Recently, I had the pleasure of fishing with Roy and Gail, (seen above) long-time anglers with Red Tag. Over three and a half days, they fished Currawong Lakes and the Macquarie River with some success, despite blustery winds and a few memorable tales of fish that got away.
On the first day, a very windy day commenced. However, like most locations on Currawong Lakes, there is always a sheltered area where the weather is more favourable. This proved to be the case. Lake Currawong was challenging and yielded no results, so they moved to sheltered parts of Long Marsh and Lake Macquarie. While they saw some good fish, casting was difficult due to the strong winds. Some particularly large fish were seen near the shoreline but just outside their casting range.
At the end of the day, they returned to the Lake House for pre-dinner drinks and dinner. It was a relaxing evening with the prospect of more fishing the following day. On the second day, Roy and Gail set out early for a trip to the Macquarie River. The wind had subsided and the flow was strong. Upon reaching our location, we prepared and walked to the large pool. After observing no rises, we donned our wetsuits and commenced searching. Walking and casting all the way back to the car yielded no results, prompting lunch.
Here is Blog No. 1 for now. Photos: Currawong 8 – Gail stalking, Currawong 9 – Ray, Gail, Roy at Currawong Lakes, Currawong 18 – Roy & Gail outside the Lake Leake Hotel, Macquarie 5 – Roy with his nice Macquarie Brown and of course the car full and the bull.
We sat in the shade of a large willow tree, entertained by two falcons chasing off a large wedge-tailed eagle. The eagle ignored the falcons and perched in a large gum tree until they departed. At the same time, we observed two beautiful sea eagles soaring on the thermals above us.
During lunch, the loud sound of buzzing drew our attention to my wagon (the tailgate was open). A swarm of bees had flown into my car. A swift application of Aerogard to the car eliminated the bees.
After lunch, we returned to the river and resumed our fishing. Gail hooked into a small brown trout that was very active until released. Further downstream, she almost hooked another trout but was unsuccessful.
Roy then took over the fishing. After missing several trout, he spotted a fast-moving gutter and cast. He hooked into a 1½-pound brown trout, which he released.
As evening approached, we returned to the Lake House to change for dinner. This time, we enjoyed a delicious meal at the Lake Leake Hotel.
On Day 3, we returned to the lakes at Currawong. Initially slightly breezy, the wind intensified throughout the day, and rain fell. The morning session was uneventful, but after lunch in a sheltered area, a large brown trout was hooked. It leapt to catch a flying insect before approaching Gail’s black spinner and taking it with a powerful strike.
Unfortunately, the tippet broke, and the trout escaped. Roy had one swim across his foot. As the rain approached late afternoon, we concluded the day with a barbecue. At the same time, the wind subsided, midges began to hatch, and fish were abundant. We watched them for approximately 15 minutes.
Day 3 was particularly special as it marked the 55th wedding anniversary of Roy and Gail. A fine bottle of Shiraz was enjoyed by all that evening.
On Day 4, Roy and Gail had their final morning session. They caught a few fish, but none were within reach. With commitments later that day, they were taken to Launceston Airport to collect their rental car.
As Roy remarked, “Some days are successful, while others are challenging.”
Their previous visit a few years ago was a memorable day on the Rainbows. We eagerly anticipate seeing them again soon.
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