Woody Head: Almost Spooled

Author: JayPenfold

Category: Trip Reports

Created on Tuesday, 11 May 2010 12:52

Written by Jay 'Yakfisher' Penfold

Holger arrived at 7:00. Ready for our much awaited 2hr trek to kayak fish the Clarence coast's Woody head with tuna and trevally our target. This was to be only my second time on open oceanic water, but I'm in good hands with Holger. We arrived at the camp ground at a respectable hour, Taking the walking track around the headland, H took plenty of time to explain the submarine geology and associated hazards. A safety drill to keep me out of mischief. H handed me a smoke flare and instructed me on it's operation. Deciding conditions were good, we geared up and launched into crystal clear water and a gentle Southerly. Conditions at woody head are quite deceptive from shore. What looked to be dead flat soon became 1.8m of rolling swell. When leaving the shelter of the protruding rock shelf, the swell grew.

A large loggerhead turtle was basking in the sun on the surface, quickly diving as we neared. We trolled large lures, planning to throw some plastics up against the rock ledge of the headland. Josh had instructed us to get as close to the rocks as we felt comfortable and cast to them. The closer we came to the headland, the more confused the sea became. Waves refracting off the cliff line were breaking away from the shore towards us, perpendicular to the oncoming swell. The result was quite a washing machine. The closer to the rocks we pedalled, the more I realised that if we were to stay out I'd be 'berlying' up and could be in trouble very quickly. I realised that I was as close to the rocks as I could be comfortable, which was no where near casting distance away. We did a u-turn to head for the shelter of the bay. We took a quick drift in about 10m of water.

The 3” squidgy flickbait I had deployed on my bream stick got hit and started to scream. And scream. Fifteen seconds and 300yards of 10lb braid was gone, then the 6lb mono backing started to disappear. What ever had hit was big, we speculate tuna but will never know. The entire hookup only lasted 30 seconds I estimate. Rule number one: turn the kayak around and chase the fish. I was off my game, and didn't want to head back into the washing machine, so I tried to brake the line by palming the spool. I don't know what made me try to preserve some backing on the reel, but hit the brakes really hard, the 6lb mono gave way at the rod tip. Rule number two: bream gear is for bream, not tuna.

On we drifted, the Halco Scorpion 125 trolled on the heavy stick attracted a hit from a good sized tailor who spat the hooks whilst exiting the water column. Tailor apparently explode into the air if you don't keep your rod tip down, Josh tells me. Damn, there goes dinner. We keep heading for the shelter of the shelf with a following sea, and I'm feeling green around the gills. Terns wheel and screech overhead, the turquoise glass starts to boil. Big fish hit the surface sporadically, we chase, H casts into the boil, I just troll around. I didn't want my 4lb outfit to get spooled too so I said “No way I'm casting into that!”. We decide to head for the beach. I threw some plastics for about four flathead in the shallows, none any bigger than a beer bottle. Hollger hatched another plan. Saddle up and hit the Clarence River at Maclean.

We parked the car, geared up and towed our yaks through the streets of Maclean to the boat ramp, passing by Maclean Outdoors to say hi to Josh, who gave us a great location to find dinner. The flathead action was thick and fast, lots of legal fish, cast after cast. After about four fish, and dinner secured, H lets out an almighty Woooo Hoooo! Followed by a lot of what I though was pfaffing about, was “I 've got dinner!” Sure enough, the pfaffing about was H trying six times to get 68cms of flathead in 40cm of net.

I seriously lost count of the number of hookups to good solid head shaking flathead that spat hooks. I could have bagged out had I landed every one. As the sun lowered in the sky we headed back to Maclean outdoors to catch up with Josh. We ogled the very sexy Tandem Ai and marvelled at the user friendliness of the craft, it's balance, it's elegance. I found the perfect esky to put in the back of my Revo, a 22L waeco ice box. Just the right height to use as a stool, the right volume to double as a live well, big enough to sit on as a sight casting platform and tough as nails. Keeps things cold too apparently.

Back at Josh's, H filleted up his horse of a fish whilst I put together the salad. We ate well, washing this most tasty fish down with a cold beer and yak related banter. A fantastic end to an awesome day out. Josh made us excellent espresso coffee to get us through the drive back home. Damn I slept well.

The Clarence coast is a beautiful part of the world. I'm achey but glowing after two extreme ends of the spectrum: open ocean and peaceful river. I can't wait to get back down there.