I’ve got a
confession to make. I love catching salmon!, and I can hear the howls of
ridicule and condemnation from far and wide, “Salmon, pft! It’s cat food, it’s
crab bait!” True, but it’s also a great sport fishing species which is now in
plague proportions and will put a bend in rod from a beach to a boat.
Look I admit for
me fishing is no longer about simply putting a feed on the table, it’s more the
experience and simply putting a bend in a rod for the fun of it. As a
sportfishing target in southern waters these fish put up a great account for
themselves, particularly on bream gear. They leap, shake their head, dive deep
and hard, and on most days will eat just about any offering thrown in front of
them. When nothing else is on the chew they have also been the saviour of many
potential fishless days as well.
These days the
proliferation of this species now has them being described in some angling
circles as the “carp of the sea” and calls for commercial netting to curb their
numbers because of their perceived ability to consume every juvenile fish in
their path have thank fully fallen on deaf ears. The reason for their abundance
is a direct result of the cessation of intense commercial harvesting of the
species with the closure of the Heinze Wattie cannery in the south coast NSW
town of Eden in June of 1999. Estimates had the factory
processing around 1000+ tonnes of fish per year and numbers north of Eden in that time were fewer as a result.
Twelve years down the track the town of Eden is still alive and salmon numbers have
multiplied to somewhat biblical proportions. We have seen numerous quarter acre
patches over the past few months in Jervis Bay, and many a bend in rod and screams of joy
as another offering has 6lb braid pouring off the reel.
For seasoned
anglers the humble “sambo” is more often than not overlooked in favour of
traditional species such as snapper, kingfish, tuna etc. Try telling that to a
kid whose arms are aching as his two ten year old mates scream at him to “keep going”, or the
older couple who are now spending quality time shoving each other out of the
way as they both do laps around the boat with a genuine double hook up! Let
alone the profession guide! Or international lure designer Patrick Sebile who
recently visited Jervis Bay to target one and now has a pending 66cm IGFA
world record sambo to add to his collection. It’s all about your perception of fun. Put a
bend in a rod and your having fun. It’s easy and anyone can do it.
As far their
culinary rating is concerned it’s all in the preparation. If you cook any fish
too long it tastes like rubber. Think outside the square and you have a fast
growing, high yield species which make delicious sashimi, is fantastic in fish
curries, fish cakes, fish soup, and if all else fails roll it in bread crumbs
and keens curry powder and smother it in mayo.
As far as tackle
goes this species really lends itself to fly fishing, but as I’ve
mentioned numerous
times now “you gotta size your gear down!”. For the boat 3-6lb braid or 6-8lb
mono on a 2-4 or 4-6kg rod with a 2500 sized reel is ample. Having said that
we’ve encountered a handful of fish over 70cm this summer and believe me they
go like kingy’s at this size so you will need to beef it up a little. Cast
small metal lures, lightly weighted flick baits for best results. It’s also
important to remember to approach any schooling fish slowly and respect other
boats in the area. If your on the troll around washes and prominent headlands
try Rapala xr-8 slashbaits in silver blue or small pink skirted numbers.
Retrofit all rear hooks to single 2/0 for better hook up rates and less damage
to fish for catch and release. Off the beach in my local area I still use a 7’6
2-5kg rod with 3lb braid and 6lb leader. You’ll amaze yourself at how far you
cast cast in a howlin’ westerly when it’s too rough to put the boat in.
Just remember,
tight lines is good times, and there’s a whole winter season full of fish and
minimal boat traffic over the next few months.
See you on the
water some time.
Greg Reid
www.bbsf.com.au
