Frigging Cold and no Cod for me

[tomca]

The location: Severn River just outside of Emmaville.

The Team: Aussie123, RyanYoung, Crazy Ted and me.

The Plan: Survive the worst winter on record (at least that’s how it felt)

Day 1. Arrive at our spot around midday. And start the descent

Have a flick at the bottom of a waterfall waiting for Ted and Lance to turn up fashionably late. Within 30 minutes Ryan has a cod taken off the surface in his hands.

We meet up with the other half of the team and head over to our cabin. Start a fire and unpack.

Magic looking bit of water right in front of our accommodation, so a sunset session is undertaken and Uncle Ted is the next to land a cod off the surface.

Lance was certainly talking the talk but not walking the walk until eventually he too lands a cod.

Sun sets and back to the cabin for a big pot of goulash and a damper for dinner.

The place was so cold even the fire couldn’t keep warm and went out during the night. So Ted improvised and used Port

Day 2. A big breakfast of sausage, bacon, tomato and eggs was demolished by all and Ted and Lance go 4wd’ing and end up somewhere in Deliverance country, but make it back alive and Recon team 1 intercept them about 1500m downstream from the cabin. A couple of tentative touches without raising a scale was the net result of a tough bite. We were speculating that the sheets of ice on the river that morning had possibly made the cod a little sluggish. After lunch as a group we headed upstream, away from the gorges into tussocks and long grass. Ted got fed up with not catching any more fish and changed his target species and quickly rose to the top of the leader board.

Yes Dassa, Uncle Ted caught it with his bare hands. No other captures made on Day 2.

Saturday night is date night so we hit up the Club Hotel in Emmaville to check out the local talent, the main talent being a great T bone steak. Played darts and Lance gave us a good caning. (and those are cod heads on the wall)

Place closes at 8pm and we were the last to leave with a bottle of bourbon for the drive back. It ended up taking 1 hour to drive 10km. A fair while was soaked up with Ryan trying to open the gate, after diving out of the car yelling' "I got this boys!!"

Ryan had a big night and was having some abdominal issues, made all the funnier with the fact that he was sharing the backseat with Lance, and Lances window was broken so could not get any fresh air. Back at the cabin Ted gets a bit roughed up, black eye and all.

Ryan in his fine form ends up dropping a pizza over the balcony and is trying to see if it stayed in one piece. It remained intact!

Then there was the unfortunate “toilet†incident in the night.

Day 3. Ryan gets up and declares, “I’m feeling a little ordinary.†Yes he was! Fishing was non existent, so I was copping a hard time for my donut. Ryan snagged his favourite $4 lure and goes to get it back,

but ends up in shock sitting in the middle of the river for a while.

Eventually he makes it to the other side and saves his crappy black jitterbug.

Spends the rest of the evening sitting almost on top of the fireplace.

Day 4. Pack up, get out.

[tomca]

A couple of the cold photo's:

Yep that's Ice sheets floating down the river

This stuff didn't melt 'til after 9am

A macro shot of some frost

[BigBen]

looks like you had a great trip away ! Great report had a good laugh.

[Manni79]

Nice report mate and some great pics. Would love to explore that place

[Terry H]

Ryan, you're deadset crazy.

Tom, where abouts did you guys fish? Just around the cabin and restaurant? Lovely area, plenty of cod in there. Also more than enough nasty boulders to cut your delicate braid.

Not sure about the cold though.

[tomca]

Terry, 2km upstream from the cabin, and a total of 3 downstream. Even the fish that took a lure were super sluggish, no doubt plenty sitting in their hidey holes keeping warm.

[tomca]

Nearly forgot about the property owner wanting to kill one of our crew at the pub on Saturday night. The barkeep had to physically remove our host. Awkward!

Might do another poll to guess the culprit.

[Rocket75]

Ryan, if they were Olympic events you would take the Gold for both "best lure retriever" ... and the "craziest bastard" categories.

[rayke1938]

Tomca bad moju for punching Ted.

3 hail marys and 5 our fathers before you catch another fish. :woohoo:

Cheers

Ray

[ryanyoung]

One of the best times I have had away, with great company, my first Murray Cod, and a total barrel of laughs! I can't wait for the next trip, should be awesome!!

Cheers,

Ryan.

[tomca]

Tomca bad moju for punching Ted.

3 hail marys and 5 our fathers before you catch another fish. :woohoo:

Cheers

Ray

I was the photographer there Ray. Thats Ryan going all Mike Tyson on Uncle Ted

[ryanyoung]

Tomca bad moju for punching Ted.

3 hail marys and 5 our fathers before you catch another fish. :woohoo:

Cheers

Ray

I was the photographer there Ray. Thats Ryan going all Mike Tyson on Uncle Ted

I don't hit senior citizens

Ted actually arrived looking a bit the worse for wear due to footy, although the lady at Deepwater seemed to think he had "lady" issues ha ha ha ROFL!!!!!!!

[ryanyoung]

Ryan, if they were Olympic events you would take the Gold for both "best lure retriever" ... and the "craziest bastard" categories.

Mate, the water was that cold, I had to perch on a small island until common sense once again left me, allowing me to push on and get the lure. Took me hours to stop shaking after that lol.

[max pwr]

Always good for a laugh Tomca! Nice report there mate, and as for swimming in there- screw that!

[shortie]

Had to remove your host

I guess you won't be allowed back

[batman]

Aaahhh there sound slike a few story's that went down! Luv it!

I would be super keen to do a trip like this....in summer!!! lol!

[tugger]

Your mad Ryan bugger going for a swim in winter out there well done on the cod fellas i'll be listening for the full report :whistle:

[Surfingant]

You're all mad

[tomca]

and you're soft Ant.

[Milan]

Looks like an amazing time even if it was cold as Frick. Might be keen for a trip like this in the warmer months.

[PlasticFantastic]

And I thought it was cold enough at Texas at least there's no ice floating down the river there, as for swimming for a four dollar lure dedicated to the cause is what that is at least there were some fish to show for it.

Cheers

Mark

[Milan]

Also.. Black eye story?

[kreel]

Best report in ages Thomas. You know I'm impressed when I use your full name.

So that river looked a lot like the Chattooga, any stories you want to tell us or is it better to just listen to the banjos?

[kreel]

da-da-ding-ding-ding-ding-ding-ding-dang

[aussie123]

That was an incredible trip even though the cod decided to not play the game.

Thanks Tom for the invite for the weekend and thanks Ted for taking me down with you.

Also thanks Ryan for the great company and the non stop laughs we had at your expense.

Also thanks to our resident chef Tom for cooking up a storm every day with some great meals and for organizing the food,ect

It was an awesome weekend guys and we must do it again real soon when the cod season opens back up and things are a bit warmer.

My shoes went through the washing machine twice so hopefully they wont smell like some drunken bum :sick:

The fishing was very tough due to the cold snap making the fish sulk but the scenery and the company sure made up for it.

For the guys who like their hunting,this property is a walking mass of wild goats and Fallow Deer as well as several foxes we seen.

I have never seen so many deer with mobs of 20 plus deer all over the place.

Shooting is banned but Bow hunting is allowed.

Anyway thanks again guys,it was a cracker 4 days away.

[Keen-as-fisho]

Great report Tom. And Lance the fallow pretty much seal the deal for me fishing and hunting on the one property is always a bonus

Was the goat put on the barby?

[ellicat]

Great report Tom. And Lance the fallow pretty much seal the deal for me fishing and hunting on the one property is always a bonus

Was the goat put on the barby?

From what I've heard, there were too many "Barby's" there and no-one to do the deed and the prep.

But I could just be stirring.... :dry:

[tomca]

Give yourself an uppercut Brian.

It was discussed to farm the goat, but only one sharp knife and no knife steel to keep it that way I made the decision to let the little guy live. Half way through skinning it there would have been some serious swearing as the knife started to dull.

[tomca]

"Direction correction"

Let it go man. :evil:

[davopac]

nice one guys .looks like a good trip and some laughs.

[kreel]

Give yourself an uppercut Brian.

It was discussed to farm the goat, but only one sharp knife and no knife steel to keep it that way I made the decision to let the little guy live. Half way through skinning it there would have been some serious swearing as the knife started to dull.

Yeah Brian! And besides that Pussca didn't want to get any blood on his petticoat! :woohoo: :woohoo:

[Scope]

Looks like an awesome trip guys.... Well done

Good to see you didn't chicken out on going to get that lure too ryan........

[crazywalrus]

Looks like an awesome trip guys.... Well done

Good to see you didn't chicken out on going to get that lure too ryan........

what a great weekend. Thanks Tom for organising and cooking up a storm. The company was good with a lot of laughs. I do not have to much to add apart from it was bloody cold. Great country there. All the other stories can stay on tour lol. Just a few more pictures of the trip.

Ryan's Guides iced up on his rod trying to fish in the early morning.

Look at the steam coming from Ryan as he tried to fish in the ice

Some of the arsenal donated by Bommie D&S Lures - hopefully next time the fish will not be sulking. Thanks Bommie they swim really well

Even Dassa's Fluffy Spinner baits could not draw the Cod from their Slumber

Lance and Ryan perched on there rocks hopefully casting near the restaurant

The Restaurant from below in the gorge.

Tom trying to be Arty

Ryan practicing his "Blue Steel" how is "Maverick" Going?

[ellicat]

Give yourself an uppercut Brian.

It was discussed to farm the goat, but only one sharp knife and no knife steel to keep it that way I made the decision to let the little guy live. Half way through skinning it there would have been some serious swearing as the knife started to dull.

Look at your avatar, Tom.

No-one believes that story/poor excuse

[sweresy]

great read!!!

[Terry H]

Tom, I was just looking through some photos and remembered something...

In the cabins are a whole bunch of busted lures etc...

Was there a set of lip grips there by any chance? Refer to attachment...

PS - yes, I'll eventually get around to doing a report which contains that cod in it

[Seiran]

Sounds like a great fishing trip.

Any chance of posting up details of the place you stayed? I think I could do with a week up there myself.

[crazywalrus]

Sounds like a great fishing trip.

Any chance of posting up details of the place you stayed? I think I could do with a week up there myself.

/>http://www.bensfallsretreat.com/

[tomca]

Bumping this for Do-boy to read

[shortie]

try camping at coolmunda, no fishing but pouring down rain