FISH & BOAT, April 2019- P45 Fishing From previous page Insects blown onto the water surface their trust or are willing to pay for Amanda Johnston with a fun-sized are one of the primary food sources the knowledge. Examples include With impoundment fish that see a for these fish. This is why larger, experienced guides, long term mem- toga landed on a surface popper. lot more artificials, this kind of hit greener, and lower are importantbers of fishing clubs, articles written and drop sequence of events usually factors when it comes to the fastby quality anglers in fishing publi- results in a spooked fish. However, food river trees. Why? Because more cations, watching in-depth instruc- wild versions in their natural state insects are attracted to live plants, tional videos and fishing master- see very little fishing pressure and the bigger the tree is, the more in- classes run by proven anglers. These are not as timid. As long as the fish sects are attracted. The lower the anglers have spent hundreds of on- doesn’t feel the sting of the hook tree hangs, the less time the insect water hours making their own ob- they will come back several times has to react and fly before hitting the servations and discovering the pat- over before cottoning on to the fact water surface. terns to improve the likelihood of that the offering is not food. With The greener and more dense trees catching a target species. While the this in mind, the lure is sent out a also provide better shade in the mid- expert knowledge from others is a second time to the pair of fish that dle of the day, which becomes in- good way to fast-track a deeper un- are now actively patrolling in a creasingly important as the summer derstanding of fish patterns and be- heightened search pattern to locate months progress. In addition, the haviour, there is still so much more the recently spotted morsel. timber and shade provide vantageto learn! Cracking a productive fish- It is not long before a second hook points for the spotted barra to am- ing pattern of your own is one of the up follows. After a few aerial displays bush other prey, particularly fish that most rewarding goals for a compe- and a bit of playing up, the lip grips swim past and shrimps that feed and tent angler. are secured on a healthy 67cm fish. shelter amongst the matted roots of Observation involves engaging and The toga is left in the water while the melaleuca that extend well into using all of our senses to take in the tagging equipment is prepared and the water column. data that surrounds us in order to then quickly lifted from the water, In this day and age of instant grati- collect information. Through reflec- measured, tagged, photographed and fication, the art of observation and tion, this information can be com- released to fight another day. With reflection are slowly eroding, which piled and considered to determine a sizeable toga landed, it is time to is a real shame. Those anglers who patterns. What anglers call a hunch, move on to the next fast food river embrace deeper observation willis termed a hypothesis by pure sci-saratoga without all the hassle, get inwas once dull suddenly fills us with tree! When it comes to this bankside enrich their fishing experiences and entists. Once the hunch (hypothesis) touch with me and organise a trip to excitement and anticipation. This vegetation, think bigger, closer and increase success. Observation is not is formed, then it needs to be tested, immerse yourself in an outback sara- has been the case for me and the greener for southern saratoga and about living some form of Amishusually resulting in more fishing fortoga tour. humble melaleuca. any other insectivorous fish. Just like existence, where all technology is the insightful angler. It’s a tough life! As anglers, we can become single- The tree is no longer an obstruc- every value meal comes with burger, shunned! In fact, the cutting edge Some people keep diaries to helpminded on the fish itself and ignoretion to my cast or a snag for the lure. fries and a soft drink, these three sounder technology is simply a tool pick up these patterns. Others like the bigger picture, and I am certainly It has been elevated to the status of factors help deliver these species the that extends our vision. Those ex- a more informal approach, storingnot immune to getting stuck in thisfast food river tree and prime toga important elements of food, ambush celling with sounders pair the latest useful information in the mind. pattern of behaviour. When we dohaunt. May you discover similar points and shade. technology with hours of on-water Make use of all of your senses and slow down and shift our focus to the treasures in your future fishing ad- Saratoga have morphology gearedobservation, using the sounder as anmaintain an inquisitive mindsetbigger picture, then something that ventures. up for topwater feeding. The eyes are extension of eyesight below the wa- when angling and take note of any Insightful Anglers – reflect on your fishing practices. positioned on the top edge of their ter. A good operator who has spent patterns that may emerge. All good anglers are encouraged to consider the recently released rec- heads, allowing them to look both more time on the water observing Hopefully, you discover patterns reational fishing self-assessment developed by Queensland Sportfishers. up and across. A weighted presenta- and learning with a sounder that is that unlock more reliable fishing Insightful Anglers has been developed to strengthen conservation and in- tion cast and left on the bottom of a couple of years old will almost al- experiences for the species being tegrity in sportfishing and is a self-assessment where you rate your fishing a deep pool is unlikely to get much ways outfish the guy with little on- targeted. This won’t happen on the practices. Insightful Anglers uses a series of questions developed to help you attention from a toga for this reason. water experience who has the bestcouch or in front of the computerwork through the topics and principals of the National Code of Practice for Catfish on the other hand!! The old unit straight out of the box. though, so start organising your next recreational and sportfishing. Set aside some time today to reflect on your school anglers fish with meat dan- Some of these observations can be trip to target your favourite spe- fishing practices and see if there is any room for improvement. gling half a metre under a float, and gleaned from others who have done cies! For those who want to spend a Find out more at: www.ansaqld.com.au/insightful-anglers/ this works on toga for good reason. the hard yards if you have earned few days hunting and catching wild A Fitzroy Basin outback vista on the way down to river country. 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