Indholdsfortegnelse for December 2017 i Fishing World

The Australian Snakebite Study is the most comprehensive of its kind. THE Royal Flying Doctor Service South Eastern (RFDS SE) Section has updated its advice and procedures following the publication of a new snakebite study. The Australian Snakebite Project is the most comprehensive ever carried out, involved over 1500 patients and collated snakebite data from the past 10 years. Three-quarters of the people bitten are males aged in their 30s In those attacks in which the snake was positively identified, the brown snake was the most common biter (41 per cent), followed by the tiger snake (17 per cent) and red-bellied black snake (16 per cent). The new study has prompted the RFDS SE to reverse previous long-standing advice about the importance of identifying the colour and type of snake.…

IN an event held recently at Shimano’s Sydney headquarters, NSW Minister For Primary Industries Niall Blair officially unveiled the John Dunphy Artificial Reef. John Dunphy was a highly influential and iconic figure in Australian recreational fishing. Establishing Dunphy Sports in the early 1980s, John grew Shimano Australia to new heights and along the way introduced thousands of Aussies to the joys of fishing. While John was best known as a businessman and tackle icon, his efforts to promote rec fishing through industry initiatives and close ties with government figures led to an increased awareness of rec fishing sustainability and highlighted concerns around access and rights. John passed away in 2015 after a battle with cancer. The unveiling saw a full house of tackle industry leaders and staff, famous sports people,…

“A word of warning however, these fish are very addictive and the smallest taste from a hook-up may have you wanting more and more..” NEVER in my life did I envisage writing a piece for a fishing mag about the mighty, and once considered elusive, broadbill swordfish. It’s no secret now that South Eastern Victoria and North Eastern Tasmania have stamped their presence as world class sword fisheries. It’s not often new techniques emerge in a mature fishery like Australia, but for one to emerge from next to nothing is pretty amazing. Before you flick the page thinking a swordfish is out of your league, my first one was caught from an 18ft centre console and this year many were caught in boats even smaller. In fact to put it…

For most of us with an all consuming passion for the sport of fishing, there comes a time when we feel the need to take up the challenge of the heavyweight division. Picking up 24kg, 37kg or even 60kg tackle to match ourselves up against big tuna, billfish or sharks is something that few anglers can resist trying at least a few times in their fishing career. For the typical Aussie fisho whose usual target species wouldn’t reach sizes in excess of a big barra, snapper or jew, this is quantum leap stuff. Taking on fish that can be several times our own body weight and have the power to physically overwhelm us is a daunting prospect that requires a whole different approach. The most important bit of extra kit…

1 Seven-year old Cooper Galvin caught and released this 54cm cod on the surface in the Gwydir River. 2 Four-year-old Allira Klocovski with a nice bream caught on her first trip fishing on Gone Fishing Day. 3 Lachlan Mclean caught this flathead off Greenwell Point, NSW in winter earlier this year. 4 Keen young fisho Xav Smith caught a couple of great flathead, breaking his PB with this 80cm fish. 5 Erin Walker caught this beautiful 74cm Murray cod all by herself during an evening fish with a spinnerbait.…

SURFACE LURING is the ultimate method for targeting bass, right? What happens then when you discover some of the meanest and toughest bloodlines of this hard fighting Aussie icon? It becomes even more absorbing when you try to extract them off the top in over 10 plus metres of water all the while trying desperately to keep them away from the treetops that border the steep banks! If this has happened to you, it’s more than likely you’ve been at Glenbawn Dam fishing vampire hours! Glenbawn Dam is situated in the NSW Hunter Valley, about three hours north west of Sydney and close to Newcastle. It had been a good 10 months since my last visit and the anticipation was palpable in the air. I had good mate and one…

“It’s a place rich with national and international history being home to the remains of the first British nuclear bomb testing on Australian soil” THERE’S a certain element of achievement when an incredible fish or fishing experience is scored off your own bat … or boat! By this I mean planning and executing complex and intense trips on your own without the help of a charter company to take care of the logistics for you. This can be an incredibly difficult, yet unbelievably rewarding experience. So when I got the call up to be a part of a northern expedition with a few mates and their trailer boats to a place of great beauty, mystery, and most importantly, incredible fishing, I jumped at the opportunity. The Montebello Islands lie roughly…

“... the brief session indicated that the Canyon was designed with fishing at the forefront.” Driving a Grady White 376 Canyon after only recently manning tinnies was like being in a jet fighter after arriving in a Kingswood. That was my feeling on Sydney Harbour after I'd taken the wheel of the big $800,000-plus American craft sporting triple 300hp Yamahas. Pointing its prominent flared bow between the city’s heads and nudging the throttles forward brought a smooth growling response from out back and three of us were quickly thrust forward as the Grady White dealt with the rolling northeast swell. To say the hull made short work of the typical harbour summer conditions is an understatement. The Canyon’s ride was impressively plush and the boat deceptively quick, easily hitting 42…

LAST year I hooked up my Quintrex Renegade and camped and fished my way around the country. I took in some of the most sensational and amazing locations, but one place in particular held me spellbound, so before I even arrived home I was making plans to return. That magical place was Kakadu and Yellow Waters Billabong system, a place to me so different from anything I'd ever encountered and still so remote and wild. So once unpacked I set about finding a crew of two others. These were guys I could rely upon and could spend a month with. They had to have a passion and desire for an adventure and who I believed would complement one another as well as myself. Therefore after fielding numerous replies and requests…

EPIC Adventures has recently expanded its operations with five boats run by experienced skippers in the fish rich waters of Auckland and the Coromandel including Great Barrier Island, Amodeo Bay, Whitianga, Tairua and Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf. The central fleet of epic boats are based in Whitianga just 2.5 hours drive from Auckland Airport. Whitianga is the hub of activity on the Coromandel and there’s plenty to do after the boats dock. Epic Adventures built its reputation by consistently putting clients onto the biggest kingfish of their lives all year round. Although doing battle with these green and silver beasts is Epic’s daily staple, the vast fishery surrounding the peninsula offers up so much more, from striped marlin, swordfish, bluenose warehou and hapuka, to snapper, john dory, mahi-mahi and big eye…

An assessment is being conducted of the risks, if any, of fishing in Sydney’s water supply dams. THE NSW Government is undertaking a risk assessment of recreational fishing in Sydney water supply dams, including Cataract Dam and Prospect Reservoir. According to an article in the NSW Recfisher newsletter, the DPI Minister requested in 2016 that DPI Fisheries assess the risk of recreational fishing in water supply reservoirs and other associated restricted areas that are currently closed to the public, In October 2016, the Minister approved DPI’s proposal to establish a Working Group to develop specifications for engagement of a specialist supplier to undertake a risk assessment on recreational fishing opportunities in these restricted areas.…

GROWING up in Port Macquarie and being fortunate enough to live close to the water, I’ve spent countless hours exploring and fishing the Hastings River. As a kid, just about all of my free time was spent fishing on or in the Hastings, and over the years I think I’ve put a lure in just about every square metre of it! I’ve experienced some great fishing in the area, but with the Manning River an hour to the south and the Macleay River an hour to the north, Port Macquarie is often overlooked as a fishing destination. However, unlike the two aforementioned rivers, (and nearly every other northern NSW river), the Hastings is completely closed to commercial fishing and it seems as though the river is becoming healthier by the…

CANADA, and in particular British Columbia, is one place I had always wanted to visit. For those unfamiliar with BC, it’s the westernmost province of Canada and encompasses an area of 944,700 sq km, which is quite similar in size to my home state of South Oz. But that’s where the similarities end. BC has stunning rivers, extraordinary mountain ranges and dense forest that covers around two thirds of the province. The majority of BC’s 4.6 million residents live along the southern regions where the forests are less impenetrable. It’s a uniquely beautiful part of the world and is highly regarded as the jewel of Canada. Every three years the world’s leading fisheries research scientists, fisheries managers, peak bodies and supporting industry converge on the one place to form the…

IT’S hard to keep up with the rapid pace of technology. Mobile phones, computers, TVs, etc, are all evolving so fast and becoming bigger, better and more affordable. And I imagine we’ve only scratched the surface when it comes to this type of technology. Marine electronics are no different. This segment of the marine industry is one I enjoy following; it’s competitive and the product releases are fast paced, and the best is yet to come. Lowrance, one of the main players in this field, is always on point when it comes to releasing cutting edge electronics for sport fishing. And that’s the reason why I chose a Lowrance for the new Fisho Bar Crusher 535XS. I opted for a 12-inch HDS Carbon with an additional 3D StructureScan module. The…

THE quatix 5 is Garmin’s third generation marine GPS smartwatch, an update from the quatix 3, which was released in 2016. I've been wearing the quatix 5 for the past three months and in addition to keeping time, I use it daily to track and record my activities and as a handy accessory for fishing and boating. With a diameter of 47mm, it fits my wrist well and lacks the excessive bulkiness of some competing offerings while maintaining a feeling of quality. It's built tough with premium materials and a thoughtful design.The colour display with LED back light, for low light conditions, is easily visible and the glass lens has been very scratch resistant. Although initially quite daunting, once familiar with the menu system via five buttons, functional navigation becomes…

With the exception of Kiwi boats foreign brands generally don't get much of a look-in with Aussie tinnie buyers. However, there are exceptions and one of them is the Noble range which hails from China. The Noble was originally designed and manufactured in Queensland before moving to China and that's why it continues to enjoy success in its birth land. Recently I had the pleasure of testing one of the Noble products, the Noble 580 Centre Cab which is geared to offshore fishing with its walk-around deck and deep, self-draining cockpit. The big-volume boat certainly ticks the box in many ways for Aussie fishing and is a good size if you want to go offshore in safety and comfort. The Noble mixes together two vital ingredients blue-water fishermen really like…

Ok, I get it, it’s not a new concept. The jew on vibe phenomenon has been going now for quite some time and seems to be gathering even more momentum, if that’s at all possible. The amount of anglers I see flicking these types of lures to catch what once had the moniker of an enigmatic fish, has been turned into an expected occurrence. I say that with a hint of embellishment. There are many anglers out there still wanting to pop their cherry on jewies and I don’t want to marginalise the accomplishment. Flicking up one of these prized sports fish is still one of the premier feats you can achieve as an angler within Australian waters. What I won’t retract from is that vibes have made it easier…

IN great news for those who fish Devilbend Reservoir, the Victorian Fisheries Authority (VFA) has announced that from Saturday, December 2, non-powered watercraft access will be allowed in the dam’s yellow zone. The VFA worked extensively with Parks Victoria, Mornington Peninsula Fly Fishers and VRFish to achieve this result. Devilbend is a great spot for estuary perch, which are just starting to bite now, and there are some thumping trout in there too. The VFA has stocked Devilbend with over 122,000 estuary perch since 2014, and with over 100,000 trout since 2010.…

THE third annual Gone Fishing Day took place on Sunday 15 October with NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSWDPI) hosting a number of free community events, designed to get everyone casting a line. Bryan VanDerWalt, manager DPI Recreational Fisheries Programs said Gone Fishing Day was a huge success with more than 20,000 people attending DPI’s events across the state. “It was great to see so many people attend who were interested in fishing, whether they were experienced recreational fishers or beginners,” VanDerWalt said. “More than one million fishers participate in recreational fishing every year and clubs are always welcoming newcomers. “The NSW Government is proud to support its recreational fishing sector, which generates $3.4 billion to the State’s economy each year and accounts for more than 14,000 full-time jobs.” Gone…

“Temptation won in the end and after a few weeks of deliberation, researching and rallying gear together, a decision was made to explore some options a little closer to home.” THE big bait hype was in absolute overdrive from the outset of 2017’s Murray cod season. Swimbaits in particular have been the focal point, and the willingness of large Murray cod to eat them was a strong selling point for any tackle company with associated products. Posts on social media, emails, and even just general chatter amongst the fishing community has made this latest craze very hard to ignore. I'd been chasing a metre plus cod for many years all to no avail and desperately needed to be a part of this action. The problem was I didn't have the…

IF you live , work or play in Australia , one thing you should have is a first aid kit that can be used to treat snake and spider bites with the latest approved methods . It’s also the one bit of gear that you should hope you will never have to use . Each year there are are around 3000 snake bites in Australia resulting in about 500 hospital admissions and 2 fatalities The Brown Snake is one snake to be extremely wary of; it may be found all over Australia. It has extremely potent venom, and although the quantity of venom injected is usually small, this snake causes more snakebite deaths in Australia than any other. If you or any of your group are unlucky enough to get…

THE Fly River in Western Provence PNG is a massive waterway which includes lakes, extensive swamps and two major tributaries – the OK Tedi and Strickland. Lake Murray is over 640 square kilometres and sits astride the watershed 800m above sea level. Every year, wet season run-off flows down this 1000km system, which makes choosing the right area to fish a complex task. It’s remote country near the Irian Jaya border with dangers including crocodiles and malaria waiting for unsuspecting anglers. It’s a challenging area to access and operate in. Travel can be unreliable mainly thanks to weather. Logistics must be comprehensive as there are very few towns. Locals are protective of their land and waterways and it requires patient negotiation, bartering and diplomacy to be accepted and welcomed back.…

I never tire of catching big dusky flathead, that first glimpse of a monster flattie with a head the size a shovel always sends the heart racing. Over the past few years I have invested a great deal of time into chasing flathead on Sydney Harbour and for such a busy waterway the results have exceeded my expectations to say the least. Flathead are diverse in the areas they inhabit, from shallow sand flats to boat moorings and deep channels, big croc size flatties can be found from the upper reaches of the Parramatta River down towards open water at the mouth of Sydney Harbour proper. The bulk of my bait-caught crocs have been in the deeper water as by catch when targeting jewies, whilst most of my lure caught…

Our forebears worked pretty hard to deliver the Australia that we see before us today. Take our rivers for example. With at least six separate documented attempts to introduce one of the 10 most-invasive fish species on the planet (European carp) into Australian waterways between 1850 and 1900, it seems they were hell-bent on ruining our epic native fisheries before we even knew what we had. Fortunately most of these efforts were in vain. That is, until the release/escapement of a particularly invasive strain of European carp from a Victorian fish farm in the early '60s eventually did the job. Success at last… From there, the species spread through our waterways like a salacious rumour, with research suggesting they now make up as much as 80 per cent of total…

ANYONE who owns or dreams of buying a boat understands the conundrum of boating compromise. True versatility in a boat is a cliche amongst prospective boat buyers; it’s the dream we all chase. The reality is there is no magic boat capable of suiting all scenarios. The only way to achieve that is to spend up big and buy multiple boats. Unfortunately for most of us that’s impossible; we’re lucky to own one boat, so finding one which caters for 80 per cent of your fishing is a great “compromise”. While the above still applies, there’s no doubt some boats are more versatile than others and I reckon Bar Crusher’s 535XS is pretty close to the ultimate! Gone plate I’ve spent enough time in boats of all kinds to appreciate…

Haines Signature officially unveiled its flagship 788SF and DF350A Suzuki outboards at a recent dealer and media conference at Noosa. The new 788SF is the brainchild of company CEO John Haines. The boat available on the day was John’s personal boat and while it still wasn’t 100 per cent complete, first impressions reveal a serious offshore fishing machine, both in performance and fishability. Haines Siganature needs little introduction. The company has been making boats since John Haines Snr launched the iconic brand back in the 1960s. It’s great to see the company evolve and still produce some of the best Aussie boats on the market. The company had great success with the launch of its open 485SF, and more recently, the 543SF side and centre consoles. Haines Signature has followed…