Tag: Fitzroy Crossing (Page 3 of 4)

Another Barra

May 28, 2007 /

After a couple of weeks of frustrating fishing (three undersize barra in a row!!!), we took a longer trek upstream at the gorge, up to a spot that we were later told was “just past the first hole”, but “not quite the second hole”. We had a great session with the sooty grunter, pulling in five great size bream.

Two weeks without even a decent run on the barra lines, Troy and myself then decided to try a different tack – Donkey Crossing. Unfortunately, we arrived to find that the rain from a couple of weeks ago had made it impossible to get the car (and therefore the boat and trailer) anywhere near the water. Not to be outdone by nature, we took the boat off the trailer, pushed it down the bank, and carried it the 50 metres or so to the water. Absolutely knackered, and wondering if it was all worth it, we then waited for Andrew and his son Liam to arrive before trying a troll in an area that surely had not had a boat (and therefore a fishing line) in it for a long time. Sure enough, I managed to break the run of undersize barra and pulled in a very nice 75cm beauty. With only a few weeks left surely before the water gets too cold, it was good to get at least one more before we wait for October to roll around!

And then it rained

April 7, 2007 /

The road to the pub... no beer!

Better late than never! After two months of wondering where the rains were, the Kimberley finally got some water into its river systems. While the Fitzroy River technically went into flood (the flood level is 18.8 metres, and it got to 20.6 metres), it was the Brooking Channel’s flood that cuts off the roads within the townsite itself.

A new way to cross the roadAmazingly, as quickly as the water levels rose, they dropped – from a 4 metre crossing on the Geikie Gorge road on Saturday, by Tuesday we were able to cross the road. These photos were taken on Sunday morning, and it had already dropped by about two metres overnight. With all this rain (and who knows if it is the last of the wet), it should mean there is plenty of water in the river until next wet – so the fishing should be great come October/November! I’m planning to do a fair bit of fishing these Easter holidays, including getting to Looma to tackle a different part of the might Fitzroy.

The Fitzroy River

Fitzroy Floods 07

January 17, 2007 /

The long drive north from Perth (made all the longer by a food-poisoning episode that kept us in Newman for an extra two nights) showed the real difference between a Pilbara wet season and a Kimberley wet season. They don’t even compare, really.

Kimberley WetsOn the drive from Broome to Fitzroy, we were hit with huge rains, slowing us right down with visability down to a bare minimum. Worst of all, about 30km out of Fitzroy we came across a flash flood across the road that looked a bit hairy… it was past my knees and nearly taking me off my feet when I walked it through. This is all on the Number One Highway! However, we left the windows down, seatbelts came off and zoomed through in low-range without too many problems in the end.

Upon reaching Fitzroy Crossing, the rains continued to the point where we have been issued with a flood warning (our house is not in any danger, though). The flood waters are now about 200 metres from the house, and lapping the back fence of the school. The photos are not great, as they have come from my mobile phone… but they are a start! Continue reading

A quick look at Geikie Gorge

October 28, 2006 /
Fishing-free day today… after yesterday’s success, who can blame us! Mind you, we’re off again to the river tomorrow for another round, and with any luck we can pot just one more to top a great weekend.

I’ve been meaning to take a few shots of Geikie Gorge to put up on the website, but to be honest, I spend too much time with a fishing rod in my hand to have a camera as well. Unfortunately, there is not quite enough time in the day for both. I have managed to snap a few shots, and I will try to add to these over the next few weeks.

Did someone mention barra?

October 28, 2006 /
I wasn’t sure if you could see the barra well enough in the last post, so I thought it better to show it again. If you need to see a bigger picture, feel very free to ask me, and will oblige… an 8 megapixel camera should give you as big a picture as you could ask for.

Have I mentioned how excited I was about the barra?

Finally, a Barra result!

October 27, 2006 /
Now I don’t want to gloat, but… OH YEAH! With conflicting reports about the barra fishing after a good rain, Troy and myself went out to the gorge for a little troll after school. The results speak for themselves.

The first one we were happy with – 67cm, and a good fight. The second one was a rip-snorter. It was only 79.99999cm (luckily just under the legal throw-back limit), but it really, really LOOKED LIKE it was 17 pounds and 92cm. For comparison purposes, just to prove it was under 80cm, I am really only 4 foot tall.

Trust me, you will hear more about this, and there will be more photos. OH YEAH!

Anna Branch

October 3, 2006 /
I hold a fair bit of Fitzroy Crossing affinity with Anna Branch. It was here that i caught my very first barra (a 67cm beauty), much to the chargrin of the other fishermen who had been there all day without at bite (I was in and out in half-an-hour… if only that happened all the time!).

Anna Branch is one of the points where the Margaret River joins the Fitzroy River. I’m told that during full flood, it is a true sight to watch the Margaret as it tries to force its way into the Fitzroy – with any luck, I can get out and snap some shots in January!

 Anna Branch

Kimberley Fires

October 3, 2006 /

July through to October seems to produce some spectacular bushfires throughout the Kimberley. It’s dry, often windy, and warm enough to ensure raging flames.

Apparently the vast majority are deliberately lit, to the regular annoyance of the local FESA unit.

This shot is taken from our backyard, and doesn’t even come close to truly doing justice to the huge flames it was throwing off.

Donkey Crossing

October 3, 2006 /

One of the places Emma and I like to put the boat in is up at Donkey Crossing. The stretch of river itself is about five kilometres from the main road, along a two-tyre 4WD track.

As you can see from the image, it is a peaceful, beautiful stretch of water. We’re told it’s a great spot for barra (although we haven’t caught one there yet), but we can definitely vouch for the size and quantity of the cherebin that can be caught here!

My first barra

October 3, 2006 /
My first ever barra came after three months of trying… many, many hours of sitting down by the river waiting for the big hit.

I caught it out at Anna Branch, on an 80-pound handline (it wasn’t breaking that!) and a 4/0 suicide hook. I had a small Spangled Perch on as live bait.

It was 67cm, and I was very proud of it! My official tally now stands at two barra – I caught one about two weeks ago, trolling up at Geikie Gorge.

With any luck, the barra fishing will get easier for me…
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