Page 70 - Bush 'n Beach Fishing mag

There were heaps of brassy trevally smashing into the bait sh, the author managed this average-sized specimen.
Alex and Claire show off a nice ngermark taken on a Halco Scorpion. Fresh sh were de nitely on the camp menu that evening.
The rewards of mentoring – more than catching fish
HE older you ple of nights later, but best – a lovely golden get, the greater the trebles came loose trevally that unfortu- the realisation when it leapt skywards nately didn’t make it to
Trip to the Tip
by DAVE DONALD
that there is more to and shook its huge the camera due to the
fishing than merely catching fish.
If I had to recall my most satisfying fish- ing achievements, they would all involve men- toring young up-and- comers into the sport.
club, which was at that stage a mob of eager kids under the loose control of a person named Nev Wust.
head.
The commotion actu-
skipper trying to lift it aboard without using the landing net!
In fact, helping others embrace and enjoy the experience is definitely number one in terms of personal satisfaction.
This was highlight- ed recently when the COVID-19 travel re- strictions inspired a couple of unexpected visitors to head north- wards instead of south.
I became the second ‘senior’ in the club – essentially another ve- hicle and boat used to transport the kids up the beach to Fishing Creek, our usual spot for club competitions.
ally caused a passer-by to come running when he heard the crash of the jump, to check that one of us hadn’t fallen in!
Wayne was up to his usual tricks of course, losing my favourite lure to a freight train that rubbed the leader off on a bauxite bommie.
If there’s one thing my 30 years as a professional guide has taught me, it’s that unless you’re able to enjoy the experience of your clients catching fish as much as you do yourself, you probably won’t last very long in the game.
During those years, I came across an en- thusiastic young angler named Wayne Rich and ended up fishing with him frequently through his teen years.
Nowadays, Wayne’s a grandad and he dropped in with his extended family on the way back from a leisurely trip to the tip of Cape York.
Once we had a feed in the icebox, we head- ed out to the shipping channel and jigged up a procession of small mackerel and trevally around a few of the markers.
In my case, assisting others to find the fish of a lifetime and then revelling in the moment with them, has definite- ly helped me appreci- ate my own milestones more intensely.
Way back in 1976, I quit a career in medi- cal technology to start a tackle shop in Yep- poon – one of those questionable life path changes that leads to the unknown.
Thanks to an obscure tip from one of my tackle shop customers, I happened upon a lo- cal spot that produced big barramundi in the right weather and tidal conditions.
I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to enjoy a day on the water with him, particularly as his son Alex and partner Claire would be com- ing along for the ride.
Suffice to say that my father and son experts were out fished by nov- ice Claire, who seemed to have the touch when it came to hooking trevally.
Page 70 – Bush ’n Beach Fishing, December 2020
Claire landed our
* continued P71 www.bnbfishing.com.au
One of my first moves on arriving was to join the local sport fishing
Fortunately, grandma Tracey offered to stay home and mind their two grandsons.
It was an absolutely wonderful day with plenty of laughs – a journey more about reminiscing and renew- ing acquaintances than catching fish.
TURKEY BEACH
for the boat
• Undercover carport
• Close to boat ramp
• Linen available
• Outdoor BBQ and pergola
• Fish cleaning facilities
• Large yard with room
For enquiries and bookings phone 07 4974 2153
It was there Wayne landed his first big pink eyes – a beauti- ful chrome salty that would’ve gone better than 110cm in today’s measurements.
For the first time in weeks, the trade wind dropped off and pro- duced perfect condi- tions for a day working the shallow reefs south of Weipa.
Though we may not have seen each other for years, they rolled away quickly as I shared the boat with Wayne and his family.
This fish was dwarfed by an absolute horse Wayne hooked a cou-
We trolled a couple of my favourite spots and landed a procession of fingermark, cod, strip- ey snapper and small mackerel.
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