Arriving at Cressy at around 11am, we were greeted with an overcast sky, a cool temperature of around 16 degrees, with a light breeze from the southeast.
We were hoping for the wind direction to change to the forecast northeasterly and the sky to clear bringing with it some serious summer temperature and the likelihood of some much anticipated grass hopper action.
As we started down the river a few risers on the lea shore kept our hopes high for a bumper session. However the increasing breeze made it difficult to cover the shoreline holding fish, with the oarsman struggling to position the boat close enough for accurate casting. In frustration we decided to beach the boat and walk the river edges for a while. The decision turned out to be productive, the first fish coming to hand after only a few casts.
Back in the boat and with the wind still making our drift difficult, we kept at it......
As the river made a turn to the northwest, finally, luck was to be on our side, the stars aligned and our drift was made easy by the now following wind and minimal effort by the oarsman. Greg was on the rod and with hopper pattern of his own tie, landed within a foot of the bank, was proving to be a temptation that was not being ignored. Solid takes and some nice fish followed. I on the other hand, repeatedly had difficulty timing my strike and could not touch one.
Throughout the drift action was by no means fast and furious. Few fish gave up their position with splashy rises or acrobatics. They were definitely about...... choosing to lay in wait close to over hanging tussocks and undercut banks ready to ambush any errant terrestrial morsal drifting by. Persistence was key and by hitting the likely spots we were able to enjoy consistent action throughout the day. One fish landed was around the 3lb mark.
The Macquarie River offers up some spectacular fly fishing opportunities at this time of year. Wether you have access to a small boat or kayak to drift the river or choose to wander the miles of rivers edge made available through the IFS angler access program. Set aside some time and treat yourself to a day on the Macquarie.
