Shad Archives - Baha Adventures

03Apr 2021 by Warren Prior No Comments

Bonito on Fly in Middle Harbour

Fly Fishing, Kayak Fishing, Lure Fishing, Salt Water

December Brisbane trip...cancelled due to Covid...April Brisbane trip...cancelled due to Covid... And so, on a beautiful April morning, I launched my kayak from the Tunks Park boat ramp, fly rod in hand. The plan for the day was to go after some pelagic species on fly, specifically the Sydney harbour kingfish. I wasn't sure what to expect, as Sydney had experienced mass flooding the prior week. And as a result, the water was murky brown, with a lot of suspended debris, as I paddled out towards the rising sun. Sunrise in Middle Harbour I opted to head towards the harbour mouth, hoping the water would be cleaner closer to the ocean. As it turned out, this proved to be a good strategy. The water colour quickly changed from muddy brown…

10Oct 2020 by Warren Prior No Comments

A Few Tailor in Middle Harbour

Fly Fishing, Kayak Fishing, Lure Fishing, Salt Water

On Saturday morning I decided to try my luck for some early season kings on fly. While they are generally much harder to find this early in the season, it's well worth the effort as the fish are usually larger. I decided to launch from the Tunks Park boat ramp, predominantly because it's close to home, and is a decent venue as it offers access to most of Middle Harbour. There was a beautiful orange glow on the water as I paddled out at 6:30am, brimming with anticipation. Sunrise at Tunks Park Boat Ramp As is the case with many of my trips, I forgot one key item. This time it was my polarised sunglasses which, as all fisherman know, are invaluable both in terms of spotting fish, as well…

07Jul 2020 by Warren Prior No Comments

Lake Macquarie and Blacksmiths Beach on Fly (and Lure)

Fly Fishing, Kayak Fishing, Lure Fishing, Salt Water, Trip Report

After months in quasi-lockdown, getting used to the new normal imposed on us by Covid-19, we finally managed to get away for 5 days of bliss at Lake Macquarie. We'd never been to the area before, but chose it for a handful of reasons. Firstly, it offered a great selection of both fishing and family friendly activities. Secondly, it's close to home, and wouldn't require hours of driving to get there, eating up valuable fun time. And thirdly, they had availability (yes, the majority of Australians were as eager to get outdoors as we were, post lockdown). We drove up on Friday, taking a quick detour via Hunter Water Sports to pick up a fish finder mount for my kayak. We also stopped off at Woolworths to stock up on…

31Jan 2020 by Warren Prior No Comments

Looking Back at My First Taste of Aussie Fly Fishing

Bass, Fly Fishing, Fresh Water, Kayak Fishing, Salt Water, Trout

In January, the Durban Fly Tyers asked me to write an article for their monthly newsletter, The Bobbin. Having only recently started getting into the Australian fly fishing scene, I decided to write about my first taste of Aussie fly fishing.

19Oct 2019 by Warren Prior No Comments

Excitement at Willoughby Creek Bay

Fly Fishing, Salt Water

I snuck out of the house late on Saturday afternoon, fly rod in hand, ready to explore some nearby waters. Despite having lived in Sydney for close on 2 years, I had only fished the harbour twice, and was eager to find some good fishing spots close to home. When I arrived at the Willoughby Creek Bay, it was just starting to rain. There was a strong westerly blowing, it was close to low tide, and the water was murkier than usual. But none of that was going to put me off. I stood on the bank for a while, trying to work out my game-plan, before climbing down the steep wall into the water. The bottom was covered in oysters and, despite wearing rubber booties, it was still sore…

23Nov 2014 by Warren Prior No Comments

Cape Vidal Trip Report, November 2014

Fly Fishing, Salt Water, Trip Report

With the windy months having passed us by, and the water warming through the spring months, it was time for another trip to Cape Vidal. Sadly however we battled with booking and managed to secure just a single campsite, meaning that just 6 fishermen could join us on this adventure. I picked up Graeme at 4:30am and we headed to Durban where we met up with Bruce and Laurence. After quickly packing the trailer we hit the road at 5am with Vidal set firmly in our sights. We stopped just twice on route, once for the maditory cup of coffee, and then again for the even more mandatory Wimpy breakfast. The other two adventurers, Neill and Arthur, were already on route from the South Coast Fly Anglers and had agreed to meet us on…

02Dec 2012 by Nick Nortje No Comments

Shad Bashing 101

Articles, Fly Fishing, Salt Water

[caption id="attachment_650" align="alignnone" width="400"] Warren With A Shad[/caption] [caption id="attachment_649" align="alignnone" width="400"] A Small Shad[/caption] Common Name: Shad Other Names: Elf Scientific Name: Pomatomus saltatrix Size: Shad can grow to be 120 cm long with a weight of 14 kg. Habitat: Shad are mainly found on sandy bottoms in clear water. They are also found close to reefs and rocky ledges where there is foamy water. Eating Quality: The fresh flesh of a shad is excellent to eat, but not after being frozen so only keep what you can eat. In this article I'll be touching on some of the things that have worked well for me over the years to target shad. Being an avid fly fishermen of both salt water and fresh water I am constantly looking for…

Tag: Shad