Issue_16

adriana djurasevich - 23.5kg spanish mackerel | SpanishTriumph56

12

Cover - Michael Takach & Julian Chan Photo by Wayne Judge

26

32

20

46

60 66

Spear?Tips10 | SpearingSydney50 | SpearfishingDeep54

Editorial8 | Letters9 | SpearosGallery64 Photo - “Relief� | Lee Miller Barren Island Yeppoon in 27.9m

TheLonelySea30 | FilOFish31 | Powerfins74 | D3Suunto76 File-O-Fish Paper Cover

3/10/07

3:46 PM

Page 1

Australia produces a greater variety of seafood than any other country in the world.

This book contains superb colour photographs of 679 species of marine & freshwater fish, taken from Australian waters.

Perfect reference for anglers, professional fishermen, seafood retailers, wholesalers and purchasers. Containing current Australian Standard Fish Names, identification notes, habitat, diet, palatability, sizes & records.

CANDLELIGHT PUBLISHING

FIELD GUIDE Pa p e r E d i t i o n

20

21

Julian Chan

It was the same time of day, same afternoon NE seabreeze and we were heading to the same spot as the day before. I had ‘that’ feeling on that afternoon - the feeling of familiarity, the feeling that everything is about to fire. Typical deja vu, we anchored on the same bommie and all spilled out of the boat and swam in three different directions, all hunting the same species... Jew. I legged it towards the Jew holes that proved productive the previous day - Timmy shot the current 2007 club record Jew (28.2kg) out of the first hole. Expecting a 30kg model I swam over the ledge and... Nothing! Thought to myself ‘there is always the next hole’. This was a productive little ledge too, so I did a quick scan for floats and Taka’s Ronstan was closing in on me fast. I took a good breath and dived. The usual routine: dive down, skirt around a big boulder, under a piece of coral and into the ledge. I peered into the darkness, and let my eyes adjust hoping the dozen or so Jew that were in there yesterday had come back. Nope, no such luck, only a lone shark. On closer inspection, that shark had a huge eye, sloped head, bucket mouth, and big, shiny, silver scales. DEJA JEW! It didn’t take me long to line it up with my EDGE 1.1m gun with an OMER Mimetic reel and release the fury point blank. The single 16mm Riffe rubber did the

26

trick, pushing the speartip and almost the flopper out of the other side of the Jewfish. Stoned, I took satisfaction in collecting the fish by the gills and surfacing for a breath of air.

Taka had caught up by then, and he was really concentrating on something on the bottom so didn’t hear my cheering. To keep me entertained on the swim back to the boat I thought I’d test his peripheral Jew vision. For the record, his peripheral vision for speared Jew is pretty good!

As I swim back to the boat I pass a piece of slack, floating white rope. I thought it looked a bit strange, and I realised it was my anchor line doubling over itself. I look up and hell on earth has been unleased; 30knot Southerly gaining power and I got back to the boat just as it hit. No chance for a 2nd Jew today, I started the motor just in time and putted away from the rocks to pick up Taka and Pooshkie for the rough ride back to port.

At the ramp my Jew looked big enough to be my PB, maybe even big enough to claim the club trophy which I had lost twice already this year. Timmy looks relieved when the scales settle at 27.0kg. I’m stoked, a new PB and there’s still many months in the year to get that trophy!

Michael Takach

I swear I can hear croaking...Often my hunger for a Jew causes me to hear things but this time I’m certain it’s the real deal. I start reciting my Mulloway Mantra, ‘Jewy, Jewy, Jewy, Jewy...’ In an instant I see a huge Jews head come into vision! Result I thought to myself! Only there was one problem...This fish was already wearing Jool’s stainless steel jewellery.

The cheeky bugga had just stoned a 27kg Jew and shoved it right in my face. The typical response followed, ‘Where’d you get that!? Was there more?’

Jools assured me the fish was a loner and the hole was empty but I could still hear croaking. No time for more questions as I scoured the nearby reef for a Jew to call my own, after all I couldn’t let Jools get one up on me in our race for 10 Jew in ‘07! I was swimming around like a bee stuck in water, I didn’t know which direction to head! I swam out to where the reef meets the sand in about 12m. The vis was a shady five metres, it made it hard to relax as I knew any second I could come head on with a school of Jew. It got to the point where the croaking was really loud, then it happened...A school of about 30 nice Jew came in on my left flank, by the time I saw them they had already started turning away from me, I

Michael Takach (top) and Julian Chan (below) - Mulloway

Andy Lindsay - 8.5kg Mangrove Jack

32

33

We moved spots and John and I moved East while Margo and Paul searched West of the boat that Laurent was looking after. It did not take long for John to point out a school of about 100 BIG Pinkies or Pink Snapper moving in a school. We were confused as we did not think they moved like that … we tried to get close but they were skittish and just kept out of range …We told Laurent this and said that our rig lines were scaring them off. He dropped the pick over the side and in one movement grabbed his trusty old Rob Allen with a reel on it, donned his mask and fins and dived over. He did not even bother with a wetsuit – just board shorts, mask, belt and fins. He hit the bottom in about 18 metres waited about 60–90 seconds for the school to come in on him, lined up a big Pinky, let fly, stoned it and swam up. IT WAS A WHOPPER. As he threw it into the boat he said something in French and a bit in English “see boys zats ow you eet” … OH and did I mention he had a lung problem? The man can dive! John and I again set off after the school but only served to scare them off – I don’t think we had the skill, bottom time and we had rig lines that kept them out of range. None the less I had learned ….Next time Mr Pink you are mine and I will use my Reel Gun.

62

We moved again in search of a few more Dhu and Sambos I had been dreaming of landing a big Samsonfish for a while and was keen to find one.

Again Laurent moved us on to the best spot in the area. As we dived over we were literally confronted with a school of Sambos.

John took one from the school and I managed two …. Well I must admit we each speared one and a half, as John needed to second spear my bigger Sambo as it managed to get off the spear and out of my hands in one movement before I could brain it. So I do owe John a slab. Did I mention that Laurent has a special pickled Samsonfish recipe that can make a chef weep. I will not give it away in this forum but the Ed, may be able to ask Laurent to publish it in the future. It is a great recipe for firm fish and well worth the effort. Our Sambos were not the biggest Sambos in the world but fun, none the less. I will have to return another day and look for a bigger one if Laurent will have me in his secret spots.

We dived around for another hour or so just enough time to allow me to pick off a big Queenie and then call it a day. We were smiling from ear to ear and feeling lucky to have a full esky with several fish and a few of each of our target species. How good

is this clear sky, clear water, good mates and a full esky. All we needed was some food and drink now.

So the only thing left for us to do was to head for the pub lunch on Rottnest Island. We caught up with a few of Laurent’s friends and wiped out several gourmet pizzas while sinking a few really good Mexican beers. What could be better than a perfect lunch to round off a great days diving. Well that was until we had to think about crossing the 10–15km odd of water back to Perth.

The Ride home was what can only be called eventful, as the wind had come up while we filled our bellies and it was now blowing a good 20knots. The sea now very was lumpy and was looking about as ugly as the North Sea. Yet, in true French style … we got the casual … “ziz eez nouting you should see eet when it is big Sean.”

We climbed onboard and once out of the bay and the 6knot zone, Laurent hit the motor hard and I mean real hard. We all held on for dear life as we skimmed from crest to crest with spray and water coming over the screen as we flew towards Hillary’s Marina at what felt like 100knots per hour. Laurent convinced us in shout that the boat handles better flat out. Lucky for us that he did not have a 300hp

Merc bolted to the transom as he could have no doubt gone even faster? I was thinking this to myself as we passed every boat in the area at double their speed. When all of a sudden about 2km from the Marina we took a big green wave over the bow. (I could have sworn that we did a great impersonation of a Collins class Submarine but Laurent disagreed.)

Anyway it was a big BANG! It was hard enough to knocked the windscreen clean off and took 80% of the canopy off as well as sitting 3 of us ( that were standing up prior) onto our backsides on the esky.

Phew what a hit I thought as I helped pick Margo up of the ground. Not a worry to Laurent, who did a quick stop to check and see all were well, before he hit the gas again and powered on to the marina. Man was I glad to walk on land again!

After getting back to his house we spent a while on Laurent’s great fillet table cleaning up the fish and talked about a great day. Then we re-hashed over the days story’s as spearos always tend to do with a beer or two before heading off.

It must be said that our froggy sure can dive, he sure does know his fish, and his recipes are as good as any French chef can whip up. He showed us a good time and how to go fast over big chop and left us with some great memories of Perth that I suppose will only serve to bring us back again.

What are you doing this Christmas Break Laurent, as I think after this story you may find half the country knocking on the door? Thanks again for a great time!

Photographs Opposite - Laurent Basso beautiful Snapper Right - GIANT WA Samsonfish

Available in 0.9m, 1.0m and 1.1m

Mono shooting line

Rail barrel

16mm Megatex Powerband with single wishbone bridle

Closed muzzle

6.6mm Springbok shaft

E-mail service@pelaj.com with “Pelaj gun giveaway” in the subject line and your name and address in the email for the chance to win a Pelaj railgun!