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