WE cut a channel up on our top block at the start of the floods.
My neighbour cut it to let floodwater into his property. Not many people would do that.
If we didn’t, it would have taken out the Hay road and put a heap more water into Moulamein.
My neighbour, Jeff, cut his channel then came up and cut ours to get rid of the water. He wanted to cut our gap wider, but I said, “that will do, it will make its own width”.
Unfortunately, it didn’t get much wider but it carved a hole under what will be a channel again that you could fit a house into.
As you can see in the photo of my grandkids, that is a big hole.
The power of water is amazing when it flows for months. The Hay road did go under but not as bad as it would have if we didn’t cut this bank.
The thousands of megalitres that went through this hole got lost filling up dry lakes and paddocks for about a month.
So, by the time it got back to the Edward River, the floods had started to ease.
As it turned out, Jeff did not lose much crop by cutting the bank into his place, but we did not know this at the time.
Catch of the day
THE Moulamein Football Netball Club’s fishing classic was held last weekend.
Numbers were down a bit from the record crowd last year, but I think there were about 220 anglers there, trying to get the big one.
I bet Craige thought he had it won when he landed a 63cm cod 10 minutes into our competition.
Unfortunately for Craige, Troy got a 74cm cod on Saturday afternoon to take out the big prize.
The biggest yellowbelly was 42cm, caught by Ray, and the biggest carp, caught by one of our junior anglers, was 75cm.
There were about nine legal cod landed, five yellers, three silver bream and an eel. I think the eel might have been an oriental weatherloach (I did not get to see it).
There were hundreds of carp landed and plenty of our anglers got a good feed of yabbies.
Some that I were talking to were using yabbies for bait and catching yabbies on them.
Our club did a great job catering for the event and everyone was very well fed.
Our club thanks all the sponsors, all the workers and all those that came to this great event.
Let’s hope the river is a bit kinder to us next year and the cod are back in their numbers.
If we can get those in charge to let us put catfish back into our rivers, they may be in our list in a couple of years.
River levels
THE Edward River is rising very slowly at 1.27 metres and just over 950 megalitres a day.
This rise hit Saturday, just in time for our fishing competition.
The river has only come up 7cm, but that is better than dropping.
Battery drive
EVERY time I mention fish going back into our rivers, I have to give our Moulamein Men’s Shed a mention as they have put tens of thousands of fish back into our rivers by collecting redundant batteries and selling them to buy fingerlings.
If you put them in a pile, the Men’s Shed will pick them up or just drop them at the gate in town and they will deal with them.
Yabbies running
IF you are looking for a feed of yabbies, give our local rivers a go as they are full of very hungry yabbies.
Just remember opera house nets are now illegal and you are only allowed 200 yabbies in your possession.
All I can tell you is eat them quick and get your nets back in as these yabby events do not last very long.
Back in 2016, they disappeared as quick as they came on.
A couple of fellows got caught over near Deniliquin with too many yabbies and opera house nets.
It cost them over $3000 each in fines. I do not know what that is per kilogram, but it is a bloody expensive feed.
A night with Robert Herrman
THE Western Murray Land Improvement Group and Central Murray Best Wool Best Lamb groups will be holding this talk on Monday from 7pm until 9pm at Moulamein Bowling Club.
Robert will address the impacts of the Ukraine war, economic uncertainty, trade barriers and many other subjects.
He will also give a rundown of the work he does in Uganda in a village called Kasenda.
Finger food will be provided.
Please book by Friday by calling Rick on 0428 372 357 or the WMLIG office on 5453 1577.
Boats cut off
A VERY big tree has fallen into the Edward River just downstream of Moulamein.
This has completely blocked the river to boats.
There is another big one right next to it with a very big lean on it.
If this one comes down, there will be no hope of getting them out of the river.
Free sand
I HAVE started to deliver free sand around town when I can find the time.
This could be your last chance to get some as I have had an offer to get rid of the lot if no one else wants the bags.
If you just want to go up and grab a few sandbags, please take the ones that are on the split pallets. This will save us picking them up.
Take as many as you need then come and get some more.
If the time suits, I can load trailers or even trucks to get rid of them.
