body into a circle in
his attempts to shake out the hook. Being called upon to estimate his
weight, I give it as 11 lb., much to the Twins' sorrow--they think it 15
lb. Half an hour passes, and we catch but half a dozen silvery bream and
some small baby whiting, for now the sun is beating down upon our heads,
and our naked feet begin to burn and sting; so we adjourn to the old
house and rest awhile, leaving our big lines securely tied. But, though
the breeze for which we wait comes along by two o'clock, the fish do
not, and so, after disinterring our takes from the wet sand, wherein we
had buried them as they were caught, to prevent them being spoilt by
the sun, we get aboard again and pull across to the opposite bank of the
river. Here, in much deeper water, about fifteen feet right under the
clayey bank, we can see hundreds of fine bream, and now and then
some small Jew-fish. Taking off our sinkers, we have as good and more
exciting sport among the bream than we had with the whiting, catching
between four and five dozen by six o'clock. Then, after boiling the
billy and eating some fearfully tough corned meat, we get into the boat
again, hoist our sail, and land at the little township just after dark.
Such was one of many similar days' sport on the Hastings, which, with
the Bellinger, the Nambucca, the Macleay and the Clarence Rivers,
affords good fishing practically all the year round. Then, besides these
tidal rivers, there are at frequent intervals along the coast, tidal
lagoons and 'blind' creeks where fish congregate in really incredible
quantities. Such places as Lake Illawarra and Lake Macquarie are fishing
resorts well known to the tourist; but along the northern coast, where
the population is scantier and access by rail or steamer more difficult,
there is an absolutely new field open to the sportsman--in fact, these
places are seldom visited for either fishing or shooting by people
from Sydney. During November and December the bars of these rivers are
literally black with incredible numbers of coarse sea-salmon--a fish
much like the English sea bass--which, making their way over the bars,
swim up the rivers and remain there for about a week. Although these
fish, which weigh from 8 lb. to 10 lb., do not take a bait, and are
rather too coarse to eat, their roes are very good, especially when
smoked. They are captured with the greatest of ease, either by spearing
or by the hand, for sometimes they are in such dens