Exploring the Jagungal Wilderness using a magic wand

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Re: Exploring the Jagungal Wilderness using a magic wand

Postby MeanderingFlyFisher » Mon 26 Mar, 2018 7:58 pm

The creek got very bouldery
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Re: Exploring the Jagungal Wilderness using a magic wand

Postby MeanderingFlyFisher » Mon 26 Mar, 2018 8:00 pm

The boys at the coffee shop on the way out.Even Rob enjoyed it
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Re: Exploring the Jagungal Wilderness using a magic wand

Postby warnesy » Thu 29 Mar, 2018 8:36 pm

Great photos Mr MFF. It was a pleasure again to accompany you into the Jagungal wilderness, this time coming at it from a slightly different angle.

So many places to walk and fish, so little time.
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Re: Exploring the Jagungal Wilderness using a magic wand

Postby rcaffin » Mon 02 Apr, 2018 7:41 pm

I admit to being very curious about the very bouldery bit of the creek above. Which creek, and roughly where? Please!

Cheers
Roger
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Re: Exploring the Jagungal Wilderness using a magic wand

Postby Neo » Mon 02 Apr, 2018 7:51 pm

Great story, great trip!
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Re: Exploring the Jagungal Wilderness using a magic wand

Postby MeanderingFlyFisher » Tue 03 Apr, 2018 6:09 pm

rcaffin wrote:I admit to being very curious about the very bouldery bit of the creek above. Which creek, and roughly where? Please!

Cheers
Roger


It is on Dead Horse Creek about 500mt upstream of the junction with Burrungubugge River somewhere around 631700/599250.We didn’t go much further upstream as we discovered that was the upstream barrier for trout.
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Re: Exploring the Jagungal Wilderness using a magic wand

Postby rcaffin » Tue 03 Apr, 2018 6:27 pm

Ah, right. We were probably cutting across the corner at that stage to go over the saddle to Bulls Peak Ck.
But I suspect that there is a far more effective barrier at the waterfall around 325889 (old series). Having climbed up beside it, I doubt that any trout would get up it. I struggled ...

Cheers
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Re: Exploring the Jagungal Wilderness using a magic wand

Postby andrewa » Tue 03 Apr, 2018 7:38 pm

I'm amazed that you even had your fly rod in that sort of water! Well done...!

A
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Re: Exploring the Jagungal Wilderness using a magic wand

Postby MeanderingFlyFisher » Tue 03 Apr, 2018 7:52 pm

Another pic
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Re: Exploring the Jagungal Wilderness using a magic wand

Postby MeanderingFlyFisher » Tue 03 Apr, 2018 7:54 pm

Note the darkness of the trout due to it living under boulders
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Re: Exploring the Jagungal Wilderness using a magic wand

Postby MeanderingFlyFisher » Tue 03 Apr, 2018 7:57 pm

andrewa wrote:I'm amazed that you even had your fly rod in that sort of water! Well done...!

A


You'd be surprised at some of the waters we fish although it was not quite as tight as the photos suggest.We even fished 2 abreast picking pockets along the way.
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Re: Exploring the Jagungal Wilderness using a magic wand

Postby andrewa » Tue 03 Apr, 2018 9:11 pm

Yes, I would be amazed!

It's very much pocket water and twig water - I recall a day on one of the tributaries of the Caledonia R on the Howitt Plains many years ago, where we caught 20-30 little fish on dries.

Much fun, even though they were tiny. I haven't done any fishing like that for years - prob need to revisit it now that I have a short 3wt.

Thanks for stimulating my mindset.

A
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Re: Exploring the Jagungal Wilderness using a magic wand

Postby MeanderingFlyFisher » Wed 04 Apr, 2018 7:34 pm

Funny Andrew but I always thought of you as a twig fisher because that is the first thing that comes to my mind when I think of hike fishing.I suppose there is the Lake fishing in Tassie and backcountry rivers in NZ.
Be careful as you never know where your stimulated mindset will take you but I hope you enjoy the journey at least half as much as I do and you'll have a ball.
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Re: Exploring the Jagungal Wilderness using a magic wand

Postby andrewa » Thu 05 Apr, 2018 10:31 am

I've only recently acquired a couple of 2/3 wts, so twig fishing is new to me - most of the backcountry rivers I fish in NZ are moderate sized rivers, and we do a fair bit of fishing with twin tungstan nymphs, which I doubt I could lob with a twig, so I haven't tried them over there. I do look forward to fishing them a bit more on the smaller Victorian streams though.

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Re: Exploring the Jagungal Wilderness using a magic wand

Postby awildland » Tue 10 Apr, 2018 8:03 pm

Great read and pics.

Can you guys cater our next walk?
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Re: Exploring the Jagungal Wilderness using a magic wand

Postby rob1970 » Wed 11 Apr, 2018 1:43 pm

Just found this post...

After the stupid bush bash in... it did turn out to be an amazing hike... Thanks for the invite MMF and Warnsey... I had an absolute ball.

The food and beverages were pretty special too... :lol:
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Re: Exploring the Jagungal Wilderness using a magic wand

Postby warnesy » Wed 11 Apr, 2018 1:52 pm

awildland wrote:Great read and pics.

Can you guys cater our next walk?


Yeah I don’t think Rob believes we are ultralight hikers. Apparently your food and drink isn’t meant to weigh more than your pack...
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Re: Exploring the Jagungal Wilderness using a magic wand

Postby rob1970 » Wed 11 Apr, 2018 1:56 pm

warnesy wrote:
awildland wrote:Great read and pics.

Can you guys cater our next walk?


Yeah I don’t think Rob believes we are ultralight hikers. Apparently your food and drink isn’t meant to weigh more than your pack...


But I do think you guys are Ultralight hikers... On the way out...
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Re: Exploring the Jagungal Wilderness using a magic wand

Postby MeanderingFlyFisher » Thu 12 Apr, 2018 9:03 pm

awildland wrote:
Can you guys cater our next walk?


I don't think you know the half of it as we do enjoy some nice tucker on our trips and it is not up to me to critique my own cooking but I do really enjoy Warnsey' steak and spuds which are always a first night treat with his hash browns and bacon the following morning worth getting out of bed for.And his gourmet cheeses and cold meats for lunch are a gastronomic delight as well as a lesson in learning Italian.
I did assume Rob enjoyed my sticky date pudding and toffee sauce judging by his comments.
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Re: Exploring the Jagungal Wilderness using a magic wand

Postby MeanderingFlyFisher » Thu 12 Apr, 2018 9:07 pm

rob1970 wrote:Just found this post...

After the stupid bush bash in...


Not a stupid bush bash in but more of an initiation ceremony :wink:
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Re: Exploring the Jagungal Wilderness using a magic wand

Postby RVG » Fri 11 May, 2018 7:27 pm

I just caught up with this nice report MF and I'm glad that you have had a look at Kidmans.

As you say, there is a frying pan in the hut and occasionally it gets used for trout.

I wondered how far they went up Dead Horse Creek but from your report they get up there about 400m from the junction with the Burrungubugge and go only as far as the bouldery gorge. That'[s about as far as walkers can get too. It is definitely the case that anyone wanting to get to Alpine Hut/upper Dead Horse Creek should not follow the creek but should go another way.

Interesting too that the fish have taken on a distinctive colour.

The description "coffee shop"is a new one too and no doubt some form of modernism in the language. Prior to its demise thirty years ago the visitors to Alpine Hut referred to those sheets of iron as a "kitchen shelter".

Not far downstream from Kidmans there is quite a waterfall/cascade on the Burrungubuggee R and I'm sure that there are bigger fish below it than up around Kidmans. Perhaps you might test that theory one day. That area is accessed from Island Bend and the Island Bend Fire Trail.

A good report and I'm looking forward to reading next year's instalment.
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Re: Exploring the Jagungal Wilderness using a magic wand

Postby rcaffin » Wed 16 May, 2018 11:57 am

Prior to its demise thirty years ago the visitors to Alpine Hut referred to those sheets of iron as a "kitchen shelter".
When we went through maybe 10 years ago there were no sheets of galvo left that we could see. Stumps, concrete, glass is about all I can remember.

Cheers
Roger
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Re: Exploring the Jagungal Wilderness using a magic wand

Postby MeanderingFlyFisher » Wed 16 May, 2018 12:59 pm

Roger we just assumed that this sheet of iron was part of the coffee shop
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Re: Exploring the Jagungal Wilderness using a magic wand

Postby MeanderingFlyFisher » Thu 17 May, 2018 5:37 pm

RVG wrote:
The description "coffee shop"is a new one too and no doubt some form of modernism in the language. Prior to its demise thirty years ago the visitors to Alpine Hut referred to those sheets of iron as a "kitchen shelter".

Not far downstream from Kidmans there is quite a waterfall/cascade on the Burrungubuggee R and I'm sure that there are bigger fish below it than up around Kidmans. Perhaps you might test that theory one day. That area is accessed from Island Bend and the Island Bend Fire Trail.

A good report and I'm looking forward to reading next year's instalment.


Great to hear from you Robert :D
The term "coffee shop" is just part of my sense of humour and unfortunately Rob didn't quite laugh upon arrival.
A few of the boys from the Gathering( a group of 25 flyfishers that get together on Labour Day weekend that this year was in Thredbo)fished up from the Island Bend access and said it was very bouldery and reasonably small fish but that is a subjective opinion from them and they would not have gone up very far but it is on mine and Warnsey' "to do" list.
Earlier in the trip I did a solo trip down to the upper Tumut and Doubtful Creek junction wanting to catch a trout out of Doubtful Creek which I did succeed at but like all the other small creeks I fished this trip it did not appear to be at it's best because of low water flow.It was a very nice area and assume it would be a very long walk up to the upstream barrier with the "fishing lodge" :wink: at the junction in a similiar state as the "coffee shop".
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Re: Exploring the Jagungal Wilderness using a magic wand

Postby MeanderingFlyFisher » Thu 17 May, 2018 5:46 pm

The fishing lodge needs some work
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Re: Exploring the Jagungal Wilderness using a magic wand

Postby MeanderingFlyFisher » Thu 17 May, 2018 5:48 pm

I did finally catch a trout out of Doubtful Creek after last years failure
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Re: Exploring the Jagungal Wilderness using a magic wand

Postby rcaffin » Fri 18 May, 2018 10:52 am

That 'fishing lodge' is probably the remnants of an SMA gaging station which used to be at the junction MANY years ago. I don't think we have seen anything more than remains there.

The river gets a bit rougher downstream from there. We have been down to the next major spur up to Far Bald, and up that.

Cheers
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Re: Exploring the Jagungal Wilderness using a magic wand

Postby kanangra » Sun 17 Jun, 2018 2:13 pm

I was out the Jagungal wilderness a couple of weeks back. I camped off to the side of the Island Bend Fire Trail just above the Burrungabugge River. Next morning I walked over to the Gunghalin camping ground for breakfast. I had the place to myself. Walked up past Davey's Hut then up Teddy's Ck to the Campbells Ck junction. (Just a note the main track heads up the hill to the right just before here and you need to stay low following a less obvious track beside the creek.) From here I followed the old route up to Little Brassy Gap. There was quite a dusting of snow most of the way up but the route was reasonably easy to follow except where it crossed Mill Flat. Great views down to the west to the Kidmans Hut area and beyond to the Brassy Mts. from the gap. I had originally intended to continue on to Kidmans and then walk out down valley but then it started snowing and I decided to retrace my steps. Very pleasant day out. On the way back I noted that the old track into the Constance Hut site is now very overgrow. It leaves the Island Bend FT a short distance after the bridge across the river.

Once back I decided to do a bit more research on the area and noted Robert Green's recent book had a section on the old stock route from Davey's across the range into the Burrungabugge valley. I also read the posts on this thread and others about the Burrungabugge Shelter that was built by the KHA with the approval of the National Park in the late 80's early 90's only for it to burn down in the 2003 fires. I also read about the old route that continued west past Reid's Hut site up and over into the Tollbar Ck and then up and over again into the Finns River valley. Sadly Bolton's Hut, the only hut in the valley, also fell victim to the 2003 fires. There is some suggestion it may be re built in the future? Does anyone have any info on that?

In the course of my research I stumbled across an article in the Australian and NZ Ski Year Book. I can't tell you the year but I would think it would be pre- WWII. Anyway starting on page 24 there is an article entitled "53 Ski Huts of NSW". There then follows descriptions of all the old huts as they stood at the time with some photos and maps. Then in a section headed "Huts of the Eastern Fall" there are details of all the huts in the Jagungal wilderness of the time. Including a couple I'd never heard of. There is reference to an Olivers Hut in the Burrungabugge and also a Newtown Hut. I understand the latter maybe a reference to Constances Hut but Olivers? Reids Hut on the other side of the river is mentioned as also is Alpine Hut. I don't think I realised the level of accommodation provided at that hut. It was more like a hotel complete with hot showers! The track I had followed up to Brassy Gap was put in to build then service this hut. It must have been quite something in its hey day.

I'm sure this old article is well known to some but I thought I'd mention it here because it is well worth a read. Sorry I'm not cluey enough to post a link but if you type in "53 Ski Huts of NSW" it will pop straight up.

I've decided to head back in there next time I get a chance and try and do the circuit via Kidman's and out down the valley. I appreciate the walk down valley is not recommended but I'd still like to give it a try.

K
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Re: Exploring the Jagungal Wilderness using a magic wand

Postby kanangra » Sun 17 Jun, 2018 3:00 pm

I have just consulted "Huts of the High Country" by Klaus Huenke. Published in 1983, on page 122 he talks about a route down the Burrunggubugge from Kidmans and says this;

"Another route even less distinct heads south down the Burrungubugge or Back River to Constances Hut. In 1935 Gilder described it as a comparatively new hut with raised floor" Called Newtown then, it was one of three huts in the immediate vicinity. Only Reids Hut across the river and up the hill bears any evidence of foundations. The site of Olivers Hut has not been found."

Now I checked and sure enough "Gilder" is the author of the article in the Australian and NZ Ski Year Book I referred to. We now know it was written c.1935 and Hueneke is writing a little less than 50 years later and we are now a further 35 years on from that. (Gee time gets away, I remember when his book first came out) Anyway we know that Constances once called Newtown was still standing in 1983. Referring to Constances Hut Hueneke's book continues;

"The hut was ain poor shape when the Technology Ski Club took over maintenance in the early 1970's. They replaced some of the vertical slabs with log flitches, repaired the weatherboard roof with old fence palings, rebuilt the fireplace and installed two sleeping bunks. Without this timely intervention we might now have a pile of stones and rotten slabs."

Unfortunately, despite the attentions of the ski club, that is precisely all that remains of Constances Hut as it was burnt down sometime between 1983 when Hueneke wrote his book and 1989 when the Burrunggubugge Shelter was built to replace it, only itself to be destroyed in the 2003 fires.

Fascinating stuff. Well maybe to some? :wink:

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Re: Exploring the Jagungal Wilderness using a magic wand

Postby MeanderingFlyFisher » Sun 17 Jun, 2018 7:50 pm

kanangra wrote: Then in a section headed "Huts of the Eastern Fall" there are details of all the huts in the Jagungal wilderness of the time. Including a couple I'd never heard of. There is reference to an Olivers Hut in the Burrungabugge and also a Newtown Hut. I understand the latter maybe a reference to Constances Hut but Olivers? Reids Hut on the other side of the river is mentioned as also is Alpine Hut.


Sounds like a great trip but definately the wrong time of the year for me.
These huts are all shown on the SMA 1962 Nimmo map of which a few exerpts are shown in Robert's book showing them.
Nice link and here it ishttps://www.khuts.org/images/stories/ASYB/ASYB1935_53SkiHutsOfNSW_Gilder.pdf
Certainly is fascinating stuff to me anyway.
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