Ron, one thing that I overlooked mentioning is when I fish, in the High Country. 10 minutes before sun rise until 15 minutes after sun up and 15 minutes before sun down until 10 minutes after sunset. I certainly don't stand around fishing. Using lures/spinners, red and gold Celta #2 and yellow and green Frog Celta #3 gives me reasonably good results in the High Country. I'm not a fisherman, I'm a person who fishes for a meal.
Now Yabbying is different. I am a Yabbiest. I take 2 drop nets with put-together hollow aluminium hoops. Hoop nets are cumbersome so I've modified my nets to being a collapsable system, that can be easily packed away. I vacuum bagged meat for bait in the past, which of course is horrid when opened after a few days. Then I change to dehydrated fruit and vegetables as bait, like dehydrated pear, apples and carrots. Yabbies prefer rotting vegetation rather than meat, if you want those bigger catches. Yabbies are addicted to pear, apples and carrots. They also like dehydrated peas but only after a few hours of soaking until the peas are almost mushy. Normally I'll leave the nets in overnight and haul them several times during the time.
The bag limit for yabbies is 200 with no size limit in NSW, although the net's weave when stretched (which must be no smaller than 13mm) will let the littlies escape. Berried Yabbies (females with eggs) are off limits.
One of the reasons why I like the Travelling Stock Routes are the Yabbie filled dams close to rivers. Crayfishing in the farm dams close to rivers gives good results.
Recreational Fishing Licences apply for the different States but fishing licences aren't necessary here in the ACT (which is odd) but the rules for inland fishing in NSW apply here in the ACT. I have an ongoing licence for NSW ($75 for 3 years or $30 for one year). In the past when I've gone into Victoria I have only purchase the licence for the time I expected to spend in Victoria ... the Victorian Fishing Licence costs me last year, $12 for 4 weeks.
In NSW if you are fishing or crayfishing on private property, you must have a Recreational Fishing Licence if the waterway/dam is greater than 2 ha.
I was at a monster farm dam recently in the Northern Tinderries and pulled my nets when I saw what may have been a platypus. It could have been a native water rat, I couldn't tell. No fishing in platypus waters is the rule.
I have a rule that I try not post the same photos twice on BNA ... I don't think I've posted these particular images here before but for the Blue Claw Yabbie I'll make an exception.
A typical dam yabbie ... a Common Yabbie
Cherax destructor, as brown as the water they come out of.
A Blue Claw from a gravely clear stream.
The Murrumbidgee in the NW of the ACT at the Bass Hole.
The Murrumbidgee features a lot in my shots, the Tiger Snake country at Yaouk. I have a pair of the tightly woven bullet-proof snake-proof canvas gaiters. Never step off a bank here in the SE without looking.
Pan sized trout are the best fish like those in Caves Creek on the Frost Plains of Northern Kosciuszko.
I keep looking for the big Eastern Freshwater Spiny Crayfish. The Yadboro River, in the Budawang Wilderness (below). I've seen the Spiny Crayfish in the Blue Mountains just in the clear water streams, but it is illegal to take them from Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Park.
There is always the deep pools on the western face of the Main Range like here on the Geehi.
Stromlo Forest Park, Australia's premier MTB Park has a few Yabby spots out on Mt Stromlo's western slopes. Put the nets in, watch a race and enjoy the views of the beautiful Brindies.
A high lake in the Northern Tinderries. I saw plenty of signs that Yabbies were about, like old claws on the banks, but no joy. It was here a few weeks ago that I had my nets ripped in several places, when I left then in over night. I don't think it was native water rats because I was using lift nets. Most likely the damage was caused by an Eastern Freshwater Spiny Crayfish. They are powerful creatures.
Ettrema, in Sentry Box Canyon. Ettrema Canyon is not easy to access, but well worth the effort. Dump the bike in the bush and mark it with your GPS so you can find the bike again. Ettrema has the cleanest water in SE Australia, the deepest pools with perfect visibility, so take your goggles. Smooth Crayfish the bright red ones and eels ...
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=1 ... =7644&v=BH
The Deua. I've posted this shot before, but it is possibly my favourite image of all time because I was fishing at night and I caught a Southern Longfin Eel using my Petzal head torch to attract it. I wrapped it in foil, cooked it in the coals a few minutes later. I stayed awake all night keeping this large Goanna away from the eel in foil and I had the eel cold for breakfast the next morning ... the finest meal that I have ever eaten. Not just when off-road touring but the finest meal ever.
At the confluence of the Murrumbidgee river and Mountain Creek ... Silver Perch and trout.
Tickle me, tickle me !! ... sure.
Warren.
"But on steep descending...Larson TT have bad effect on the mind of a rider" - MadRider from Suji, Korea 2001.
"Paved roads ... another fine example of wasteful government spending." - a bumper sticker.
. Real fisherpersons fly fish for trout 
