My quest for a better setup for handline fishing continues.This may be something of an eccentric endeavor on my part but I find the challenges formatted by the simplicity of approach to be very satisfying and, in their way, rewarding.
I normally fish Nudgee Beach and when I go there I enter the water inland from the mouth of the Shultz Canal inlet and wade parallel to the northern shoreline, navigating along the sand bars and through the shallow water, casting as I go. This is very much like fly fishing but without the casting rig or the flies.
I move east and travel as far toward Moreton Bay and into it as I can manage depending on the tides.This distance I travel along the estuary is often up to a kilometre.
By the time I get to the extremity of the sand bar that runs from the northern shore I can be 250 metres away from land and a metre deep.
This is estuary fishing they way I prefer it. Standing still on dry land , soaking bait while waiting for Mr Fish to come by doesn't interest me.
So all things considered, mobility is key. We hunter gatherers need to be able to travel in comfort but with all our requirements on or about our person. I have also learned that landing a fish while groin deep in water does require the use of a fish grabbing device, such as a net.
I had been using a cheap fly fishing stripping basket which was falling apart. But today I found this sturdy, woven cane basket at the local Op shop and with a few plastic ties and by cannibalizing the stripping basket, I now have a new setup with creel and portage. The depth of the basket also gives me a lot of work space and a useful surface area in case something falls out of my grasp: hook, lure, or a freshly caught fish.
Trials will begin tomorrow. This basket is in beta.
I've also been researching how best to explore further my interest in float fishing. I started to use floats because they seemed a great way to cast the lure further. With bubble floats -- which I can fill with water as much as i want to add weight while sustaining preferred buoyancy -- I get flotation and weight.. The mix of lure, jig head,and float enables a few options I can play around with. I also discovered a simple little tube and bung setup up which allows me to easily locate stoppers above and below the float on the line so I can control the float's run.
By removing the bung I can slide the stopper along the line to a new position.
The problem with using floats is that float fishing is very much a European science and inasmuch as I have the wherewithall, and aptitude, I am advancing my float skills by experience and adaption alone. There are also very few float devices available here in Australia and virtually no float fishing culture that can match the European obsession with fishing for Carp with floats.
Nonetheless, I'd like to get my salt water encrusted hands on on these little numbers from the French company, Buldo.
I can but yearn until I find a way of obtaining these devices.
Nudgee Beach Estuary
Looking east toward Moreton Bay. I usually enter the water at the jetty and cast my way seaward. the green bits to the left is the southern border of the Boondall Wetlands (no fishing allowed) and on the right bank ( not shown) is the perimeter of Brisbane Airport
