After several days of heavy rain, the skies have cleared, the sun has come out, and so have the boats.
Bookings for "Riverbend" Cottage are filling up as far out as June but, surprisingly, the week leading up to and including Easter is still available.
That's as of today, the 28th of February, so please be quick if you want to spend Easter by and on the water.
From this ...
... to this!
Greg, it's still more than three months to the Queen's Birthday long weekend when we will build those benches but I had to get a whole stack of timber for my other projects, so I got the 140x35, 90x35, and 42x18mm for the benches at the same time. It got us a better discount and also saved on delivery costs.
I've trundled out the old TRITON bench and cut the 90x35mm into lengths of 550mm and 700mm which I will take to a joinery shop in the Bay where they can be shaped on a large bandsaw.
I bought enough timber for three benches: one for you, one for me, and one for the Queen if you want to give her a belated birthday present!
You can - after you have spent a restful night in Riverbend's comfortable queen-size bed.
"Riverbend" cottage is all about relaxing and unwinding and quietening jangled nerves. Staying with us is almost medicinal although we can't guarantee that you can claim it on Medicare (but we'll give you a receipt if you think you want to try ☺).
There are two species of breams to be found in the Clyde River: the black bream and the yellow-finned bream. The black bream is a very deep golden colour with opaque fins. Their main habitat is just below and above the Nelligen Bridge, although they can be found right up to Shallow Crossing.
To quote from Lindsay Bond's booklet "Fishing the Clyde River":
"The deep holes and logs along the river are favoured both for food and protection. When extra high tides occur such as 1.5 metres to 2 metres, the bream will retreat into the shoreline mangroves and can be taken in just 2 feet of water.
The most effective baits are worms, peeled prawns and salt-water yabbies. The best time to catch these fish is the first of the run up tide and at night. When fishing an area where the tide is not running too fast, successful catches can be made right through the run of the tide.
The yellow-finned bream is very similar in colour with striking yellow fins. If the fish has been in the river for some time, they will be slightly bronze. I have found that they leave the river in the wintertime to cleanse themselves and return from September to May each year. Some do not leave the river in this pattern and catches may be made during this time.
The yellow-fins can be caught in most areas of the Clyde River, in oyster leases, deep holes, longs along the shoreline, under the mangroves at high tide and especially in the many creeks flowing into the Clyde. The most favoured bait for the yellow-fins is striped tuna, peeled prawns, worms, yabbies and strips of small yellowtail.
The flesh is quite firm and most pleasing to the palate."
Map Six in the late Lindsay Bond's excellent booklet "Fishing the Clyde River" illustrates the best areas for fishing up- and downriver from Little Island:
There is a deep channel running alongside the left-hand side [looking upriver] of Little Island close in. This produces some very nice black bream when the water is a bit dirty after heavy rain.
Above Little Island there is a very large sandbank with patches of sand and weed. Fishing these sand and weed patches early in the run off ride will give garfish, bream, luderick and the odd flathead. Above this sandbank along the left-hand bank to where the river takes a left hand turn is very deep water. This fishes best on all tides when the ride is slow.
The right hand bank has a few oyster racks before reaching Little Island and this fishes best on the run off. Just before Sheep Station Creek opposite a red buoy, there is very deep water and a light reef. This fishes best on the last hour of the run up.
From the mouth of Sheep Station Creek along the right hand side are old oyster racks and shallow water. One can only motor up to opposite the green buoy as the reef is very shallow.
From the green buoy up stream and the right-hand bank to Orange Grove [the downriver property adjoining "Riverbend"], the best fishing can be had on the run off. This is also good for garfish, whiting and luderick.
A copy of "Fishing the Clyde River" is inside the Cottage.
Fishing the Clyde River" gives this advice on fishing above Nelligen Bridge:
"Just above Nelligen Bridge on the left hand side close in to the bank is very deep water. This fishes best on the last 2 hours of the run off. Above here the river passes the caravan park and creek and runs straight up to where it takes a right hand turn. This is reasonably deep water and all along this bank close in bream and flathead can be taken.
There are several places along here where good bank fishing is available. The best time to fish these places is when the tide is half down. One line cast well out and another with very little sinker, cast out and allowed to drift down close in to the bank will take fish. At the top of this straight the river turns right and a track runs along the river for about 200 metres. Good bank fishing here.
The bank from the bridge on the right hand side up to Cyne Mallows Creek can be fished on the run up tide and run off. Fish close in to the bank on all tides. When the tides are big from 1.6 metres up, a bait put right under the mangroves can result in some large bream.
Cyne Mallows Creek can fish well on the run up tide. Boats can go a long way up this creek but care should be taken to follow the deep water. Bream and flathead can be taken right up to the headwaters of this creek. From this creek the bank on the right hand side up to where the river bends right fishes all tides. The middle of the river is also worth drifting for flathead. The bank at the mouth of Cyne Mallows also fishes well for garfish. The bank at the mouth of Cyne Mallows has good weed beds and good luderick can be caught on peeled prawns."
And she says, "Don't forget your waders." |
According to the late Lindsay Bond's "Fishing the Clyde River", the deep water on the left hand bank (that is the bank across the river from "Riverbend") holds good bream which will bite on the run up tide.
Above "Riverbend" the water becomes more shallow and weedy and is favourable for garfish and luderick.
Along the right hand bank (on the side of "Riverbend") there are a series of houses. Just above "Sunlit Waters" and below the old punt ramp, a point of rock juts out into very deep water and a light reed. This fishes best on the last two hours of the run off.
Fishing under the bridge can produce some very nice bream and flathead. On the first and last hour of the run up, the bottom side of the bridge is best. If the tide does not exceed 1.3 metres, bream will bite on and off right through the tide.
The top side of the bridge fishes best first hour of the run off and last 2 hours of the run off.
When anchoring the boat on the bottom side of Nelligen Bridge, care should be taken to drop the anchor on either side of the co-ax cable. A line can be taken from the signs on either side of the river.
Riverbend Cottage isn't just near the water: walk more than ten paces out the door and you fall into it! And this deep waterfront goes for a good half-a-kilometre right round the bend - hence the name!
There's nothing wrong with our waterfront, Father Barry!
If you're serious about fishing the Clyde, then this slim 50-page booklet by local fishing legend Lindsay Bond is required reading.
Sadly, Lindsay, oyster farmer, fishing guide, journalist for Fishing Digest, and author, passed away in March 2012 but his book remains as a great monument to his life on the river. As he wrote,
"The Clyde River is a bream fisherman's dream. The oyster leases, deep holes, reefs (of which there are many), small creeks, mangroves and rock ledges are a haven for bream, flathead, whiting, luderick, tailor, jewfish, trevally and the odd salmon."
His booklet may well be out of print by now but we keep a copy in the Cottage.
This writer's piscatory incompetence is well established; however, for those who want to try their luck, there are still good catches to be made in the Clyde River. Fish are more plentiful during the summer months but it is possible to catch a meal at any time of the year - with luck!
Some people prefer elaborate rods and gear but a simple hand line will serve just as well. You will need several lines of differing strengths, some swivels, an assortment of weights (so you can hold the bottom in light and strong currents) and hooks, and a sharp knife. A landing net is handy in order to avoid losing a good fish or crab when trying to haul it into the boat.
All baits should be as fresh as possible. Prawns attract most fish: they should be a good size and free of any dark areas on the body. Cooked prawns are good bait for flathead and bream. Mullet gut should threaded on the hook like worms. It must be fresh and will not keep for long in hot weather. Fresh mullet fillets, scaled, are an effective bait for tailor, flathead and bream. Pilchards are also attractive to bream. Yabbies, or nippers, are an excellent live bait. You will need a yabby pump to extract them from sandy mudflats at low tide. The hook should be passed through the tail not the head. Live yabbies are one of the best baits for mulloway (jewfish), flathead and bream.
Do not keep your catch to be eaten in a day or two, unless you have access to a freezer, but make sure it is consumed the day it is caught. Clean and wash prior to cooking. If the fish are pan-sized there is no need to scale them. If you intend to barbecue it is much better to leave the scales on as this prevents the flesh falling apart and sticking to the hotplate. Mullet are best done on the BBQ but they need to be turned on their backs for a few minutes so that most of the strong yellow oil is cooked out of them. All seafood suffers if it is overcooked. This makes it tough and dry and removes most of the flavour.
It's another beautiful morning at "Riverbend" and we took Malty & Rover for a walk. Now it's back for a late breakfast and a bit of eye-shut. At "Riverbend" I needn't know the time: if I wake up in my pyjamas, it's morning. If I'm in my clothes, it's time for tea.
All that talk about exercise. I exercise every morning without fail. Up, down! Up, down! And then the other eyelid. I mean, I'm pushing 68. That's enough exercise for me.
As for entertainment, my idea of a good night out is a good night in. At my age I don't need to do drugs or drink anymore. I can get the same effect just by standing up real fast.
One thing I do indulge in though is bananas. Bananas contain chemicals that work like Ecstacy and Prozac to stimulate the production of serotonin and dopamine. Bananas make me happy. And I still buy them green. I guess that makes me an optimist.
We don't vacuum right under the bed every time but this time we did and look what we found: a pair of Aussie thongs!
Do they belong to Graham & Catherine or Kathleen & Philip or Netty & Andy or Pam & Greg? We don't know!
If you've left a pair of thongs in the Cottage, lodge your claim now, giving the make, size and colour to establish your rightful ownership ☺
We will post them to you and even throw in a pair of shoelaces!
PANDORA IV has been anchored off "Riverbend" for well over a week and who can blame them? It's a picture-book setting!
Our Cottage guests Pam and Greg from Wollongong left on Monday but have already booked again for a week over the long Queen's Birthday weekend. Greg and I will then build several of Riverbend's unique benches and swing chairs for them to take back to their own backyard.
At Riverbend you can bare arms, legs, pretty much anything you like. You can even bare your soul sitting on the verandah in the warm sunshine with a gin or tea.
or click here to view and print the brochure
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News from the Nelligen Yacht Club
