All week, Matt and I had been building up to a snapper session from the yaks. We must have exchanged around 100 emails between us, discussing which SPs or flies to use, what rigs, whether photography gear should be packed, etc., etc., etc.. Although Matt is a very experienced fisherman (writing regularly for Western Angler as the marine science corespondent), he had never had the chance to fish from a kayak.
We arranged to meet at 4.00am at the Cockburn boat ramps (told you we were keen!
) so we'd be on the snapper mark by about 6.00am. Unfortunately, the snapper didn't get the memo and they failed to make the meeting. We searched in vain for the next 3 hours before finally giving up. It was somewhat anticlimactic for both of us, because I had found fish every outing for the last 6 weeks or so. This morning was just poor timing, and we turned for home with some reluctance."There's always next time" we consoled ourselves.
"Yep, that's why it's called fishing, not catching", we agreed philosophically.
By 10.30, we were back on the beach and I had my Hobie Pro Angler back on the trailer. As I was about to head back to the beach to get my Hobie Outfitter (the yak Matt had been using), another mate (John) pulled up behind my car. I introduced John and Matt and we talked for a few minutes before John's eyes lit up and he exclaimed loudly "F…n SALMON!!! Bustin up at the heads!!!"
Matt and I turned to see birds hovering over massive splashes as hundreds of 10kg+ salmon made a mess of some baitfish. We watched in horror as a boat came crashing through the school, apparently putting them down and ruining any chance of fishing. We still thought about it - for a second or two.
"Do you wanna go back out?" I asked Matt.
"F*!k yeah!" was his reply, and we pulled my yak back off the trailer and back to the beach for the relaunch.
As I put the PA14 back into the water, I could see they had resurfaced, this time INSIDE the harbour!!! I rushed out, forgetting that Matt was a newbie and still couldn't quite get the hang of fitting that Mirage drive into the slot, so I had to go back and get him sorted. Once under way, we could see the fish coming towards us, and within seconds, they were busting up all around us and in every other part of the harbour. Everywhere I looked, there were massive salmon pounding the resident schools of baitfish. Some were mere metres from my yak, and it was exhilarating just being amongst it.
By this time, only about 6 boats had wised up to the fact that fish were there for the taking, but more were joining in by the minute. Matt soon hooked into his first decent fish on a yak (using a soft plastic) and learnt that controlling a fish from a yak is no easy prospect. After 15 minutes, he finally subdued the beast. (Matt is keen to try fly, but one new thing at a time …)
As Matt landed his second fish, I was close enough to come over and gets few photos of him. I put my rod away and grabbed the camera. (I should have switched to video, but I didn't even think of it at the time. Adrenaline does funny things …)
Matt with his second decent fish ever from a yak (yes, it was on a SP, so it's a "soft" catch …
)While Matt was fighting his fish, I could see John still at the beach, only metres off the shore.I was thinking "What the hell are you up to John? There are fish busting up everywhere out here, and you're still faffing about on the beach!l!" It was only after he reached us that he explained what had happened: He hadn't even had time to put his Mirage drive in place or drop the rudder before he hooked his first fish within 5 metres of the beach. He lost that and the next two before landing a monster, still without having installed the Mirage drive.
John with his fish caught within metres of the beach.
The fish were busting up throughout the Cockburn ramp harbour for around 45 minutes, but it seemed like hours. Eventually, things went quiet and the boats left, followed soon after by John and a couple of other yakking mates of mine (both of whom got there 10 minutes after the action had finished.) Matt and myself stuck around because we were planning to go home anyway.
Good thing we did stay - we found the fish again, and this time we had them all to ourselves. They weren't busting up, but they were massed in their thousands and very hungry for Matt's soft plastics - and my flies! They were so thick in the water that the sounder thought they were the bottom. How many fish were there? 5.5m, apparently. Matt landed 3 more and I took my two on fly. They were all MASSIVE fish, and I was in heaven.
One very confused sounder
One of two I landed on the fly rod. What a blast!
This day will live forever in my mind. I've never had a session like that in Perth, where the fish were just everywhere I looked and attacking anything that moved. Every boat around me was hooked up on double headers. Boils were constant and bewildering in their distribution. It was truly awesome and unforgettable.
For once, I get to be the bloke who says "You should have been here the day the salmon came into the harbour!"
Cheers,
Graeme
