CHRIS_aka_GWH
11-07-2003, 10:52 AM
If only it was amber……………..
It was halfway thru the last Straddie Classic, Mick & I were up at the pub for some enforced R & R (RUM & RUM). We had left the boat at home that year & were targeting the beach – the beach had turned nasty & unfishable, 30kts & 2m swell – we were forced to get some relaxation in, or that was our excuse anyway….
The rum flowed….
The more we drank, the more we were convinced we should be winning a prize that year.
The more we drank, the more ordinary the Amberjack in the freezer looked. (no offence intended to the captor but it was a pup at that stage).
We had no boat – but we had Mick & Mick had a cunning plan.
A mobile phone call & several hours later …
“DON’T YOU LOSE THAT FISH !!” Mal barked.
Mal Starkey, operator of North Stradbroke Island Fishing Charters, pro-crabber & local superhero glared at my left arm as it slowly straightened. If anyone could find an AJ at short notice he could. Mick had done some deck work for him & knew it was a safe bet.
“I’m tryin’ … #but so’s the bloody fish” I grunted back as the rod thumped down again.
Thankfully, I’d got into the battle first & gained a good 20 feet of line before the fish realised what was happening – enough to keep it out of the coffee-rock when it applied the hammer.
Skipper Starkey sighed with disappointment when after 10mins he saw the colour & realised she wasn’t an AJ – we weren’t in the money.
I was stoked – having never seen a Green Jobby caught around Straddie let alone hooked one myself this was a nice way to open the innings. As a favour, Barry put her on the official scales at the compound - #from memory a solid 14kg & a bit. The fillets from the wrist of the tail were as thick as my hand. I’d heard tales from Fraser about being connected to these “bulls of the sea” but adjectives don’t give justice to the reality.
I’ll be back at the Straddie Classic this year – its starts Aug 10 – hope to see ya there.
Chris
(from my soon to be released book – “How to Catch Decent Fish in Competition & Never Win a Thing) #:-/
It was halfway thru the last Straddie Classic, Mick & I were up at the pub for some enforced R & R (RUM & RUM). We had left the boat at home that year & were targeting the beach – the beach had turned nasty & unfishable, 30kts & 2m swell – we were forced to get some relaxation in, or that was our excuse anyway….
The rum flowed….
The more we drank, the more we were convinced we should be winning a prize that year.
The more we drank, the more ordinary the Amberjack in the freezer looked. (no offence intended to the captor but it was a pup at that stage).
We had no boat – but we had Mick & Mick had a cunning plan.
A mobile phone call & several hours later …
“DON’T YOU LOSE THAT FISH !!” Mal barked.
Mal Starkey, operator of North Stradbroke Island Fishing Charters, pro-crabber & local superhero glared at my left arm as it slowly straightened. If anyone could find an AJ at short notice he could. Mick had done some deck work for him & knew it was a safe bet.
“I’m tryin’ … #but so’s the bloody fish” I grunted back as the rod thumped down again.
Thankfully, I’d got into the battle first & gained a good 20 feet of line before the fish realised what was happening – enough to keep it out of the coffee-rock when it applied the hammer.
Skipper Starkey sighed with disappointment when after 10mins he saw the colour & realised she wasn’t an AJ – we weren’t in the money.
I was stoked – having never seen a Green Jobby caught around Straddie let alone hooked one myself this was a nice way to open the innings. As a favour, Barry put her on the official scales at the compound - #from memory a solid 14kg & a bit. The fillets from the wrist of the tail were as thick as my hand. I’d heard tales from Fraser about being connected to these “bulls of the sea” but adjectives don’t give justice to the reality.
I’ll be back at the Straddie Classic this year – its starts Aug 10 – hope to see ya there.
Chris
(from my soon to be released book – “How to Catch Decent Fish in Competition & Never Win a Thing) #:-/