Guided morning session, Crackenback

Conditions

A fresh morning at Crackenback. Clear, calm and sunny. About 15 to 20 degrees. No wind. The river was flowing calmy, water clear.

Insect Activity And Other Life

Plenty of birds about. Not many insects. A few black snakes on the river banks.

Fish Behaviour

Saw about 4 or 5 fish cruising the slower water along the banks during the day. Didn’t see an rises or feeding activity at the surface.

Approach

Four of us along for a beginner guided session; mother and father-in-law, myself, my wonderful wife. Plus our 2 guides.

Guides showed us the basics of casting for about 30 minutes then we hit the river.

We walked downstream to a calm run below Bullock’s Hut. Wife and I plus guide “Rusty” worked upstream.

6 weight rods with bushy dries, what looked like Parchute Adamses with high-vis posts. Flailed around, basically practicing casting.

Results

Just before finishing up, Rusty grabbed my rod and demonstrated casting to the pressure wave in front of boulders. He said fish often lie there. On about his third cast he got a take, a Brown of about 10 inches. Rusty handed the rod back to me to bring the fish in. It broke off. For a few seconds I could see the fish fighting and straining. Its coloured flank flashed in the sun. A moment of beauty.

Reflections

An enjoyable morning. Great to share the experience with the family. Precious memories. Nice to be outside and in the river.

Having a fish on the line was not so much an exhilarating experience for me but more a poetic one. It felt elemental and mysterious and natural.