A Day Fishing with a Legend.

[El Presidente]

RA "Do you want the good news or bad news Ken"

KG "Bad News.....I wouldn't believe good news currently"

RA "Well the Tuna Fishing fishing is off due to bad weather"

KG "Fantastic.....Whats the good news?"

RA "We are off Fly fishing for Saratoga at Borumba Dam!"

KG "Where is Bumba and why should I be excited?"

And so it started.

Up at 4:30 am and off to meet our guide gavin Platz at lake Boruma located 13 km from the small town of Imbil. Picture glorious green countyside in the middle of nowhere. With the winds blowing, the barometric pressure dropping ans squalls coming in....if we were going to fish we needed to find somewhere protected. Borumba ticked all of the boxes as it is a gorgeous dam with plenty of thick timber and it contained a population of the highly prized and ancient fighting fish....the Saratoga.

Here is a picture of a Saratoga. I had to borrow the picture....as we didn't catch any

The Saratoga are one of the most ancient fish still alive on the planet. They are a predominantly surface eating fish which take fly readily and aggressively (so we are told ). I knew we were pushing our chances from the onset as these are warm water fish and the prime season is balmy days October through end March. Today was cool, overcast with showers. Still, a day on the water is better than none at all and fishing with ken Gargett is always an experience to behold.

Ken is always an enthusiatic fisherman. He was up for the day and ready to get get into the fish!!!!!!!

Our guide Gavin Platz. Gavin is a good mate and a hell of a Fly Fisherman and Guide. He worked damn hard today......as you will see

Borumba is a beautiful piece of water. Plenty of structure, small bays and scenic highlights.

We saw our first and only Saratoga inside the first hour of the morning as the sun rose above the surrounding hills. Ken was casting a floating line with poppers and I was on an intermediate line with a diving minnow. We were just rying to assess at what water level the fish were feeding (they weren't) when our drifting boat startled a rising Saratoga a metre away. It was close to a 90 centimetres long and gloriously Golden in colour. We were pumped and had no way of knowing this was the only fish we would see for the next 9 hours. We must ave cast 500 times each into structure, into banks, along flooded grassland...nothing....nada...zilch.

By 10am we got that feeling that it was going to be one of those days. We cast and cast and cast.....altering retrieves, lines, flies, rods, locations. The sounder showed fish everywhere but in a static pattern in effect doing nothing.

We broke out the first cigars. ken a RASS and I a Siglo 1.

ken certainly looks the part.

As the day went on I simply basked in the knowledge that I am fishing with a legend.......Ken. There are times in life that you are amazed how one man can put his fly on structure so perfectly and consistently.

Ken on his first tree

Ken Tangled

Gavin working hard.....on another tangle

Ken on another tree.

....and another

....and another

....For variety...he hooked a shrimp pot.

In the end Ken was exhausted.......

We really had a great day of one liners and constant accusations of near facial hookups

I don't think any three of us have ever worked so hard fishing with no return but Borumba and the Saratoga will see us again once the balmy summer days and nights return. We may have been bested on this day but not defeated.

Any day on the water is better than a day in the office

[Habanos2000]

how the hell did he do that??? It looks like the only tree around for yards!

....and another

[hoyopr]

Sounds and looks like a great day of fishing, and yes you don't have to get into fish to have a great time. I'm sure we'll see some great shots when you get back during better conditions.

And yes how the hell did he do that???

[Colt45]

[demiurgic]

ROFL!

[El Presidente]

Clearly our secrect weapon was missing, I will never abuse your fishing skill again Smithy.

[rckymtn22]

Clearly our secret weapon was missing, I will never abuse your fishing skill again Smithy.

Dynamite is the weapon!

[sounddust]

No bodily wounds then? Lucky you.

[shrink]

Sounds like you blokes had a great day fishing!

Next time you'll have to go catching!

[FlyFishingDude]

That was funny...... Ken was wearing his "Spiderman" jammies under his clothes wasn't he?

[Ken Gargett]

unbelievable!!!!!

i guess who gets in first gets to write the first pack of lies.

yes, i did hit a few trees but i had better things to do than photograph rob and his tangles - i would not have had time to cast a line all day.

did he mention that the only one of us to hit another was, drum roll, his fly into me?

did he mention that the only one of us to hook himself was, drum roll, rob?

and as for photos, at least he took some of where he continually got tangled - the shore. not easy. and yes, when you are sneaking along the bank with stealth, not easy to remain undetected with mr magoo trying to yank his fly out of a lantana bush.

but both of us were horrified with the number of times gav hooked trees in his short stint.

one of the most enjoyable days in a long time. imagine if we'd caught fish!

[El Presidente]

As the great Plato once said....."to the man who records history go the spoils....nah nah.....nah na na"

[Habanos2000]

You guys are my idols...and my wife just doesn't understand why!

[b0rderman]

This thread had me laughing out loud in a very quiet office...I think I'm busted!

What a great story to what looked like a fun but frustrating day of fishing...we all have them.

Thanks for the hilarious original post and follow up from your friend Ken.

Stefan

[smk819]

Fly fishing is not about catching fish. One of my best days ever was on the Snake River in Wyoming just below the Jackson Lake Dam. There was a beautiful blue sky, the aspens were golden and the Grand Teton Mountains were in the background. There was so much wind that you couldn't place a fly anywhere near where you wanted. The scenery and setting alone made it a great day. No trout for dinner that day, but no one really cared.

[Ken Gargett]

You guys are my idols...and my wife just doesn't understand why!

nor do i???

[BonVivant]

:2thumbs:

[PointSource]

great pics!!!!!!!!!

[FlyFishingDude]

Fly fishing is not about catching fish. One of my best days ever was on the Snake River in Wyoming just below the Jackson Lake Dam. There was a beautiful blue sky, the aspens were golden and the Grand Teton Mountains were in the background. There was so much wind that you couldn't place a fly anywhere near where you wanted. The scenery and setting alone made it a great day. No trout for dinner that day, but no one really cared.

The only ones that say that are people who can't catch fish, no matter what the weather conditions........ Just yanking your chain!

Mike