Features 12 The Black Shadow
18 200gms
24 Confessions of a Dive Partner
28 The 35kg Mulloway
Cover
32 Hidden Treasure
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Tim McDonald with a beast of a Spanish Mackerel from W.A. - full W.A. story next issue!
58 The Great Reef
62 60 Years - The USFA
66 The Long Hunt
72 Awakening
Regular 06 07 10 38 42 46 54 56 76 77 76 86
+ + + + + + + + + + + +
Editorial Letters Spear?Tips The Phantom Spearing Sydney GreatShot09 DEEP Spearfishing Downunder Woodie Marine Electronics Boat Tips - Anchoring Short and Sweet New Products
82 Wahoo Wonders
Main photo by Phil Gee - Western Rock Lobster
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Weather
Who the heck booked in the weather for the East Coast of Australia this Autumn? On the North Coast of NSW it has been nothing short of abominable. For the first time in many years I wish Autumn would just hurry up and end so that we can get into some winter diving. All of a sudden the endless trips out wide to the Islands and beyond in search of good water, only to be greeted by flood waters (three and counting) out past the shelf, has grown terribly thin. That said I think this year the Weather and I have finally developed a more harmonious relationship as continual cursing is yet to do any good so I am a little more philosophical!
Simon Trippe, Glenn George, Paul McKeown, Tim McDonald, Ric Fallu, Michael Derooy, John Featherstone, Peter Coulson, Chris Peiro, “The Phantom”, Simon Longbottom, Mark Kallman, Scott Amon, Ant Judge, Bryson Sheehy, Richard Pillans, Casey Harrison, Adrian Jeloudev........ apologies for omissions
CONTRIBUTORS - Photographers
Tim McDonald, Michael Featherstone, Paul McKeown, Peter Coulson, Dean Thorburn, Gordon Black, Ric Fallu, Casey Harrision, Seyoung Kim, Kieren Corbyn (and Crew).......apologies for omissions
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USFA 60th
ADVERTISING & EDITORIAL OFFICE
We kick off our series on spearfishing clubs, with the formation of the USFA. Many thanks to Mel Brown for collating the resources. Yes it was supposed to kick off with St George, but we thought it prudent to start at the beginning.
John Featherstone Ph: (02) 6654 0515 Fax: (02) 8080 8193 (fax-to-email service) Mobile: (0428) 166 092 Email: john@spearfishingdownunder.com.au
The Wild West Coast
SUBSCRIPTIONS & MERCHANDISE
Articles
We welcome a few first-time contributors to SDM this issue, and I must say what a wonderful job they have done, both crafting their articles and producing some stunning photos. We welcome Darren Tierney to the pages of SDM as a first time contributor and WHAT a way to start. Darren’s article on his capture of a 158kg Black marlin on a “rock hop” no less, is the stuff of legend and his telling of the tale has a touch of Hemmingway. The Black Shadow - a great read. Another first timer is Steph Muller - The Confessions of a Dive Partner. It is wonderful to have some content from the ladies and Steph’s perspective is as refreshing as it is entertaining. Cam McNab tells the tale of Tim McDonald’s new Australian record Red emperor, and how he was pipped at the post by 200gms! Plus plenty more from new and regular contributors alike, enough from me! Enjoy the read and PLEASE dive (and train) safely out there.
Pam Featherstone PO Box 491 Woolgoolga NSW 2456 Australia Ph: (02) 6654 0515 Fax: (02) 8080 8193 (fax-to-email service) Mobile: (0427) 166 092 Email: pam@spearfishingdownunder.com.au
WEBSITE www.spearfishingdownunder.com.au ABN 17 106 478 299 PRINTED BY Lotus Printing
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No picture or any part of the contents of this publication may be scanned or reproduced in any way without prior written consent from the publisher. Spearfishing is a dangerous sport, Spearfishing Downunder accepts no responsibility for any damage and/or injury suffered by readers. Further the editors/publishers accepts no responsibility for the accuracy of statements or opinions expressed by freelance writers. Any text or photos sent to Spearfishing Downunder will be taken as permission to publish.
Issue #23 Back Issue Now Available
$9.90 + P & H
13,000km there and back, the good the bad and the downright ugly, plus everything in between. To say it was an EPIC adventure was a total understatement. I’m still shaking my head in disbelief. The spearfishing was phenomenal! MASSIVE Spanish mackerel (2 x 33kg and 1 x 34kg), Dogtooth tuna, Red emperor, Jobfish, Maori sea perch, Saddletail snapper and MARLIN in 12 minutes flat! We’ll be covering the entire adventure next issue so stay tuned.
Blessed - Solomon Islands Lutjanidae Lust The Phantom - Rock Hopper Lancelin WA - Sleepy Village Brothers in Arms Esperance X ......plus SO MUCH MORE!
visit
On the 16th of April 2009 Neil Tedesco, presenter for the TV Series “Adventure Bound” passed away whilst breath-hold training at his local pool. Neil had developed a close working relationship with Spearfishing Downunder and many of you will recall his article on spearfishing Norfolk Island in Issue #22. Neil had only recently started to focus on spearfishing and the plan was to evolve the spearfishing segment on Adventure Bound to a small but integral part of the show. Despite being one of Australia’s best fisherman, Neil’s passion for spearfishing was undeniable. His desire to promote spearfishing as an ecologically sustainable way of catching fish and the reach of Adventure Bound has into the wider fishing community was shaping up as a wonderful opportunity to grow and develop spearfishing in Australia. Neil’s passing is a tragic and, unfortunately, a completely avoidable loss of life. Neil did not understand the risk he took in breath-hold training ALONE and he has paid the ultimate price. I implore you, nay beg you, to NEVER train (or dive) alone. Blackout can happen so easily and if you are on your own the result is often tragic. What can you say other than to recognise that it happens all too often. SDM has not shied away from the fact that spearfishermen are diving deeper and pushing harder - this is human nature. We have CONTINUALLY stressed the importance of diving with a buddy, NEVER training alone AND diving within your limits. If you want to dive deeper, learn how to do it correctly and safely - I cannot stress this enough. Wayne Judge has produced an excellent article this issue on pool training in response to Neil’s passing. It outlines some fundamental guidelines to ensure you and your dive buddy are always safe, plus of course some great tips on how to improve your diving. We will continue to bring you articles from the deep (and shallows and everything in between) and freediving articles because it serves to educate. To stick your head in the sand and pretend it doesn’t happen is the most irresponsible thing we could do. The reality is that spearfishers (generally) are an adventurous lot, that’s why we are not sitting at home on the couch wondering what life is all about. Spearfishers will continue to explore our exquisite coastline and in that exploration there is certainly risk, but manage that risk by understanding what you are doing and always diving with a buddy. R.I.P. Neil, one of the good guys.
CONTRIBUTORS - Writers
Issue #23
Neil Tedesco (1977 - 2009)
EDITOR John Featherstone
www.spearfishingdownunder.com.au
Editorial
PUBLISHER JW & PS Featherstone
Neil Tedesco 1977-2009 R.I.P.
Letters & Updates USFA/AUF TO CELEBRATE ITS DIAMOND JUBILEE
The USFA/AUF is to hold a reunion dinner to celebrate its 60th anniversary on Saturday 19th September commencing at 6pm. Revesby Workers Club, the venue for the highly successful 50th anniversary reunion has again been chosen to host this event . An invitation is extended to all former and present members to attend, together with their spouses or partners; indeed anyone who has had an association with diving is welcome. It is intended that this reunion be a family affair. The previous reunion had almost 400 past and present members travelling from all states and territories to attend. It is advisable to book early to avoid disappointment as seating is limited. Early indications are that a number of our more famous past members including Ron and Valerie Taylor, John Harding and Barry Andrewartha will be attending. It was a fairly typical April afternoon, cold and showery, when a group of spear fishers met on
Sunday 4th in front of Long Reef Golf Club and formed an association to protect their rights. At this time speargun fishers were under siege with very vocal attacks, particularly from commercial fishermen who accused spearfishers of altering the migratory movements of fish shoals. Whilst this accusation would be laughable today, at that time it was taken very seriously. One charge in particular related to the sole spearfisher operating at The Entrance NSW (Bill Heffernan) who was accused of preventing shoals of fish from entering Tuggerah Lakes. Thirty two signed up as members on that day and the association was on its way. Originally named the Underwater Spear Fishermen’s Association (USFA) the name was later on changed to the Underwater Skindivers and Fishermen’s Association (still retaining the same initials) to reflect the growing interest in the use of Scuba by its members. The first Scuba equipment in NSW was made and used by its members, for example the Lawson lung, The Davies Lung, Dawson Flowmatic and Barnes Scubmatic as well as masks, snorkels, fins, wetsuits and spearguns. The majority of this was manufactured in
“backyard “workshops. In 1953 the Underwater Skindivers and Fishermen’s Association of Australia was formed. This association was to become the Australian Underwater Federation and the USFA of NSW became the NSW Underwater Federation, Victoria the Victorian Underwater Federation (VUF), Queensland the QUF, South Australia was the CUA (Council of Underwater Activities), Tasmania the TUF and similarly Western Australia was the CUA of WA. Later all states became branches, e.g. AUF NSW Branch. In recent years the NSW spearfishing branch has acknowledged its heritage by once more adopting the USFA name. There will be displays of diving memorabilia and historic equipment and those attending are welcome to bring display items. Dive Clubs, past and present, will be encouraged to book a table and hold their own reunions in conjunction with this event. For further information or advance bookings please contact: Mel Brown Ph. 02 4283 2757 or email: melvenbrown@optusnet.com.au
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by Cameron McNab
“ I
By now we have moved the boat into position to pick them both up and Tim has his fish in hand, it is BIG and RED but I am still unable to identify it. Dan called it right as Tim held up the impressive head of a big RED EMPEROR.
t was a welcome relief as I slipped over the side into the water. Forecast was light variable winds, 0.5m swell and 25m visibility and we were about to start our first drift over country that had seen as many spearos as the amount of hours sleep I had last night.
was getting a bit deeper. Tim and I had just enough time for one more dive before being over sand in 32 metres. Jobfish ranging in all sizes came in at the end of my dive. But like the fist dive I was unable to lure in a +10kg fish that offered a good shot.
”
Surfacing I was the last one to be picked up and it was back to the top for another drift, the boat was full of blokes buzzing all excited like bees to honey, little workers doing a song and dance about where the best pollen is. Tim parading around the boat
There was quite a strong current, impossible to swim against, so it was going to be a short drift as the reef only ran for approximately 500 metres. We were first met by a school of Surgeonfish, knowing that the front of the reef would be upon us soon, Tim had peeled off for a dive. CRACK. He surfaced pulling up his float line, very excited.YEE...HAH....Holding up a +10kg Green jobfish. We had only been in the water 2 minutes. This place is insane. It’s my turn now so I just gulped a lung full of air and dived to about 18 metres expecting one or two fish, instead I was mobbed. Green jobfish swam left and right some even circling back. It was like I was an obstruction in their way. 6kg, 8kg and 10kg fish swimming at me. The choice was plentiful. I lined up a 6kg fish but quickly upgraded to a bigger one. I had so little time to decide what to shoot. Looking behind a BIG JOBBIE had came in for a look. His wide sloping forehead and his canine like teeth snarling at me, clearly stated that this fish was the one I was waiting for. Sitting right on my gun range, I swung it around towards him and tracked him for a few seconds. Doubtful of the shot I elected not to shoot as the fish started swimming into the current. I was now starting to feel very uncomfortable being my fist dive. So I unfortunately headed up empty handed, there were simply too many fish to choose from!! Returning to the surface I was blown away, I have experienced dive trips on the Coral Sea from Townsville to Lizard Island and never seen the number of Jobfish like this! WOW. We continued the drift watching the virgin reef unfold beneath our eyes. We were coming towards the end of the reef as it had started to break up and Opposite - Tim McDonald with an Australian Record Red emperor - 12.85kg | Above 10kg Green jobfish
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“
by John Featherstone
Given the type of structure, a deep water pinnacle, my first thought was Kingfish. This was probably more out of habit as they are much more prolific than their Seriola cousins the Samsonfish in Coffs Harbour. A slight mental refinement had me thinking “actually, looks more like Samsonfish country”. I do my first turn to the left as habit dictates and I am greeted by “that head”.
”
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Author - Happy Days!
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The Phantom and the spear fishing buddy!
So where did the dive buddy originate from? As the Phantom recalls it….. Long before the age of camo wetsuits and spearos with a 2 hour breath hold there was a raw, enthusiastic, passionate spear fishing that evolved around headlands and rocky outcrops. There were no concrete footpaths, no architecturally designed fish cleaning facilities and no beachside showers back then. The dedicated rock hopping spearo often risked life and limb to experience these magical locations and the fish they offered. Worried mums and grandmas would insist that their loved ones go spearing with a buddy just in case something happened. In The Phantom’s eyes this was the beginning of the dive buddy. Well the rock hopping spearing buddy has taken on a new role and they aren’t just a security blanket for nannas. All great rock hoppers have a great dive buddy and the Phantom is no different. When the Phantom talks of his life long dive buddy he talks of one person and one person only, “The Invisible Man”. The Invisible Man is an old school spearo that has been rock hopping for years alongside his mate, The Phantom. So what traits make The Invisible Man a great modern day rock hopping spearing buddy for The Phantom?
Trust
The Invisible Man is someone who can always be trusted to keep a secret hotspot a secret. You know those spots. They are found by chance on a day when you go for a casual spearing session with a mate to get a few Bream and Luderick for the afternoon family BBQ. You spot a small school of Bream in the distance and they take a turn towards the shallows up over some semi submerged rocks in amongst the white water and you follow in pursuit. When you squeeze over the rocks you find yourself in a hole filled with a school of 20 Jewfish. Time freezes for a split second while the Jew laugh at the surprised look on your face before disappearing into the distance with the speed of a torpedo launched from a submarine. Everytime the hole is revisited Jewfish are spotted. It is these unexpected, usually easily accessible locations, which become a rock hopper’s favourite secret spot. Stories of these spots are spoken about at every chance but no matter how many beers consumed at a backyard BBQ, the location is never revealed. Numerous promises of endless boat trips to outer reefs and islands from
unscrupulous boat divers, The Invisible Man will never let slip a secret location and the Phantom loves him for it.
Mateship
Someone that is always there for you. Like when you travel for hours to get to a favourite known big fish producing spot only to realise when you get there you have no fins. Your buddy then tells you when loading the spear gear into the back of the station wagon he left your fins on the roof of the car and they are now gone forever. I remember The Invisible Man doing that to me one day, but being the good mate that he is he gave me one of his fins. For him the first half hour was spent swimming in circles but of course The Phantom mastered the one fin swim immediately although the lack of thrust did cause some grief. As I was peering over some big boulders into a Jew hole a few larger waves rolled in and the single fin just didn’t have enough push to get me out of trouble. The surge was too strong. The spear gun was ripped from the hand, like an old lady’s handbag at a busy shopping centre and The Phantom had no choice but to take the famous emergency starfish position or face being dragged and smashed on the rocks and spooking the illusive large Jewfish that frequented the area. The starfish is one of those moves that all rock hoppers should be able to perform, it’s a life saver. If you don’t know it, put simply, it’s when arms and legs are at full spread like a mid air star jump and you hang onto the nearest rock for your life. Note: Prior to the Phantom, being able to purchase my first pair of Continental flippers I dived a shallow rock platform in the middle of a frequented beach just North of a major town. Although flipperless I was still able to shoot four Jewfish over 15 kilo due to two important traits stealth and patience. Don’t panic Ed it was prior to bag limits and two were raffled off to help the local junior footy club.
Co-ordination (or the lack of)
I remember the time when we spent a day at one of our secret all time spearing locations that only works on a full moon and a swell less than two foot. To get there takes a couple of hours of driving, walking, climbing and pure dedication. A steep cliff face makes up the last leg of the journey. The Invisible Man is one of those dive buddies that will always slip, trip or fall and take a serious battering, which inevitably ends with blood and lots of it. On this one
occasion he slipped, what seemed like a mile, down a gravel section on the headland and ripped a hole in the rear of his wetsuit the size of the Grand Canyon. No worries I hear you say. No worries for The Invisible Man but for The Phantom it was scary. When we were in the water I looked up to see where he was, only to catch him beginning a dive. A hairy naught and his two nutty friends popped out the back of the hole in his wetsuit causing The Phantom to do one of those little vomits that you catch in your mouth and swallow again. As hardcore as The Phantom may be, I still have nightmares and the image is stored somewhere in my brain and reappears at the most unexpected times.
Amusement
A good dive buddy will always provide hours of entertainment and put a smile on the face of the most serious spearo. The Invisible Man has an amusement rating of ten out of ten and keeps The Phantom amused on most dives. Funny things, like having his hands full of dive gear and slipping on weed covered rocks in front of hundreds of people and then two weeks later seeing an episode of The Invisible Man on funniest home videos showing a replay of the slip. Or when standing on the rocks and conditions are sublime. You glance around with a smile the size of Sydney Heads and your dive buddy is trembling with excitement. As he threads the weight belt around his waist it slips and lands on his foot. No need to put two pairs of booties and a sock on now as his swollen foot fits neatly into his oversized flipper. Or when you’re walking down the track to your favourite dive spot and you see a boat full of spearos motoring towards your trusty Jewfish hole. Knowing you’ve been waiting for weeks to dive the spot and it’s a long walk back to the car and even longer drive to the next headland if they get to the Jewfish hole before you. Panic sets in. You start running to beat them there and not noticing your rig chord getting caught up in a branch on the side of the track. As you give it that almighty tug to free yourself, it releases the branch like a catapult and it hits your buddy (The Invisible Man in this case) fair in the nuts and drops him to the ground like a lead belt falling from the sky. Note: In most cases a boat load of spearos will wave their guns, nod and motor on to the next headland leaving you to dive your intended spot alone. However, I have experienced the unsavoury
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by Rogan Kinear
T
“
his journey started about 30 years ago when some of the now older boys learnt about the islands from some divers and mates met through other clubs they had met along the way in the early days of Australian spearfishing. Some of the boys had been in and helped run a spearfishing club as well as an underwater hockey club on the Sunshine coast in the not too distant past when spearfishermen were called skindivers, prangas were the point of choice and divers out on a Sunday dive were a part of pioneering the sport. For me it started on a Monday night on the side of the Nambour pool at half time in our weekly underwater hockey game. Being relatively new to Queensland quickly a species list began building in my mind as stories of 25 plus mtrs vis, staunch and cunning Trout , oversize Jacks, obese Cod, Parrots galore, Mackerel to poke a stick at, great gear wrecking Cobia, Tuskies in abundance, Redthroat everywhere, Red emperor in numbers, Cray nests to make you drool, Sweetlips of
that burned keeping we warm cutting the wind chill to nothing. We steadily set up camp on the island unpacking our tightly packed boat and tow along tinny of tents, freezers, bags, food and dive gear, we made a basic camp and slumped into bed knocked out cold as the birds sang their eerie song into the night, the sound of ghosts cutting into the wind that kept sailors on ship at night in the not too distant past. I awoke the next day well ahead of the old bull and jumped out of bed at a half run down to the white sand, in the light the island looked vastly different than when we came in, the ocean was flat and calm, the water crystal clear and radiant blue and aqua, the sand grainy and white, large chunks of coral washed up on the beach after the recent bad weather, the forest was dense and moist, to say I was amped was an understatement, it took me about two hours to slow my heart to a rate I could dive normally at. The reef was an amazing montage of colour both stationary and in movement, on closer inspection
I sink further, thinking “I’m not interested in you, I’m not interested in you” gun at my side holding the barrel halfway down, tucked in tightly against my chest, “keep swimming towards me” as I look away keeping him in my peripheral , I turn slowly on my descent and fall towards the sand slowly extending my gun as I close in the last few metres, lining him up whilst looking to his right avoiding eye contact and direct body language, he stops, stares and opens his mouth slightly bearing his teeth, “Every dog is brave on his own door step”.
all kinds, fry pan Snapper, over sized Stripies, tasty Hussar and any tropical and sub tropical species I could put on a list………… oh and happy hour on the beach everyday at three pm. As we approached the island the moon shone out in the background standing over the island highlighting the sky behind creating a black silhouet, all I could think of was “my black pearl”, the lights off the boat hit the water glowing light green, the weeks of pre-dive stress and sleepless nights as well as the long journey in rough seas out to the coral cay left me weak but bouncing in time with the ocean waiting for an opportunity to clear the reef I felt a fire inside
”
much of the stationary life was actually alive and moving. These boys had dived before the widely available and accessible GPS and sounder’s we use today (I have seen an old one with a needle that prints onto paper in one of the boys sheds!) yet the old bull regularly put us onto a spot with a guarantee of crays and good reefies, it amazed me how with a couple of quick glances in each direction he could put us over a bommie or how he spotted a undived bommie from 20 mtrs away by the movement of water on the surface! The only high tech device he used in fact to find new ground was a bailing bucket with a viewing
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AJ with nice Dolphinfish
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by Beaumont Rowbotham Looking out into the blue I am relaxed. I scan left to right, searching past the baitfish schooling at the teaser, past the sharks cruising below. I wait patiently for a glimpse of the tell tale white spots. Suddenly at the edge of visibility I see them. I follow the iridescent white spots as they slowly cruise in. They are materialising but I already know what they are. The tuna slowly, deliberately heads for the teaser. The baitfish tighten their group as I try to control my rising heart beat. I think to myself this is why we are all here as I silently leave the surface beginning my descent. As I near him I can make out every feature of this streamlined torpedo. He is built to fight and he is about to get his chance. I extend my gun and send the shaft crashing into him. He is mortally hit, yet battles till the bitter end. The fight is short but the hunt was long, beginning years ago when I first heard of the Coral Sea.
The trip was booked well ahead. I had been stockpiling gear in preparation yet was still unsure of what lay ahead of me no matter how many brains I picked or stories I heard. Would my gear be up to it? First indications were “NO”. As me and North Shore buddy AJ arrived at the baggage carousel in Gladstone Airport the first thing I see come out is my bag completely wrapped in bright orange tape. Turns out I may have overpacked slightly and my bag had “exploded” mid transit. Not such a good start. So after a trip to the shops for supplies and a new bag we got to our home for the next fortnight, the Eastern Voyager. After our first night at sea we were all up and eager. A few guys ran lures off the back and it wasn’t long before reels were screaming. The fish of the day was AJ’s 12kg Dolly which got everyone psyched for what was to come. A few guys also got in the water to film the fight resulting in some great footage. That evening we anchored inside Saumarez Reef giving everyone a chance for final gear checks before the fun really started in the morning. The next morning all were up and keen to get in for the first morning session of the trip. Each days diving consisted of a morning and an afternoon session with a lunch/refuelling break in between.
The race was on to be the first crew ready and get the first dory which were great 4m tinnies fitted with 30hp Suzuki outboards and depth sounders. With the gear loaded we were off in crews of 4. Our crew was Adrian Jeloudev, Alex Taffs, Gary Brook and myself, all North Shore divers. We got to the first spot and immediately I was blown away by the awesome vis, fish life and underwater terrain. We were only in about 10 – 15m but it was a good way to stretch up the lungs and everyone got a start with a few nice trout and some burley species. There were a few trout around which would have been pushing 20kgs but with a max size of 80cm due to ciguatera risk these guys were left alone to breed up. Armed with burley it was time to drift for one of our target species of the trip, Dogtooth tuna. A few were spotted which was a good sign. The next morning all those who wore shorts the day before realised just how much bite that QLD sun has, with more than a few red legs getting around. Plenty of extra sunscreen was thrown in the tubs from then on. About 20mins into our first drift a small Doggie came in on my teaser set at 15metres. I slowly ducked below the surface trying to stay calm and feign disinterest which can be quite hard when
in actual fact I was very interested. It seemed to work and it allowed me to get within range. As this was my first Dogtooth I didn’t go for any fancy kill shots and just plugged him squarely through the middle so I didn’t miss. Although the shot held well it didn’t hurt him too much and got me rethinking that tactic because if a 5.5kg fish pulled like that what was a big guy going to do to me? After the obligatory photo shoot It was my turn to go boatie. Although no more tuna graced the deck of our dory that morning other crews landed them up to 11kg. That morning I also saw my first Tiger shark with a specimen of around 9 – 10ft cruising by with his entourage of Remoras and baitfish in tow. This shark had some rope tangled around his head but didn’t seem to be suffering from it. He appeared to be swimming well and in good condition. You can’t help but get a shiver of excitement/adrenaline go through you when they are around and they are amazing to see in the wild. Taffsy may disagree with this after shooting a Jobfish and having a 9ft Tiger trying to eat him and his fish. After being dragged into the dory and composing himself we realised his camera was missing. To his credit though, he didn’t lose the fish. So he was back in but unfortunately we
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Got a New Product
If you are looking to tell the spearfishing world about your great new product don’t hesitate to contact us for inclusion in our New Products sections. Contact john@spearfishingdownunder.com.au
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