Water quality]]> Bushfires]]> Fish kills]]> Clearcutting]]> Fishes--Breeding]]> Pesticides]]> Fishing--Australia]]> Restoration ecology]]> Stream restoration]]> Lure fishing]]> Environmental conservation]]>
Adam and Ron talk about the conditions that fish find favourable to breed in. They recall the effect of the Black Saturday Fires (2009), the 'chocolate river' event, and the Yarrabulla mudslide (2006/2007). They also make reference to the 1939 black water event. They speak of the decline of the tobacco industry and the anecdotal belief that fish have rebounded as a consequence. Ron remembers his time serving on the Ovens River Management Board, renamed Northeast Waterways and later the Northeast Catchment Management Authority. He talks about environmental politics and his experience advocating for the restoration of fish habitat and biodiversity. Adam talks about his involvement with the Northeast Catchment Management Authority and their efforts to replant native species and reintroduce snags.

They both talk about fishing lures, setlines, springers and keeper nets. They mention snakes, competitive fishing, snorkeling, and discuss what they like about fishing.

Mention of sugar gliders, platypus, phascogale, eastern water rats, bandicoots, tiger snakes, red belly black snakes, brown snakes, black snakes.

Mention of Arthur Rylah institute, Ovens River Improvement Trust, Ovens River Management Board, Northeast Waterways, Northeast Catchment Management Authority, Mulwala Classic Invitational, Cod Opening Classic, Myrtleford Fishing Club]]> CC-BY]]> Fishing--Australia]]> Bait fishing]]> Fishing nets]]> Stream flow]]> Water levels]]> Water quality]]> River engineering]]> Stream restoration]]> Riparian restoration]]> Fishes--Speciation]]> Depressions--1929--Australia]]>
Gary grew up in Gunbower and has spent most of his life on the Murray. He talks about how to lure and bait different types of fish and describes the river conditions that make for good fishing and eating. He also shares his experience with aeroplane spinners, floppies (lures), drum nets, gill nets, cross lines and springers. He recalls selling bait to tourists with his brother and talks about his father selling fish during The Great Depression.

Gary discusses man-made and environmental changes in water quality, river flows and and river height and talks about their effect on fish and crayfish behaviour. He says that the Willow has an outsized effect on the shape and path of the river and talks about his efforts to replace them with native plants. He goes on to talk about the hybridisation of Murray Cod and non-native cod.

Mentions 'greasies', galaxiids, bardi grubs, deer, cypress, phragmites

Mentions of Myrtleford Sewerage Farm, timber industry, pulp mill, sulphites, phenols (chlorophenol wood preservative), algae, Catchment Management Authority (CMA), Murray River Trust]]> CC-BY]]> Fish surveys]]> Blackwater]]> Rivers]]> Freshwater ecology]]> Environmental conservation]]> Fishing--Australia]]> Fishing regulations]]> Riparian restoration]]>
Born in 1964, Greg Grew up in Croydon, Melbourne, before working as a fisheries officer in northern Victoria. He shares his experience in freshwater fish research and surveying, and explains the influence of fires, farming, pests, weeds and floods on the river ecosystem. He mentions a big Yabby catch in 1994 and a particularly destructive black water event at Broken Creek.

He discusses changes in fishing culture, noting an increasing awareness and concern for the continuity of species and environmental sustainability. Greg says that these attitude shifts express themselves in different ways, from the sponsorship of vegetation regrowth programs, the introduction of catch limits and size restrictions, and to the practice of catch and release,

He also talks about fishing further afield in California, Mexico, Canada, England, Kenya, and Juneau, Alaska, where he ate fermented raw fish with indigenous people.

Mention of Yarra Valley Fly Fishing Club, Deepdene Fishing Club, Monash University, Healsville Sanctuary, Fisheries and Wildlife, Californian Conservation Core, Freshwater Fishing Australia magazine, Murray Cod Classic

Mention of Garfish, 'Rainbow Fish', and bardigrubs, Willows]]> CC-BY]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> Fishing--Australia]]> Fish stocking]]> Fish populations]]> River engineering]]> Fishing regulations]]>
Keith shares the things he enjoys about fishing and tells stories about life on the River. He talks about his fishing holidays, how he 'reads' the water, variance in the water's quality and his efforts to restock the King River with Crayfish. He reflects on the variance of fish populations over time, and notes how the perception of introduced species has changed. He discusses the future of the River and the Basin's wider management. This includes reference to the draining of Lake Mokoan. He also touches on changes to fishing regulations and the evolution of illegal fishing surveillance.

Mention of: River Trust, Fisheries and Wildlife, Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE), Beech Grove Trout Farm.]]> CC-BY]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> ]]> Droughts]]> Floods]]> Tobacco industry]]> Irrigation]]> Fishing--Australia]]> Fishing industry]]> Bait fishing]]> Fish kills]]> Pesticides]]> Stream flow]]> Tournament fishing]]> Fishing rods]]>
Lyall grew up in Merbien, and learnt to fish with his father. His uncle was a professional fisherman who built boats and sent his catch from Bourke to Sydney. He talks about irrigation; market gardens; how he uses different fishing techniques according to location and desired catch ('heavy gear' up at Merbein, hand lines or 'light gear' in the Ovens); catching trout cod; and fishing to eat.

Ollie grew up on the Ovens and learnt to fish with his father. He talks about the poor state of the river; and 'spinning'.

They discuss bait (yabbies, worms, bush crickets, grasshoppers); fires; 'cloud bursts' and de-oxygenated water; fish deaths; restocking; tobacco farming and the overuse of pesticides;
fish poisoning; erosion; the 1944 drought; 1956 and 1976 flood, logging; and talk about Valley Creek and Ovens River running dry; catch and release; changing motivations and philosophy (catching to feed and catching for sport); competitive fishing; transporting fish with a sugar bag; and fishing outside the local area.

Lyell also discusses making and fixing fishing rods.

Mention of Yarrawonga weir, Hume Weir

Mention of the "swimming pool", Marshall's Ridge (Lake Buffalo), "Horrie's Monshing", Healsville Sanctuary (Melbourne, Victoria) Maloney's Bridge on Buffalo Creek; Murray River Trust; Myrtleford Angling Club; Anderson’s Sawmills in Mildura; Red gum; Willow; Pelicans, Yabby, Tuna, Saltwater Perch
]]> CC-BY]]> Fish populations]]> River engineering]]> Floods]]> Water resources]]> Environmental conservation]]> Water allocations]]> Fisheries--Equipment and supplies]]>
Born in 1937, Tom grew up sustained by the Ovens River. He talks about fishing crowds at Post Office Lane, a popular spot to catch Redfin after the spring floods. He goes on to describe diverse fishing techniques, from trawling and spinning to tethering and springing, as well as the waxing and waning of different fish populations. He recalls the introduction of outboard motors, and discusses river management, floods, pest and weed control, water allocations and forest stewardship.

Mention of Yurrawonga Wier, Hume Wier, Dartmouth Wier

Mention of 'greasies', Murray Cray, yabbies, bardie grubs, wild ducks, rabbits, Tiger snakes, water rats, platypus Ornithorhynchus, fox, cats, kangaroos, wallabies, blackberries, english broom,

Mention of Victorian Environmental Assessment Council, Murray Darling Basin Authority, Friends of Wonnangatta]]> CC-BY]]> Aboriginal languages]]> Aboriginal peoples]]> Aboriginal Australians]]> Indigenous Languages | Paakantyi (State Library of NSW)]]> Paakantyi / Paakantji / Barkindji language (D12) (NSW SI54-03)]]> The Paroo River catchment is in the north‐western corner of the Murray‐Darling Basin. The river flows across the Queensland border into New South Wales, where it spreads out over floodplains. Beccause of this dispersal and the hotter, dryer climate, it now rarely flows into the Darling River and is known as an ephemeral river. It is the last unregulated river of the northern Murray Darling basin and sustains important wetlands and sub-artesian waters.

The region has been inhabited by Aboriginal peoples for around 20 000 years; the Maranganji, Kalali, Badjiri, Kunggari and the Parundji people, from whose name the river's name is derived.

(Source: Sarac, Z., Sewell, H., Baker, E . and Ringwood, G. 2011. "Paroo: Talking fish, making connections with the rivers of the Murray‐Darling Basin." Murray‐Darling Basin Authority, Canberra.")

]]> Map image attribution: Murray-Darling Basin Authority, Talking Fish Project see details...]]> View or download from publisher...]]> http://geonode.research.uts.edu.au/layers/geonode%3Afrawley2012page198]]> Floods]]> Local history]]> Family life]]> Livestock]]>
Images were sourced by the Talking Fish project team from Colin and Beryl Leigo on the day of their oral history interview.]]> Local history]]> Family histories]]> Floods]]>
Images were sourced by the Talking Fish project team from Gordon Warner on the day of his oral history interview.]]>