Blackwood

Blackwood Dreamin’

Late Afternoon on the Blackwood – Paradise Found

It has that effect on you. Drifting down the bank, casting into the snags as the breeze and current do the hard work for you. The mirror finish reflects the trees and sky giving and almost surreal vision.

How many of us really take the time to have a good look around us when we’re on the water? To soak up the sights and sounds and really appreciate what we have right at our doorstep. Some times it’s not just about the fishing, it’s about taking time to relieve the stresses of the week share it with a good mate or just enjoy it on your own.

It’s right on our doorstep, and yet how many of us really know much about the Blackwood River? It’s been in the news for all the wrong reasons, as the pursuit for Recreational fishing rights, fish stocks and commercial fishing sees a battle waged on all fronts.

To be honest, it’s a snapshot of what has been brewing in this state for the last few years. As the positive influence of Catch and Release fishing from the print media and WABREAM Tournaments spreads, people have started to have a good look at what we do to our rivers and not just the fish. All that aside, but not forgotten, we have really just began to appreciate the true potential that has been enjoyed by a lucky few for so many years.

OK, so I’m a little biased when it comes to the Blackwood and my passion for Black Bream has me coming back to this river often, but what is it really that just keeps us coming back.  Well, for starters. How many rivers in the south of WA give sooo much room to move and bank to fish? The Blackwood is one of our few big southern rivers, extending from the mouth near Augusta right through to the trickles around Balingup and Nannup. Its sides are surrounded by towering trees which not only provide some great protection to the angler from strong winds and the unpredictable rain, but also occasionally falls victim to the elements and comes crashing down the banks to become part of the river system itself.

It’s also a system that gives us corner after corner to explore. Trust me when I say you can spend countless days going from snag to snag and have all your ideas spin around as the weather changes or you find yet another nook.

And hey, from just a guy’s point of view, the ski area can be a lot of fun :-)

For those of you who love to pursue a Blackie or 2, then this is a great spot that is still within easy travel distance from Perth. The choices are pretty easy as far as accommodation. I’d avoid the town unless you want to travel across the estuary every morning. Best bet is to either tent it at Alexandra Bridge or spend a few more dollars and get a camp site at Molloy Caravan Park or spend a bit more and live in luxury in one of the cabins. We managed to spend a few nights at Molloy recently and the facilities are excellent. The extra dollars for the cabin meant less hassle as far as the sleeping arrangements went and the ramp is one of the best Park ramps I’ve had the pleasure to use. It also makes a great backdrop for a few pics before release.

A Couple of Blackwood Beasts, the Grassed area at Molloy Makes is Easy to Move Around

Woops, aren’t these beasts just a tease. Sorry, couldn’t resist, but this is why we keep coming back. Bream like this aren’t just for the pros, but can be caught by anyone who puts in the hard yards and thinks about how they fish.

For the hard body Breamer, this really is heaven. The deep banks mean you really do need to get close to the bank and think about lure selection. As a bit of a HB nut myself, I take 2 approaches to the Blackwood. The first is to get right down amongst them. This means a deep diving lure that is going to go to 3m plus and quickly. Two of the best of these for me are the Taylor Made Tiny Nugget and the Salmo Hornet. Unlike a lot of other anglers I’ve fished with, I’ve actually found that brighter lures like Chrome Gold or Fluro Orange work the best as we head into the clearer waters of the warmer months.

The key…… slow and steady. A great way to get the lure down quickly is to actually twitch\rip the lure a few times to start with. This is where a rod that is stiffer in the tip is going to help. The less give, the quicker you’re going to part action onto the lure and get it down. Once it’s down to a reasonable depth, a slow retrieve with small pauses is the way to go. The easiest way to impart a pause onto a lure is to nod the rod.

What we mean by this is to lower and raise the rod or move the rod away and then back towards the body while still retrieving the lure. The idea is that as the rod moves with the retrieve, the lure literally pauses its movement. This pause will often be enough for a Bream to strike. The next few seconds here can be joy or sheer frustration to a lure fisherman. The first thing many a snag fish will want to do is head straight back into the cover. The temptation here is to pull like there is no tomorrow and more often than not, rip the hooks. In many cases, a little line will be enough to get the Bream to have a small run, yet still be able to turn it. On some occasions though, they will be straight back in there and then it’s panic stations. Again, give the fish some line and then gently play the fish out of the snag. DON’T keep pulling the fish up and down to get it out, you will often be able to feel the line rubbing on the timber and that is when it gets tricky. Giving the Bream some line often calms the fish, as it’s not constantly struggling. Then we can tease the fish out slowly but surely. You’d be surprised how many times you can do this and have the leader chaffed to pieces. A good thing to remember here is that good leader material is worth its weight in gold and can mean the difference between grief and a possible PB. My choice here is the Yamatoyo Fluorocarbon leader and for the Blackwood we usually fish around 6-8lb.

While the deeper regions are often a better source for larger fish, don’t discount the shallower regions either. While not abound with larger specimens, there can be a LOT of smaller fish ready to give you a bit of fun. For me, this is the domain for the twitchers. I just love using smaller lures like Yo-Zuri Snap Shads or Eddy’s Lip Rippas and twitching them ready to be slammed.

There is something about our southern Bream that just seems to make them meaner and even a 27-32cm fish will give a good account of itself. Again, a more responsive rod like the Black Diamond Sniper or Hardback are ideal rods.

Author with one of a Bag of 15 fish, all Caught Twitching

For plastics Breamers, this really is the ultimate in scary fishing. If the plethora of trees, rocks and other hazards don’t get you, then there’s a good chance Mr. Bream will have a good try any way. It’s a great way to learn how to fish plastics better as you watch the line for signs of a hit and learn to gauge the depth of a region and when to lift the plastic.

One of the big plusses in this area is the use of a brightly coloured main line like the fluro yellow Fireline. Even in bright conditions, you can see the line move when a fish hits. A good pair of polarising sun glasses is also an advantage here.

The beauty of plastics is that they can be fish in an incredible variety of ways. Something we just can’t achieve with HB lures without an very good collection. Still, we tackle rats never need much of an excuse. We can also use an incredible number of sizes and colours without even having to change the jig head. Lately the belief has been bigger plastics mean bigger Bream, and to that extent, plastics like the Berkley 3” Bass Minnow and the 3” Eyeball Tail have been a popular choice and a real winner.

30cm Bream Caught on a Pearl\Watermelon Bass Minnow on a 1\16^th EnviroJig Head

Jig head selection is also critical as some really do like the timber more than others. Lately I’ve been fishing the new EnviroJigs, made locally here in WA. They are a lead free jig which fish like no other I’ve used. They actually fish light for their weight, which means you can keep I tin the zone for longer. Don’t feel as though you must use a heavy head for deeper water though. As said, keep it in the zone for longer as you just never know what may be lurking on the way down. You’ll be surprised how many Bream are picked up on the drop. For most occasions, that means 1\16^th at the most unless the current is ripping.

It’s going to be a bit hit and miss to start with as you get used to fishing the deep snags, but the key is persistence and be willing to learn. Places like the Blackwood do often have a good current so for something different, cast the jig a little further out so it drifts back to the snag as it sinks. This is a great way to get to those fish sitting in deeper water and also allows you to get right under a log instead of just down the side of it.

Another lesser know structure is the shady tree. The banks of the Blackwood are lined with hundreds of Peppermint trees in sections, and under these tress lurk Bream seeking shelter from the bright sun.

While it’s not easy to cast straight under these trees, there is a method that comes in very handy. Skipping is the act of casting a plastic so that it skips along the surface of the water, very much like skipping stones. The idea here is to cast using a sideways flick, holding the rod down low with your arm in a similar position you would have it if you were skipping stones. A bit of practise and you’ll have a deadly weapon that also a great way to get in under jetties on the Swan.

Another very overlooked structure for the plastics Breamer is the scrubby shoreline back down near Molloy Island itself. Bream often lurk in along the edges, feeling on the moss growing on the exposed roots of the trees, the mussels that grow on them or the small bait fish that swim in amongst them as well. The beauty here is that a plastics can get right beside the snags, whereas a HB lure tends to miss the zone as it is retrieved out from the snag before it’s at the right depth. In the recent WABREAM State Invitational, this area was very productive for many anglers. One frustration here though is that many of the smaller fish tend to inhabit these zones and can be an annoying distraction as you look for better quality.

In the end, it’s the deeper water where the reward is. There is just nothing quite like the feel of a kilo plus fish doing its best to stitch you up. And the reward for your patience is all worth it.

Willo with a PB 1.24kg Bream Taken on a 1\16^th Nitro Head Using a Bass Minnow.

Oh, and the by-catch isn’t too bad either. Monster yellow fin whiting, herring, tailor and the occasional mulloway, but that’s for another session. ‘Til then, may your leaders hold and you hooks stay true.