There’s gold amongst them trees
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FISHING: I keenly watched my rod tip, as the yabby-loaded hook made a slow decent into the murky depths.
A subtle bump, a slight arch and then a quickening as line peeled off my reel.
I waited, making sure, before striking upwards.
The Golden Perch strained hard, searching for freedom amongst the submerged remains of an old River Red Gum.
A brief, intense fight, before a beautiful fish lay quiet beside my kayak.
Yabbies are attracting bites but lures are gaining popularity too. Typical Burrinjuck Dam Yabby bobbing territory.
They certainly didn’t have fishing in mind when they built Burrinjuck Dam, but the flooded trees of the river valley has provided a perfect habitat for native fish, particularly Golden Perch.
Bobbing yabbies alongside this timber is a successful technique which has been around for some time.
More recently, replacing yabbies with artificial lures has gained popularity.
Whether bait or artificial, the technique is the same.
A beautiful Golden Perch ready for release. Always remember to follow Fisheries regulations and just as important, only take what you need.
A lightly weighted hook or jig head dropped vertically amongst the timber; a slow drop down, a slow wind up, a pause, maybe a twitch or two.
The hits are often subtle but sometimes savage, be prepared for your bait to get smashed as it drops.
Usually the bites come within the first five minutes, so moving trees regularly can be more successful than tying up for longer periods.
They can bite throughout the day, with increased activity just after dawn and before dark.
Golden Perch have been active amongst the trees recently, so get out there and have a go.
You might strike gold or you might just have yourself a peaceful day in beautiful surrounds. I could think of worse ways to spend a day.
A small Golden Perch strains hard for the depths. While not big fish, they do fight hard.
Ben Serafin, when he’s not fishing, is a Biosecurity Officer with the South East Local Land Services.
