Nicholson Angling Club’s first competition of the year produced plenty of excitement and some great catches.
The sun had barely risen when the first lines hit the water as a soft mist hovered over the river and the only sounds were the gentle lapping of water against the boats and the occasional splash of a fish breaking the surface.
Daniel Hughes had a feeling it was going to be a special day, then he felt a sudden tug, his rod bent sharply, and his heart pounded, gripping tight as the fish fought back.
It was a battle of strength and patience, but after a tense few minutes, Hughes landed a 40 centimetre bream, the biggest of the competition.
Local fishing legend Peter Nord worked steadily, casting and reeling in with precision.
Every so often he’d pull in another solid bream, taking the longest string, with a total of 175 centimetres.
Nikki Bryant felt the sharp jolt of a strong bite, with determination. She reeled in a beautiful 38.5 centimetre bream, earning her the title of longest women’s catch.
Jenny Howard, fishing with bait, wasn’t far behind, landing a solid 33.5 centimetre bream.
The kids weren’t left out of the action either, with young Cody Perdon, fishing in the under 16s category, pulling in a respectable 31.5 centimetre species, while Xander Whibley, competing in the under 12s, matched Jenny’s 33.5 centimetre catch.
But the biggest surprise of the day belonged to Michael Jones.
His rod suddenly lurched forward, but this was no bream, the fish darting through the water with power, testing his skill and patience. After an intense battle he hauled in a massive 73.5 centimetre flathead, securing the longest other species title.
The secret length winners were revealed, with Peter Lonsdale, Barry McCartney, Jenny Taylor, and Coen Buck-Roberts all smiling as they received their awards, proving that fishing is always full of surprises.
With 126 bream caught, entered and released, the first comp of the year was a beauty.
Now all eyes turn to the next competition on March 15-16.
