'Do the miles, get the smiles' - it's a mantra that rings true with anyone who fishes.
But there's one group of anglers in particular who deserve the smiles more than any other - those hardy souls who head beyond the horizon in pursuit of trophy tuna.
There were plenty of smiles across the weekend as South Coast tuna crews took advantage of flat seas to fish out wide for big bluefin.
Fish to 100kg were reported off Batemans Bay, Ulladulla and Jervis Bay.
They were thick at times, with some fishos using berley to keep schools of fish close to their boat for hours.
Some parts of the far South Coast had their wettest July in nearly 100 years.
Right now, understandably, the estuaries are all very cold and discoloured - but the future looks bright.
Seasoned anglers, who have seen this winter weather pattern before, anticipate a bountiful spring when conditions improve.
Prawns and baitfish should flourish in spring and that will lead to excellent fishing for flathead, bream, whiting, estuary perch and mulloway.
The systems that opened to the sea - even if it was temporary - are expected to be the big improvers.
Lakes like Corunna, Cuttagee, Mummaga, Wallaga, Brou and Tabourie will be worth keeping an eye on this season.
As anticipated, the river mouths fished well after the floods, with the rock wall at the Moruya River entrance producing lots of big trevally over the weekend.
The rain, combined with snowmelt, will help dam levels in the Snowy Mountains.
In fact, trout fishing is already starting to pick up as lake levels rise and fish start to feed in closer.
There have been encouraging reports from the lakes of rainbows hitting lures fished from the shore.
Best lures are soft plastics, Tassie Devils and metal spoons.
It's definitely still hit-and-miss fishing. If you're not where the fish are, it's common to draw a complete blank.
But let's hope it points to a brighter spring for trout enthusiasts - it's certainly long overdue.
