| Recently I paid a visit to South Australia's west coast in search of some good fishing and a relaxing holiday. My accomplices were my father, uncle and his mate and were are all keen fisherman. We were headed to Fowlers Bay and on arriving we promptly set up camp in the sand dunes at scott's beach. On the first day the salmon fishing had been good, with small schools partolling the deep gutters with fish up 4.5kg. After a satisfying day we retired to the camp fire, for a few beers and whiskey's. During the remainder of the trip we tried several different locations around the Fowlers bay area and were always rewarded with a variety of fish and some of the biggest squid I have ever seen. On the last day of our trip we drove along scott's beach and with the water running up the beach quite high, drivers really had to pay attention. Due to the fact I wasn't driving I was able to look out and enjoy the scenery. Arriving near the entrance of the beach I looked and saw what appeared to be a very large piece of wee approximately 35metres from where we were driving. |
On closer inspection I noticed that the patch of weed was in fact a huge school of salmon. I shouted for my father to stop the car, he couldn't however due to the surge and we promptly found a spot down a littlle. As my uncle had my surf rod on his car and he had already driven past I was forced to use a small rod which I had been using for tommies, mullet etc. The school was in easy casting distance and in no time we were hooking up to some big australian salmon wieghing between 3.5 to 4kg. On the light gear the fish put up a tremendous fight, and with the surge more fish were lost on lures that were landed. This was ok as we were releasing the fish anyhow. After about 45 minutes of non stop action my uncle returned minus the trailer and wondered if we were bogged. I just looked at him then at the school and it didn't register in his mind that it was a school.I had to actually point at it and say 'that weed patch is actually salmon'. My uncle and his mate then promptly joined in, as the school moved down the beach and into deeper water. |
However another school had moved over the reef and were in the shallow water, where we had originally started from. This pattern of schools moving in and then moving down the beach lasted for three hours. By the end of it, everyone was well and truly stuffed with sore arms and looks of bewilderment on faces. In total approximately 10 schools moved past us that day and all taking to lures. During the twenty five years my uncle had been travelling to Fowlers Bay he had never seen schools of salmon in the shallow water, at that particular spot.We all agreed that salmon fishing doesn't get much better than that. Sharing a beer at the completion of the afternoon session, on the beautiful beach with the sun setting, we decided to stay for another few days.
Nathan
|
Fishing Tip :
