Imbil is a pretty little town nestled in the hills just 37 kilometers inland from Gympie in southern Queensland. Follow this link to find out more -
Imbil
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| Swimming Hole at the Caravan Park |
We stayed at the Island Reach Camping Resort in town – which is mixture of caravan park, camper trailers, and tents. If you’re looking for an organized caravan park where you are allocated your site clearly marked and set out don’t come here.
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| Our camp after 2 days of storms |
The Camping Resort works on an organised chaos approach – park where you like, set up how you like and start a fire anywhere you wish. And it works! With acres of grass, huge jacarandas, figs and other flowering trees, a beaut swimming hole on the creek at the park – it’s a great place to stay.
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| Lake Borumba early morning |
Enough of the tourist stuff – just 11 kilometers down Yabba Creek Road from town is Lake Borumba – a big lake surrounded by mist covered hills and post card waterways covered with waterlily’s and abounding with birds of all sorts. And guess what - it’s also well stocked with Bass, Silver Perch, Golden Perch, and breeding population of introduced Saratoga.
This is why we were at Imbil !!
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| Toga hunter poised for that next cast! |
Every morning just after 5:00 AM we hooked up the Tinny and drove out to the dam and Linda and I threw lures till our arms fell off. Home by 11:00 for brunch and at 3:00 PM out for a solo afternoon fish till dark.
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| Mutant Ninja Toga? |
Our plan was to fish for the “Toga” early and late and in between these times fish the deeper edges for Bass and Yellow-belly. After a couple of days of little reward for our Bass and Yellow-belly fishing and getting smashed by Toga on our surface lures we became Toga addicted.
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| Bass Britton? |
There is little in fresh water sport fishing that can beat that magical moment where your tiny “walk the dog” surface lure is smashed in a moment of froth and spray by almost a meter of angry Saratoga that then comes flying fully out of the water for 2-3 times during the fight to the landing net. Certainly gets the pulse up! This is not me fishing but this YouTube video
Toga Fishing gives you a good idea of the fun factor of Toga fishing.
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| Linda's family record Toga! |
Linda now holds the Britton Family record Toga – a 78cm beauty (caught on my rod using my lure whist I was untangling a knot in her gear!!). But no sour grapes here - she earnt every centimeter of that fish having spent at least 30 hours out on the water casting lures while sitting on an uncomfortable seat in a small tinny in fine and foul weather. I joked that her “walk the dog” lure must have rabies because it walked a wobbly walk – buy hey she caught fish.
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| 72cm of angry Toga about to be released |
I also caught my personal best Toga at a measly 72cm and lots of others just under – woo hoo!!
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| What a beast! (but nice fish) |
My Personal Trainer (AKA Tom the fishing guru) dropped in for an afternoon fishing session (he was half way through a 1600 Km round trip to see a sick mate) but alas his “dog” had rabies as well and the Toga weren’t interested in his famous Baralaba lure.
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| Caught red handed |
Linda and I both loved Imbil – the caravan park, the lush green farmlands and the scenic Lake Borumba. We will be back to walk the dog again.
