Luderick have traditionally always been fished for with weed suspended under a float; however, as Shannon Kitchener explains, there are alternate methods available.
Back in the Great Depression when food and money was very hard to come by there was one fish species that a lot of men depended on to catch and feed their families. I am of course talking about the luderick, also known as black bream or blackfish (in Australia), or parore (in New Zealand).
Over the years the techniques for catching luderick have always involved the use of bait and not much has changed with this style of fishing which has being passed down from father to son over many generations. This probably explains why they’ve never really been a popular species to target by avid sport anglers.
They range from Noosa in southern Queensland all the way down the East Coast of Australia to New Zealand, where they live around the rocky ledges, estuary systems and lakes. They can be found in large schools around these areas, especially in the lakes systems in the cooler months.
This synthetic fly easily fooled this luderick
STEPPING OUT OF THE SQUARE
I have been catching luderick for a long time. In fact, it was the first proper style of fishing I was shown by my grandfather on the rocks and lakes systems on the northern beaches of Sydney. A while ago I put down my traditional luderick rig and the natural weed under floats and switched to using wood and synthetic fibre weed flies on the fly rod. At first I received lots of strange looks by the local luderick fishermen that adorn the rock ledges and break walls along the coast, until I started catching more fish on the weed flies then those using suspended weed. It did not take long before the questions started coming by the bait fishers and the weed flies started to be dual rigged along with the natural weed and the non-believers were converted with great results coming from the flies.
With fly fishing being my preferred method of fishing I was catching double and sometimes three times more fish than those using traditional methods. Being aware that not everyone is able to fly fish, I started to think of other methods I that could be implemented. Jig flicking flies with a spin rod was the answer I was looking for. It’s a style most attributed to trout fishing and one that not a lot of anglers outside trout fishing circles are aware of.
Sam happy with his first luderick on the spin tackle
Larger fish like this will test your tackle
GIVE IT A FLICK
The first time I fished for luderick with a spin rod was a great learning experience as I was not able to feel the bites as easily as I could with fly line. I had to slowly wind the reel to make sure I had direct contact to the fly and that in fact, it still floated naturally in the water column. I also learnt that I had to find the correct depth that the fish were feeding in. The benefit of the spin rod was being able to cast the fly out with minimal weight and not experiencing as much drag in the water column with braid as you do with fly line.
The first time Sam Tabacaru joined me was great as we were able to bounce ideas off one another and it was not long before we started getting double hook-ups. Sam was quite surprised with how hard they pulled and even got smoked a couple of times. The next day Sam wanted to get pay back and we went down again, which was a great call as the larger luderick had moved in with a least a bite a cast for about an hour. Needless to say we had experienced one of our best sessions ever with many 40 cm-plus fish coming to the net.
Discovering luderick holding places can start from watching where the local bait fishers are sitting as their position will indicate whether or not the fish are around and where they are holding in the system. The other thing I could not do without is a good pair of polaroid sunglasses. Spotting the fish before you cast to them will help you determine the depth they are sitting in and also the direction they are facing. They like to hang in back eddies where current lines exist so look bellow scum lines.
Weed beds are another great spot as are sandy bottoms where the water has made indentations. It may take you a little while to be able to see fish but by looking for movement in the form of fish or a colour mass against the bottom you will soon see the difference. Luderick also have a habit of turning on their sides and revealing silver flashes that give their location away to the observant eye. One of the ways I have been able to get to know the behavioural patterns of luderick is by snorkelling. This has helped me to get an idea on places where they hold and how they feed. They feed similarly to trout by waiting out of the flow in the back eddies or wash outs. When the weed floats past they rise or turn and engulf it before moving back out of the current.
The tide also plays an important role and I find that the more water movement, the better the bite. For this reason, the lead up to the full moon is my preferred time to chase luderick. My theory is that the fly moves at a quicker pace in fast moving water, giving them less time to inspect it before deciding to eat it.
THE SPIN
The idea of this style of fishing is to cast a fly with a spin rod in front of the fish, allowing the fly to sink down to where the fish are and to drift it along to get the bite. I find that any bream, whiting or bass spin outfit is fine. The tackle that I use is made up of a 1 to 3 kg, 7’6” spin rod matched to a 1000 to 2500 size spin reel topped with 6 lb Sunline braid. Attached to the end is 1 to 1.5 m of leader, of which can range from 4 to 12 lb, depending on how fussy the fish, the terrain and the clarity of water.
The rig is quite basic with the fly tied onto the end of the leader and removable split shots placed about 50 to 80 cm up the leader. Using split shots are best used as they allow you to adjust the sink rate depending on the depth and tidal flow. Achieving the correct balance will take time and lots of trial and error but start off lighter and go heavier if you aren’t receiving any bites.
When it comes to flies I tie my own with wool and synthetic fibres layered on Gamakatsu pan fish or shrimp hooks in size 10 and 12s. Brett Clarke from BWC Flies has also been a driving force behind the new materials being used in the weed flies matching the different weeds the luderick feed on along the coast and I always have a few flies to test out before he puts them up for sale.
One thing that I have observed while snorkelling is that luderick can suck in and spit out a bit of weed in a split second. That is why the more rounded hooks I have been using (similar to a circle hook) seem to stay connected better.
HIGH ROLLING
When it comes time to cast, I like to cast well ahead of the fish, to allow for the fly to get down into the strikezone. Casting 5 to 10 m in front of the fish is about right but you may need to experiment depending on the current and where the fish are sitting.
The retrieve is simple. I suggest keeping the rod high at an angle of about 45 to 60 degrees to the water. This height ensures you have more control over the fly and time to set the hook. To make the fly look as natural as possible, slowly wind the handle and maintain contact with the presentation. This is also known as slow rolling in lure circles.
When it comes to the bite it can be as gentle as a little peck to a full on hit and run. When you feel the bite, pull the rod just enough to load it up as they don’t have a hard mouth. One of the hardest things to do is not pull the fly out of the strikezone if the rod does not load up. You will often get another bite so try to just maintain the drift.
Anyone who has caught luderick will know they are a fish that do not like to give up and fight to the very end. They utilise their big paddle tails to full effect and have the power to pull your rig between the many cracks and ledges of the rocky out crops they live and feed around. This is where the long rods come in handy as they can help when levering them away and outwards from their oyster and barnacle covered freedom. The fights will often go from a couple of minutes with the bigger luderick needing to be followed down the river – often taking 10 or so minutes to subdue.
GIVE IT A SPIN
For any number of reasons, luderick have never really been a sportfishing target; however, I believe that once people know the great challenge and fighting qualities of this fish, this species will be placed alongside, rather than below, other estuary targets like bream, flathead and whiting.
By targeting them with the method described above, you’ll open up a whole new dimension to chasing luderick and increase your catch rate while doing so. Go on, give it a spin.
S Hannor Kitchere’s earliest memories were fishing. Fishing LBG from the stones in Jervis Bay, to guiding in Cape York or fly fishing through Europe, I am always looking for the next adventure and the next fish. My aim is to challenge myself, chasing hard to catch fish, big and small. I have been Flyfishing since 1987 and catching Milkfish on fly is my favourite. My motto is listen, learn, teach
