moNU2Jqepo9QAAGjjIW1D8l24SxfmKKHdSdL30yYZHG6VruKOiwYuJtb6QiJT82W/GIyOlZAJgeWB6iHYhH4CR8O8j0m1+ZdMBF2pSUzftFDaEIJPJAwdTrJUB3xOFsgZwIT/i7kinChIUe8xRY


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## scater (Nov 24, 2007)

Yep, that sounds like a great trip and such a shame you didn't get that croc in Davey! But what the hell happened to Paff?


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## Davey G (Jan 15, 2006)

RedPhoenix said:


> You beauty; awesome to see an AKFF gathering that wasn't pissing down, and blowing it's ring off!


there WAS rain and there WAS strong windand there WAS thunder and lightning (so it was a typical AKFF trip) but thankfully it was only for brief periods. Also, I was amazed that water temp in the lake was between 22 and 26 degrees. the patch where I smashed it on the surface was 25 degrees, like a warm bath. Ocean was still around 18.5 degrees..


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## Junglefisher (Jun 2, 2008)

koich said:


> Junglefisher said:
> 
> 
> > Got to be one of the best weekends ever.
> ...


I was ignoring anyone I thought might be more important than me.

Today was another Gem. Occy bagged out on flathead before he even left the channel out the front of camp, I caught three snapper, two legal and one of those at 42cm. Best fight from a fish I've had for ages. It had the little 2500 screaming and tested the 8lb braid. James caught a 32cm flathead too.


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## mudpat (Feb 21, 2011)

Anyone coming out early tomorrow to throw plastic at bommies?


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## badmotorfinger (Mar 15, 2010)

It was with more than a little trepidation that I decided to attend my inaugural AKFF gathering but in desperate need of break from life with twin toddlers I took the plunge. Great location, patches of perfect weather and hardly an axe murderer amongst them. Even the AKFF initiations were not too bad with the more senior members being surprisingly gentle and generous with the reach-arounds.

In addition to the initiation I achieved a number of other more fishing related firsts for the weekend. This started with getting on the water before 7 am on the Saturday morning thanks to the joys of camping lakeside. I set out with intention of getting a whiting and bream on surface lures.

It didn't take long to find some surface action and shortly after I got my first fish on a surface lure with a couple of chopper tailor coming aboard. I spent a ton of time throwing poppers at likely looking flats and landed a Flounder (or possibly flat brown Whiting) on a Sammy later in the morning. In between I explored the Lake and its extensive shallow flats (think I will bring standard or ST fins next time) and managed to drop a decent Flatty yakside whilst I fumbled with my net (recently bought with intention of avoiding losing flatties yakside). 

























Having not achieved my aims in the morning I was keen to hit the water in afternoon but being sans wife and young children I thought I would attempt what is impossible at home and read the Saturday papers. This led to me falling asleep and waking up in the middle of a storm with rain coming in the tent. I wish I had of been with the entourage who paddled out before the storm as it sounds like an awesome session but not sure I would have had the balls anyway with the lightening around. I did get out for a fish at dusk and after a million cast and half a dozen follows got a small 'standard' whiting (woot). Forgot to get a photo but snapped on of Davey G (I think) returning to camp.









Conditions where like glass the next morning and I'm glad I wasn't the only one that struggled. I did get my first bream on a lure early but then struggled for a while. It was incredibly frustrating as I could literally see fish everywhere but nothing would take a lure. I fished a little shallow bay for a while and threw so many poppers and pencils that by the end it had was covered in a layer of froth but despite dozens of follows and half hits I was left disappointed. 









A big flatty decided to rub it in by coming up and grabbing my little atomic hardz minnow in plain view before spitting it as soon as I put the pressure on. I quickly threw a soft plastic at him and again he took it before spitting it back at me. My only consolation was the woes of Occy nearby, who if I interpreted the swearing correctly lost a big flatty caught only 5 mins earlier when it swam out the top of his keeper bag. I did manage to get a consolation flatty on troll back to camp but released him to fight another day.









It was a shame to have to pack up as I could easily have spent a week down there and I think I will return some time soon. Thanks to all the other AKFF'ers there for welcoming me and passing on a few tips. Look forward to catching up in future.

Whilst the best part of the weekend was getting away from the kids for a few days the second best part must have been the welcome I got from them when I returned. Have promised that I will take them camping soon and reckon Lake Conjola will be as good as place as any.


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## Squidder (Sep 2, 2005)

Great reporting Ian - I can't believe you caught a flounder on a surface lure!


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## koich (Jul 25, 2007)

I was also brutally attacked by a tick.


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## blueyak (Jan 20, 2009)

Hey guys it was great weekend and it was good to meet a few crew i haven't met before.
I'm still amazed about THE SESSION that a few of you had on topwater where every cast found a fish. That just doesn't happen at conjola let alone when DaveyG is around.

Rebel1 and myself had a cool salmon session on sat morning at bendy.

We paddled around the point to find NOTHING hmmm.
Andrew made the call that if we didn't find fish in half an hour we were going elsewhere to go breaming.
We couldn't see birds or bait of any description and things were looking pretty grim. I paddled to some shallow water in the reef between the bommie and the shore and first cast caught me a squid which did a fine job of messing up my kayak. Whilst landing the squid i saw a lone salmon jump then noticed the finest of ripples on the water all around that area. I called Andrew over and we had a mad session catching salmon on all sorts of things for the next 3 hours.









The salmon were not feeding on anything, they were just milling about doing their own thing. The cool part was that even though they were not feeding, anything that looked half alive was chased down by half a dozen fish untill one got so fired up it pushed the others out of the way and launched out of the water on its way to smashing the lure.









It was double hook up after double hook up with no one else on it. After releasing fish we had to find the school again and it was a simple as casting a 9inch sluggo into the water and ripping it back. Once a salmon started to chase the sluggo half the school would turn and follow. Big bow waves and mega slurps were the norm.

We threw big plastics, small plastics, tango dancers, cup faced bream poppers and ever some stupid looking bass frogs at them and all had the same success. The only key was to keep it moving. 
So we started to play around. Poppers were cast into the school and popped just once. This had the effect of making 6 or 7 fish boil just below the lure but they wouldn't hit it till it moved a few more times. So much fun.








I had one popper that kept coming back with less hooks and split rings each cast untill it was hookless so i put an assist jigging hook on it. Next cast it didn't come back at all lol.

We caught up with the crew that night and tried to talk everyone into a session at bendy the next day but only DaveyG showed. Unfortunately it was the total opposite of the previous day and not much of note was caught. I was pretty keen to head out to mudpats snapper ground but it looked like no-one was out there. I must say I'm a little surprised to hear they caught a few out there considering how quiet it was in close.

Well done out there Pat, if your fish came on the squid I gave you technically they are mine :lol:

I ended up with a severe case of mondayitis today as i always do after a weekend down the coast. Looking forward to doing it again sometime.
Cheers
Stewie.


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## badmotorfinger (Mar 15, 2010)

koich said:


> I was also brutally attacked by a tick.


On the bent minnow?


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## blueyak (Jan 20, 2009)

badmotorfinger said:


> koich said:
> 
> 
> > I was also brutally attacked by a tick.
> ...


Does Koich know how to use a bent minnow?
Squidder does...It's all in the wrist.


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## koich (Jul 25, 2007)

One thing I can't use is right handed reel.

That shit is hard.


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## Zed (Sep 18, 2006)

These reports make me hungry.
I'd love the recipe for teh orange syrup cake. Hup Oranje!

Flounder on the surface! Nice. We sometimes see halibut leaping in the surf. Pretty cool for a bottom dweller.

Ticks suck.

The proud little girl in glasses, with rod and hooked fish is priceless. Trooper!


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## Davey G (Jan 15, 2006)

Late on Saturday night Patwah wandered past me on the way to the showers. He whispered "hey Davey I need someone to soap my back'.

After all his pre-trip talk of reacharounds I wasn't taking the chance, but glad that you found a shower buddy in Squidder..

What happens at Conjola stays at Conjola. Your man loving secrets are safe with me boys...


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## Squidder (Sep 2, 2005)

Zed said:


> The proud little girl in glasses, with rod and hooked fish is priceless. Trooper!


Yes Lily is a trooper. She is not afraid to ask for what she wants - but is extremely polite when doing so!


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## mudpat (Feb 21, 2011)

Well done out there Pat, if your fish came on the squid I gave you technically they are mine :lol: 

The 2 biggest are yours (technically), 1 on the head and 1 on the body. Pretty hard to see us out there from in close, shame you werent there, the kings would have been fun for you. If you ever head down again drop me a message and I will guide you out there.


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## mudpat (Feb 21, 2011)

Good to hear Ollie pulled through, guess you wont be banished after all.
A really good use for rats is get em live, go to Mongolia with the best hoodlum kingie outfit you have and a box of rubber bands. Use the rubber band to attach rodent to 6/0 hook and hurl it into a river. There are Taimen (worlds biggest salmonid) 2 metres long that will treat it as a snack! I was in Mongolia 6 weeks ago and found the fishing there to be mind blowing.........though might be cheaper to hit em with a stick. :lol:


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## Junglefisher (Jun 2, 2008)

Bacon jam - http://homemadebacon.wordpress.com/2011 ... bacon-jam/

Orange syrup cake - http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/10285/orange+syrup+cake









A lake Conjola snapper.









Fishing with James.

PS. I think Squidder touched my beard too :shock:


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## HardPlastic (Jul 2, 2007)

Unreal report guys. What a top weekend and top place to meet up. Photos were excellent. Could see the dunes near the entrance where I cut my knee on an old buried fence post as a kid. They used to nail the heads of the big lizards to the telephone poles. Probably get shot for that now. Special place.

Cheers

Greg


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## Zed (Sep 18, 2006)

Thanks JF!
Have I complemented your beard?

That snapper seems to have an over-sized tail. No wonder it fought so.


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## badmotorfinger (Mar 15, 2010)

Zed said:


> That snapper seems to have an over-sized tail. No wonder it fought so.


I was thinking the same thing. What did you get it on JF?


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## Junglefisher (Jun 2, 2008)

badmotorfinger said:


> Zed said:
> 
> 
> > That snapper seems to have an over-sized tail. No wonder it fought so.
> ...


SX43F. It had a big tail, but could be funny photo angle too.


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## koich (Jul 25, 2007)

and it broke.


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## granpop (Mar 23, 2007)

Finally home and have the gear, laundry and house sorted. A great weekend guys. All the kids have fish for dinner. Monday was a FUN day - only kept a good sized tailer, but found a bunch of whiting on some flats that queued up to beat up on my sammy. Only trouble was they were all undersized or just size, but a bucketload of fun.
cheers

Dave


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## scater (Nov 24, 2007)

Yes but what happened to Paff?


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## Squidder (Sep 2, 2005)

paffoh said:


> On a serious note, well, mitey note...
> 
> Couple of ticks found, just had one burrow into my arm only 5 minutes after unloading kayak this morning.
> 
> ...


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## Ado (Mar 31, 2008)

Simply awesome variety and reward. Surface action and it's only November. 24-26 degrees on Mummuga today. Sure beats the 16 it was a month ago. I really wish I could have made it. Next AKFF get together must be a weekday. I'm sure it will just be me and my hat, but we both like it that way.

Thanks for the reports guys and gals.


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## justcrusin (Oct 1, 2006)

Looks like everyone had a great weekend, that surface bite would have been awesome fun. wish I could have made it down but duty called.

Cheers Dave


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## Junglefisher (Jun 2, 2008)

Such fun.


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