Far West Coast fishing trip

0815hrs on the road, Sue feeling better. Light rain showers thru to Elliston – breakfast.

Good run past Streaky, checked out Perlubie Beach, good access to the beach but a bugger when it blow’s. 

Now $10/night, with dunny provided.

Ceduna refueled, then walk around and check out stuff – craft shop has now gone, taken over by the camping / fishing tackle shop. 

Turn off to Fowlers just after the 35k marker to Nundroo = 33k’s to Nundroo. Another 20k’s or there about’ s to Fowlers. Dropped into Reg’s place,  closed, no activity it seems.

Track into Scotts not to bad, 20+ minutes. Our camp site occupied with camper trailer – 2 old blokes arrive this afternoon. Had booked another site but occupied – ‘what’s this booking” it’s all online now. Later checked my e-mails etc – sure enough Fowlers Bay Conservation Reserve along with all of them up the coast including The Dog Fence now require on-line booking!

Light rain as we arrived and scattered thereafter. Wind a hefty 25kph ESE, better camp around from where we usually camp, but will cop it during a Westerly. 

Checked out the ‘REEF’ the lowest I have seen it 0.2 at 1803hrs and still going down, but the ‘WIND’

Basically parked up and closed the door with the heater on and Fish noodles for tea. 

Cool 15 all day and light drizzle till late AM. 

Max. wind gust 63.7kph. 

Camp set up mid morning between the drizzle and the Sat. TV much easier to set up, better engineering. 

Left my power cord for laptop plugin at home - Bugger! Start using my Android – neat! even got M-Banking set up.

Clear skies, but still a stiff S.E wind. On the reef at low tide – no hook-ups.

Sue found a pair of Treva sandal on
 the beach my size. 

 he's a good size on the side of the beach track.

Disappeared down the black hole here

Obviously camp fire burnt some pallets, rusty nails in the middle of the camp ground. 

Just what you need in a tire

Duly cleaned up

2 small Dugite snakes in the annex, duly deposited out side

Best part of the day - wind starting to moderate

Sure is low tide - no fish

Behind our camp, getting a bit 

close but he kept moving

Another storm cell rolled over top of us – 1700 – 1930hrs and 9.6mm rain

Take heed of the signage

Morning walk - storm run off 

Neat little fellow

More rain and still fizzing

Finally some calm weather

No reef fishing tides in early

Followed his tracks up the beach ___

Gash on his neck - hence resting on the beach 

Good to go, alas not so he just needed to cool down mid afternoon. Still on the beach when we departed

Water hole filled up from the recent rain - brackish 

Another visitor close to camp - kept going past our camp.

0600hrs wind chill 8.2, Nor Easterly 15kph. 

0636 – 7.7. Final pack 0700 to 1000 hrs and 

on the road, dropped by Reg’s place, cuppa and yak for several hours. All good after 9 months of chemo in Adelaide – got to it early. The leukemia foundation folks in Adelaide were magic – place to stay, transport etc.

Topped up with water and some veggies from Reg’s garden. Nundroo – tires to 50psi and a ham and cheese sanga – yuk! and a pain to remove = white bread!

Parked 8ks from Yalata servo, new rest area, previously and big gravel pit, just before the dog fence grid, and opposite the dog fence running parallel to the Hwy. 

On the road 0700 – 0735hrs @ Combra gate, deflate tires to 26 psi all round. 

Fizzing at 25 knot’s into our face – Unfishable.

Mallee casualty popped the clips holding the awning, busted one cross wire 

Checked out the water tank 3/4 full, 17ks from Coombra Gate

One branch across the track so pruned the lot

New signage

Not yet in the ground

Beauty camp site vacant early  = no one on the beach fishing!

Our camp site name sake

1200hrs arrived Geue’s – all camp sites vacant, beauty. Drive time 2 hrs 45 min. what with tree pruning, breakfast etc. Sand hill gave stick and over with our camp set up by 1500hrs. 

Chook and TJ arrived 1630hrs.

Fizzing at 25knot’s into our face – Unfishable.

0600 hrs bait in the water – salmon soon on the beach then quite. Chook wandered down around 0730 hrs, back to camp for a cooked breakfast, wanders back down 0900hrs 

1^st Cast – 0915hrs 20# 1020mm, Mulloway on the beach. How jaggy is that, pressure off for the rest of the week to land a Mulloway!

Hang in on the beach till 1400hrs – late breakfast on the beach.

Mulloway frame and wings for tea, with wedges and salad. Evening session no fish 2100hrs called it quits. 

Slow day – Sue no fish, cooked breakfast and a stinking hot day – roast lamb for tea. How ever did landed a 13# 760 mm salmon, a monster.

Another day - perfect conditions,breeze at out backs

Even better we had the beach to ourselves

Sue got in on the action, 

even if it was only a Salmon

Southerly wind protected camp site - but it sure gets hot down in there when it's blowing a northerly 

How about this for a breakfast location

Not going hungry with all sorts of choices

Another day without a Mullaway

Another fantastic morning awakening

Hi tech - our pre-paid WiFi works 

on the sand hill above camp

Fly free zone

Another vantage point for

 phone and WiFi connection

Roast pork - checkout the crackle!

Duly stuff and an evening session relaxing on the beach - no hook ups 

0615hrs on the spot before all others – fish over and to the side of the rock! Got a tad windy at 25knots – breakfast at camp, then back for the high tide. All very quiet – 6 baits in the water. Wind steady Easterly along the beach at 15 – 20knots. High tide around 1330hrs. .

My last bait and cast 1200hrs – 1215hrs we are on and landed a 25#, 1040mm Mulloway – finally! 

One last cast for Sue whilst I dragged my fish back to camp for processing!

Sue in action Chook with the gaff if required

Sue's trophy fish alas ______

As I returned to the beach in time to witness Sue throw back her Mulloway @ 1238hrs – just under size at say 760 mm – Bugger!  

Official weigh in - 25.17 pounds

This guy got stuck into some juicy baby spinach, in seventh heaven out in this desolate environment 

That's it for another season for us 

We left them to it these guys pulled into camp one two days ago. 

Packing thru out the afternoon and evening – all wrapped up, just hook up in the AM.

0615hrs final tidy and hooked up 0755hrs on the track and 2 hours drive time to the gate. 

Chook made it over 1st attempt

Distances in reverse – Camp to Cowley 2 Track 4.4, Granites t/o 11.5, water tank 21.5, Telstra track 30 and Coombra gate 39.2k’s.

Just as we pulled up to Coombra Gate - Fuel filter light came on - due for a filter change 550ks ago at 155,000ks. Cleared the code.  Figured I could leave it until after our Far West Coast fishing trip. 

Things happen whilst we were away our neighbour getting some rocks removed in an effort to perhaps develop the block and using our no thru road as access. 

No wonder the fuel filters light came on - duly changed - every 20,000k

A enjoyable and successful big fish trip