Glenda | Tuesday, 5 May 2015
Since moving to Queensland, my fishing knowledge has increased 10-fold.! First fishing in the southern states of Australia in freshwater, targeting mostly trout and some redfin and now in the northern state where it is all salt water. Even though I am yet to catch a decent sized saltwater fish, I have high hopes that the day will arrive sooner rather than later.....
I have had to increase my fishing rod arsenal to include 8 and 10wt rods and added a sinking line to my old 6 wt rod. Plus I have had to invest in new reels. I am currently waiting for a new reel for my 6 wt and 10 wt....I really need to be ready for those tuna on the next trip!!
Plus, I am now "volunteering" my time at a fly fishing shop located at Mooloolaba on the Sunshine Coast. Gavin, who owns the shop, ties the best clousers and it is amazing how many customers visit during the week. There is a heap of product that I have to get to know and a heap of knowledge that I am sure Gavin will impart. All very invaluable for me for very little effort on my part! And the reading material in the shop is great too - did not realise there have been so many books written on salt water fly fishing! Soon, I will be able to advise someone on the best flies and lines etc, etc to use in certain conditions and places - well,that's the plan at least.
I am still practising my casting but had to have a couple of days off last week. Brisbane and surrounding areas were pelted with 500 mm of rain between Thursday and Friday last week - flash flooding everywhere and, sadly, five people lost their lives in the suburb next to mine. The devastation of the floods can still be seen with lots of abandoned cars, some sitting precariously on fences, and lots of trees and debris littering the streets. Very scary, I can admit without feeling ashamed - iI thought my house would be flooded! I'm not sure which is worse - the fires in Victoria or floods of Brisbane! What a country for variations in weather! The clip is from my local shopping centre which was very obviously built on a flood plain- the water came rushing in approximately 2 hours after the heavy rain started. Lots of cars ended up floating in the water with customers stranded on the first floor until flood waters subsided sufficiently to get them home.
The fishing will suffer, of course and will affect all the way up to the Sunshine Coast. It will probably take a week or so for the murk to settle. Once that occurs, I will venture out for a fish and hopefully catch that elusive salt water fish. Amazingly, the weather has been perfect since the floods!
Anyway, I hope you are all safe and having happy fishing memories, cheers Glenda