Illawarra Flyfishers Club
7th March 2004
Bellambi Boat Ramp
I went down to Bellambi ramp this morning and saw blackfish actively feeding on the surface. After speaking to one of the old salts, it appears the blackfish were feeding on maggots that were being washed off sea weed. This weed was washed onto the break wall at high tide a day or two before and the weed starts to rot during low tide and attracts the flies. The following high tide (in particular a tide with a rising sea) washes the weed back onto the water and the maggots are a tasty feed for the blackfish.
I quickly went home and grabbed the fly rod and started to use this fly and used some bread as berley. I knew my fly was in the school of fish but I could not get a take. I changed over to another fly but no results. I then shortened the bread fly as I assumed the maggots were smaller than the fly I was using and got results very quickly. I hooked 3 fish but only landed one that went 35cm. My first black fish on fly and I am stoked.
Strangely enough someone knocked off a white commercial van and drove it into the sea at the boat ramp on Saturday night, which not only attracted the attention of the police, it also attracted hordes of people lining up to watch them try and get it out. It was firmly lodged between the holding jetty and the break wall. How did it get there? Well the tide must of washed it around the end of the holding jetty! The large Coastal Patrol boat was called into assist as well. So, here I am fly fishing and 80 or so people watching on and I bet what most of them were thinking - bloody idiot, trying to fly fish and no trout around here. On hooking the fish that I landed, I looked over to the jetty and every one including the police rescue squad were all watching me land this fish. I did get a few people come over to me when I landed the fish and they were amazed that I caught a blackfish on fly.
On cleaning the fish I found its intestines jamb packed with maggots. Has any one ever seen black fish schooling like this before? Most unusual. According to the old salts, it's a rare occurrence.
Leo Harding