Farquhar Blog: 5 – 12 March 2011
Ambush – sometimes it pays off. Not many people are a fan of standing in one spot and waiting for the fish to come to you. It takes unwavering confidence. I tried it once at a bar. I saw a pretty girl at the other end of the room so instead of walking over and introducing myself I thought I’d be original and wait for the tide to turn and hopefully she’d come over. Everyone needs to come over to the bar for a drink once in a while right? Well as it turned out she finished her drink just in time for a trendy skinny jeaned chap to take notice. Skinny jeans came right, I stayed at the bar and drowned my sorrows.
On to the venue.
Depose Island, more popularly known as Rats & Mice is a tricky place to try an ambush. It does have all the essential ingredients for a classic GT ambush – close deep channels, schools of Bones and Mullet balling themselves up in panic and a high sloped beach for excellent visuals. But there are other channels further out; you just never know if the big boys will choose yours.
We gave it a shot though, and after a long push and many laps around the island it paid off. Gabriel spotted a ball of mullet being harassed and lobbed his fly in front of a monster GT. A few seconds later we were looking at the 100 meter colour change in his backing shoot through the rod eyes. A few minutes later I was on my way back to the action with the boat, ready to chase a GT that was plainly hell bent on reefing us, despite the reef being about 400meters away. Arms aching Gabriel managed to turn the fish without the aid of the boat and ultimately land a 125cm GT. Gabriel is 16, and it was his first GT ever. There’s a joke in that somewhere, I’m just too jealousto work it out right now.
The fishing was just as impressive for the rest of the week. We caught the Milkies in the act (of feeding) and Tony Siddle was the one to take action. Successfully hooking and landing a beautiful Milky is an accolade few fly fishermen can claim. Tony made it look like it was his pre lunch routine.
The boys found some large bones and plenty of triggers, not to mention Dave and Mike catching large Bumpies. Those who’ve encountered this incredible fish know how much of a mission it is to land one. Posing for a photograph is always a comedy of errors, which left us all in hysterics later that evening when we saw the results.
It was a hell of a week, with great company and some impressive fisherman. Best of luck to Gabriel, who will no doubt spend the rest of his life trying top his first GT. Judging by his skill, it shouldn’t take too long.