Reel Life

I have just spent a few days flat on my back in hospital.

It’s nothing serious, just a twisted intestine. It’s very painful but was easily fixed, thank goodness.

Laying there for so long gives a person plenty of time to think.

This I did, and I thought that not too many people would know that one of my fishing informants from up north, John Liddell at Eden, was one of this region’s best water skiers.

In the early days of the Southern 80 he had a lot to do with the water ski events at Moomba on the Yarra and around the rest of Australia.

John was once a member of the Australian ski team at Lake Como in Italy — this was before he became involved in snow skiing.

He set up a ski hire and ski clothing shop in Shepparton.

I am not a good skier now, but I loved it anyway, which leads me to fishing.

Having such an affinity for water, it was only natural John would try fishing. Being born and raised in the bush, he did all of those things you do in the bush, including fishing.

I did not go fishing with John often but the times we did, it was a ball of fun. I remember one trip that we went on, he got spiked by a flathead so many times, he was a mass of holes and blood. But he kept going, catching a fish, getting spiked.

It took a while to get him back fishing, but the only way I could get him to go near a flathead was when it was on a plate already cooked. I can’t say I blame him — flathead spikes hurt.

John has now retired and lives in a house with a million-dollar view of Twofold Bay on the outskirts of Eden.

He is now into golf and got to know Mark, who owns and operates Freedom Charters.

John is informed about the fishing at the golf course, and then passes the news on to me!

While we are talking Eden, the boys said fishing along the inshore was good, with plenty of snapper, morwong and, John’s favourite, flathead.

The boys said they were also catching kingfish close in, but there was not too much action offshore at this time of year.

Despite that, Eden is still worth a visit, with lots of accommodation, plenty of sight-seeing, including whale watching, and the chance to catch quality table fish.

A bit further north, at Narooma, another former Shepparton resident, Graham Cowley, reports for me.

Unlike John, Graham knows how to de-hook a flathead without getting spiked; in fact, Graham is an experienced angler.

Graham said fishing was much the same as at Eden; only the snapper were biting and most action was around Montague Island.

Down south at Queenscliff, Rod Lawn said he was still bagging snapper off Barwon Heads, as well as near Ocean Grove and Point Lonsdale.

He said he was also catching mako, blue and gummy shark around the dive sites and crayfish pots.

He said best baits were fresh fillets of salmon or small whole squid. It was hard work but worth a try.

He said whiting was scarce but some could be bagged around the mouth of Swan Bay, off St Leonards, on the northern side of the bay.

The fishing at Western Port Bay was about the same. It sort of sounds like a broken record, but this time of year, winter to spring, that’s the way it goes. Fish do not have a calendar to know the time.

In our region, the Goulburn has gone through the small rise, and we have had the close of cod season.

You can still fish for, catch and keep cod in Lake Eildon, the only place that you can in Victoria. But it is banned elsewhere.

This includes the Murray River and NSW.

It is okay to chase yellowbelly, but do remember size and bag limits. Redfin are also on the bite at Waranga Basin and in the trees at Eildon.

Well, that’s all folks, more fishing news next week. Stay safe from COVID-19, and take care when driving and fishing. Good luck to your footy team if it made the finals.