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Fishing Murray River

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Fishing fresh water has always been a special pleasure for me, I think it goes back to the days when, as a youngster I use to fish the clear chalk streams back in the old country. I used to ride an old BSA Bantam 125 cc, I would pack the rods and some light spinners and shoot off to this magic trout stream. The fish used to congregate just below a small weir, hanging in the cover of the weed beds, I would flick my lure downstream and work it through the beds over the gravelly bottom, it wouldn’t be long for it was whacked and a nice trout was grassed. I always released them as I figured it wasn’t poaching if you let them go again.

So when Local fisherman and all round good guy Chris Jones rang me and asked if fancied a walk down the Murray fishing the fresh, I was all for it. Now I think the Murray is one of the prettiest rivers around (also the most difficult to put a boat in) and was looking forward to checking its uppers reach’s. The river was a bit low due to lack of rain in the area but we were able to find some deep holes that should hold fish. Chris was fishing with a light spinning outfit and a small “Mad Mullet”, I was using my trusty 4kg outfit with a small Bantam overhead and some lure I picked up out of the special box, about 60cm long, but floated well and had a nice action.

We scrambled down the bank to find a nice deep pool, on a bend with a slow current running through it. Now its been my experience that with the water so low the fish are a bit timid and a couple of fish is about it for any particular pool. So not being backward I flicked the lure close to some Lilly pads, well the lure hadn’t hardly hit the water when it was monstered by decent fish in a huge splash of water and proceeded to strip line of, ”Bugger” forgot to set the drag again! It hadn’t jumped out of the water so it wasn’t a Barra, a bit of hard work soon had it to the bank. ”Nice Sooty, Jimbo about 1½ kgs I reckon” Chis sings out ”Nah, looks more like 3lb “ says I! What ever it weighed it was a beauty, a quick pic and it was released.

Chis is still working deep on a log in the current but with out luck, ”gotta be a fish here” he was mumbling, I kept on working the surface lure next to the Lilly pads when it was hit again, nothing big this time, a small Tarpon which spent more time in the air than in the water, another pic and it to was released. We decide to walk downstream, I use the term walk loosely as it was more like clamber as the whole river bed was a mass of fallen tree’s. Chris was persevering with his diving lure, I stayed with the floater as my thoughts are that a lot of the fish’s food source falls in or is floating on the top, anyway works for me plus more fun if you see the action.

I was giving Chris a serve about not catching anything when he hooks up to a nice fish only to be done on a sunken log, never said a word me, just walked to the next pool. It was a beauty all logs and deep dark holes,” better have a go at this one mate” says I, ”what, you letting me go first?” He says, anybody would think I was guilty of jumping the gun! He worked like a champion, flicking the lure past the snag working it against the current up to the snag and bingo! He’s on; Chris kept him on a short leash due to the amount of timber and soon had a nice Sooty on the bank for pics and a quick release. That plus me falling in the river trying to retrieve a snagged lure bought a smile to his face. Mate, I was out of that water so fast my mobile phone didn’t even get wet.

We walked some more water searching for that elusive Barra, we had seen some basking in the shallows but they spooked on sight of any movement. The closest we got to one was a follow I had, well actually three follows, I had been working my lure past a weed bed when I saw a boil of water behind it, next cast same deal by this time I was sure it was a Barra, so I cast to the same place slowed down my pace to almost stopped, in fact I did stop where I thought he was, out he came, had a grab for the lure and missed! I wish Barra would grab a lure instead of inhaling it, it would make them easier to hook up! Still you get that! It’s that degree of difficulty that makes fishing for Barra a challenge.

The Sun was well and truly up by now and it was getting a bit tropical so we decided to call it a day. Not a long session about thee hours, not many fish three to be exact but heaps of fun and you don’t have to catch a bag full to enjoy the day.

Jim (Jimbo) Lee  -  www.un-reel-sportsfishing-adventures.com.au