JQ’s the editor this month:
Dear Members,
Bill’s provided me another chance at delivering you this month’s Newsletter and sadly as I put it together we received news of Life-Member Bryan Pratt’s passing. The club and fishing community will be a much different place without you Bryan. Thank you from all that you touched.
This newsletter is packed with high-res pics and great information. I hope you enjoy it. Good luck if you fish the opening season and see you all next meeting.
Regards
JQ
Apologies for the six or so who have already read the Sep newsletter. This is what happens when I don’t get my co-editor JQ and some-time sub-editor Luke to proof my work. Eagle eyed Luke found two errors, now fixed.
This issue covers our 2018 AGM with all the trophy results – well done to all awardees, but there is extra interest given we have four new trophies to compete for. The new committee and council was elected and recorded here for those who couldn’t make it. Many thanks to those who have stood up to help run the club.
For those who love photos of fish and happy anglers, there’s plenty for you in this issue – in particular some mammoth cod courtesy of Ash and impressive trout from the Bondi Forest trip.
Newsletters from external agencies like CFA are abstracted here. It is refreshing to hear that NSW DPI has acted on their promise of embracing science in the management of trout.
The ‘Notable Fish’ board is back up and running – just remember to ensure that the fish are recorded in the official ‘green book’ if you want them considered for trophies. By the by, there’s been a change to our native fish assessment tool. Of course all of you who monitor the news on our webpage (or better still register to get notified each time something gets added) would have known about that.
This issue comes out just in time for our AGM. Don’t be frightened that you’ll be shanghaied into a job if you turn up – lots of work would have been done to ensure there are people willing to sign up to be on the executive. That said, becoming a part of that team is a great way to help shape CAA to provide what you believe is important for a club. If you want to make a difference, come along and put your hand up.
Was refreshing to see how many showed up for the casting instruction at Uriarra Crossing. Many thanks to John and Lyall for the photos – here’s hoping that others in the club could follow suit rather than leaving it to the ‘usual suspects’.
Thanks for those who provided material for this issue—a bit thinner than recently, but perhaps a measure of conditions out on the water – check out Phil’s beauty at the end of the issue.
Fishing is a bit quiet, though I had thought I might have had more on the trout streams closure – seems water levels meant that it was extremely quiet. Lyall reports here on our Saltwater Event which was a lot of fun (always good to catch fish eh!). This is the decider for the Saltwater Trophy. In that vein, if you haven’t already brought in your trophies to Lyall, please do so at the July meeting so that they can be taken off to be engraved with this season’s awardees. The July meeting is also the last opportunity to register your catches in the ‘little green book’ – remember that inclusion in the “Notable Fish Recorded” section of this newsletter is not an official registration for trophy purposes.
Good to see Luke, Lyall and JQ got into some fish after braving the weather and the mud.
Some very sad news as you’ll read in the newsletter.
I’ve written up a recent trip by Ian, Lyall and me to New Zealand and then we have my report from the Tumut trip. It becomes starkly clear why I have to go to NZ as it has become obvious that I have big problems catching Australian trout! I hope the Trout Strategy will go some way to improving the trout situation ‘here’ in NSW, otherwise it seems I might need to move to Victoria where things seem to be going gang busters. (My long weekend down the coast had only one ‘success’ when a pipi grabbed onto a treble hook – fingers crossed for better results when I go down with Lyall).
Meanwhile, Luke and Nathan have had some great success on the rivers (probably European nymphing!). It took some encouragement for them to write up their experiences as they didn’t want to show up some of the old-stagers.
Ash has also provided a contribution covering his successes with Murray Cod. Beautiful fish.
Many thanks to Jason Q and Luke for standing in for me last month – it is great to have such dedicated backup.
Hope you enjoy the read, but still looking forward to your contributions folks.
I’m really embarrassed on two counts. First, that my photo is on the front page of the May 2018 newsletter (I didn’t choose it folks) and second, that my photo is on the front page of the May 2018 newsletter (I’m sure more of you are getting out fishing than just me – for sure I was with Ian and Lyall so I know at least two others are out and about! I’ll get some photos of them into next Burley Line).
Meanwhile, in my absence JQ and Luke have put together the May newsletter for which I am very grateful. As so often happens with feast and famine, contribution level was a bit low. I’m sure there are plenty of other stories that you lot have tucked away, I look forward to receiving them in the next few weeks. Meantime, there is some good reading here.
Oops … it was pointed out that there was a typo attributing a 31cm Brown to Mark S. Mark doesn’t catch 31cm fish 😀. It should have read “3 fish to 51cm”. Now fixed. Apologies Mark.
Another month where I had feared there would be limited material, but then it arrives. I particularly appreciate the support of Leon who is a regular contributor and this time shares some of his knowledge on innovative ways to use fly tackle. There has been a number of angling related ‘political’ meetings including Snowy Hydro 2.0 and the Koi Herpes virus initiative. Canberra Anglers Association has been engaged and representing the views of our membership.
Our co-editor Luke is off jetsetting at the moment so you’ll have to settle for the old format. Hopefully the next issue will be back to Luke’s best.
A little bit slimmer edition this month – more contributions please! A few names only appearing in the articles – aren’t the rest of you fishing 😁?
I hope your summer has gone along well. One wonders whether that huge deluge on 25 Feb has been good or bad for the rivers – certainly the temporary drop in temperature will please our spotted friends if not the natives. Speaking about natives, was great to hear that some were landed on our Feb Natives event – first time in an age. Well done Claude.
Observant readers will note that we’ve reverted back to the old style. Our talented co-editor and reformatter Luke is currently laid up ill. Hopefully he’ll be back on deck soon and I’m sure everyone will join me in wishing him ‘get well soon mate’.
Click on link below:
You wouldn’t believe it!!! @#$%^& CFA March newsletter just arrived after I uploaded !!! I’ll reserve the bulk to next newsletter, but you can check it out now:
http://us4.forward-to-friend.com/forward/preview?u=8ee287affb9dbb289b12fbd77&id=f49e978f3e
There was one particularly interesting item from the Nov CFA Meeting notes:
DPI’s Peter Turnell and Jim Harnwell stated that trout industry is very important to NSW, for example, in the Snowy region alone it is worth between $70 million to $100 million a year. Whilst some aspects of the trout fishery are doing well other parts need to be improved. Recently the Minister visited Gaden Hatchery and was made aware of some of the issues facing the trout fishery in NSW.
They acknowledged that at the urging of Steve Samuels, the NSW Recreational Fishing Advisory Council (RFNSW) recommended the development of a Trout Strategy for NSW. In response to this recommendation, Fisheries NSW representatives, in consultation with RFNSW among others, have developed a framework document which outlines proactive and innovative ways of reversing the decline of the trout fishery in NSW. Fisheries NSW is now organising consultations with anglers and angling groups to then refine the Framework. Meetings are planned for: Armidale on 1 May, Bathurst on 2 May and Jindabyne on 3 May. Attendees of these meeting will be asked to register by 6 April. They will be provided with a copy of the framework well before the meetings. After the meetings an external consultant will pull together and use the outcomes to produce a trout strategy.
Hope everyone had an excellent and safe festive season.
Feb 2018 is again a bumper issue. I had thought the quiet period over Christmas/New Year might lead to a lack of material, but reports on club activities late in the year, interesting news from MAS and other angling bodies plus much-appreciated contributions from CAA members means that there’s a lot of good reading here. Lots of good news stories about fish landed, but also (sadly) the impending winding up of CRFA. So much good work especially in the area of habitat restoral, but unfortunately insufficient capability to continue in this vein. Hopefully interclub communications will be sustained in its absence.
Jason submitted this short tale but unfortunately Luke wasn’t able to incorporate it into December newsletter. mystery