Should Have Been Here Yesty.
- A simple change was all that was needed to put a few nice Estuary Perch on the board.
There are many famous lines in fishing other than those we choose to drown a bait or lure upon. You should have been here yesterday is one most commonly used and a sentence we have all endured at one time or another. And so it was as we entered the bar at the Nelson hotel to talk all things fishing related with the proprietor Neil Shelton. Situated on the Victorian South Australian border, the Glenelg River is a fishing haven that provides anglers much promise on a variety of species but none more special than the mighty mulloway. Every season these fish track from the ocean and enter the river via the mouth at Nelson, from here they traverse upstream and break off into groups and individual fish. If luck might have it to stumble upon an active school along one of the towering limestone cliffs or tea tree clad banks is to experience a slice of fishing heaven. Having been there before was reason enough to listen with intent as Neil spilled forth the good oil on where and what these fish have been doing of late. It seems there were plenty of Mulloway in the river and they had been running hot for a few weeks now with some anglers hooking and landing up to a dozen or more in a single session. It all sounded so simple and we hit the water next morning full of line sizzling expectations. By chance over the course of the next few hours we were to talk with several other keen fishos and each and every one bestowed the same dreaded line. Should have been here yesty mate, they been running full on for a couple of weeks now but nothing at all this morning. And so it was for the rest of the morning as each and every effort was left wanting by a fish that had suddenly decided to lay low. I guess that’s fishing, but in the same vein there had to be some reward for the long trip down, so it was time to change tactics and turn the tables on another of the rivers many draw cards. Estuary perch are another species that reside along the Glenelg River and while their numbers are supposedly very prolific they are quite the challenge on rod and reel. Often a social fish, they will take up residence on one particular snag that can lay along a bank of many. The hardest part about catching estuary perch is actually locating them, from there it’s simply a matter of delivering the right lure amongst the snags and holding on for some full on action. As luck might have it, our timing was spot on as over the course of the afternoon we were to catch several good sized perch and turn a quiet trip into one that was memorable for many reasons. Fishing is often like that where the ability to adapt can open a whole other world of opportunity. While we should have been here yesterday for the mulloway, a simple change in tactics put us right on the money for today’s hot bite. For more info of whats on the chew at Nelson contact Neil & Kerrell at the Nelson Hotel on (08) 8738 4011
