RED GUM COD FEST

Bumping along a rough, dusty track through yet another State Forest, Marty Asmus and I were getting itchy for a fish. We were nearing the end of a four day data collection trip for the second book in our Fishing and Camping Murrumbidgee River series.

Book two in the series details public access points from Narrandera through Balranald, to the last reserve on the Murrumbidgee before the Murray River confluence at Boundary Bend.

As part of the data collection process, we had driven every track in every reserve, taken pictures of every conceivable interesting thing and punished my poor old L Series Subaru within an inch of its life. Our schedule was very tight with a long way to travel and a limited amount of daylight to assess each location, which rarely allowed enough time to wet a line, but today we decided to treat ourselves to the last hour of light.

The Subaru had barely stopped before Marty was rummaging through the back looking for his casting rod. By the time the dust had settled, Marty was into his third cast at a couple of fishy looking snags.

I still had a bit of work to do backing up photo’s to the laptop, so I opted for a more sedentary fishing technique and grabbed my bait fishing rod, and lobbed a big juicy grub under one of the snags. I was looking for somewhere to secure my rod when the line snapped taut as a fish hoovered the grub and burrowed back for the safety of the timber.

The fish wasn’t huge and it was easily extracted from its home and slid into the shallows.

“You tinny bastard,” Marty said with a bemused look on his face.

The hook was removed, a quick measure, photo and the 55cm cod swam away no doubt confused at what had just happened. I baited up another grub as Marty’s spinnerbait probed the snags with more urgency.

This time I managed to get back up the bank to my laptop when my rod bucked and sprang straight again. Bounding precariously down the steep bank to reach my rod, I missed the bite. The rod was re-cast and with one eye on my rod, I started transferring some of the four hundred photo’s from my camera when my rod started rattling in the holder.

Marty the rod grabber was watching my rod as well and with me seated some metres away, he was all over it. I didn’t even get a chance to get up from my seat as hooked, played and released an undersize cod. The lure fishing was shelved as Marty baited up his rod with a grub and we enjoyed the constant action that bait fishing the Murrumbidgee can offer. The fish were mainly undersize but until darkness fell, the action was solid and wet our thirst for fish.

Whilst researching our book, we found over eighty locations where the river can be accessed, however what interested us the most was the size and beauty of the State Forests in the Yanco & Darlington Point regions. These forests are primarily river red gum closer to the river and cypress pine and box eucalypt away from the water.

These forests cover enormous areas with one forest alone having almost 30km of river frontage and a network of trails that you can easily get lost in.

State Forests have a typical road structure with a well groomed main road through the centre, another track skirting the perimeter and secondary tracks leading to various features. It’s these secondary tracks leading to the river that create interest for the fisherman as most of these tracks have been cut through the scrub leading to excellent beach campsites.

Care should be taken when driving through the Forest’s as some of them are still being logged and you can be confronted with all sorts of heavy machinery. One other key thing to keep in mind is that if you get heavy rain, the tracks quickly turn to mud trapping both two and four wheel drive vehicles.

Putting aside the possibility of trucks and mud, the remoteness of this region and relatively low population enables camping in complete isolation and fishing in waters that don’t receive a lot of pressure. In short, this region is a very comfortable place to visit.

This time with boat

Months had passed since we finished collecting our data, the book was written and finally it was time to get back to the forests and explore the river by boat.

The Yanco region is well serviced with boat ramps and it was a pleasant change to have concrete under the wheels instead of the mud/dirt ramps I am used to around Wagga Wagga.

Ian Wooden joined me for a cold, miserable winter’s day. In order to cover a lot of water we opted to cast lures at snags under electric power, which produced half a dozen solid trout cod and as many other bites. Ian is a Narrandera local and assures me that the cod and golden’s in this stretch of river far outnumber the trout cod, so in the warmer months (the water was eight degrees) the fishing should be excellent.

Weeks later and with even colder conditions than I fished with Ian (this time the water was four degrees), I returned with Rod Cockburn (Compleat Angler Wagga) and Craig ‘Harro’ Harris (Wagga Marine). This day we had a change in tactics and sought out deeper stretches of water and trolled large hard bodies. With four degree water it was always going to be a tough days fishing, but we had a few nips at the lures, before Harro’s lure was smacked as it wobbled past a big log by what was obviously a better fish. The bite didn’t connect so I spun the boat around for another pass.

Positioning the boat on the same track past the snag, the fish was obviously still hungry and make no mistake this time, putting a deep fold in the graphite rod which had the braided line singing beautifully.

Harro’s face lit up as a powerful fish charged around looking for something to snag him up on. I manoeuvred the boat into mid river and coaxed the fish to fight in clear water. The fish stayed deep and it wasn’t until it rolled up beside the boat that we could see a healthy Murray cod. I slipped the net under the fish and both fish and fisherman relaxed whilst the adrenalin subsided.

Before this day Harro’s previous best cod was a fish of barely ten pounds and with this cod safely in the net, he had increased it fourfold. Needless to say that he was a bit excited with his forty pounder. After posing for a couple of still shots, I wanted to get a shot of the fish being released and asked Harro to hold it in the water with the lip gripper. I won’t go into details but in the excitement the fish went one direction and my lip gripper went another. Both made a splash as they hit the water and I still didn’t get a good shot of fish in the water (my replacement gripper is now safely secured to the boat on the end of a ‘bungy’ cord).

This fish really saved what was a very slow day, but demonstrated that this section of river carried big green fish. I was itching to get back for another go, but decided to wait until the water started to warm as four degrees is really too cold for natives (although I may have to rethink that theory as I just landed a 90cm fish).

A few weeks of intermittent sunny weather doubled the water temperature to a balmy eight degrees. I was hopeful that at this temperature the fish would be more responsive and we could attract more bites to get a good feel of what the fishing could be like in the warmer months.

This trip I was hosting Rick, Pete and Craig from www.spooled.com.au. These well travelled fishermen are very capable with a baitcaster and between us we hammered every snag for a day and half with only a 50cm trout cod and 45cm Murray cod for our efforts (so much for my warmer water theory).

We kept at the fish and late in the afternoon on day two, we re-visited a large snag fifty metres downstream from where Harro caught his forty pounder a few weeks previous.

The trunk of the snag was angled into the water and I noticed on the finder that there was still a substantial amount of heavy timber reaching out toward mid river. Team Spooled concentrated on working the main structure, whilst I diverged and swam my spinnerbait deep to run it past the sunken logs. I rolled the lure up and over a log and had the lure in sight when a white belly and boil of water exploded where my lure had just been.

It took a split second to get the visual message from brain to arms and I struck hard. The hook stuck and the cod tunnelled into a forest of snags. I could feel the braid rubbing as the fish pulled further into cover. I applied a thumb lock and fortunately the fish swam clear at which time I handed the rod to Craig (who was yet to boat a fish) to fight the fish in clear water.

The fish still had some juice left and dived back for the bottom, but the boat had drifted away from danger and the fish had no-where to run. Craig masterfully played the cod into the rubbery gape of the environet and a very welcome 25 pounder finished our trip on a high.

A definite picture was developing of the untapped potential of this region. Despite their being a plethora of boat launching locations and almost uncountable campsites, the Murrumbidgee through Yanco/Darlington Point has very few signs of high fishing pressure. The telltale signs of illegal fishing such as old setlines, baling twine and half bricks are present in far less number than other parts of the Murrumbidgee where the population is greater.

The easy to reach campsites are well utilised, but by travelling up the forest tracks a few kilometres there are almost virginal beaches and snags which may have never had a lure cast at them.

Isolated camping amongst ancient river red gums, unique cypress pine communities, iconic native fish metres away hiding in clear, gently flowing water. What a great location.

Background

The Yanco region derives its name from the local Wiradjuri word interpreted to mean ‘the sound of running water’. The region is typified by sandy beaches and red gum forest which make it ideal for camping, picnicking, fishing and swimming.

The region’s history since European settlement in the 1840’s is closely linked to the development of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (MIA) which started firstly through private irrigation works before the Government of the day started the MIA project to harness the Murrumbidgee in the early 1900’s.

The MIA bought the flat, dry plains of the Riverina to life through 2010km of supply channels, 1391km of drainage channels servicing some 2500 farms in an area that covers 182,000 hectares. The MIA enabled the subdivision of grazing land into smaller units engaged in mixed farming, dairying, horticulture and sheep-rearing. Italian migrants in the 1950’s, drawn by the similarity of soil and climate to Italy, proved vital in the success of local agriculture.

Down stream from the MIA, the rural community of Darlington Point developed around a ford which provided a crossing when the river was low. The crossing was used by bullock teams and stock travelling to the Victorian markets or stations on the opposite side of the river. Continued use of the crossing saw the Government reserve land for a future township in the early 1850s. The first property (“Cooba” named after the Aboriginal word 'coob' for a common local tree) was taken up in 1844.

River steamers began to work through the region in 1853, with the red gum forests providing fuel for the steamers. Drovers, shearers, travellers, station hands and timber-cutters filled the majority of the river trade.

The red gum forests and wetlands in this region have national and international status in recognition of their natural and cultural values. Periodic river flooding provides the water needed for growth and regeneration of the forests in what is basically an arid landscape. The area is popular with birdwatchers from around the world, who visit to the forest lakes and lagoons to see waterbirds including pelicans, swans, cormorants, ibis, spoonbills and many types of duck.

Enjoying State Forests

All the normal rules of the road apply to driving in State forests. Similarly, vehicles driven in State forests must be registered and drivers/riders must be appropriately licensed. Care should be taken in State forests as log trucks, bushwalkers, cyclists and animals may also be using the same roads. In addition, heavy equipment such as excavators, bulldozers and graders can be encountered at any time.

Drivers should keep to formed roads and fire trails. Creating new tracks can damage vegetation and lead to soil erosion and pollution of waterways. During wet weather it is best to avoid using forest roads to prevent rutting and track erosion. State forests can be very large and help can be a long way away. Ensure that your vehicle is mechanically sound and carry a first aid kit, fire extinguisher, food and drinking water, fuel and recovery equipment for your vehicle.

During total fire ban periods you are not permitted to light a fire in the open anywhere in a State forest. At other times ensure your campfire is in a properly cleared area, or preferably in a formed fireplace. Firewood collection is permitted in some State forest areas outside the fire danger period however a permit is required.  Keep camp sites clean and if no bins are available, please take your rubbish home with you. Please follow all road signage, and respect road closures due to timber harvesting. Unauthorised hunting is not permitted in State forests and firearms are not allowed in forest areas. Dogs are allowed in State forests, but they must be under your control at all times.

The Forests

MIA State Forest I is the largest forest in this region. The drive through the forest is well over twenty kilometres from the Brick Kiln entrance to Graham’s Grave entrance with numerous secondary tracks leading mainly to beach campsites. Care should be taken in wet weather as assistance can be many kilometres away if you get bogged. The length of the waterfront and ease of access allows unlimited opportunities for shore based fishing and secluded camping. This forest encompasses Yanco Weir providing access to the river both above and below the weir structure. MIA I is ideal for weekend camping or for a scenic forest drive through the red gums with abundant wildlife and unique Cypress Pine community atop the sand hills.

Euroley State Forest has access tracks that loop through the forest allowing a variety of quality camping and fishing sites to be accessed. Its location adjacent to the concrete ramp at Euroley Bridge enables boats of all sizes to be launched and driven downstream to the chosen forest campsite.

MIA State Forest II (Ski Beach & Middle Beach) is a large red gum forest with two distinct recreational areas, namely Ski Beach and Middle Beach. Ski Beach is a popular water skiing park with a concrete ramp, toilets and shaded tables. This area is managed by the Leeton Ski Club and a small fee is charged for use of facilities. Middle Beach offers excellent swimming and is ideal for picnics and day visits.

Jurambula State Forest offers wide, well maintained access roads suitable for camping trailers and caravans. Jurambula’s main feature is Maccas Bend which offers a sandy beach with excellent swimming, good shore based fishing and a large open camping area.

MIA State Forest III is featured by a long waterfront, however despite its size there are relatively few large camping areas available. Of the sites that are suitable, they are well shaded, flat and open, with excellent swimming. This section of river has numerous snags and as such has excellent shore based and boat fishing.

Cuba State Forest is an extremely large forest offering substantial access to the river. The central track provides admission to a variety of riverine habitats including sandy beaches, steep river cliffs, and sand-hill cypress pine communities. Shore based fishing and boating is excellent with ideal fish habitat.

Cuba South State Forest offers an open, picturesque camping area and a good beach for swimming and boat launching. However to access the idyllic river camp, 4WD is recommended to negotiate the boggy low-lying areas, small creeks, and slippery tracks.

Wilbriggie State Forest is split into two separate divisions by the town of Darlington Point. Both eastern and western divisions are featured by clean sandy beaches, large red gums and excellent fishing habitat. Willbriggie West is located adjacent to the State Forest Sawmill which reminds that these forests are actively being logged.

© Jamin Forbes August 2007