Another busy weekend.
Friday night I was at a packed Brookie for the Manly vs. Storm rugby league game. Good to see Manly win in great style, they never looked like losing. A very partisan crowd erupted when the players showed a bit of intensity; hopefully there were won’t be too much in way of recriminations and suspensions.
Another month rolls around and it was the weekend for the HBC fishing comp. Decided would fish Curly beach, just for a change – Saturday morning and evening was the plan, with high tide about 6am and 7pm.
I did a reconnoitre on Thursday where it was obvious that the gutter which I had been fishing for last couple of comps had gone with the recent big seas and there really was no standout gutter along the beach. However I managed to find something that looked a possibility, towards South Curly surf club, pretty much in front of the bus shelter. If I did not catch Saturday morning would find a different venue for the evening was my rationale.
Saturday morning headed down at 4.30am, seas were small with a light south westerly wind making for glassy conditions. Have noticed that first light is getting earlier and is now about 5.50am but weird sort of weather for the first few hours with a sea mist or fog coming in off the sea. One minute mist, next the sun breaking through briefly and then back to the mist rolling in….. very sharky, reminded me off a kayak trip off Long Reef.
Fished 2 rods with half pilchard’s for bait, cast about 70 metres out into the gloom. After the first half an hour with out a nibble, began to wonder if any fish were about, and with a bit of pressure on comp weekend, the seeds of doubt started to creep in. But as the tide came in,the first knock on the rod tip turned out to be a salmon, not a bad size, a spirited fight with few jumps out of the water. I was relieved when it was up on the bank and knew I had something to weigh in. Over the next hour caught a tailor, another sambo and a bream. A couple of bite offs added tothe fun – probably missed out on a couple of more tailor. Packed up and home by 8am.
Later that afternoon went to the same spot on Curly beach to fish the evening tide. I started off the session with pillie’s again for bait, this time fishing 3 rods. After a hour or so of checking baits, switched bait to strips of freshish arrow squid on all 3 rods. I was hoping for a jewie, but nothing much doing except for 1 chopper tailor. Think will have to fish a different beach next time – regretted not going elsewhere. Did not stay too long and was home by 8pm to watch the Aussies and Kiwis play a good game of rugby.
Next morning, did the pub 2 pub fun run from Dee Why beach to the Newport Arms. Managed to get along the course in 68 minutes which I thought was reasonably respectable.
The afternoon saw the weigh in at the bowling club; a number of snapper, flathead, trevally, morwong, salmon, bonito, bream and a sole leather jacket were weighed in. I won the rock beach section by default (everyone else this weekend where fishing offshore) and came 3rd overall in terms of points. Most amusing was that the fish of the month was tailor (had forgotten about that) and only 1 person caught any tailor (and pocketed a $50 voucher). A pretty tiring weekend rounded off with a number of VB’s and a pizza with the family.
Next month will be a different type of fishing, chasing trout in the UK, hopefully a few more blogs to come on this and a few other adventures.
back of the ferry 
Your photographic skills are clearly improving with each outing…. possibly at the expense of your darts.
Look forward to drinking that $50 prize on your behalf.