Some say i am a ,lucky fisherman, but its got more to do with my pig headness.

Burrendong has recently risen from 1.5% to just below 7%, still low but at 7% its holds 110000 mls of water. Quite often when the dam rises the carp and yellas will move in right on the bank , and you can spot the carp with there backs out of the water.
Most of the fresh had came down the cudgegong, so i was hoping the main basin would be reasonably clear, what we found on arriving was the main basin was putrid, but there was some clearish water in the backs of a couple of large bays.
We beached the boat and covered quite a few ks of shoreline for zilch, a few jumping out a far way out. I am used to fishing in the jungle, as the weeds being inundated where up to 3 feet high, not easy.
We moved to another large bay, Michael opted to fish a couple of bait rods out the back of the boat, he had given up. Not overly optimistic i started walking again, and after a couple of ks, spotted a big pair of orange lips in a bay, and then spotted another one digging. Having phone coverage I rang Michael and told him i had found a couple , and to bring the boat up and beach it on a point
Up here the water while not clear had about 40cm of visability, and the air temp was now warm enough for me to remove my pull over. We now started to encounter quite a few carp as the day warmed, but neither of us could tempt one with our array of flies.
On top of this they where doing weird stuff , like a doz would be in a loose semi circle all lips sucking on the surface and a bit of trashing I put it down to a late season breeding event due to rising water
Then it hit me, these carp where not spawning but herding and corralling midges.
Now I have spent quite a bit of time on midging trout in Oberon and Euc, but if i put a dry out over them they still ignored it. I then tied on a grizzly hackle Woolly Worm tried floating it over the top still no response, Michael had given up and walked back to the boat to play with his phone and bait fish.
I then over shoot a cast by about 60cm, when i pulled it over the school it semi submerged, and i got smashed. I then discovered this was the deadly technique and landed 9 in the space of 65minutes up to about 9lb. I never moved more then 30 feet in this time.
Now I think there is a couple of important life lessons here ( which my young bloke of 24 was not to happy to hear about) dont give up, I must have walked 6 ks before starting to find fish and i am 68 with a few issues.
Then working out what fly they wanted and how they wanted it. The fly I was using looks similar to a midge ball, not that midge balls go under water, but it was what they wanted on the day.
So one of the worse days I have had, turned into one of the best, fishing to surface feeding fish 20 to 50 feet away.
Now thinking about it Sunday was a very cold morning, and the carp slept in till lunch time.
Tight lines guys

 

Yes Jeff my thoughts exactly, there is a lot of satisfaction in figuring out what is going on. Experience , and being a good observer plays a part as well.
Pete

 

Good luck Blair, its been a while since I fished Euc.
Pete

 

My self and my old mate Bob went back up today, far old trip for one day 135ks ea way, left the boat home as i thought i could drive to most of the spots. It took a bit of toing and frowing, but we pulled up on the bank of my selected bay. It could have been Euc in its hey day, fish rising all over the whole top of the bay.
I had on long gum boots but really should have brought chest waders as most pods where just out of reach. Bob also found some feeding on seed pods from weeds that had been inundated.
Covered a few but my red hot technique from the other day did not work, typical lol.
The other problem lots had there head under bushs, making it very hard to present a fly to them, switched back to my glass bead woolly worm and found one very close to the bank with its head in a clear spot, i simply lowered the fly in front and it turned and took, strong fish, but was over 10lb. Bob had also got on the board with a skinny 76cm carp that still went 10lb.
Highlight of the day was greasing up a woolly worm and floating it near a pod. I heard the slurp and seen the head, and i came up tight.
Final score was Bob two, myself three, still a good day, but hard fishing./
Tight lines guys
Pete