We have just returned from a very relaxing 10 day family holiday staying at Rest Point Walpole. After a hot trip down there (43 degrees in Donnybrook when we thought about stopping to let the tin lids have a play on the great playground there) we unpacked and set up the tent before preparing the boat in anticipation of a nice weather the next day. Woke to a light south easterly wind, not ideal but as it was the first day we decided to head out through the mouth for a look. Once out it wasn’t too bad so headed out towards Goose Island and drifted a couple of lumps we picked up on the sounder without luck. We ended up doing quite a few miles plotting a few more likely spots but not picking up anything of note apart from a 6kg queen snapper and a blackass which were consumed that night.

It then rained and blew for the next 24 hrs, time to spend with the kids. We decided to go chasing a feed of marron, drove to our spot and hiked into the river through the bush. It was a spot I have been going to for many years, and upon arriving you could see there had been fishers there recently.   It was hard work but we managed a bag of ten marron between the two of us, not monsters but some nice size ones. Fresh warm marron with a little vinegar and pepper, oh so nice.

 We woke the next day at 7am to very light winds so it was decided to head outside for another fish. Out of the mouth we were greeted with 1 1/2m swell and no seas. We headed towards Rams head, stopping about 2/3 the way on a lump I had plotted last Easter but not fished. As I was setting the drift I lost my sounder gps combo, while trying to sort this out Dan landed a fox fish. It turned out to be a power problem, easily sorted. Started another drift and Dan was on again, this time a nice Nanigi, then next drop a 7kg duie, I still hadn’t had a touch. After this drift I decided to leave the spot, after all I will be back down there at easter time. Found another lump a few hundred meters away and picked up more fox fish, breaksea and a couple of queenies, all this before 830. Things then went very quiet, fished and explored for new ground for the next 5 hrs with only a double header of large leatheries, just size pinky and another nanigi to show for our time.  It was a great day out on the water and a few feed for the two families made the wives happy.

Saturday was a day for the girls to go to denmark for day out, so what do two blokes and for girls (2 4yrs old and 2 2yrs) do, go out fishing in the inlet of course. Did a spot of spinning for herring, lots of strikes but when you have 4yr old in control you loose way more than you land, stopping for a chat and a look over the side doesn’t help. Anyway they all had great fun and managed to land a herring each without any assistance at all. The delight in their eyes when they got the small herring into the boat was worth a million dollars. The herring were cooked up for pre dinner nibbles for the kids.

The next few days were spent doing family things (too windy for outside fishing) like treetop walks, boat trips up the Frankland River and the likes. We stayed on in Walpole for an extra couple of days after Dan and family left with the hope of the wind dropping again, no luck there. I decided to go marroning again but this time with the wife and kids, no bush bashing this time. Drove into a spot that I used to go to many years ago, there was a full on camp set up there, tent, lights, cooker the works. There was however no one around and no vehicle about. I started off wandering down the river a way to set my nets but then thought hell I here to marron with the family so carried my nets back to the river crossing and set them all around here, the furtherest net 30 meters from the car. The kids could come with me to all but two of the nets and when you are talking a 4 and 2 year old you know what I mean when I say it was easy going. So in the 2 hours before we had to head back to the caravan park for lunch and an afternoon nap I had 9 marron in the bag. 

  Woke the next day to be greeted by light wind and blue skies but alas it was pack up day and time to head home. A great break from the mundane life of work, the kids had a ball spotting kangaroos and rabbits around the camp along with the resident stingrays which they saw every day and generally running amuck. Now I am just dreading Monday when it’s back to the grindstone of work and I start counting down to Easter when we are back down there again.