It’s been a month since I was at "The Pan" and was expecting the weather to warm-up and improve, well I was proved wrong. Strong winds, drizzle and cold was the encounter for the first 4 days, ah well I knew the plonk wasn't going to last, luckily a friend at camp was going to town every couple of days to pick up desperately needed supplies.
At last the weather broke, time to launch the tinnie over at Rushies Bay and go and check the bays around Swan Island that I have not fished for some time, timber, boulders and shallow weedy bays usually produce good results in this area.
The breeze was only gentle, sight fishing was the way to go, but the first fish I encountered was busily feeding on the surface of a shallow bay easily gave himself away. The area the fish was feeding was very shallow, a nymph was discounted as algae was very thick. A time proven trusty red tag was soon rested on the surface as the fish made his way around his domain, it didn't take long before the fish found the fly and took it before I knew it. A quick strike soon had the fish jumping all over the place, and after a bit of tug-o-war was soon grassed, 550mm, 4lb 2oz of prime brown was destined for the smoker.
Soon I was searching the deeper rocky water and spotting a fish the red tag was once again sitting on the water. The fish took the fly but soon escapes as the leader pops as the fish goes around a submerged boulder.
As I moved along, I sighted a few more fish that were mooching along the bottom so I changed to a weighted nymph and hoped a fish would soon return. After a fair wait nothing happened, so I decided to keep going till I reached the end of the inlet where I spotted a reasonable fish working the small creek mouth. To cut a long story short I ended up spooking it.
Retracing my steps back I found a nice fish once again cruising the bottom. Watching the fish coming my way, I cast the nymph hoping to ambush it, but he rose to a beetle quite close I thought it would not see the nymph deeper down, but I twitched the fly as the fish neared it and soon dived down to grab the fly. Once hooked he sped out to deeper water where I applied pressure which soon had it leaping and running with gusto. After a tussle a great performer is banked, a 535mm, 3lb 14oz brown.
Two fish for the smoker, that will do. Stomach contents of both fish contained yabbies, mudeye, caddis larvae, midge and an assortment of beetles.
The next day the weather cooled and wind picked up once again, no other fish were sighted or touched again for next two days. Time to pack up.
Thank ye gods for one good day.
Shane Rosengrave