A Winter Morning on Pumicestone Passage
by Gavin C.
Snuck out this morning for a fish, I couldn't decide where to go as I thought the recent rain may still be affecting the systems. It came down to the Pine River or Pumicestone. Late last night I decided Pumicestone, Donnybrook to be exact.
I was on the water at first light, yes it was a bit cold (11°C to be exact) but I soon warmed up as I paddled out. It was the last half of the run out tide. I headed south through Dunlops Gutter to my first stop, the oyster lease. This appears to be out of action at the moment as there were no racks evident just some pipes set up to hold them. I began tossing the fly between the pipes and after a while my offering was taken in a spectacular surface hit by a fiesty bream. He would have only gone just legal on the tape so back he went. This area is one continuous series of flats with a channel running through the middle. Surface action was everywhere. I worked my way along to the flats where Elimbah Creek mouth meets the channel. I jumped off and began to fly fish the drop offs without any luck.
I watched a guy in a tinnie pull up and begin bait fishing not far from me. Within 60 seconds he had scored a nice looking bream. On seeing that I decided it was time to get mobile again and return to my secret weapon... BBB soft plastics. I pushed out into the deeper water casting a tomato core 2" single tail on a 1/8oz jig. The tide was still running out at this time so I threw upcurrent and slowly hopped the franger back. It didn't take long, about three casts I think and BAM. I was hooked into something substantial. At first I thought it was a ray because it took several blistering runs. After giving a very good account of itself a fine 56cm flathead began to roll beside the boat. I must have been excited because I forgot all about my landing net and tried to tame this beast with two fingers in its mouth... bad move. I prevailed, and will enjoy two good sized flathead fillets on the BBQ.
Feeling pretty pleased with myself I continued tossing the franger around using the same technique. At times I would just drift allowing the lure to bang across the bottom and adding a flick occassionally. It wasn't long before I hooked up again, another good flathead. After some good runs I brought it alongside. I was about to get the net when 'twang' the leader must have been worn from the first monster. I estimate this fish in the 40-50cm length.
I worked the other side of the channel without success. By this time it was about 10am so I thought about heading back. I began the paddle home (which was only about 1km away). As I headed back I couldn't resist stopping to try my luck again and again. I scored another flathead which went about 15cm.
I got back to the oyster lease and tried the drop off just beside it. Throughout the day my 2" soft plastic was continually nipped with small chunks taken out of the tail. I suggest trying a 1" tail on a 1/16oz jig as those little nips could turn into bream captures just to add a bit of spice.
Eventually time beat me and I looked to head off for the final paddle home from the oyster lease. I decided to do something I'm not fond of, troll. I'm not a big trolling fan as I get annoyed with continually stopping to clear weed off your lure. Well, I thought, I only had a couple of hundred metres so it wouldn't really matter. I threw out a small deep diving minnow lure and began to paddle. Not 20 metres had gone by and my rod bucked over with a constant pressure. I took up the rod and my old mate Mr Flathead came in beside the boat after another good fight. This one was again 40-50cm, after netting him I decided to turn him lose. I revived him and off he went. What a way to end the day.
All in all it was one of the better days I have had on the passage and all within 1km paddle of my launch point.