FISH & BOAT, December 2018- P15 Fishing From previous page Sadly though, Paul passed away I say likely, because all I can base this year, aged just54. I only met that theory on is a dirty water line Paul at that one comp when he and the direction of what mini- fished with the quiet, easy-going, mal wave action there was (when perpetually-thirsty manager of the there weren’t skiers). The old man Pompuraaw croc farm, Pompuraaw and I fished a nearby point for the Pete.And while I remember Paul first session where we thought we being a really likeable guy, what re-might stand a chance (it was the allysticks with meis that he was kind of point I’d fish in Kinchant). a thinking angler – he and Pete The other three boats worked this spent the first fewdays sussing stretch of bank, on which I am told out the area and then formulated a was a struggling, sick cow. We got plan which earnedhim a 113 and a couple of bumps and saw a few thecardie. He willbe missed. fish that may have been barra on So, this comp was to be known the old man’s Garmin sidescan. I asthe Paul the Fridgie Memo- lost my big Zerek swim bait first rial Brown Cardie Comp. We cast when I backlashed it on 20lb were staying at Lumpy’s place in braid, which snapped with a crack Tolga (eating his homemade piz- and sent the lure flying into the za,drinking his hand-roasted and deep. Shortly after, a coxless fours ground coffee etc) and fishing the rowing team stroked right into damduring the key bite periods. where we were casting, so close Making up the group was Lumpy I could count the fillings in their and Keeney, the old man, Pom- teeth when they smiled and said, puraaw Pete, Jimbo Lee (maker “don’t worry, we’ve seen you!” A ofJungle Lures), Bruce Riddle, less couth pair of anglers might and a good friend of Paul’s, Arthurhave bounced paddle tail plastics Sclippa.It was a good group and off their stern, but we just shook Pete with his massive “hand-caught” there was a lot of fishing prowess our heads in amazement. barra from Dead Cow Bay amongst them. Unfortunately, The other guys got a few hits and barring Lumpy, there was very lit- hooked up to a couple of monsters two bite windows – one between tle impoundment fishing experi- that threw their hooks. Wayne 11am and 2pm, then the evening ence and even less Tinaroo experi- and Pete were fishing together and bite from dusk until about 8pm. ence. one moment Wayne got a smack Both bites would coincide with The old man and I were confi- that turned his Jungle Lure back- theoretical tide changes (apparent- dent though. I’vegot a few runs wards and the next moment Pete ly). I was dubious of the midday onthe board with big fish at Kin- got destroyed by a freight train of bite. I’ve never had a hot bite in a chant and Teemburra, so figured a fish! They were the first to fall –dam, outside of winter, in the mid- I’djust fish Tinaroothe same way. they had “the twitch”. We fished dle of the day. And, well, I didn’t With this in mind,I stopped in at hard until ten that night and found get one this time either. The old Proserpine Bait andTackle on man and I got two bumps each theway north and grabbed while rolling plastics. But Pete some paddle tails from got spooled (he busted the Keitech big enough to club a backing) on a horse that took seal with (note: theauthor in a big Storm Suspending Shad, noway condones the clubbing and then jumped another fish The old man, Graham Brake, on ofseals) as well as abig Zerek off.This was in Dead Cow cast 137 in “the land of 1000 casts” swimbait.I also picked out Bay (formally Struggling Cow thebiggest B52s I had, and Stretch). The name change snuck out on the electric, got a towput rods down and went to find reckoned I was on awinner. having been brought about by from another team and fished a Lumpy and Arthur. We’d just got We did make one mistake – the big black cow in the centre point near where the old man and I back to Lumpy’s place when a text morale wise. We stopped in at of the bay which now had its had fished at lunch time. Then we came through – Lumpy, fishing Hinchinbrook and smacked head in the water – and had moved around the other side of the out of his back-up boat, had land- barra and jacks for two days stopped struggling. It wasn’t point, ate some bikkies and drank ed a 101cm fish on the same Bar- onthe way up. They were on the only thing to die in the baya beer. What’d I learn? I learnt rabait lure. It proved the first fish fireon the flats. Wemust have though – there was a big dead that beer and some good tunes wasn’t a fluke and we all agreed he boated almost 30 barra over barra up on the bank also and from a waterproof speaker help to deserved the cardie this round. both days, plus three good plenty of dead glass soldiers atsooth the Tinaroo Twitch… But That night, we ate famously at jacks and assorted trevally, cod the feat of the “non-boaters” inthat’s about it. the Tolga Pub, Lumpy shouted the etc. It was manic fishing and each boat. All this death and That night we drank toasts to bar and we retired to his balcony very visual. It’s safe to say we hard luck was starting to get usPaul the Fridgie, listened to all histo try and slake the thirst brought were on a high whenwe finally down, but then the text came favourite songs and Lumpy never on by the twitch. At around 1am arrived at Lumpy’splace. We through. Lumpy had a 99cm. took the cardie off once. Arthur coined a song about our had barra mojo anda swagger He’d gone back to a bay where Day three dawned and I had a trip which he called “The Tinaroo like two anglers atthe top of they had heard fish boofing the new game plan – I wanted to go Twitch” by the fictitious “Coroner’s their game. We were fools… night before and rolled a 60cm exploring. We were fishing the day Corner and the Thousand Casts”. Now, Pete had a mate in fish on a B52 before going to a window again, just an hour later. I He dubbed the album the Brown Dimbulah who was a close Killalure Barra Bait – to get a looked at Google Earth, picked Cardy B-Sides and claimed that asthey come to a Tinaroo little deeper. That change had some weedy, well timbered bays it had such hits as “Sidescan ser- expert, so he stopped in to produced the fish that earned and creeks and decided to find enade”, “I should have used live seehim on his way and pro- The famous brown cardie him the leader’s spot. some structure to fish. Bruce and mouth-almighty” and “the dead duced a map with some likely Pete sent a text back to Pete drove to Dead Cow Bay, cast cow shuffle”. By the time we hit spots and a list ofbite win- him though with a potential for twenty minutes and then drank the sack at 2.30am there was prob- dows, based around tidal changes fish boofing in weedy pockets at upgrade less than half an hour beer. Their fishing spirit had be- ably an album full of song titles, (orsomething like that).One of two different locations, but no one later.He had a 117cm, glisten- come a casualty of the bay… A bay but for the life of me, I can’t re- thespots was a stretch of curved raised a fish. ing barra in his hands and a grin they now called Coroner’s Corner. member them. bank where water from one arm of The next day we were back, for on his face like a cat that had just We fished some really nice look- The nine hour drive back to thedam was likely pushing onto. a day session. We decided to fish caught a mouse. There was a catch ing country and Keeney and Jimbo Mackay the next day was mild at though – Pete had literally caught followed us and fished nearby. best, but luckily the old man had Under tow on the one session I get in the the fish… by hand. He’d spotted Both boats spotted fish in the 70s hit the sack early so was able to boat with the “local pro”. There’s a chance I it floundering in Dead Cow Bay, right up in the shallows, but no steer us home for the first leg while might bring back luck on Tinaroo... reached in and pulled it aboard. one could produce a bite. The fish I recovered from “some slight fog- After a quick photo to stir the pot, we spotted was doughy-as and re- giness”. it was released. Our hopes for its fused three offerings before swim- All in all, it had been an excellent survival in Dead Cow Bay were ming off. trip with great company. What slim. Keeney finally got a nice fish in did I learn? Well, I learnt there is a We headed back for a nap and a the 60cm range on a Reidy’s B52 day time bite window in impound- shake-up. I’d drawn the straw to back in the main basin that put on ments that is worth investigating. fish with Lumpy for the evening a good show and hit hard. How- And, I learnt that I have a lot to session and I thought it was my ever, that was all that was reportedlearn about Tinaroo! best chance. I planned to watch when three of the four boats con- Author’s note: if this story has him like a hawk and see where he verged for a debrief with an hour raised any feeling with you, please fished, why he fished there and to go in the session. The old man know help is available. I’m sure what lures and retrieves he used. and I had had enough. We agreed there is a support group or a help We got 100m from the ramp and that Tinaroo had beaten us and line up on the Atherton Tablelands a part in his outboard where the decided to pull the pin early. The for sufferers of Tinaroo Twitch. If fuel line clicked into snapped. We occupants of the other two boats there isn’t – there should be!