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Most blue water anglers in the southern half of the continent will be well aware of the resurgence of bluefin tuna and the impact they have had on our sportfishery as a whole. After many years of intermittent and unpredictable visits to Australia’s cooler ocean waters, it seems the tuna have now settled into an annual routine, particularly in SA and Victoria. The ‘season’ now appears to run from December through until Easter or beyond, and it’s noticeable that the bluefins’ time in our waters is gradually extending — which can only be good news.
I can recall chasing school tuna in locations like Port Fairy, Portland and Port MacDonnell back in the ‘90s, then seeing their numbers gradually dwindle over the ensuing decade to a point where they were no longer worth the effort. This happened over a five or six year period and coincided with a worldwide downturn in southern bluefin numbers. It was all doom and gloom for several years and we were all pretty upset about it.
Then, in 2012 a few school-sized bluefin started to show up again; just in dribs and drabs to start with, but each year from then onward the numbers began to build and their time in our waters grew longer. As I write this in late February, the recreational tuna fisheries in both SA and Victoria are back to their very best, bringing with them a tremendous level of excitement and optimism. Tackle shop sales are booming, large trailer boats are back in demand again, and it seems everyone wants to catch a southern bluefin.
This tuna season in my home state of SA has been exceptional and, for thousands of Adelaide-based anglers, it has provided an incredible bonus. Due to the massive volume of ‘black water’ flowing down the Murray River and ultimately spilling into the Southern Ocean at Goolwa, baitfish have been driven right up into St. Vincent’s Gulf — with bluefin schools hot on their tails. Anglers who normally chase whiting off Adelaide’s metro coast have suddenly found themselves surrounded by feeding tuna, occasionally in water less than 10m deep. Once this phenomenon became public knowledge (it rarely takes long for ‘secrets’ to remain ‘secrets’ on the various social media platforms), the whiting gear was soon swapped out for tuna tackle, and every angler and his dog was trolling surface lures or casting stickbaits. It truly has been an incredible turn of events!
But while the standard ‘school-size’ bluefin have made up the bulk of the summer/ autumn fishery to date, it’s the anticipation of bigger tuna to come that has the superkeen blue water brigade salivating. For the past few seasons, ‘barrel’ bluefin — fish of 100kg-plus — have also turned up in varying numbers, and we all hope the autumn of ’23 will see this trend continue. From Sydney all the way around to SA’s Limestone
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Coast (including Tasmania, of course), those with the right boats and equipment have slugged it out with 2m-long monsters — world class sportfish in any terms.
South-eastern Tassie has probably seen more ‘barrel’ action than anywhere else in the country, with the legendary Eaglehawk Neck providing convenient access to tuna as large as 150 kilos. The number of big fish in Victorian waters has also exploded, particularly in western locations like Portland and Port Fairy, but there have also been plenty closer to Melbourne. The handful of tackle store owners I know in metropolitan Melbourne have been grinning like Cheshire cats as wide-eyed customers continue to walk out of their stores carrying thousands of dollars’ worth of rods, reels and lures — all because three-figure bluefin have been hooked just outside Port Phillip Heads.
It has been pleasing to note that a large percentage of those caught up in the bluefin frenzy are now practising catch and release, and particularly those targeting the barrels. It goes without saying that these 100kg-plus giants are pivotal to the well-being of the fishery, and that they need to be looked after. I’ve only ever killed one big bluefin — a 108kg fish taken off Robe in SA’s South-East back in 2015 — opting to let subsequent fish go, and I know most of those I fish with now do the same. Gantry shots of big, dead bluefin seem to appear less and less these days, even on social media, reflecting the general mindset of responsible sportfishers.
Rarely, if ever, have southern bluefin tuna been as significant to the Australia sportfishing scene as they are today. The optimists among us are predicting that the upward trend in tuna numbers will continue, and I know there are a lot of fisheries scientists who agree. I guess only time will tell!
Congratulations to our competition winners from last issue, Brendan Power (QLD), Bruce Redman (NSW) and Peter Verco (SA), will all receive their prizes from RTBroughton Lures.
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Victoria’s west coast has been a destination where dreams are made, year after year. 100kg-plus southern bluefin tuna totally destroying anglers, nine-hour long battles and 80W Tiagras fully spooled in mere seconds are just some stories you here every year. There is no doubting that this is the drawcard to the west coast, and while the tuna fishery in Victoria is becoming healthier each season, these super beasts are becoming more in abundance, stretching from the far west coast to the edge of the east.
Southern bluefin tuna along Victoria’s rugged coast in the peak of the season are so prolific nowadays, they can be seen bubbling and busting the surface in huge schools not far off the shore.
Southern Bluefin Tuna are now a staple catch for anglers year round along the Victoria’s southern peninsula.
As recent as within the past year, the stocks of bluefin seem to be not slowing; in fact, when you have bluefin in the 130+kg range being hooked and landed just outside Port Phillip Bay Heads, you know that this fishery is just getting better and better.
Now, if I go back just over ten years ago when anglers were introduced to this fishery due to larger boats, bigger motors with better fuel capacity, it became a whole new and exciting species to target for recreational anglers.
This was mainly confined to the waters of Portland on Victoria’s west coast, and while the school of fish were huge, the size ranged 5-25kg for the majority and were mixed in the odd mahi mahi and albacore upwards of 20kg.
Then, as if someone flicked a switch, 100kg-plus bluefin were emptying Tiagra 80Ws running 37kg and for the brave to tackle them on lighter gear, 50Ws were coming back to shore totally stripped. Fast forward to today, and while the Portland fishery is still bountiful, it seems that within the past two or three years a spill-over of tuna is coming right up to Port Phillip Heads to Phillip Island and Western Port, around the coast to Cape Liptrap, past Wilsons Prom’ and then dissipate out into Bass Strait.
It has been amazing for trailer boat anglers to be able to access fish not far from a boat ramp, and so much so that anglers fishing in 4m tinnie’s and jet skis have also been able to target these fish.
What’s more exciting is being able to catch them on Melbourne’s backdoor in 3040m of water, where the days of being spooled are totally thrown out the window….
From as far back as I can remember, the southern bluefin fishery has been textbook in the months that the tuna show up. That said, more and more anglers heading wide for a deep drop at other times of the year and leisurely tossing a skirted lure off the side while heading out, have hooked and landed tuna in every month of the year.
Despite that being a common occurrence, we anglers do like the fishing to be easy; maybe this is to ensure that after all the costs of going out, you can almost be certain of coming back in with fish. Well, at least your chances are higher when fishing in the “peak” months.
Southern bluefin tuna are more prolific in the cooler months, and with that comes nasty ocean swells and currents. This leads us to fishing late April, May, June and July, which is when you’ll see most action. However, it is no not uncommon to be catching tuna from late December through to March in Melbourne before venturing west to targeting them.
Keep in mind, even throughout the April to July period tuna have been appearing from Torquay right across to Phillip Island and beyond. So, if you not one for travelling west, providing you get a few days of clear weather, working your home town waters can be just as productive.
The fishery is so reliable that many fishing charters have tapped into this as another fishing option aside from snapper, whiting and calamari.
There are no two ways around it — targeting bluefin requires the use of high-end gear. While the most common technique used is trolling hard-body and skirted lures, you never know what sized fish will take your offering, so it is always important that you are set up in case “the big one” decides to take the bait.
I am sure there isn’t anyone on the planet that would say “I only want to catch the small to medium ones”. The sole reason of putting a lure into the water is to hook a “beauty”, so it’s better to be set up to catch that big one rather than be telling the story about the one that got away.
Fishing rods ranging 15-24kg or 24-37kg with Tiagra, Talica, Penn International or Makaira in 30, 50 or 80 sizes are mainly used. Spin tackle is also effective, but the fight of a large fish can take a lot of time and potentially the fish will win if the fight is too drawn out.
Set
Braid is not as forgiving as mono, and even with an extra-long leader, longer fights put too much pressure on the hook, in turn causing the penetration hole to grow, which subsequently can cause the hook to pull. On smaller fish the battle can be more enjoyable on light spin tackle, but as I mentioned earlier, you never know the size of the fish that will take the lure.
A typical spin outfit typically consists of a jig rod in the PE 6-8 bracket with a Saltiga or Stella 18,000 - 20,000. This is about the minimum size and strength that you’d want to tangle tuna with. That is unless you’re experienced in tuna fishing and just want a more entertaining fight in which dropping back to a PE 2-4 rod with Twinpower or Stella 5000 and 50lb braid should make things interesting.
The ultimate spread for catching tuna consists of five assorted lures — two diving hard bodies such as Zerek Speed Donkies retro-fitted with either two single hooks, or just a single rear hook running 8m behind the boat in either side of the wake. With these we run two skirted lures in anything from 5” to 6” staggered 10m and 12m and
then a shotgun lure running out from the roof-mounted rod holders at about 20m. This lure tends to be a 10” in lumo or a black/purple colour combination in my experience.
With that said, fish are fish, and while one day that could be crunching redbait, the next day they could be on pilchards or anchovies, or maybe even small squid. This is where being adaptable and having the ability to change lure colours and sizes can pay off. Many times throughout the season it is not uncommon to catch sizeable tuna on 3” skirts; in fact, even having one of these amongst the spread of larger lures can be a huge advantage.
The waters of Bass Strait are relatively shallow allowing anglers to fish lighter tackle than what they would along the shelf at Portland.
Before catching tuna you first need to find them. This can be by a recommendation from a friend with GPS marks to give you a rough location to begin, or just from a fishing report that you might have read “John caught a tuna on the 50m line”.
There is a good old saying “don’t follow sheep”, and while this is truthful in its meaning, following other boats is not always good practice, as the group of boats you might be heading towards could be just as new to the game as you, and you’ll be trolling an area potentially where the fish aren’t.
If you do have the heads up on a location, once there, deploy the spread and begin to work the area, always keeping an eye on the water’s surface for any bird activity or busting/jumping tuna.
Trolling speeds can differ, but in most cases it is best to stick to around seven knots, where
you’ll find that the combination of different lures should all swim in conjunction with one another.
In working an area, refrain from just driving in one direction. Baitfish don’t do it, so make your lures move in a zig zag pattern. Then after a few kilometres, go back next to the line you just took and keep doing so until you find fish.
Sometimes locating fish can be a challenge, and if you should see another angler hook up, wait until they begin trolling again, then continue your driveline, slowly working in a similar direction until you get a hook-up. When you do, mark a waypoint on your GPS and then work that area, as you’ll continue to catch fish. Don’t get desperate and head over to the other boat, as that’s not fishing etiquette. Keep your line. If there is tuna 100m away, you’ll soon discover they are where you are too.
If you don’t, then just continue on your way, following a contour line or just head in the direction you originally were zig-zagging along the way to once again get a hook up. When you do, mark the position and work the area until you move off again.
Catching tuna is one thing, but eating them is another, and like all fish you catch as an angler, you want to make sure you’re getting the best from them. Spending potentially hundreds of dollars to go fishing, only to have your fish lay on the deck all day, is not going to make an enticing meal after breaking the fish down back at the ramp.
Depending on the lengths you want to go to, today anglers have so many options in keep their catch in pristine condition. Without complicating the issue, the easiest method is to despatch the fish within seconds of it coming on-board. This can be done by brain spiking on the top of the head in the soft spot between the eyes at a 45 degree angle. Just insert a spiking tool into the brain until the fish gives one last shudder. Then, with a sharp knife, just behind the pectoral fins, make a quick incision that slices through the arteries in the mid-line of the fish. If you like, from here you can take things even further by slicing the tail wrist in order to further bleed and also by coring the fish by cutting around the anus and gills to remove all the fish’s internals.
It’s moments like this that you must be patient and take your time, if that fish gets its head down, it could be all over.
Depending on how far you want to bleed/clean your fish, after all is done, it is vital that the fish be put into an ice slurry. If you do not have a “kill tank” large enough, a purpose-bought fish bag filled with ice and salt water will prevent further breakdown of the flesh, keeping it in prime eating quality.
Southern bluefin tuna are a staple in a Victorian anglers’ list of species to target, and if you haven’t caught one before, now is the time to do so.
Nothing else has me jumping out of bed faster than the thought of chasing Southern Bluefin Tuna! Searching our hotspots off the Eastern entrance from San Remo, we’re looking for the telltale rafts of shearwaters & birds working. Bait on the sounder with fish marking up and sometimes a zoo of dolphins, seals and even penguins.
We set our spread of skirted lures, divers and our favourite spreader bar in the shotgun position out the back of the boat. There’s the adrenaline rush when a reel screams off with the rod bending and bouncing in its holder and sometimes multiple hook ups at once!
Then the chaos that ensues, teamwork getting other lines in out the way while the pump and wind begins. I love feeling the power and weight of the fish whilst keeping the pressure on and guiding him to the side of the boat. The feisty ones give you a run for your money and often freight train off a second or third time when they get to the boat and you have to work them back in again.
My partner Terry is my gaff man, and he always aims for the head, preferably the back. It helps prevent damage to the tuna and bleeding in the muscle.
A quality chill bag is essential for keeping your catch sashimi fresh.
Once on the boat, we brain spike the fish quickly to dispatch it, locating the soft circle on the top of the head. We then bleed the tuna for 10-15 minutes as the heart will still be pumping. We make a cut in the membrane between the gill collar and the gills.
We have a deck wash hose which we use to put in the cut to accelerate the bleeding and rinse all the blood away. Bleeding improves the flesh and gets rid of bacteria in the bloodstream that would otherwise foul the meat. The fish is then gilled, gutted and put in a chill bag with ice. We put ice in the fishes cavity as well, ensuring the best sashimi grade tuna on your table that night and top quality tuna ready for a myriad of recipes. Enjoy!
Cut the tuna sides into steak sizes that will be easy to cryovac.
Coat the tuna pieces in a dry brine of 40% salt and 60% brown sugar. Leave the tuna to marinate in a large casserole dish in the fridge for about eight hours.
The Salt and sugar will have mostly turned to liquid. We just dip the tuna pieces in the liquid to rinse off excess salt.
The tuna pieces are then put on racks in the smoker for around 40 mins @ 140 deg C.
We use Red Gum wood chips in the Smoker.
In a food processor, blend one avocado with 250gm of cream cheese, a dash of lemon or lime juice to taste, salt and pepper.
Pipe or spoon the mix on to water crackers and top with a piece of smoked tuna.
I guarantee your guests will be coming back for more!
Boil up a cup of long grain rice and have it drained and ready in a saucepan.
Smash an avocado and distribute between two serving bowls.
Lightly sear two serves of tuna steaks in a pan with around a teaspoon each of butter and oil. (I use canola, vegetable or rice bran oil) The butter gives flavour and the oil stops the butter burning.
The Tuna should only take a couple of minutes each side. Watch the colour change on the first side as you cook the steak and flip well before the colour change reaches the middle of the steak. Do the same on the other side and leave a thick under cooked line in the middle. Be careful as you can overcook tuna very easily.
Place the seared tuna on top the bowls of avocado mash. Season with salt and pepper to taste and then cover with boiled rice. This will create a steam oven effect and continue to cook the tuna.
Leave for a few minutes then sprinkle a good soy sauce over the top. Stir through with a fork to combine then dig in to the tastiest healthiest poke bowl from the Sea!
3 tuna steaks (about 300g each)
3 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil, plus extra to fry
2 handfuls of rocket or baby spinach leaves
1 small Spanish red onion, cut into rings
1 1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1.Cover the tuna in two tablespoons soy sauce. Press sesame seeds into both sides of fish and refrigerate for 1/2 hour.
2.Heat a little peanut oil in a pan over very high heat and fry tuna quickly on one side for about 1 minute, then turn and cook for about half a minute. Set aside to rest.
3.Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients and transfer to a serving plate. Cut each steak into six diagonal slices and place on top of salad.
This is one of our favourites, the tuna rolled in crunchy black sesame seeds and quickly seared, will melt in your mouth. Recipe courtesy of Delicious Magazine.
Starlo with a school-sized southern bluefin tuna from the dramatic south eastern corner of the state, near Tasman Island. These fish have made a spectacular comeback in recent years.
TASMANIA IS JUSTIFIABLY FAMOUS FOR ITS TROUT... BUT IT ALSO OFFERS SOME EXTRAORDINARILY GOOD SALTWATER FISHING! IN THIS CONCLUDING CHAPTER OF HIS DETAILED, TWO-PART GUIDE TO PLANNING YOUR NEXT (OR FIRST) APPLE ISLE ANGLING ADVENTURE, STARLO LOOKS AT THE VERY BEST OF TASSIE’S SALTY OPTIONS, AND OFFERS SOME PRICELESS TIPS THAT WILL HELP YOU TAP INTO THEM.
In the previous issue of Spooled, I focussed on Tasmania’s world-class trout fishing, and explained how best to make the most of it on your next visit. This time, I want to shine the spotlight on the island state’s diverse seas and estuaries, and their rich bounty of prizes: from bream to brown trout, trumpeter to tuna, and snapper to swords.
Tasmania’s saltwater fishing can be nothing short of spectacular, and the truly incredible thing about it is that certain aspects actually seem to be improving with the passing of each year — which isn’t something you can always say about our popular mainland fisheries! In particular, stocks of snapper, King George whiting and yellowtail kingfish — three species that were rarely encountered by anglers around the Apple Isle a generation ago — are not only increasing in both numbers and sizes, but also spreading their ranges further south and west around the coastline every season. This is obviously very exciting news for local and visiting fishers alike!
Dramatic light at Pirates Bay, Eaglehawk Neck. Never forget that the weather can and does change fast in Tasmania!
Firstly, however, a word of warning: No worthwhile guide to saltwater fishing in Tasmania would be complete unless it included a clear message about the inherent dangers of boating in this part of the world.
As I stressed last issue, Tassie’s weather is fickle, fast-changing and often foul. Conditions can and do shift very quickly indeed, and they can easily take the unwary by surprise — with potentially catastrophic results. The winds are strong, the waters cold, and currents often run hard. To compound these natural issues, many of the island state’s coastal waters have less in the way of channel and cardinal markers, beacons and other indications of navigational hazards than most mainland mariners might be expecting… Take care!
The boating rules may also be different to those that apply in your home waters, and ignorance is no excuse in the eyes of the law. For example, approved life jackets must be worn by all on board whenever underway in vessels under six metres in length. I usually take this a step further and simply leave my inflatable PFD on at all times when on the water in Tasmania. It’s no real hassle, and it negates the inconvenience of constantly putting one on and taking it off as you move about while fishing. You’ll find all the latest Tasmanian boating regulations by going to www.mast.tas.gov.au/safe-boating/
Clothing is also a serious consideration. Regardless of the conditions when you first set out, always pack extra dry clothes and a really efficient waterproof jacket, plus a pair of waterproof pants or overalls. I lost count of the number of times I had to reach for my Ridgeline Infinity jacket on our last visit to Tasmania, and that was in the height of summer! (You can read my review of this great piece of apparel here.)
None of this info’ about the weather and boating challenges is meant to scare you off, but simply to reinforce the message that Tasmania’s climate and conditions are a constant consideration when planning any form of fishing in that part of the world… Ignore them at your peril.
It’s hard to know where best to start any big-picture overview of saltwater fishing in Tasmania, but let’s begin in the brackish upper reaches of the estuaries, where the tides begin to dissipate. Here, the two dominant angling species are southern black bream and — a bit of a surprise to some visitors — brown trout! That’s right: Tasmania’s well-adapted and acclimatised brown trout are more than happy to regularly venture downstream, well into the salt. This happens most predictably during the annual “whitebait” runs — from about the end of August until November — but it’s not unheard of to encounter the odd “sea runner” in a Tasmanian estuary at any time of the year, especially in the state’s cooler southern and western waters.
One of the consequences of this regular presence of trout in tidal waters is the fact that you’ll actually need a current inland angling licence to fish upstream of certain designated points on many systems, and it isn’t always immediately obvious (nor even particularly logical) where these cut-off points are located. Some are very close to the mouth of the estuary, such as the A3 highway bridge over the Scamander River in the state’s north east, which is barely a long cast from the ocean! Best bet is to download the Inland Fisheries Service’s latest Infish App (it’s free) and use that to identify the cut offs… or simply buy a licence to be on the safe side if you have any doubts.
Of course, there are other species besides bream and trout to be found in Tasmania’s upper estuaries. Sand flathead are prolific (if mostly small) in many systems, as are juvenile Australian salmon and yellow-eye mullet. There’s also the chance of the odd tailor and trevally and, just to keep things interesting, escapee Atlantic salmon from state’s many sea cage fish farms often make their way up the coastal rivers as well. Expect the unexpected!
There are obviously lots of land-based fishing options in Tasmania’s saltwater, but having access to a kayak or boat will greatly expand your opportunities. For visitors from the mainland, this either means taking your own vessel across on the “Spirit of Tasmania” ferry, or sourcing one locally (typically by hiring it — see the fact box hereabouts).
Taking your own boat over on the ferry gives you enormous freedom. But be warned: it’s not cheap! Due to a ridiculous anomaly in TT Line’s current pricing structure, even a relatively small trailer boat attracts a significantly higher fare than a much larger caravan or camper. Apparently this is due to some sort of subsidy on anything towed behind a vehicle that contains a bed… in other words, visitors are actively subsidised and encouraged to bring their own accommodation to Tasmania with them, rather than supporting local businesses in the form of hotels, motels, campgrounds, bed and breakfast establishments and the like. This policy simply beggars belief, in my opinion, but there you go! No one ever said that common sense was especially common.
Tasmania is justifiably renowned as the home of some of Australia’s largest and most prolific black bream. When Kaj “Bushy” Busch, Chris “Slick” Wright and myself travelled there at the beginning of the millennium to promote the then-new Squidgies range of soft plastics, we were absolutely gobsmacked by the caliber of bream fishing we encountered — as well as by the fact that many local anglers were blissfully unaware of the bountiful breaming bonanza that lay right under their noses. It was like travelling back in a time machine to a much earlier era of huge, dumb bream!
The bottom line is this: if you’re going to bring your own boat, understand that you will get stung heavily. You’ll need to do the sums and decide if the figures make sense, which will be more likely if you plan to stay on the island for at least 10 days to two weeks… the longer your visit, the more sense it makes.
Much has changed across the intervening two decades. There are still big mobs of bream in many Tasmania’s estuaries — and some absolute bruisers among them — but they no longer swim under the radar, and they’ve had a lot of hardware thrown at them over those years! They’re no longer the willing push-overs we found in the early 2000s. Today, you can go to famous monster bream honey holes like Port Sorell on the state’s mid-north coast and spend a frustrating week hunting massive, blue-nosed ghosts in the shallows with very limited success. They’re still there, and you’ll see them, but they’re bloody hard to fool! That said, Tasmania would still win my vote (in a photo finish with the deep south of WA) as Australia’s premier black bream destination.
Georges Bay at St Helens offers a huge range of fishing options.
Hobart’s busy Derwent River itself remains one of Tasmania’s prime bream systems, but there are plenty of others, including the previously mentioned Scamander River, along with nearby Georges Bay (St Helens), Ansons Bay and Musselroe Bay (all in the north east), as well as Swansea, Little Swanport, the lower Huon and several others all the way down to the Lune and beyond, in the state’s deep south — plus a hundred tiny systems (many that are often closed to the sea for extended periods) dotted in between. They’re all worth exploring (on foot, from a kayak or in a suitable boat) and most contain bream… some of them in the “scary monster” size category!
Be warned, though: many of these smaller systems are shallow and studded with unmarked navigation hazards, especially at low tide, when open to the sea. Exercise extreme caution!
Hiring a boat or kayak is another option for anglers visiting Tasmania and fortunately there’s one very good operation that caters specifically for keen fishos. Clinton Howe’s Tassie Boat Hire is based in Ulverstone, on the state’s north coast, and offers turn-key fishing packages built around 4.2 m side-console Renegade boats fitted with 40 HP motors, bow-mounted electrics, sounders, plumbed live wells and all the necessary safety gear. Note that you will need a boating licence to operate these rigs.
Find out more by visiting the Tassie Boat Hire page on Facebook, or calling Clinton on 0429 475550, and be sure to tell him Starlo sent you!
You never know what will grab a soft plastic next in Tassie waters! Common contenders include (clockwise from above): jack mackerel (cowanyoung), Australian salmon, and the ever-present blue-throat wrasse.
Moving further downstream in Tasmania’s estuaries and out into its partially sheltered (but often rough!) bays and harbours, the list of target species quickly expands. Bream, trout, escapee Atlantic salmon, mullet and the ubiquitous sand flathead remain top contenders, but now they’re joined by silver trevally, Australian salmon, jack mackerel (cowanyoung), barracouta, blue-spot flathead, squid, growing numbers of King George whiting (more on them soon), snapper and the odd kingfish, along with gummy and school sharks, plus oddballs like elephant fish. Leatherjackets, gurnard perch and blue-throat wrasse are prolific, too, especially near reef or weed, and there are even some thumping luderick, along with schools of very big garfish at certain times. And for those keen to wade at night with a light and spear, there are lots and lots of lovely flounder to be found in the shallows.
You could literally spend a lifetime exploring Tasmania’s estuaries, bays, harbours and near-shore seas and still be constantly stunned by what turns up to harass your baits, lures and flies. The place is full of surprises!
As already mentioned, one of the more exciting developments on Tasmania’s saltwater scene across the past 20-odd years has been the exponential growth of the state’s snapper, kingfish and King George whiting fisheries.
You can argue until the cows come home whether these fish were always present, but simply never targeted correctly, or if they are relatively recent arrivals — pushed or carried south by strengthening currents of warm water from the north. My take is this: there have always been a few snapper, kings and whiting in Tassie waters, but due to a range of environmental factors, their numbers, sizes and ranges have expanded significantly, and people have learned how to specifically target them.
Whatever the exact story, the outcome is plain to see: Tasmania’s sea fishing fortunes — especially for this trio of species — are booming!
Northern Tasmania has emerged at the best King George whiting fishery on the planet. Believe it or not, monsters like this are far from uncommon!
I don’t think there’s any argument these days that Tasmania’s King George whiting fishery is the best in Australia — and therefore the best on the planet! The numbers and especially the sizes of these delicious, hard-fighting fish around the north of the island are almost beyond belief, and the whiting wave seems to be sneaking a little further south each summer.
Big whiting can now be caught in almost any large bay, harbor and lower estuary — plus adjacent near-shore seas — across the entire north of the state, as well as down the east coast at least as far as Bicheno. The summer and early autumn months produce the best results on the mighty ’ting, but a few whiting now seem to be on tap throughout the year.
Squid — for both bait and to eat — are abundant!
Fresh squid baits fished on the bottom in two to 10 metres of water over sandy or gravelly sea beds close to weed and reef are the ticket, although it can take a few trips to work out exactly the best tides and locations. Bite periods tend to be short and intense, often associated with peak current speeds. The action can turn off as fast as it switched on. But when it all comes together — hang on! Fish in the 40 to 50 cm range are common, and genuine elbow and kidney slappers in the 50-plus range turn up often enough to be almost expected during most sessions. How big do they grow? Well, they’ve definitely been recorded into the high 60 cm range and weights in excess of two kilos… those are serious whiting in anyone’s language!
To the immense credit of Tasmania’s fisheries managers and anglers alike, these “new” King George whiting stocks appear to be in excellent hands, with a five fish per day, per angler bag limit and a minimum legal length of 35 cm in force. If everyone sticks to these very sensible regulations (and perhaps even voluntarily ups the minimum length to 40 cm), Tasmania will continue to emerge as the glittering jewel in the crown of Australian whiting fishing — a destination that will draw keen anglers from far and wide, with great benefits to local economies.
Starlo was gob-smacked by the calibre of Tasmania’s King George whiting.
As rosy as the King George whiting picture is in Tasmania these days, sadly the same can’t be said of the state’s single most popular angling target: the humble sand flathead. Alarmingly, these important fish were recently listed as “depleted”.
Put bluntly, Tasmania’s sand flathead are shrinking: in both numbers and size. The existing minimum legal length is just 32 cm, and anglers are allowed to keep 20 fish over this length each day. However, in many places, you’ll catch at least 50 or 60 under-sized sandies to score 15 or 20 keepers, and a lot of those keepers will be only just legal.
To make matters worse, they’re incredibly lively and spikey to handle, meaning that many people grab them with towels, bits of rag or fish grippers for unhooking, or even (heaven forbid) stand on them! Those thrown back are often injured and have seriously compromised slime coats. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if post-release mortality is unacceptably high.
The recreational take of this widespread species is massively larger than the modest commercial harvest, too (by a factor of at least 10 to one). So, the onus is clearly on us as anglers to cop some pain for longer term gain.
To successfully manage a depleted fishery like this one, we clearly need to think outside the box. Simply raising the minimum legal length means that even more fish will be badly handled and tossed back into the water in poor condition, while lowering the bag limit is likely to lead to “high grading”, with equally bad outcomes for those flatties returned to the water. Closing the fishery entirely for a year or two would also be highly problematic, as lots of flathead would continue to be caught, badly handled, unhooked and discarded while trying to catch something else.
I don’t think anyone is claiming that these incredibly abundant fish are on the verge of extinction, but they are certainly chronically size-overfished and spatially depleted in many harder-fished areas. Interestingly, the species is apparently responding to this pressure biologically by maturing at smaller and smaller sizes, but the spawning of these smaller fish results in even smaller offspring. It’s a vicious circle.
I suspect a thorough education program will be required to encourage people to target other species in completely different areas, using alternative methods, and also to be a lot more careful about handling the flathead they continue to encounter as by-catch. It’s a big ask, but I don’t see too many viable alternatives to giving the sandies a break.
How good are silver trevally? Not only great fighters, but also tasty to eat if treated right.
Striped trumpeter are first prize in the bottom bouncing lottery.
Beyond the estuary, bay, harbor and inshore waters and their target species we’ve looked at so far in this feature, Tasmania offers some stunning deep water and offshore opportunities for those seeking larger fare and bigger challenges.
Bottom bashing and slow-pitch jigging over deep water reefs produces the delicious striped or Tasmanian trumpeter, as well as snapper, jackass morwong and a host of other varieties, plus the odd kingy, while trolling and lure casting are the go for bluefin, yellowfin and striped or skipjack tuna, as well as albacore and the occasional ring-in, like the bizarrely beautiful butterfly mackerel. There are also reasonable numbers of striped marlin and plenty of mako and blue sharks on tap when the currents are at their warmest in late summer and early autumn.
Bluefin tuna numbers, in particular, have rebounded spectacularly in recent years. “Schoolies” up to about 20 kilos dominate tuna catches, but it’s the “barrels” everyone dreams of catching, and they’re always a chance, with fish to well over a hundred kilos regularly encountered — and not just in the south east any more. The shallower waters of Bass Strait and the north west now consistently turn up tuna, and schoolies were being caught within 300 metres of shore just west of Wynyard in early January this year! The socalled “season” for these fish also seems to be expanding, with at least a few showing up nowadays in just about every month of the year, rather than being confined to a January-through-May window, as they once seemed to be.
Giant “barrel” bluefin tuna are luring more and more footloose fishers to Tasmania every year.
— Image courtesy of Jonah Yick
Finally, there’s the deep abyss, out beyond the steep edge of the continental shelf, which comes surprisingly close to shore in many parts of Tasmania, especially around the south end of the island. Here, adventurous anglers can deep drop baits in the hope of crossing paths with the mightiest gladiator of the oceans: the imposing and majestic broadbill swordfish. While waiting for sword bites, these hopefuls can also expect tuna, sharks, blue-eye trevalla, ling, gemfish, Ray’s bream, frostfish and a whole host of other “ooglies” that will have them reaching for the fish I.D. books!
Game fishing’s holiest of Holy Grails is the mighty broadbill swordfish. Tasmanian seas are home to excellent numbers of these amazing creatures.
— Image courtesy of Jonah Yick
If it sounds like I’ve painted a glittering picture of Tasmania’s sea fishery, then I make no apologies. On the right day, in the right place, and using the best techniques, I would assert that there are few destinations on the face of the planet that offer better or more consistent saltwater angling action than our rugged island state… It can be truly exceptional. But yes, it can also be challenging, demanding and downright tough. Cold water, foul weather, howling winds and reluctant or absent fish are occasional facts of life in these far flung southern seas, as they are just about anywhere else we care to wet a line. I guess that’s why what we do is called “fishing” rather than “catching”! But make no mistake: Tasmania is worth the effort, and will invariably reward the hardy and the well-prepared… If you haven’t been yet, it’s time to fix that!
Steve ‘Starlo’ Starling has been Australia’s most trusted fishing educator for four decades. His articles, columns, books, videos and TV segments have helped us all to fish smarter… But did you know that Starlo now has his own YouTube channel?
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As Scottish comedian Billy Connolly once quipped about the notoriously challenging climate in his northern homeland: “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothes!” He had a point, too. It’s amazing what a difference dressing correctly can make when it comes to taming the very worst that Mother Nature can throw at us.
During my most recent Tasmanian sojourn to gather material for a guide to the island state’s saltwater fishing (featured elsewhere in this issue), I had frequent call to remember Connolly’s sage words of advice. I was there in mid-summer this time, but on some days you would never have guessed it. If the 19th century American author, Mark Twain, truly did claim that the coldest winter he ever spent was a summer in San Francisco, I can only guess it was because he’d never visited Tasmania in December!
Seriously, though, dressing appropriately — or at least carrying the extra gear to do so if the need suddenly arises — is absolutely critical to enjoying Tasmania’s exceptional fishing opportunities in comfort and safety. Not being equipped to do so can not only ruin your whole day — it can actually put you at serious risk of hypothermia.
Of course, these considerations aren’t confined to the Apple Isle. I’ll never forget being chilled to the bone and shivering like the proverbial leaf when suddenly drenched in an early wet season cloud burst on a Northern Territory billabong. Dressed as I was at the time in shorts and a lightweight shirt, the combination of an immediate
10 degree plunge in air temperature, wet skin and a light breeze was almost more than I could cope with. Even at that relatively moderate level, loss of your body’s core temperature can quickly lead to brain fog and poor decision making — not things you really need on a snag-studded and crocodileinfested Top End waterhole! It was a relief to get back to the car and dry off that day, and I never fished again up there at that time of year without packing at least a lightweight spray jacket in the boat.
Wherever you fish — from Darwin to the Derwent or Broome to Byron Bay — you really need at least a decent jacket of some sort that’s capable of cutting the wind and repelling rain. I make sure I always have one of these packed in my gear now, no matter how friendly the conditions are when I leave home or camp. Wet weather pants or coveralls are also a great idea, but if you don’t have them, at least being able to protect your upper body and its vital organs (including your head) will keep you functioning in most situations.
For a few months now, I’ve been trialling the Infinity Jacket from Ridgeline for exactly this purpose,
and to say that I’ve been impressed with it so far would be something of an understatement. I reckon it has saved my bacon on more than a few occasions, and definitely kept me out there catching fish long after other anglers had pulled stumps and headed for the nearest pub with a fireplace.
If you’re not up to speed with the Ridgeline name and company history, make sure you read the fact box hereabouts. Suffice to say, this Kiwibred brand is legendary among hunters, hikers and other outdoorsy folks, and is quickly catching on in fishing circles, too.
The Infinity from Ridgeline is a long, form-fitting rain jacket with an integrated hood and four generous, waterproof-zippered front pockets. It’s constructed from breathable 3M Thinsulate stretch material, with 3L wind- and water-proofmembrane sealed seams. The “breathability” of Thinsulate means that very little condensation occurs on the inside the jacket, even if you’re working hard in warmer, more humid conditions. Moisture in your sweat quickly “wicks” out through this high tech’ material, but rain is blocked from passing the other way.
Originally established in New Zealand in 1994, Ridgeline has been designing outdoor clothing and related gear with a focus on adventure, durability and performance for almost 30 years. The brand quickly achieved a very high level of customer recognition in its Kiwi homeland — especially among hunters and farmers. Later, it expanded successfully into both the Australian and European markets.
Known for their brand staples such as fleece, Ridgeline garments have proven time and time again to easily handle New Zealand’s most demanding and dramatic climatic conditions. Durability is also a key selling point for the brand, with many early Kiwi customers still happily continuing to wear their original Ridgeline fleeces that are now more than 20 years old, but going strong… Ridgeline really has become an integral part of the hunting and rural tradition in New Zealand, and the brand quickly developed a similar status and following here in Australia.
Fishers and boaties have perhaps been a little slower to embrace the Ridgeline heritage than hunters and those working on the land for a crust, but now more and more anglers are also waking up to the effectiveness of this gear on and around the water: both fresh and salt. Practical, hard-wearing designs and a range of muted, low visibility colours (including some great camouflage patterns) make Ridgeline clothing the perfect choice for anyone chasing cautious, sharp-eyed fish in potentially harsh environments. For this reason, you can expect to see a lot more of that distinctive Ridgeline logo with its snow-capped mountain peaks around your local fishing spots in coming seasons, as growing numbers of fishers embrace this iconic outdoor brand.
This jacket, with its comfortable stretch design, is intended to fit reasonably snugly over whatever layers you opt to wear underneath. (I love wearing my Ridgeline fleecy under it in cooler climes.) For best results, you don’t really want air spaces, gaps and pockets between the inside of the jacket and your clothing. That said, be aware that I found the company’s sizing a tad on the small side. I wear an XL or 2XL in many brands, but needed to opt for a 3XL in this particular jacket. Bear that in mind, especially if you’re ordering on-line.
Being a big fan of camouflaged apparel for fishing, I opted for Ridgeline’s “Excape Camo” in the Infinity Jacket. This pattern can best be described as an autumnal “real tree” or “real leaf” style of muted, brownand-tan camouflage. It seems to work well in most settings, very effectively breaking up the wearer’s outline and silhouette — to the point where I sometimes have trouble finding myself in my own GoPro footage when I’m editing YouTube videos! Hopefully, fish will have just as much trouble spotting me.
Speaking of video work, one recurring issue with decent rain jackets that I’ve worn in the past is how incredibly noisy they can be. Moving in them — especially casting — creates a constant rustling and hissing that can be extremely annoying, especially on a video soundtrack. While not exactly silent, the Infinity is much quieter than anything in this category I’ve experienced before. I guess that’s what you’d expect from a company that caters first and foremost to serious hunters. You’re always going to struggle to get within range of that trophy sambar deer if you’re crinkling, rustling and crackling like someone crunching on potato chips in a deathly silent cinema!
The Ridgeline Infinity is also superefficient at cutting wind, and very good at keeping the rain out. Will you eventually get some water inside it if you keep fishing through a sustained, torrential downpour? The answer is yes. I’m yet to find any garment (especially a breathable one) that’s 100 per cent effective in this regard. Tiny trickles eventually make it in through cuffs and collars, despite having the hood up. But I’ve been able to fish longer and with greater comfort — even in horizontal, wind-driven rain — in this jacket than anything comparable I’ve tried in the past. The only thing that matches it is my Simms Challenger Jacket (another awesome piece of kit), and that one’s quite a bit more expensive than the Ridgeline Infinity.
The Infinity jacket sits somewhere in the middle of the price range for technical, high-performance, breathable jackets of this ilk. However, the good news is that with the number of retailers now selling Ridgeline, there are definitely deals to be had, so it pays to shop around. Or keep your eyes on: www.ridgelineclothing.com.au for more information.
Owning and using the right clothing has changed my fishing in recent years, giving me much more time on the water, and extending my “season” at both ends until there’s no part of the year when I can’t or won’t fish — anywhere in the country. That’s a big deal for me, and it should be for you, too. Tight Lines.
Let me set the scene. The year was 2015 and I was living and teaching on the Tiwi Islands. Being a ring-in from the south, I spent the best part of my three years up there in awe of the spectacular environment, incredibly beautiful culture and the most mind-blowing fishing I had ever experienced. Naturally, word quickly filtered back home about this piece of Utopia, and it wasn’t long before two of my best mates had their tickets booked, itching to experience what the island had to offer.
With six weeks until their arrival, I began to plot a plan. I eyed off the ‘perfect’ tide to fish on the Saturday in a system that saw less angling pressure than your household bathtub. The plan was set and screaming reels were virtually guaranteed.
With a month until D-Day, anticipation was sky high, but an email on a Monday morning was to change all of that. To my horror, the annual school fete had been announced, and yep, you guessed it, it was booked for that perfect Saturday! The plan was shattered and it looked like the lads would be turning snags rather than casting at them.
Given the whirlwind nature of their trip, we were left to fish a horrendously high tide in the creek closest to home — a scenario that had yielded very little in past attempts. It was about as far away from the ‘ideal’ fishing scenario one could conjure, but with no alternative and a desire to show off my backyard, we launched the boat and I offered the boys the consolation of a nice sunset with the chance of seeing a croc.
As expected, the first half hour proved fruitless and my hopes of a fishing miracle were all but dust. However, what happened next will be etched in our memories for life. Inexplicably, the dormant and uninspiring high-tide creek sprung to life. It was as if Mother Nature felt sorry for us and flicked the switch. All of a sudden there was activity everywhere you looked. Barra began boofing the edges, a school of small trevally and queenfish turned the creek junction into a boiling pot, and golden snapper moved in below them, picking up the pieces from the carnage. For no apparent rhyme or reason the system roared to life and, to this day, that session remains one of the most special I have experienced, both in terms of fishing and time spent with mates.
Looking back on that fateful evening, when conditions were about as far from ideal as one could conjure, I often think about what we would have missed out on if we simply didn’t go. More to the point, I wonder how often we miss out on these golden sessions simply because the tide, moon, wind, swell, barometric pressure or ‘gut feel’ apparently isn’t ‘quite right’. Sure, it’s important we as anglers take note of patterns to increase our chances of finding fish, however I’m of the opinion that perhaps we’re taking things a little too far if our theories and so-called intel’ begin to prevent us from picking up a rod and walking out the door. The purpose of this article is to challenge some perspectives on why we go fishing and give those suffering from Goldilocks syndrome (searching for the just right) a kick up the backside to just get out and go fishing.
You won’t know if you don’t go. The author’s P.B snapper came from an impromptu cast off the stones whilst clearing a New Year’s day headache!
While on face value this is a simple question that warrants no more than a three word response (to catch fish), if you pause and think about it for a while, I don’t mind betting that a myriad of other reasons float into your conscience. Yes, we all love catching fish, and it’s great to do everything within our power to do so. However, if this is our single purpose for wetting a line, we can open ourselves to disappointment or worse, reduce our time on the water as we wait for that perfect scenario and thus miss out on the additional benefits our pastime has to offer. From time to time it’s worth adjusting expectations and broadening our perspective – dare I say it, but there’s more to life than catching fish!
In addition to that magic night in a Top End creek, I can credit countless life highlights to a day on the water. Whether it be putting someone onto their first fish, sharing magical environments with those who don’t regularly frequent the outdoors, or splitting at the seams with laughter at the inevitable mishaps that go hand in hand with fishing, there’s rarely a dull moment when a rod and reel is involved. These moments simply would not happen if we opted to stay on the couch and stare at a screen.
A year or so ago, my dad and I bit the bullet and purchased a small boat together. Since then, the family has had some memorable successes, our fair share of fish-lean days and some moments that have etched their way into family folklore including a mysterious tale of a man-over-board, his missing shorts and a mortified brother in law…! Fishing aside however, it’s provided a vessel (no pun intended) for the family to spend some time together away from the busyness of life on land. While somewhat simple in nature, we can’t undervalue these times and they’re something I’ll always appreciate and remember for years to come. Be it on a boat, a beach, a riverbank or impoundment, fishing has a knack of creating special moments with our nearest and dearest. The question is, are we capitalising on these opportunities as frequently as we can and, perhaps more to the point, what are we missing out on when we opt for an afternoon in front of the idiot box?
Fishing has a knack of creating some pretty special moments with your nearest and dearest.
It’s hard these days to open a paper, watch a news bulletin or engage in a conversation without some mention of mental health. While I certainly cannot, and will not, claim to be an expert in this field, there’s no doubt that mental wellbeing is becoming a more prominent focus in our society, and that all human beings experience periods of anxiety, stress, fear or low mood to varying degrees. We all know that there’s no magic fix to these challenges and the importance of seeking professional support simply cannot be understated in times of struggle. However, there are countless evidence-based resources that highlight some helpful and simple strategies we can all engage with in an effort to enhance our self-care. Pleasingly, many of these can be linked to the simple act of wetting a line.
Firstly,
As stated by Beyond Blue (2022) “Regular physical activity is great for mental wellbeing and can help prevent or manage mild anxiety and depression”. While going for a run is great for some, I quite like the option of picking up a flick stick and a backpack full or lures and walking the flats, a riverbank or a surf beach in the hope of finding a fish. I’m sure I speak for most when I say that our enthusiasm for fishing means we can get carried away and cover more kilometres than initially planned, and certainly more than if we were cutting laps of the block! Further to this, the concept of mindfulness has come
to the fore in recent times. For the uninitiated, mindfulness is “a mental state where you focus on the present, without judging or being distracted” (health direct, 2022). Again, I feel that being completely locked into the present often goes hand in hand with fishing. In fact, I’d argue that being a keen angler means you are astutely tuned in to the present when on the water, paying attention to the situation at hand with regard to wind, tide, current, activity of baitfish or even the way your lure or bait is presented in the water. No, being mindful does not make one’s challenges disappear, however it does provide some separation and respite from an otherwise persistent thought loop or feeling.
There really is so much more to fishing than catching a fish. Attenborough moments are a regular occurrence for those who make the effort to get outdoors.
Moreover, it would be remiss of me not to acknowledge the role that natural environments play on wellbeing and, when it comes to fishing, we’re blessed with some of the best! While coming home with an empty bucket is something we all experience from time to time, 99 per cent of our fishing exploits occur in beautiful surrounds. Associate Researcher of Health, Nature and Sustainability, Doctor Rona Weerasururiya of Deakin University, states that “Simply escaping out into nature provides the freedom, relaxation and physical activity which is needed and known to have a positive impact on mental states”. There’s undeniably a simple joy and state of calm when immersed in natural environments, and those who commit to a session on the water are often treated to sites that others only see on a David Attenborough documentary.
A moment of calm after a week at the grind.
If you’re not yet convinced that there’s more to our game than donging a few fish, it’s time to talk physical health. While we’ve already explored exercise and its link with positive states of mind, you don’t have to be a Rhodes Scholar to understand that getting moving is a key pillar in maintaining a healthy physical state. Of course, we all know that exercise is linked with weight control, which is terrific, but the countless other benefits tend to get less air time.
Getting off our backsides is strongly linked with a reduced risk of Type 2 Diabetes, decreased blood cholesterol, a lower heart rate, greater muscle and bone strength and a reduced risk of falls, just to name a few (Department of Health and Human Services, 2007). The Department of Health and Aged Care (2021) outlines that adults between the ages of 18 and 64 should be active most days, preferably every day, and complete 2.5 – 5 hours of moderate physical activity each week. Again, in many cases, fishing can be the perfect excuse to get out of the house and get moving.
Kayaking is a great way to catch some incidental exercise – and some nice fish too!
Be it trolling in a kayak for Murray Cod, traipsing through the scrub and over boulders in search of that untouched trout stream, or marching through soft sand pinging lures to the end of the earth, it’s pretty easy to incorporate some moderate physical activity that meets the recommendations from the health gurus. While there’s always a chance you’ll return with an empty catch bag, at least you can scratch out exercise from the ‘to do’ list! It’s rare for a fishing venture to be a waste of time.
While the emergence of social media has been hugely helpful for fishos on so many different levels, I can’t help but worry that it’s also breading a certain type of angler who wants to guarantee their catch, even before they’ve left their keyboard! As you wade through the comments on various forums and fishing groups, it’s not uncommon to read questions such as, should I go fishing this evening even though it’s a new moon? Am I wasting my time fishing for… during the day? Should I stay at home today because it’s a dodge tide? While, of course, there are patterns, trends and likely peak times for fish activity, being so fixated on ‘the rules’ often leads to people thinking about why they shouldn’t go fishing rather than why they should. Further to the point, by the time reports reach the screens of social media platforms, the action can be done and dusted, so perhaps it’s worth aiming for the ‘trend setter’ status rather than the ‘follower’!
A fond memory that highlights this point is from 2017. My brothers and I, who at the time lived interstate from one another, descended on our beloved Top End to spend a day on the mighty Mary River system, with dreams of locking horns with a big barra. While our enthusiasm was overflowing, deep down we knew that the middle of July is hardly ‘prime time’ to chase big barra in the mouths of the major rivers.
Not to be deterred, we hitched the boat and headed for the Arnhem Highway. For a number of hours we trolled the famous river mouth, through dirty and relatively cold water, with few other boats in sight. All signs were pointing to a doughnut trip. However, just as we were ready to pack it in, another life-highlight transpired. Seemingly from nowhere, my oldest brother Max sprang to life as his hardbody was stopped dead in its tracks. 30-odd metres behind the boat the water erupted, and the bucket-mouthed headshake immediately confirmed that we’d hooked what we had come for. After a spirited tussle and some nervous moments with a net that would be better suited to catching butterflies, we had our bounty in the boat. The moments after the grand capture were simply priceless, and I regularly find myself day-dreaming back to that scene, of three brothers, a boat and a beautiful big barra. I shudder to think what we would have missed out on if we opted for a stroll down Mitchell Street instead.
It pays to be opportunistic. A quick flick whilst watching the sun come up resulted in dinner on this particular morning.
While I think that a swift kick up the backdoor is likely the best way to get us out of the house and onto the water, the reality is that, for most, life is busy and it can be challenging to find time. With this the case, it’s worth considering how one can become more opportunistic to increase their fishing ventures. One simple approach is to have a ‘grab and go’ option ready in the shed, or even permanently hidden in the back of the car, that can get you fishing in a range of scenarios in your local area. By having this option, you can simply commit, before the inconvenience of preparation and organisation changes your mind.
Let’s take my situation of residing 20 minutes south of the Adelaide CBD as an example. I know that in no more than a 25-minute drive I can get to a number of jetties, a stocked reservoir, a mid-sized river system and some rock platforms. As a result, I’ve got a wide variety of target species on my doorstep, and nearly all can be tamed with a single spin setup, a box of lures and a few other odds and ends. I opt for a 7ft light spin stick and a 2500 size spin reel spooled with 10lb braid. A selection of lures, including small metals, squid jags, soft plastics, some crank baits of different sizes and depths and of course a few top-water offerings keeps me out of trouble.
Packed in with these items are two spools of leader that I can change, depending on the target species and terrain, as well as some pliers. While on the light side, it’s a set-up that rarely lets me down and allows me to target Murray cod in the local reservoir (that contains very little structure), squid off the rocks and jetties, salmon along the beaches, as well as bream, flathead and school mulloway in the river system. Having this option so readily at hand really can open up your opportunities for a fish and, given the simplicity of it all, it doesn’t matter if you’re only fishing for a half hour or so. As indicated above, a few casts are better than none at all!
While I absolutely recognise that time is a limited commodity (and perhaps leave passes more so), I think we’ve all been guilty of putting off a fishing session simply because the situation wasn’t ‘just right’. While life is certainly a balancing act, the many additional benefits that fishing can provide should be factored in when sitting on the fence of a ‘go or no’ decision. Empty buckets are a reality at times even for the best of anglers, so it’s worth coming to peace with this and enjoying the more holistic experience of wetting a line. The only way to guarantee you won’t catch a fish is to stay on the couch, and remember that life is short –no one remembers their best day scrolling Facebook!
Disclaimer: This article was written and released solely for information purposes. It is not a substitute for professional medical services and should not be relied on for personal medical advice.
Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care (2022) For adults (18 to 64 years), Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care. Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care. Available at: https://www.health. gov.au/topics/physical-activity-and-exercise/physical-activity-and-exercise-guidelinesfor-all-australians/for-adults-18-to-64-years (Accessed: February 5, 2023).
Benefits of #Greendesking (no date) The Nature Conservancy Australia. Available at: https://www.natureaustralia.org.au/get-involved/ take-action/greendesking/ (Accessed: February 5, 2023).
Department of Health & Human Services (2007) Physical activity - it’s important, Better Health Channel. Department of Health & Human Services, Victorian State Government. Available at: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/physical-activityits-important#benefits-of-regular-physical-activity (Accessed: January 30, 2023).
Exercise (no date) Anxiety, depression and suicide prevention support - Beyond Blue. Beyond Blue. Available at: https://www.beyondblue.org. au/personal-best/topics/exercise (Accessed: January 29, 2023).
Mindfulness (no date) healthdirect. Healthdirect Australia. Available at: https:// www.healthdirect.gov.au/mindfulness (Accessed: January 29, 2023).
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KELSI REVEALS THE SECRETS TO THE DYING ART OF BAIT FISHING FOR ONE OF THE COUNTRY’S TRULY ICONIC SPECIES.
As the sun peeks over the horizon and the fog descends over the river, I’m rolling out of the swag at sparrow’s fart. Pretty soon the two stroke roars to life, gliding us towards a deep bank lined with tea tree, rocks and more laid-down timber than the Bunnings Trade Centre.
The crab tin rustles as I fumble around to secure the perfect crustacean, which is then delicately cast within a foot of the bank. Drag loosened and before I can say “the trap is set”, the line begins cruising off into the morning light as the reel sings every angler’s favorite tune. WHACK! The hook is pinned and the carnage begins as a 40cm-plus black bream is on a rampage diving, weaving and making its way towards the bank, looking for anything and everything to bury itself in. Even with a tight drag these big fish can be unstoppable, and once mine is in the net, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief and gaze at my bronze prize on deck. Hooking big black bream on a perfectly presented fresh bait is a method slowly being left in the wake of those shiny lures we anglers collect like bowerbirds.
Since my father could walk, he had a burning passion for catching big bream on fresh baits. Fast forward 50 years and the old master is still catching these blue-nose brawlers, and has well and truly passed this passion on to myself. For 30 years I’ve had the privilege of not only fishing beside him, but also learning his craft. With fresh baits still fooling these fickle brutes, I’m going to blow the lid on some of my Mr. Miyagi’s secrets for targeting saddle worthy southern black bream on baits.
With deep body, elegant bronzed flanks and barnacle crushing teeth concealed by a set of famous blue lips,the black bream (Acanthopagrus Butcheri) is an angler’s staple, from Western Australia to New South Wales (including Tasmania). Anglers for generations have cut their teeth fishing the estuaries for these fickle fish, perfecting the basics of bait collecting, rigging, and angling techniques.
Accessible to anglers whether it be by land, kayak or boat, you don’t need the all the bells and whistles to get into some brute bream, just a smart approach. In the early 2000s the soft plastics lure scene exploded, with tournaments and lures being dedicated to this Aussie favorite. Due to this current trend, many traditional bait fishing techniques are being forgotten. Something that is looked upon as being so simple can be every part as technical as presenting a lure and can fool the biggest of bream.
As the months start to cool, large podworm munching bream inundate the Glenelg river mouth.
Fresh bait local to the habitat is crucial when looking to fool these fickle fish, but where do we start looking for this bream candy? Riverbanks, weed beds and estuary flats are all prime areas that provide anglers with information they need to get an insight of what these fish are hunting in each area. The banks lined with holes below the reeds give a fair indication that crabs inhabit the muddy flats, with fish coming into the shallows to actively munch these crustaceans. The same can be said for rock-lined banks that are the perfect area to do a bit of “rock tipping”, which should see these feisty side steppers scatter in all directions. Speed is required here to snatch them up for the bait bucket.
When tipping rocks, please remember to flip them back, as other creatures also use them for cover. When it comes to big bream baits, the hardy crab is the king, especially in a system loaded with small pickers. These baits account for 90 per cent of big bream in the upper reaches.
Lower down our estuary systems, weed patches and beds become abundant with hungry bream moving in stealth around these flats areas. Using a fine mesh landing net or bait trap can produce a diverse smorgasbord of shrimp, gudgeon and spindly spider crabs. All are dynamite baits that call the weed beds home and can turn a session from famine to feast quickly. On any given day these fish can be fixated on one of these offerings and turning their tails on anything less.
The sand flats are my favorite location to fish, especially under the cover of darkness. When collecting fresh bait, the old tried and tested bait pump will be the best investment an angler can make. How many times have we walked an estuary flat and seen strange holes or mounds home to an unidentified marine creature and gone “I wonder what lives in there?”. Some weird and wonderful creatures can be unearthed, from clams and clickers to what I profess is the ultimate bream bait, the alien looking worm we affectionately call “poddies”.
A fine mesh bait sieve is needed to pump them into, preferably a floating one, as sometimes the best worms can be in deeper water. After collection they can be placed into a bucket, trying to remove as much sand, water, and debris as possible with a damp
Chasing bream on the sand is a unique experience.
towel placed over the bucket in the shade. It’s crucial to check and drain the water regularly before and during use, otherwise when it’s time use these baits, you will find your bucket has turned into a mushy Pod worm soup, which smells less than appetising.
A
Poddies are a marine worm that can be found in abundance on estuary flats given the right conditions. These are very delicate and do not keep well so they should be collected at low tide and used the same day.
Don’t forget to check with your local fisheries if there are any restrictions on bait collecting.
When it comes to fooling a 20-year-old- plus fish, that can be as fussy as a toddler with a Brussels sprout, the presentation of your bait needs to be perfect. Many beginner and experienced anglers can collect the fresh prime baits, but stumble at the last hurdle by casting a poorly presented offering. As humans we eat with our eyes, and black bream on fussy days will turn their tails at the slightest hint that something isn’t right.
When explaining to other anglers some of the lengths we go to with our bait presentation, it is usually greeted with a raised eyebrow and a chuckle of disbelief. However, when you sit next to someone in a boat who is creaming one big fish after another and you’re struggling to get a sniff, the non-believers are converted very quickly.
The most technical is the crab generally being a favorite of the bigger fish we love to target. Over the years I have seen these crustaceans presented in a range of different ways, and it seems every angler has their own way of going about it. Between all methods there has always been one common factor — the shank of the hook is uncovered, sticking out like a deformed metal leg, and if using a red or shiny silver hook, it’s a red flag for a curious bream. Taking a leg off and threading it on the shank covers the whole hook, which, followed by cracking the shell at the eye to release the scent of the crab, is a trap that the big girls cannot resist. With all shellfish for bream, whether it be a crab or freshwater yabbies, cracking the shell at the head and releasing the scent is so simple, yet can make a huge difference to your catch rate and turn the tides on tough days.
With softer, delicate presentations a finesse approach is required. Prawns are such a popular bait for bream and are best just threaded around the hook with the point in the head. When bites are tough to come by, removing the head and peeling the tail can see fish happily inhale these offerings, and on days like this you can see why the term “fussy” is used a lot in relation to black bream. Pod worms are not only one of the most effective baits, but also the easiest to rig up. A range of hook sizes can be used, from size 6-3/0, with the bigger hooks requiring more to really load. However, the beauty is that a simple piece just fitting around the shank like a “J” can be more than enough, particularly in winter when the water is dirty and the fish are schooled.
When it comes to terminals, a range of suicide hooks from 1/0-3/0 are ideal. The Mustad octopus is my brand of choice, as they are super sharp and have a thicker gauge as the hook needs to be set hard due to bream having bony jaws. For fishing smaller baits such as Pod worms, a smaller size 6-4 bait holder will get the job done, and once again Mustad bait holders are my hook of choice. Hook colour is something rarely considered when bait fishing, but with bream it does make a difference. Over the years I have found dark or black colours and bronze to be the pick of the bunch, while red and silver are to be avoided, as they are very unnatural and the silver reflects light.
Baiting black bream is a simple affair when it comes to tackle
Talking to other anglers over the years while working in a tackle shop, one thing I have found is that many anglers over-complicate the rigs and set-ups used for various species. For bream and most species, just a pea sized running sinker straight to the hook is all that is needed. Tying only one knot gives us direct contact with the fish and in snag abundant country, which is basically ‘hook up now, figure out how to get it out later’. I can palm the drag and use the full stretch of the mono to muscle and guide it out where a smaller leader won’t provide as much stretch.
As you probably gathered from the previous statement, when bait fishing for bream, good old-fashioned mono line is the best tool for this job. In recent years I have experimented with braid and a length of fluorocarbon leader, but switched back to our traditional mono ways. In heavy structure the drag couldn’t be locked up as tightly and the fluorocarbon just wasn’t providing enough stretch to really muscle and turn the heads of the big fish.
Strangely, the bite and catch rate on big fish went down, not to mention it was an absolute pain in the backside when you got snagged and had to tie a new leader! Maxima Chameleon is the bees knees. The quality is excellent, it offers high abrasion resistance, plenty of stretch and the Chameleon colour just seems to disappear in whatever water colour you are fishing. This can really enhance your catch rate and, compared to lure fishing where “going light gets the bite”, when bait fishing with mono, 12lb is the average size used. This might be looked at as too heavy, but when you set that hook hard, fishing with bait is like awakening a demon, and for reasons unknown, it can be mind-blowing how wild the fight from a humble old bream can be.
Rod and reels are simple for this style of fishing. No matter what your budget, if the reel is reliable and has a smooth drag, happy days lie ahead. As far as rod size goes, generally 7ft graphite in sizes 2-4kg or 3-5kg will suit. The rod isn’t as important as in lure fishing though, where different tapers and tip styles are needed to impart lure action. What I’ve found best is something with a stiffer tip and a decent bit of strength in the backbone rather than a spaghetti stick.
mustad octopus hooks are ultra sharp and robust perfect for those tough jaws.
Reel size can be a tricky one. Bream aren’t going to run far, but rather run a few metres and bury you in everything they can find. Reels between 30004000 are a must if bream fishing in waters such as the Glenelg River, just in case a jewie decides to take your bream bait. In other waterways where the grey ghosts are absent, you can downsize to 2500 size comfortably.
By-catch is not something I have touched on, but in rivers such as the Glenelg there is a healthy population of mulloway ranging from your small 40cm soapies up to 40lb.
Bream can be targeted year-round, but with a change of seasons there is a change of habits. In the summer fish can be found cruising mud flats and will be found along the edges hunting for a variety of the prey mentioned. Early morning and dusk are the prime times for targeting bigger fish and getting away from the small pickers, which can be prolific once the sun becomes high.
Once the water beings to cool in Autumn and going into winter, the fish behavior changes. Autumn in the south-west is big bream time, as before schooling up and beginning the spawn, the big fish seem eager to feed and gain as much condition as possible. This time of year can see them being found in a range of areas, from the edges and flats to the deeper water. Depending on water temperature, they may already be beginning to school.
Baiting Black Bream
...and it’s smiles all around when the plan comes together.
In the cold depths of winter these fish can be notoriously temperamental, with their feeding habits being like a hot and cold tap. The fish have schooled and the sounder can be maddening to look at as fish upon fish will be stacked on top of each other in what seems like the motherlode of bream has been found. If fishing a school and the bites are not coming, move, as these fish are not feeding and may as well have padlocks on their jaws.
In winter the bream will be found schooling in the middle of the river, sitting in the saltwater wedge pushing up river while the dirty brown fresh water runs on top. While the odd fish can be caught along the edges, it’s best to pelt out into the wedge as wintertime sees the pod worm shine! This is prime for these stinky little worms and lower down the estuary, even on tough days, you will still manage a few fish. When one of those schools briefly turns on, it will be fast and furious, with the rods going off usually one after the other from left to right, depending which way the school is coming from.
Emerging from the depths of winter into spring can be unpredictable, with many variants such as temperature and flood water all playing a part. The fish are still schooled, but can be found moving further upstream and it’s worth using a range of techniques to find what suits on the day and move around until feeding fish can be located.
The days of relaxing with a cold beverage and soaking a quality bait waiting for a trophy black bream are far from gone. With this method still proving effective, it should be in every bream fisho’s skill set. For the younger anglers the bait apprenticeship has so much to offer, from knot tying, bait catching, baiting hooks and the basics of hooking and fighting these fish. With bream being so accessible all over the coast of the southern states, chuck in a bait pump, cross over to the dark side and give baiting bream a go. You might be surprised with the results and even be converted when a big, crab-crunching, bronzed bream takes off with your offering and leaves your reel screaming.
FOR NEARLY FOUR DECADES, PREDATOR LURES HAVE BEEN AN AUSTRALIAN ICON WHEN IT COMES TO COD FISHING. STARLO CHATS WITH THE CREATOR...
Since retiring six years ago from his life-long career as an electrical linesman, David Brauman has been able to invest much more time and energy into his greatest passion: lure making.
For Dave, making lures began out of economic necessity. Paying off a hefty mortgage in the mid-1980s — especially with the high interest rates of the day — didn’t leave a lot of disposable income to spend on fishing gear. If he wanted to own a collection of decent diving lures to chase Murray cod, golden perch, trout and various other species, Dave realised he’d have to make them himself.
A selection of 75mm & 90mm diving lures.
Brauman’s early creations worked, and he soon had mates and acquaintances asking if they could buy some of his productive 75 and 90mm plugs… and so it began. Although, in reality, it had all started much earlier than that — way back at the beginning of the 1960s, in fact, with a five-year old David casting Celtas and Mitchell spinners for trout in Middle Creek, near the Victorian town of Wangaratta. This little stream ran right past the Brauman’s family home in Greta South, and young David was able to fish there safely under the watchful eye of his Mum. Later, he set out on his own or with mates for longer and longer forays into the bush, camping and fishing — something he still loves to do today, 60 years later.
While Dave started with timber — red cedar, to be specific — he soon branched into plastic, as well as various metal lures such as spinnerbaits and bladed jigs (chatterbaits). But he still loves working with wood, and has recently re-introduced some timer bodies into his growing line-up of Predator Lures, in the form of some deadly surface models.
75mm
I asked Dave to list some of his proudest achievements in lure making, and he had no hesitation in nominating his ability to keep Predator onshore, as a wholly Australian-based operation. “With the exception of a few components, I’ve managed to keep Predators completely Australianmade,” he told me. “To me, that’s something to be proud of.”
Dave admits that there can be a lot of work taking a new lure from concept to fruition, and especially in getting a plastic lure to swim as well as its original timber prototype. “I first made that change back in about 1990,” he explained. “But it took at least 18 months to get the plastic lures swimming as well as the wooden lures.”
These days, the Predator Lures’ line-up includes 75 and 90mm divers that each come in an impressive range of colours, as well as three sizes of surface lure (150, 190 and 215mm), two weights of spinnerbait (1/2 ounce and one ounce) and a 5/8 ounce “Hummer” or bladed jig.
“I sometimes also do different, additional colours in the divers and surface lures,” Dave explained, “but these are generally only sold via my website, at least until they become really popular.”
I was particularly keen to hear David’s advice to others who might be considering getting into lure making: either as a hobby or, potentially, as a business.
“I love to see people having a go,” Brauman told me. “However, if you expect to make a business out of it, you’ll need two attributes in spades: passion and drive. Plus lots of hard work, of course. Otherwise, keep it as a hobby.” That seems like very sound advice to me!
David spends countless hours in the painting booth making sure all his lures are superbly finished.
“Once you have a lure shape and action that works, it’s decision time,” Dave continued. “What materials and methods should you use? Timber could be cheaper in the short term, depending on how many you make, but it’s a lot of work — sanding, sealing and so on. Luckily, there are some good lure makers out there now who specialise in cutting wooden lures and will cut and shape other people’s lures for them. That’s worth investigating. Or you can go down the plastic injection path, but that can be initially very expensive.
“Once you’re set up properly, making lures can actually flow pretty easily,” he continued. “However, there are some especially busy times of year and, unfortunately, that’s when I like to do be out there doing things, like fishing and camping! So, sometimes it’s hard for me to find a good balance. I also find it frustrating getting hold of lure components in a timely manner, especially in this age of continual supply chain issues. It can take up to two months on occasions for vital components to arrive. That’s extremely frustrating.”
On a more positive note, David spoke enthusiastically about the much-improved level of communication and co-operation between lure makers these days, and the wealth of knowledge now freely available, on-line and elsewhere.
“When I first started, back in 1985, not many lure makers communicated with each other,” Dave told me. “So, it was very hard to get information on basically anything. Nowadays, you can get almost any information required from the internet about how to make lures, and most lure makers do speak to each other, too. I’ve met a lot of good people along the way and made many great friendships. My wife Jan has also been a fantastic help through this journey.”
One of the first 190mm Paddlers made.
That five year old lad intently flicking a Celta into Middle Creek as his Mum watched from the kitchen window has certainly enjoyed a full and rewarding life as an angler, and for almost 40 years now, he’s also been providing his fellow fishers with beautiful, Aussie-made lures that have a proven reputation for catching all manner of species in both fresh and salt water. You could even say (with apologies to Glen Campbell and Jimmy Webb) that the Wangaratta lineman is still on the line… but these days it’s a fishing line! Long may Dave Brauman continue doing what he does so well.
Ben with a beautiful Murray River trolled Yellow Belly.
Brauman’s Predator Lures are stocked by a growing number of tackle shops these days, and David urges all his customers to support their local businesses by buying from these stores if they possibly can, but otherwise you can order lures from him directly by going to www.predatorlures.com.au, or emailing Dave at predatorluresaustralia@gmail.com
Why tie flies? The reasons can be numerous. In my case I had tied flies for many years, but when I started to enter competitions, the need to be able to tie flies myself became more of a priority. Whatever your reason for taking up fly tying, it pays to research and plan a little.
Following is a list of equipment and materials; you don’t need everything to start, but some things are essential items.
By far the most important purchase you make is a tying vice. Prices vary, as do quality and features. The purpose of a vice is to hold the hook while you tie the fly, so the jaws must be able to hold the hook securely. There is nothing more frustrating than having a hook move when you’re pulling a thread tight, or a hook popping out of the jaws just as you’re about to finish the fly, ruining your work.
Consider the types of flies you plan or may tie, can the jaws accommodate the sizes of hooks you will use? Jaw action (lever, screw tightening or spring action) also is significant, and is portability important to you? Do you plan to take your vice on trips?
Do you need a pedestal or a C-clamp (or perhaps you need both), and does your vice need to be rotary or stationary (the only real advantage to a stationary is they are generally cheaper)? There are right and left handed versions to choose from, and are there accessories and spare parts available? Can the jaws be replaced?
As far as price goes, generally you get what you pay for. Opting for a cheaper vice because you are unsure if fly tying will be for you can be a false economy. If you don’t continue with fly tying, it may leave you with a vice with little resale value. If you continue of your journey in fly tying, you will probably need to buy another vice. It is very much a matter of personal choice, but I would always opt for a rotary vice; the advantages it offers far outweigh the additional cost.
Probably the most essential part of the fly tyer’s kit is the vice. It’s worth doing some research to find a model that best suits your needs.
At this stage you might not really know what you need, so do some research before you buy anything. What are the limitations of the various models? Ask fellow fishers (preferably those who tie flies). Check reviews, and don’t just look at one opinion. Look at fly tying videos, as they are a great way of seeing a variety of vices and how they are used, as well as gaining valuable fly tying knowledge, tips and tricks.
Many will argue that scissors are the most important piece of fly tying equipment. I would agree with this statement and always buy the best, but as a vice is going to cost considerably more than a pair of scissors, I put the vice first in my list. Number one rule is don’t buy cheap stuff. Fly tying scissors are generally made specifically for the job. They should be fine and sharp enough to cut without pulling on materials. Ensure the points are sharp and meet properly.
The only thing better than a good pair of scissors is two pairs of scissors. Use your second pair for cutting tougher materials. Never use the finer bladed scissors for cutting wire or tinsel, as you will quickly blunt the edge and ruin them. Most tyers tend to demote scissors as they get old and worn, using them to cut wire and other tough materials and always keeping the newest and best for the finer work. Many tyers use a scalpel or craft knife to cut thread and some modern threads need to be cut with such knives, but more of this later. Let’s keep to the basics.
The designs of bobbins are countless, as is the price. To start with, a simple basic bobbin will suffice, preferably ceramic lined, as this will help safeguard against thread breakages. This shouldn’t break the bank and will certainly help stop the frustration of a broken thread when in the middle of a pattern. Consider a bobbin threader to save time and patience when threading the bobbin. These are relatively inexpensive and often come with the half hitch tool at the other end; two tools for the price of one. How good is that!
Lead wire can be used to add a little more weight to you fly if required. Coloured wire and tinsel are ideal for creating ribs.
This versatile tool does numerous jobs, such as teasing dubbing to give the perfect ‘buggy’ look to your nymph, splitting thread to add feathers or dubbing to spin-up, or applying precise amounts of glue or varnish with accuracy. You will find so many uses for a dubbing needle, that often you end up with several. There are many designs commercially available, and again some include a half hitch tool at the other end. You can even make your own using a darning needle and a cork by simply gluing the eye end of the needle into the cork.
This is used to spin dubbing loops containing feather or fur to make dubbing threads or hackle collars. Generally, a dubbing twister has two hooks to hold the thread loop and a weight at the bottom, which is spun to twist the threads. There are numerous uses for dubbing loops, which we will cover in more detail in the future. For now, it’s probably sufficient to understand the basic use and research the numerous designs available.
The finishing of a fly requires the thread to be secured so it doesn’t unravel. Many tyers do this using their fingers, either as a whip finish or using several half hitches. There are tools to perform each of these finishes, and in the case of whip finishes, there are numerous different designs.
This is used to align the tips of hair such as deer hair, bucktail and the like. The hair is placed in the stacker, tips first, and the tool is tapped on a hard surface. The tips of the hair should fall to the same level, producing a bunch of hairs to use for wings, tails and the like.
These are handy to securely hold a hackle to enable winding the hackle around the hook. Hackle pliers can also be used to hold and wind other body materials. There are various designs available, but choose one that has smooth jaws that won’t damage or break the delicate hackle stem, and ensure the spung arms are strong enough to hold the material, but not so strong that they are difficult to operate.
A good light will make the whole process less tiring for your eyes and provide good vision for the task. Many options are available from various craft or needlework shops. Some have the addition of a magnifier to further assist those needing a bit more help.
There are several other handy bits and pieces, including Velcro, toothbrush and other small brushes to brush out dubbing. Tweezers are useful to pick up and hold small things such as hooks and beads. Fine tipped pliers for flattening barbs on hooks also are handy.
The following is a brief overview of some of the materials used in fly tying. More details will follow in future articles. Don’t think you have to buy everything at once. Start small, pick one or two fly patterns and get materials to tie. As you expand the patterns you tie, expand the materials you have to suit.
The range of hooks available is almost endless. Try to keep things simple to begin with. Hooks are categorised as barbed or barbless. Within these categories, there are hooks designed for lots of different applications. Dry fly, wet fly, nymph and streamer hooks are the main types, and there are other types for specialised applications.
These can be made of different materials, including glass, plastic, brass and tungsten. Some are used to add colour or sparkle to the fly, while others are used to add colour and weight. While most are round, there are some coneshaped or dumbbell-shaped versions too.
All sorts of feathers from all sorts of birds are used throughout fly tying.
Wing quills are sourced from ducks, geese and turkeys, and are used on wet, dry and nymph flies. Biots found on the short side of a primary feather, generally from goose or turkey wing quill, can be used to form bodies, tails or legs of nymphs.
A variety of feathers offers endless possibilities for tying flies.
The world of hackles has changed over the years, and now the quality and range of colours available provide the tyer with endless possibilities. Available as either capes or saddles and from either cocks or hens, they can be used for either wet or dry flies as hackles or tails.
Marabou is a soft, fluffy feather originally that came from the marabou stork, but now it is obtained from turkeys. The soft fibres are the basis of many streamer patterns and provide movement to imitate, amongst other things, bait fish or leeches.
It is available in a multitude of colours and can be found in craft or needlework shops, as well as from fly tying shops.
The partridge is the most available source of gamebird feathers, which are used for hackles, legs and wing cases. Partridge is one of the most useful feathers in fly tying. However, feathers from quail, pheasant, grouse, woodcock and most other gamebirds will give wonderfully speckled feathers. Feathers from starlings and the like are also useful.
When the fibres of the feathers from a pheasant tail are wound on a hook to make a nymph or dry fly body, the result shows just how important these feathers are to a fly tyer. Pheasant tail nymphs form the basis of most river anglers’ nymph boxes. Used as tails and wing cases, pheasant tail is truly a staple to any fly tyers’ arsenal.
Duck feathers provide materials for wings on many dry and wet flies. The speckles on duck feathers make excellent legs and tails on nymphs. While duck feathers have been replaced by hair and synthetics in many patterns, the markings on a black duck feather make it one of my favourite feathers.
Cul de canard are feathers from a duck and, contrary to popular belief, these feathers come from the back of the duck around the preen-gland. While the feathers are from this very oily area, the feathers you buy are actually cleaned so do not contain the oil. The floating properties of these feathers is attributable to the structure of the feather, which traps pockets of air and not oil. CDC is generally regarded as being used for dry flies, however its use on nymphs and wet flies should not be underestimated. The fine fibres provide wonderful movement under water and are a must on many river nymphs.
Peacock is another staple on the fly tyer’s desk. The herl is used to make bodies of so many patterns, and stripped quills from the eye of the feather provide perfectly segmented body markings for dry flies. Some patterns call for peacock sword feathers from the side of the tail.
There is a vast array of hair and fur used for endless different fly patterns. Various breeds of deer provide different qualities of fur. Animals such as deer, elk, antelope, moose, Arctic fox, calf and squirrel all provide fur from the body and or tails, with a multitude of uses. Many of these are available in both natural and dyed colours. Whether it’s deer hair for a caddis wing or bucktail used for streamers, the world of hair and fur needs a whole article of its own.
Assorted hair and fur can be used for zonkers, wings and so much more.
Whether rabbit, hare, muskrat, possum, or even your pet cat or dog, dubbing holds the key to buggy bodies on your nymphs or the perfectly tapered body of a spinner. The range of synthetic materials only adds to the wonders of dubbing. Blending natural fur and synthetics adds sparkle, even UV properties,
to provide another dimension. The range of colours, from natural to dyes to match any insect, or even to be like nothing on earth, adds to the variations available to the fly tyer.
Vast array of dubbing materials whether natural or synthetic provide the basis of countless bodies.
Threads are used to secure materials to hooks, build neat heads and even bodies of flies. Once upon a time, threads were made of silk, but silk rots. The introduction of manmade threads has provided a longer lasting material with a range of colours and sizes to suit every fly tying need, from the tiniest dry fly to the largest saltwater flies. Thread sizes are measured as denier; threads from 3/0 to 10/0 are generally the most popular sizes, and while the difference between 6/0 and 8/0 may not be absolutely crucial for a particular size of fly or pattern, consideration should be given to the balance between relative strengths and the bulk associated with the thicker threads.
The higher the number, the thinner the thread. More turns with thinner thread will hold materials better than fewer turns with thicker thread. Thinner thread usually means a weaker thread, although some modern threads are significantly stronger, so thinner threads can be used with greater confidence of strength.
Used to wind bodies, floss is thicker than thread and because it absorbs water, it is generally used on wet flies. It can also be used as tails, wings or posts. Wool and yarns can be used in a similar manner to floss. For example, antron yarn is used as the basis of Muz Wilsons BMS, its inclusion providing a unique sparkle to the fly.
Tinsels and wire are used as a rib to reinforce the fly, helping to extend its life by keeping the materials on the hook longer. These materials are also used to add segmentations, sparkle or colour to the fly. Some wires are used to add weight to flies. Copper wire can be used under the dressing to add weight, but usually a lead substitute wire is used, as it is significantly heavier.
Sythetic tinsels provide added flash to tails or ribs.
Synthetic materials, such as krystal flash, flashabou and lite bright, are used to add sparkle to tails and bodies. These materials have several applications, including legs, wings and ribs. The range of these materials is ever expanding as is their uses.
Adding wax to your thread as you tie a fly has a number of effects. The main result is greater grip on materials, meaning more secure tying. Adding wax to a thread helps dubbing stick to it. Wax also adds a certain amount of waterproofing to the thread.
The science of glues and varnishes used in fly tying has changed significantly over the years. We have moved from glues that take several minutes or even hours to dry to super glues that bond in seconds. Resins set by use of UV light are used extensively to secure threads and bond the heads of flies, as well as coating bodies. Varnish is still used by many tyers. Some make their own, while others depend on commercially produced products. Most tyers now use a combination of glues and resins, depending on what they are tying.
In the coming issues, I’ll cover more how tos, tips and tricks to help you on your journey into the wonderful world of tying flies.
Brighter, stronger and packed with technology making the 71322 easier to use for longer
Ultra bright 1000 effective lumens
100 Lumen torch light on top
8 – 16 hours continuous use
IP65 and IK07 dust, water and impact resistant
Intelligent battery status indicator
3 output light modes Low, High, Torch
5.5 hours USB-C charging from empty Pop out 360° swivel hanging hook
2 Heavy-duty mounting magnets
PERFORMANCE HALOGEN GLOBES
Features
l Up to 200% more light on the road*
l Up to 80 metres longer beam
l 20% whiter light*
l ADR approved and street legal
l Suitable for polycarbonate headlamps
l No increase in power consumption or heat
* Compared with standard halogen globe
SPOOLED LOOKS AT WHAT’S NEW IN THE MARKET. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ANY OF THE PRODUCTS, SIMPLY TAP THE BUTTON SHOWN.
The range of TT Fishing Tools have arrived, including 6” and 7” Split Ring Pliers. Designed to make adding or changing split rings and trebles quick and easy, with their ring splitter tip, these quality pliers feature a stainless-steel construction with durable PTFE coating and spring-loaded design for easy one-handed operation.
Other features include serrated grips, two crimping slots, braid and monofilament line cutter, non-slip moulded grips and high visibility yellow colour. More than just a split ring plier, these are a toolbox for rigging and fishing.
Building on the highly popular Grappler range of tackle in the Shimano range is the new dedicated light jigging reel. These reels are a compact 300 size which fits nicely into the palm of your hand which is important when working a jig and keeping control of your line.
Powered by the Micro Module Gear and X-Ship system, the reel offers super smooth winding. By using the aluminium Hagane Body construction, the Grappler remains rigid under load, giving you the confidence to fish it hard. Outputting up to 7kg of drag, this is impressive for a reel of this size and gives you the ability to turn a fish’s head.
A High Gear ratio of 6.2:1 makes it perfect micro jigs of varying styles, but we have also found this versatile enough to fish the bottom with baits in deeper water also. The Grappler also features a specially designed handle that is fitted with a CI4+ power knob for better leverage and control which gives you the advantage when fighting a fish.
The Steez A baitcaster is elevated to another level with the 2023 release of the new Steez A II. It features Hyper Armed Housing, Hyper Tough Clutch, Hyper Double Support and Hyperdrive Digigear to deliver ultimate body and gear strength and refinement.
An aluminium frame combines with Hyper Armed Housing to create a rigid platform, perfect gear meshing, lightness and strength. Hyperdrive Digigear delivers a new age in Steez gearing, with its advanced design resulting in a more powerful retrieve and reduced winding effort required under heavy loads.
Steez A II is kitted out with a 90mm swept handle and larger profile handle knobs, making it perfectly suited to the rigors of Australian use straight out of the box. It’s ideal for most baitcaster situations, and particularly for anglers heading north to tackle barramundi and other estuary species.
The best just got better! Painted HeadlockZ Finesse with a UV pop!
HeadlockZ Finesse jigheads are a favourite for finesse plastics anglers around the country and now you can add another dimension to your presentation with the addition of the HeadlockZ Finesse UV range, available in four colours to compliment or contrast your favourite soft plastics - Bloodworm, Motor Oil, Black and Orange, with a UV reactive finish to attract fish and trigger strikes.
Built on the world’s finest Gamakatsu Japanese black nickel, chemically sharpened hooks for maximum penetration on light lines and light drag settings, TT HeadlockZ Finesse feature a ‘head lock’ keeper to lock your plastic in place and a flat-sided profile for added flash and increased waterflow along the sides of the plastic to maximise tail action.
Shimano Zip Off Fishing Pants provide anglers with a stylish and functional piece of kit for all fishing environments, whether hiking a river, out in a boat, or on the beach. These high quality, durable pants are constructed from a 150gsm poly elastane blended material, and can zip off at the knees to stay cool and lightweight on the water. With independently certified UPF50+ Protection, anglers can fish comfortably during a long day of fishing. With added design features such as water repelling treatment, reinforced pliers pocket, high quality YKK zips and belt loops, the Shimano Outdoor Fishing Pants will be the go-to for anglers for a days fishing. Available in Oatmeal colour and sizes 32-42.
The Tanacom 800 sports a new design, incorporating the motor inside the spool. This gave Daiwa engineers the ability to increase the efficiency of the powerful motor — the same reliable unit that’s been used on Tanacom 1200.
An aluminium body, DOT LCD display, line counter, and power lever feature in the Tanacom 800. It also boasts a 25kg drag, PE6/800m spool capacity, and an aluminium ball knob, making this new model Daiwa’s most efficient deep-water reel ever.
Born of the performance of our renowned THERMO big game bluewater reels, the Sage ENFORCER has been updated and fine-tuned for the power, reliability, and durability needs of the saltwater flats angler. Designed with peak performance in mind, the ENFORCER offers everything the flats angler needs in a reel, whether taming the explosive runs of double-digit Bonefish or putting the brakes on the freight train pull of triple-digit tarpon. Simply put, this is the ultimate saltwater reel for flats and heavy-duty fly-fishing applications.
But battles on the flats are exercises in nuance and chaos, so we’ve beefed up the O-rings and drag plates for added durability, consistency, and reliability. Maximum drag has been increased by 50% over the ENFORCER’s predecessor, the SPECTRUM MAX; you’ll find eight pounds at the arbor in the 7/8 size, 15 pounds in the 9/10 size, and 17 pounds at the arbor in the 11/12 size. For saltwater anglers fishing heavy tippets who don’t want to let fish run continuously—or who care enough about their fingers to avoid palming fast spinning spools—this increased drag allows them to get most out of their reel without sacrificing any metacarpals.
R8 Core is focused on maximum versatility and applies new revolutionary R8 material technology through our forward-thinking lens of what we’re seeing out on the water – where one rod needs to show even greater range. At its core, R8 Core traces a direct lineage to Sage’s multi-application / fast action vision, one shaped by the fishing evolutions happening all around us—from habitats we stalk and waters we frequent, to the flies we fish and the diversity of species we now target. Coming in a range from 3wt to 9wt, with a variety of lengths from 8’6” to 10’0”, there’s sure to be a model to fit the core needs of every freshwater angler.
The Tasmanian Devil Live Skin range of lures takes the colours and designs of this iconic lure to a new level. With state-of-the-art film, the team are able to replicate actual fish patterns off high-resolution images and transpose these onto our world-famous lures. We are excited to introduce the future of the Live Skin range into the Tassie Devil family. Available in 10 Live Skin patterns. Size:13.5grams
Tasmanian Devil lures are a unique Australian product designed for trolling, casting or jigging in fresh and saltwater. The lure action is due to the revolutionary winged technology that causes the lure to swim in an irregular manner, darting and diving, simulating the movement of wounded fish. This pulsating action is transmitted to the rod tip that will show as a “nodding action” that is proof that the lure is swimming correctly. If this rod tip action is not present, either a piece of weed, or a fish is on the hook. All four sizes of the Tasmanian Devil swim in this erratic manner and this is the reason our lures are so effective.
Travelling anglers know the value of quality multi-section rods. Flying around the country to fish usually means toting cumbersome rod tubes, which these days often attract an excess baggage fee. It’s also a gamble that when you open your rod tube, its valuable contents will still be in usable condition!
Multi-piece rods offer an obvious solution to this age-old problem, but it’s an unfortunate fact that most multi-piece sticks simply can’t match the action of traditional rods. The new Jabbers range changes all of this, offering singlepiece actions and strength in multi-section rods. Its Jabbers’ unique ferule system that enables these rods to provide truly amazing performance.
The Jabbers Pleasure Seeker Ultralight is a five-piece spin stick constructed from Toray high-modulus carbon cloth and fitted with Fuji reel seat and Alconite K guides. Weighing in at just 109g, the Pleasure Seeker is designed to work with 1000-1500 size threadlines or baby baitcasters. It’s rated for lines of 1-4kg and lures from 0.4-8g. At 6’9” long, the Pleasure Seeker is ideal for light estuary and freshwater work on species such as bream, whiting, bass and trout.
Ideal for lure trollers, jiggers and casters, Power Pro Depth Hunter braid changes colour from blue to yellow, to green to orange, and has a black mark every five feet. This assists in delivering super accurate lure placement, repeatedly getting multiple lures or jigs back in the strike zone without tangles or snag-ups.
With its open top feature and extremely rugged wear-resistant 1680D construction, the Bluewater Drift Series 3700 Topless Horizontal Tackle Bag delivers the quality and functionality.
They feature an innovative large mouth, open top feature that provides quick and easy access to all your trays. Slide your trays in horizontally with this version of the tackle bag. The integrated tie down Y-Strap will secure your trays in the bag, and in case of stormy weather, these bags are equipped with an integrated rain fly that you can zip up and store away when not in use. With 3 large exterior storage pockets and 4 rubber mesh slip pockets, you’ll have plenty of room to store all your accessories.
It’s also equipped with a plier holster, side pocket line spool feed, and a non-slip, waterproof bottom with integrated drainage grommets. Transporting these tackle bags will be a breeze with the adjustable, removable shoulder strap and the padded top carry handle.
With the capacity to hold up to 5 tackle trays, it’s more than capable of holding all your fishing essentials. The Bluewater 3700 Topless Horizontal Tackle Bag includes 3 matching color Drift Series Tackle Trays.
The new Stradic SW range takes the Stradic family of reels to the next level. Purpose-built for offshore, saltwater fishing, the Stradic SW features some of our top reel technologies found in our top end reels. Drawing upon the Stella SWC, both Infinity Drive and Silent Drive are included which provides improved pinion gear support and less wobble inside the reel translating to more powerful, and smoother, cranking. Improving upon the Stradic FL series, the SW series incorporates all the same water resistance technologies, but also includes X-Shield, an internal structure that helps keep water out and protects the internal gears. Coming in a 5000XG, 6000XG, 8000PG, 10000HG and 14000XG size, the Stradic SW range will be perfect for those looking for a lighter, offshore reel.
Wigston’s Lures have developed the new lead-free Tasmanian Devil lure to satisfy the demands of various countries and waterways around the world that have prohibited lead-based lures. From the naked eye the lure will appear and swim exactly like the original model but at the core is a very sophisticated balance of materials that are more environmentally friendly.
Tasmanian Devil lures are a unique Australian product designed for trolling, casting or jigging in fresh and saltwater. The lure action is due to the revolutionary winged technology that causes the lure to swim in an irregular manner, darting and diving, simulating the movement of wounded fish. This pulsating action is transmitted to the rod tip that will show as a “nodding action” that is proof that the lure is swimming correctly. If this rod tip action is not present, either a piece of weed, or a fish is on the hook. All four sizes of the Tasmanian Devil swim in this erratic manner and this is the reason our lures are so effective.
3 LUCKY ENTRANTS WILL EACH WIN A THREE LURE PACK FROM *Pack includes 1 x 90mm and
TO ENTER PUSH THE BIG RED BUTTON
x 75mm diving lures. Colours will vary from pack to pack.
DESTINATION NELSON
Not Just an Anglers Paradise WATCH YOUR STEP! Being mindful of our environment
COOTACRAFT BOSS - Killin’ It
FEATURE HAINES HUNTER V19C SPECIAL
IN DEEP Jellyfish or Jelly Babies?
Plus much, much more!
John ‘Bear’ Willis
Come gather ‘round people wherever you roam And admit that the waters around you have grown And accept it that soon you’ll be drenched to the bone If your time to you is worth savin’ Then you better start swimmin’ or you’ll sink like a stone For the times, they are a-changin’
- Bob DylanOver 60 years of boating and fishing experience has taught me a few things, including lots I’ve forgotten. We baby boomers were born in the greatest period of world history, and we have certainly born witness to an extraordinary period of change. In fact, more than our memories can store.
It wasn’t until my late high school days that calculators and computers were introduced to our curriculum. Around the same time, both fibreglass and aluminium all but replaced timber, bringing the world of affordable boating to the post WW2 population.
Marine electronics progressed from funny old depth sounders with flashing lights on a rotational “spinner” to expensive paper printed readouts, and eventually to the first of the highly pixelated digital screens in the mid to late 1980s. Radar was the realm of the military and GPS eventually revolutionised navigation, eliminating the need for compass skills and memories of land-based features to line up to find your fishing hot spot, or indeed the way back to the ramp.
Recreational angling has mostly gone from an ethic of kill, kill, kill to a theology of limit your catch, not catch your limit. Tag and release has mostly replaced gaff n grill, with a host of modern products making our fishing method so much more successful.
Meanwhile boating has undergone an unprecedented change from often clumsy inboard shaft drives through to highly developed petrol, diesel, outboard, pod and stern drives and now electric power.
One can argue that hull design has never been bettered ever since the deep-V and multi-hull revolution spawned from the offshore powerboat sector of the 1950s and 1960s, although like all technology it has been refined both successfully and unsuccessfully by a highly varied boating market ever since.
Everything about NSX is designed to bring your fishing adventures closer. Enjoy our fastest-ever Autorouting and next-gen C-MAP® charts. Experience new, intuitive touch screens and simple sonar setup with hints to assist you when you need it. Count on high-resolution imagery from state-of-the-art sonar technology, like FishReveal™, DownScan Imaging™ and SideScan. Add compatibility with a wide range of 1 kW transducers for even more target resolution, and there is nothing between you and your next adventure but open water.
www.simrad-yachting.com/nsx
Our sense of styling has also shifted through many fads. It wasn’t all that long ago that New Zealand’s Stabicraft boats were considered the ugly duckling of the marine world, yet there’s very few that will now criticise these time proven battlewagons, and in fact their current styling and construction is being celebrated by their world-wide popularity. They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery, yet imitation is often detrimental to the innovators! (wink wink)
When the likes of Jeanneau, Beneteau, and Arvor introduced the “trawler” styled upright cabins to the world, many replied, “what are they thinking?” Yamaha had previously introduced island longboat hulls to their now redundant Southwind brand, forcing many to reflect their amazing efficiencies.
Multi-hulls, tunnels, ballast, chine, strakes, Vee, relief, stem, entry and transoms have all transformed into an amazing array of combinations, and construction has followed suit with new materials and technique producing increased strength vs weight ratios in the hulls. Modern synthetics, moulding and production technology have improved structure forming nautical constructions with limitless lifespan.
It’s truly a world of change. The resurgence of the “Old School” brigade is certainly justified in reflecting on the grand designs of yesteryear, especially in the offshore fishing and diving sectors. However, “Euro” design is strong throughout luxury boating with many such craft often portraying striking presentations with minimalist styling overtaking the lavish fit outs of more traditional boating.
Ski and wakeboard boats have taken innovation to extremes with their use of automated ballast, all manner of wave forming apparatus, automated speed controls and remote devices that allow the riders to adjust the wake from their wristbands! That’s not to mention smart hull designs, billet alloy towers and features, thumping marine sound systems and luxurious upholstery.
I still look at many modern designs and think yuck, that’s not attractive–but there’s no rule that says fashion needs to be sensible. Others look at suave and sophisticated craft seeing contemporary beauty, whilst others turn up their noses thinking them gaudy. Beauty is truly in the eyes of the beholder–old or young.
My lifetime in boating has taught me just that the best boat in the world is the one that is keeping you afloat at the time!
The best boat in the world is the one that is keeping you afloat at the time!
WOW, Simply WOW! What more can you say about the Cootacraft Boss? Is this the best looking and most impressive trailerboat in Australia? We think it might be, and so do a large percentage of our followers. John Willis reports.
Cootacraft Boats are built by the equally impressive “Mark—The Mad Russian” and his beautiful lady Melanie Nelson in the wonderful sea, and lakeside community of Mallacoota on the border of Victoria and NSW. They have been setting new standards in the tough, offshore legend’s market for well over a decade and continue their massive drive into big seafaring rigs—and ones that go very fast at that!
If you want one, you had best try some sweet talking as they are so popular that Mark has stopped taking orders whilst he catches up with the years of orders already on the books. He originally made his impact with models like the Coldfront, Gunshot and Little RAM but demand overstretched his ability to develop into the larger models and hence sold the moulds and technology to Razorcraft, who are enjoying great success as well.
Cootacraft now produces the 21’ Bad Boy, 25’ Chief, 24’ Villain and of course The Boss, this race proven 28’ weapon. Not content with his successes, Mark has now developed a new 41’ machine with genuine American Apache DNA built and raced by the legend Don Aronow. You will see it performing in the Offshore Powerboat Racing circuit later this year.
Mark has enjoyed great success in the racing field with the classic comment from fellow Deadrise contributor and race commentator Dave “Bisho” Bishop being recorded as sprouting the words, “This is unreal, he (Mark) is beating them all in a fishing boat!”
There’s no doubt about it, Mark and Cootacraft have certainly injected a new excitement in the offshore racing fraternity, attracting many others to compete from brands like Razorcraft, Edencraft and even Camcraft.
I was recently treated to a ride in Marks own race boat fitted with a massive pair of Mercury 450HP V8’s in an offshore run from the ‘Coota to Gabo Island where we peaked at a frightening 137kph—Yes, that’s 85 miles per hour, WOW again! (Although I couldn’t hold the camera too well due to my white knuckles!)
Cootacraft generates excitement as it explodes across the professional and recreational fishing and diving market serving discerning customers such as Paul Jabke with his big black Boss fitted with a grunty pair of 300HP Mercury ProXS’s.
This is the trailerble boat (just) that dreams are made of. It is also the only Cootacraft with a factory fitted enclosed hardtop, plus a Seakeeper gyro stabiliser—and we got to have a play with her in a rather sloppy sea chasing early season marlin out of Batemans Bay. We may not have caught any marlin for the day, but hey who cares, the boat was sensational.
Every great adventure begins before dawn. The big beast was an almost unearthly sight rolling into the ramp in the first of the morning glow. And don’t those big Mercs look sensational!
They say every great adventure starts before dawn and I arrived at the Hanging Rock boat ramp keen as a pubescent schoolboy in the pre-dawn glow. The rig appeared out of the darkness like Darth Vader’s Death Star, with a menacing presence of unstoppable defiance. The big black RAM Laramie rumbled to a halt and I got my first close up inspection of Paul’s big Boss rig. Yep, I’ll say it yet again—WOW!
We shook hands, which didn’t take much effort as my hands were already trembling with excitement, and got to work launching the big rig off the tri-axle Savage trailer. Seriously, it was easier driving the rig off single-handed than any one of the host of other boaters fumbling around with their poorly set-up tinnies and trailers.
That’s when I got to truly realise that this is a superbly fitted offshore fishing machine combining a host of premium accessories, features and options by those that obviously know their respective specialist trades. Just a few of the standout features include obviously the stylish enclosed hard top wheelhouse, a Seakeeper 1 gyro stabiliser, a full suite of 16” Simrad electronics including radar, Mercury racing digital zero effort controls and K-Plane trim tabs, Fler night vision, custom EVA Deck Armour, side door, built in live bait tank, Swingers outriggers, StressFree anchor winch with LSM ground tackle, a full set of customised stainless steel rod holders, grab bars, rocket launcher, and of course customised upholstery and graphics.
The manufacturers say, “Cootacraft has entered into a new era of performance offshore powerboats, raising the bar on industry standards for quality, performance, function and style. For the serious offshore fisherman looking for cutting-edge technology, artisan craftsmanship, proven racing pedigree, and safety… These are the boats for you.” We can only wholeheartedly agree.
Now that’s what we at Deadrise call a true beast. “Killin it” has every imaginable feature expertly fitted by experience professionals.
As we cleared the safe harbour, we were immediately in unrestricted waters and Paul punched the race bred throttles, hurtling us up on onto the plane in a thrust of overwhelming power. The deep 24 degree Vee hull obviously slices through surface slop like the proverbial knife through butter, but I was more interested in the velvet-like ride as we knuckled down into a nasty washing machine of wind against tide against swell. There’s obviously loads of fibreglass in the purely synthetic construction and full foam fill also assists the impact harmonics and feel.
The big Mercury 300HP V8’s just burbled along with accelerated confidence, presenting a very pleasing tune way out back of the helm. We punched quite easily head on into the steep slop at an impressive 62kph (33.5 knots) at 4000rpm with 3 passengers and a full tank of fuel, which at 600 litres is a considerable load. She was relatively efficient at that speed too, using around 90lph combined, although we were reminded that we weren’t invincible when the occasional peak and trough gave us a wide awakening. I was most impressed at how dry the boat ran, having commented that there were no wiper/washers earlier and the reply, “it doesn’t need them!”
She leans into a turn like the great deep V hulls of aol – as is her DNA
We travelled some 30 nautical miles offshore through the early morning slop and started trolling in around 120metres of water after stopping to fill the tanks with slimies. Paul switched on the Seakeeper and the attitude became oh so comfortable even in the slosh. What a difference these amazing apparatus make, especially to a very deep, reasonably narrow gutted length vs beam combination such as this.
Once inside the Tollgate Islands, we only had room for a quick spurt up the estuary, peaking at 90kph (48.6 knots) at 5500RPM still with approx. 700RPM in reserve. Yep, she’s a true weapon!
The handy workstation in the middle of the deck works really well for fishing, and neatly houses the Seakeeper stabilizer.
Working the boat was a dream and I must comment that life was made so much easier with the ease of the Swingers outriggers and the comfort of the well upholstered seating combined with the EVA flooring.
Paul switched on the Seakeeper and the attitude became oh so comfortable even in the slosh. What a difference these amazing apparatus make, especially to a very deep, reasonably narrow gutted length vs beam combination such as this.
We worked hard all day towing plastic, live and skip baiting to no avail however we stopped for a while late afternoon to watch old mate Tyrone O’Conner pin a very frisky 60kg Striped Marlin in yet another supreme display from one of the best fisho’s in the country. What’s more, he fishes alone in his 30’ Luhrs Express!
The conditions had favoured by the time we turned for home travelling at a speedy 76kph (41 knots) at 4860 RPM and using around 140lph combined. It may sound a bit of fuel, but that’s an exceptionally fast offshore travelling speed and you are back home in a flash. Once inside the Tollgate Islands, we only had room for a quick spurt up the estuary, peaking at 90kph (48.6 knots) at 5500RPM still with approx. 700RPM in reserve. Yep, she’s a true weapon!
Oh yeah – The Beast that dreams are made of!
They do feel the deep Vee in a tight turn, leaning well over onto the planning surface, but that is well and truly to be expected. You also need to remember to turn off the water cooled Seakeeper quite some time before you put it back on the trailer as they need time to run down from exceptionally high speeds.
You may fall over backwards when I tell you that whilst he has fished on many mates’ boats over the years, this is Paul’s first boat. We believe this is the only enclosed hard top Boss that has been produced and it’s a ripper. That’s not to mention the full raft of accessories including the suite of Simrad electronics. In true Cootacraft form, if you’re gunna do something, then do it right the first time. He did—WOW!
I can’t tell you how much the package actually owes Paul as he honestly lost count! Let’s just put it this way; his approximate estimate was actually up to $100K under mine. Quality lasts and the poor pay twice. In the current market this is a worthy investment for years of offshore rampages in a very worthy weapon.
We’d be smiling too! Paul at the helm of his absolute beast of a CootaCraft Boss.
Length: 8.6m
Beam: 2.49m
Cockpit area: 4m long x 2m wide
Cabin area: 3m x 2m with a taper to the bow
Dead Rise: 24 degree
Hull weight: 1550kg
Fuel Tank: 600L
Recommended min hp: 1 x 450hp
Recommended max hp: 2 x 300hp
Bear takes us on a picturesque trip down the Glenelg River to a sleepy little hollow know as Nelson.
Nelson is a sleepy little hollow that is rarely spoken of - mainly because those that enjoy the Glenelg River and surrounds want to keep it a secret.
They say “there’s always another river–somewhere” but there are very few other rivers to match the wonderful treasures of the Glenelg River as it gently flows through the “Green Triangle” that spans the border of Victoria and South Australia. This magnificent waterway spills to sea at the cozy little town of Nelson where the relatively deep, wide river broadens to a fertile coastal estuary that simply enchants fishing and boating enthusiasts.
This sleepy little hollow is rarely spoken of - mainly because those that enjoy Nelson and the Glenelg River want to keep it a secret. The pretty little riverside township boasts a good pub, general store and a service station plus a couple of caravan parks, yet from a boaties point of view it has untold opportunities.
The headwaters of the 350km long Glenelg River flow off the timeless sandstone rises of the Grampians mountain range, gradually gaining momentum through the western Victorian broad acre rural plains, filling the massive Rocklands Reservoir before broadening downstream to the coast.
The river becomes navigable at around Dartmoor over 40nm upstream from the coast before reaching the natural beauty of the Lower Glenelg Conservation/National Park. Here, lush forests often succumb to high limestone cliffs with many riverside campsites, boat ramps, access points and facilities all in managed bushland settings.
The flow through the National Park winds basically east to west before turning south east and briefly into South Australia just before the rural hamlet of Donavans with its timeless river side cottages and an array of quirky boat sheds that line the river banks. Some of these boatsheds have been used as holiday dwellings over the majestic river. It’s a wide river of perhaps 100 metres at this point and quite deep in most sections. There’s a boat ramp at Donavans and designated water sports/ski sections for more active boating on the mostly mirror calm protected waters.
I personally love the peace and tranquility of the miles of waterways, quietly fishing and cruising amongst the tangled riverside snags and drop offs. The limestone river gorges feature ancient cliffs rising over 50 metres high, gaining a feeling of exploration on every visit.
Cruising amongst the riverside fisherman’s shacks reeks of historic boating – it’s sometimes like turning the time back 100 years.
There’s an abundance of native wildlife with a vast variety of birds, including Sea and Wedge Tail Eagles, kites, parrots, cockatoos and galahs, plus kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, possums, koalas and yes, even snakes in the warmer months.
Cruising the mighty river downstream from Donavans winds you down through lush rolling hills of rich coastal grazing country and even more forested edges until you reach the outskirts at the Nelson Streamside Reserve and Simpsons Landing boat ramp. Whilst strict speed limits apply throughout much of the river, there are plenty of boat ramps to service the section you wish to explore. The enchanting streamside boat houses begin again as you cruise down the river past the little rocky Isle of Bags and in sight of the highway bridge marking the main township.
An elegant Great Egret in full mating plumage on the banks of the Glenelg River –image by Sue Carrison.
The iconic Gang Gang cockatoo –image by
A beautiful and hard working Kingfisher living peacefully on the Glenelg – image by Sue Carrison.
The little township of Nelson is approximately halfway between Adelaide and Melbourne, making it just a little too distant for most weekend travelers, but terrific for a more extended stay.
When driving through the township, you could easily blink and miss it with the key feature of the bridge over the river giving only a glimpse of its potential. Most never even drive through the area even though it is officially on Highway one, as most traffic flows from Portland some 70 km to the east, to Mt Gambier only 35 km to the nor-west via the inland route through Heywood and the “Green Triangle”. The region is aptly named due to its 6 million hectares of extensive plantation softwood and hardwood resources, creating one of Australia’s major forest regions.
The facilities are more than adequate, with a terrific country style pub (since 1852) with home-grown hospitality and good counter meals. There’s a General Store (Kiosk) with a selection of all the usual commodities plus some terrific takeaway food, a service station, Parks Victoria Office, cottage, motel, Airbnb’s, holiday houses and luxury chalet accommodation as well as a couple of caravan parks. The River-Vu Park is in the middle of town, and a little further out you can find the much larger Kywong Caravan Park and its 25 acres of quiet bushland–plus the riverside camping in the Lower Glenelg National Park.
Nelson and its beautiful surrounds are a terrific spot for a family holiday or serious sweetwater fishing trip. Plus the sunrises and sunsets are awesome!
There are good boat ramps on both sides of the river in town, and another at the Isle of Bags and Simpsons Landing. There’s more launching facilities at Donovans and in the Conservation Park at Sandy Waterholes, Sapling Creek, Wilson Hall, Pritchards and Saunders.
Below the township, the river widens yet again, becoming known as Oxbow Lake. It’s a relatively shallow run to sea through the estuary, with the green rural grazing land of the coastal plain giving way to the white sandy dunes and beaches of Discovery Bay. The sand spits and beaches of the lower estuary are a lovely place for a family swim in warm weather, however further down the pounding surf and strong currents of the river mouth can create quite hazardous swimming conditions. The river mouth is not considered navigable even on the best of days, however I guess a shallow running PWC or jet boat may be the exception.
Make no mistake, this is a big river, especially by Victorian standards, and is the longest river in sou-west Victoria. Parks Victoria has recognised the area’s significance with the Lower Glenelg National Park, which leads out into the coastal Discovery Bay National Park. Parks Victoria’s devotion to providing pleasant facilities, a variety of bush camping opportunities, easy access, with functional boat ramps and docking facilities is a breath of fresh air. It’s a terrific getaway for camping, with sites along both sides of the river all with two-wheel-drive access. You must book in prior to camping.
The big, safe river provides opportunities for all sorts of activities. You can be as strenuous or as slack as you like with water skiing, canoeing, kayaking, paddle boats, tourist cruisers, houseboats, swimming, nature and bird watching. You can get into some active sportfishing, or just lazily drown some bait — all with a reasonable expectation of success, whether land based or in a vessel.
The Glenelg River provides wonderful opportunity for all kinds of watercraft and shore based anglers alike.
There are trout and a few native species in the Glenelg’s upper reaches, and some great Australian salmon, gummy shark and mulloway action on the nearby beaches. For me, the estuary species are what makes this place special. It’s a haven for three of our prime recreational fishing species — estuary perch, mulloway and bream — but also holds most of the other bread-and-butter types like mullet, luderick, trevally and garfish. Interestingly, there is apparently no flathead in the system–now there’s a challenge!
If you get tired of boating you can pull into one of the many waterside landings – image by Sue Carrison.
Structure is the key to fishing success and there’s plenty of it along the pristine Glenelg River. Casting around the boat sheds or fallen tree branches will mostly prove more successful than out in the middle of the river as the fish take shelter in the structure.
Just a few of the character filled waterside boat sheds – this one opposite the little hamlet of Nelson –image by Alison Kuiter.
The Nelson General Store (Kiosk) has a selection of all the usual commodities plus some terrific takeaway food, and you can visit in your boat!
Lure fishing for bream, mulloway and estuary perch is very popular with all manner of bibbed swimmers, walk the dog, surface sticks, soft plastics and vibes all gaining great success on their day. The area is live bait heaven with crabs and mullet, but for lazy fishos like me, a peeled smelly prawn still finds some scaly success.
When driving through the township you could easily blink and miss it with the main feature of the bridge over the river giving only a glimpse of its potential.
The river is navigable for a very long way and would take many days to explore properly. At night you will see old clinkers and carvels, dingies, row boats, modern sportfish rigs with electric outboards, and everything in between silently trolling live mullet, aiming to tempt the famous Glenelg River mulloway. There are also loads of options for canoe, kayak and land-based fishos.
You could easily spend a fortnight winding your way up the navigable waterways in a comfortable cruiser, or perhaps in a smaller boat with appropriate camping equipment. Personally, I reckon I could lose myself for many months in this watery playground.
If you really want an adventure to remember, have a look into Paestan Canoe Hire. They not only supply fully equipped canoes and kayaks, but can also help you plan the entire trip with accommodation alternatives, 4WD pick-up and drop-off and qualified instructors and guides.
Parks Victoria’s devotion to providing pleasant facilities, a variety of bush camping opportunities, easy access, with functional boat ramps and docking facilities is a breath of fresh air.
There are some magnificent protected ski zones on the river plus some beautiful beaches to relax.
Well known angler and charter operator Matt Cini, holds one of the Glenelg’s superb mulloway for Reel Time Television.
Another superb Nelson sunset. “Believe me my young friend, there is nothing – absolutely nothing – half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.”
Ratty – Wind in the Willows
Nelson is a central base from which to explore numerous attractions in the region. Lower Glenelg National Park is crisscrossed with fire trails that offer short scenic bush walks. The Great South West Walk allows for a number of short or long walks. The 250 km loop walk starts and finishes in Portland and the route passes through forest and heath lands, along rivers and via wind swept coastal cliffs and beaches including the historic maritime adventures of Cape Bridgewater, Bridgewater Bay, Cape Nelson and the Mt Richmond National Park.
The Livingston Island Nature Walk on the lower reaches is very popular with birdwatchers, particularly for wading birds such as spoonbills and egrets, but also for the vast numbers of swans, pelicans and herons. You can get to the lower reaches of the Glenelg estuary and the beaches of Discovery Bay Coastal Park via a reasonable vehicle access road from Nelson. The long expanse of the Coastal Park provides some great opportunities for sun seekers and fishos alike.
The Nelson region also features tours of the beautiful Princess Margaret Rose Caves with its beautiful stalagmites, stalactites and helictites forming a veritable underground fairyland. There’s the historical South Australian coastal town of Port MacDonnell (30 km) and the large regional city of Mount Gambier in South Australia (35 km) with pubs, ports, offshore fishing, restaurants and some very interesting antique and historic attractions – plus the wineries, Blue Lake and sink-holes.
For experienced, well-equipped underwater cave divers, there’s a series of world-famous adventures including the popular Piccaninny Ponds. For the less experienced swimmers, snorkelers and free divers, there’s an array of other popular crystal-clear sinkholes to explore, including Ewans Ponds.
The little hamlet of Nelson and the Glenelg River is best appreciated at a slow displacement pace to really appreciate its beauty. In fact, it always seems like a Huckleberry Finn adventure. I’m reminded that “A day spent on the water is never a waste of time!”
John Haines used to say, “It’s not our job to produce boats to take people out to sea, but to design boats that will bring them back, again and again.” Over more than 50 years the old “family style” Haines Hunter V19C has transformed from a family cruiser to an offshore capable classic. In this article Bear looks at what Mitch went through to bring his classic back from the dead.
Throughout over thirty years of boating and fishing journalism, I have written more words about the famous “Old School” Haines Hunters than any other brand, both Australian or internationally. There are certainly some personal favourites in the range including the 445, 600, 17, 565, 213, 233, 773 and obviously the 580SL which I currently own. Yet every time I try to pinpoint the crème de la crème, I always get a roasting from the V19C owners who have a genuine case as one of the best ever built.
Truer words were never spoken as per the original brochure: “The V19C is equally at home in bay, river or offshore conditions. Excellent handling and manoeuvrability. Unsurpassed for soft riding, performance and safety. The way she absorbs the buffeting of the sea and transforms it into a smooth dry ride has to be experienced to be believed.”
John (Snr) and Garry Haines began making boats in a backyard workshop as far back as 1959. The Haines Hunter Company is said to have officially formed in 1966 from the former Fibreglass Constructions Pty Ltd and their first real factory was in Goodna. The great Brisbane floods of 1974 saw their Goodna factory 10m under water, and precious fibreglass moulds recovered from treetops over 10 kilometres away, forcing a move to the new factory in Wacol in 1975.
There’s no doubt that they are absolutely ripper boats that evolved from the USA V18 Bertram split moulded reverse chine hulls that were originally brought to Australia by the Queensland Pastoral Supply (QPS) in the early 1960s. Members of QPS Cam Craigie and Peter Hubers, gained the rights to produce new 12’, 14’ and 18’ models from Canadian firm Toronto Yacht and Boat Centre, and imported the first of these in 1960/61 to be followed by the 16’. The Haines boys manufactured these for Craigie and Huber’s company “Bertram
The original 12, 14 and 18’ moulds featured the patented “Hunt Hydrolift” hull, with the 12’ and 14’ also having a patented tunnel hull or flooding bilge construction similar to that being used by Barcrusher and Surtees today. The early boats also featured a reverse chine design with the big flared bow requiring a split mould construction. Their deep V bottoms and broad beam were larger in volume to any of the narrow gutted, flatbottomed boats in their class, so they were renamed by measuring the length around the gunwale instead of centre line length.
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the Haines brothers maintained an exhaustive offshore and ski racing program, including the Cairns-Gold Coast Pacific 1000. Garry Haines describes their greatest win to be the 1965 Sydney/Newcastle Race in a V19R, but also fondly remembers wins in the Sydney to Newcastle, Bridge to Bridge Ski-Races on the Hawkesbury River and Port Phillip Bay ocean and ski boat races.
By 1966/67, QPS had lost interest in boats and a dispute over the Bertram name was successfully settled with Archie Spooner (International Marine) taking the total rights to the name Bertram in Australia. John and Garry had to select a new brand. The recognisable name from their racing successes was Haines, and the original designer Hunt. From this evolved Haines Hunter.
Thus, the V19s have a DNA dating right back to 1950s American offshore racing entrepreneurs like Dick Bertram and his close association with Naval Draftsman C. Raymond Hunt. Dick and Ray’s famous “Lucky Moppie” and “Surfrider” hulls were a part of the “Deep V” revolution that competed with parallel inspirations from the infamous Don Aronow and the developing Thunderbird, Donzi, Scarab, USA Sports, Cigarette, Apache and Formula powerboat companies.
These original split moulded V19’s were in production right throughout the late 1960s and 1970s only to be replaced by an MK11 hull in the early 1980s. The later hull reduced the flair and chines to make a more production friendly package that is most easily identifiable by the slight step in the hull approx. 200mm under the gunwale as per Glanville’s V19 with the Bass Strait deck also featured in this issue.
Deadrise follower Mitch Oldmeadow always had a passion for the old Haines boats and was wrapped when he found his workmates Goodna plated 1971 reverse chine V19C. She was in pretty terrible condition and hence he and his brother-in-law performed some “backyard Facebook guided” fibreglass work so she would float. He fitted a second hand 135hp Mercury Optimax and the love affair began.
Living close to Brisbane’s Manly Marina and launching ramp, sees Moreton Bay as home waters for Mitch with his friends and new young family. He just loves fishing and diving but generally just being on the water and exploring Moreton Bay and its magnificent waters, including the beautiful Tangalooma. But Moreton Bay has some nasty sides for boating as well. It’s a large yet generally shallow body of water that forms a horrid washing machine chop, especially with wind against tide conditions. It’s literally enough to smash the spines of lesser boats. The soft riding characteristics of a solid deep-V are certainly the nautical weapon of choice.
Mitch said, “It wasn’t until I was coming home from Moreton Island one trip and had soft wet timber running into my bilge that I though we better fix this boat properly... that’s when I had to go to the minister of war and finance for approval to get it rebuilt and finance a new engine. Once the tick of approval was given, I booked it in with Alan Milner for a solid going over.”
Alan is a most experienced and highly professional fibreglasser located in Woolloongabba and has a very solid reputation built on a lifetime of boat building dating back to companies like AJM Marine Fastlane/Scarab, Powercat and Riviera. Adam only runs a very small crew and hence waiting periods are currently very extended, however it’s always worth waiting for a quality product at a reasonable price.
Alan carried out a full internal rebuild with a new 25-inch thermolite transom, thermolite stringers and floor.
Alan carried out a full internal rebuild with a new 25-inch thermolite transom, thermolite stringers and floor. All underfloor buoyancy cavities were foam filled and a new 285ltr epoxy coated fuel tank was fitted not only for exceptional range but also to increase the displacement in the keel of the boat, greatly adding to both ride and stability.
Alan also fashioned a set of custom made seat boxes that are glassed into the hull, providing greater rigidity and storage, as well as all new flow coat throughout, custom made rear boarding steps and fitted a 2nd hand hard top.
The cavities were all foam filled for maximum strength, safety and acoustic deadening.
A new 285ltr epoxy coated fuel tank was fitted not only for exceptional range
We asked Mitch about the build and options and he replied, “Hardest part is figuring out the layout and how you want the boat to be finished, things you want to change or keep. There is so much info, inspiration & photos out there sometimes it is an overload! We have kept it pretty simple and clutter free. It’s still an ongoing project.” I replied–They always are!!!
The package has been superbly repowered with a 2021 Mercury 175hp V6 four stroke that Mitch claims is giving an enormous 48 knot Wide Open Throttle (WOT). He cruises at a speedy 32-34 knots @ 4200-4300 rpm gaining 1.8-2.0km/litre. He has fitted a Simrad G07 with Airmar SS175 thru hull transducer and Simrad G05 for engine data; Simrad VHF, Fusion stereo with 4 speakers and a custom made stainless switch panel. It has had a full internal rewire by Trymax Marine Electronics with custom made switch panel and Hydrive hydraulic steering.
She’s got a clean, uncluttered but quite simple layout and deck
Seat boxes and side pocket storage.
Finished internal floor and seat boxes waiting for seats, and hopefully some EVA flooring in the future.
“We have kept it pretty simple and clutter free. It’s still an ongoing project and needs to be sent to the trimmers (have the Stacer logos removed from my 2nd hand seats) and have new cabin cushions made. We are hoping to give it a full install of Seadek and that should finish inside. Then it’ll be onto giving it a full birthday outside with new paintwork, gelcoat and a full suite of stainless… but I’m still awaiting approval for that stage though! Until then, it gets us out there and back reliably, safely and comfortably,” said Mitch.
Every time we talk about Haines hulls ol’ mate Dave Robinson bounces in by telling me that 19C’s were the best of the “Old School” bunch. Here’s what he had to say!
The good thing about the 19c’s is you enjoy the entire fishing trip, not just the ride to and from the grounds. It’s the perfect all-rounder for two people or a small family.
They are a rocket ship with a new lightweight 200HP four stroke. You can expect 85klm plus performance…. Or if you are a lunatic.. a 250HP Optimax power head will see over 105Klm WOT. (Sterndrive models had a max 180hp… rating, later model outboard models were 200HP max). A 150hp is enough power, but a 200hp turns them into a bucket of fun! They ride nearly as well as a V17L…. Without the hull rolling over when cornering. They are just a different beast than a V17L. It has a Less of a sports boat feel, however you feel like you are driving a battle ship in choppy conditions. The extra two feet of hull gives you a “big boat feel”. Excellent offshore capability with its 22 degree deep-V hull, 2.37 metre beam and just under 6 metre length.
I tried a few times to get them rocking, but the wife wasn’t up to it. That’s what makes the V19C so good… one week you are camping with the Mrs in a sheltered bay, and the next you can be 50 miles offshore trolling with the boys.
They are a great fishing platform and all that’s needed is a good bait board and you are off and racing. The V19C Haines Hunters are very stable in comparison to the V17L and have more weather protection than a V19R. They also offer great visibility, especially in comparison to a V19R with a wave breaker.
Dave hooked up to a large blue marlin but still telling us how much he loves his V19C’she’s had a couple!
I know I am going to upset the apple cart when I say this, but it always blew my mind to see pelicans buy a V19R, then spend over 20K on a wave breaker to get better weather protection… John Haines did it better by building the V19C. The steering position on a V19C is slightly further back, but I believe it makes the ride and vision from the helm feel is so much better.
Stability wise, the sterndrive version is even better at rest... but you do sacrifice a bit of deck space. The original Mercruiser 470 sterndrive’s were VERY fuel efficient, and you felt “locked in” by wedging yourself between the engine box and the side combing when fighting large fish. I feel that a V19C fitted with a new tech diesel would be a cracking good combo… however, probably not financially viable.
The major benefit is the full size cabin, with a full size V berth with bunk infill, toilet, small sink (20L fresh water manual pump) and cupboards on both sides- it is not just a day boat… you can comfortably do overnight trips to places like Lady Mulgrave island… In the outboard version, the additional deck space still allows for a good size mattress to fit on the back deck if additional sleeping space is required… or if you don’t want to share the V berth with your deck head. Alternatively, a large fishing esky can fit down the centre line of the boat with enough room for two burly fishermen to get around the boat.
Slightly less deck space than a V19R - approx 220mm less. Anchor locker is too shallow for below deck windlass fitment. Standard fuel capacity is lacking.
Most “Old School” V19C’s have undergone some terrific updates from the traditional layouts, many keen boaters still enjoy their great many attributes.
Old school boat of the year
Take a new Bass Strait Ocean Pro 600 deck and fit it too an old Haines V19C hull? Sounds simple enough? Well professional seafarer Glanville Heydenrych tells us it’s not as easy as it sounds – but the results are amazing!
“Justcut off the old deck and glass on a new one,” they said. Sounds simple doesn’t it? Well, professional seafarer Glanville Heydenrych is here to tell you quite differently. He has recently taken 18 long months taking the hull from an old Haines Hunter V19C stern drive, fully rebuilding it and then fitting a brand new deck supplied by old mate Ben Toesland at Bass Strait Boats from their Ocean Pro 600. After all the “Straiter” evolved from the V19 hull, didn’t it?
Well yes it did, however, there has been a considerable amount of evolution ever since, and considering the quite flexible nature of fibreglass, the new deck doesn’t exactly fit as easily as one would expect. Glanville and his friends found out the hard way, yet 18 months after the start, he has finally achieved his offshore dream boat.
Glanville previously owned an old beaten up V19R for a while but sold it to move into an American centre console that he thought would better cater for his fishing and diving exploits. When based on the Gold Coast, where he also skippered a 34 Blackwatch for Mufasa Sport Fishing Charters. Unfortunately, he didn’t like the American brand at all and really missed the ride and reliability of the old Haines. He said, “It’s hard to explain, but it really is a hull you can trust at high speed and in a variety of challenging sea conditions.” Hence, he sold the centre console and began work on finding a suitable hull to create a practical fishing machine he could rebuild and customise, with no expense spared.
Let’s let Glanville tell the story in his own words…
“I found this old inboard V19C and from inspection it presented itself very well with very few blemishes, chips or scratches to the hull and, in fact, after an acid wash turned out like new. Judging by how the boat was setup it had done minor work and definitely hadn’t been flogged in any rough ocean environment. After a bit of negotiation, I scored a deal.
They may be a bit daggy by our latest standards but the original Haines Hunter V19C was a mighty fine boat!
The deck was completely removed and the grind out began
The painful grind out began after I stripped the hull of everything. I wanted to build a tank but also not go crazy stupid with unnecessary weight, just throwing glass on for the sake of it so I decided to go full Epoxy build from start to finish with the added benefit of strength of double bias cloth. I started by laminating a couple of layers of 450gsm on the entire hull with a few extra layers in the strakes and as a bed for the stringers to lay on. The stringers were dual laminated 12mm marine ply making them a total of around 28mm wide which were glued and coved onto the hull prior to glassing in. I decided to go timber for transom, deck and stringers (I know the boat and I can assure you I won’t be drilling into any timber if I can avoid it) for everything above deck, I used laminated PVC foam sheets.
The old timber transom lasted 50 years so this one should see us all out. Templating the old transom.
Wow, look at me now! All fitted out and ready to fish!
I was lucky enough for Ben Toseland at Bass Strait Boats to help us out with one of his Ocean Pro 600 top decks which I absolutely love the look of and with a little trial and error managed to join it onto the V19C hull successfully, but it took quite some effort aided by Acro-props and ratchet straps to reform the shape. It was jointed with epoxy bog and fully seam glassed from inside and out with 4 layers of 450gsm beefing up the join considerably with through bolting on the flange join.
I decided to cut out the anchor hatch and glass it closed as these are the bane of my existence. They are always banging, leaking water into the cabin, busting hinges and everything else that goes with it. Now none of that to worry about.
I also cut and extended the dash to customise fit all my electronics, leaving enough spaces to get a sponge around for detailed cleans.
The transducers I built into the keel of the boat and I’m happy I did. The image I get at 40knts is as clear as day and have actually marked bait doing this speed. It’s a game changer when you go to a new area and are looking for ground.
The boat tops out around 45knts and still has some room for propeller adjustments. Not being a Merc fan myself, this choice went against the grain…. However, I’ve been pleasantly surprised and now there’s no doubt in my mind that this was the best choice of outboard for this rig. The midrange power the Merc 225HP displays is insane and makes it such a pleasure to drive. I wake up and want to go fishing just to drive the rig, it’s just that much fun! The added performance provided by the hydraulic jacking plate just makes performance a dream.
I custom made some hatches for tackle storage in the cabin and also put 2 dry boxes port and starboard, but I left a gap between them and the floor to have rod storage for 8ft casting rods.
The transom/livewell setup was interesting. A fair bit of thought went into the cutting and repairing to maintain strength and I think it’s stronger now than it ever could be.
The fuel tank is custom alloy 6mm and holds a whopping 288 litres. I custom installed a small baffle area, so every last drop can be used. The tank sits on some trailer Teflon planks 20mm off the floor and is secured to the stringers by 10mm tabs. I didn’t want to foam fill around the tank as I’ve heard of all sorts of horror stories. This way I have bungs on either side and can wash any salt away from the fuel tank cavity. The bungs have been installed so it completely dries.
With the new transom glassed in the underfloor reconstruction began
The fuel tank is custom alloy 6mm and holds a whopping 288 litres plus all buoyancy is completely sealed and foam filled
There are now 2 deck kill tanks and a bilge compartment. Each of the compartments is completely sealed and glassed to prevent water ingress into the stringer compartments.
Below the deck is foam filled and when the deck was installed, I put a considerable amount of epoxy bog onto each stringer to create 20 individual fully sealed and foam filled buoyancy thanks. I would be 100% confident to drill a 100mm hole anywhere in the boat and still go to the shelf fishing!!!!
The new Bass Strait deck took some fitting but was eventually bolted and internally glassed into place.
The dash was cut and extended to fit all the electronics.
Boat has 2 x 1100gph bilges both on individual float switches with lights attached onto dash.
There are now 2 custom lives wells. I’m not sure of the exact litre capacity, but they will keep plenty of slimies alive, in fact much more than most boats I’ve been on this size. They are both properly plumbed with drains on bottom and top to eliminate the debris the livies cough up.
I decided to not go with seating but instead I use a mobile 300L esky with rubber padding to not slide around. I like to be able to position this esky where ever I need on the deck whether it be as a seat, for a double mattress on the deck while camping, moving under the bimini during rain, or most of the time it sits centre of the deck creating a workbench, table, seat, lean post, etc. I just love having the open deck space when fishing and lets be real, when are you able to sit in a helm seat of a 6m boat and drive out to the shelf at 30knts without the thing ripping out the deck causing you more problems than Ben Hur. It’s practical!
Internal cabin fit out and side pockets.
I have been lucky enough to own several boats and throughout my professional career as a fishing guide and sportfishing captain have learnt a thing or two about what to do and what not to do with boats. This is my version of a boat that is a practical fishing machine that will outlast my lifetime.
My god, where do you start?
I did all the laminating, sanding and fairing myself and I’m very happy with the way it came up, but my god I wouldn’t do this again! There is something to be said for boat companies having the tools, space and a willing team to get itchy, I now realize why boats are so expensive, one off customs like this are a tedious task and I’m happy it’s mostly behind me with just minor tinkers left to complete.
The most frustrating thing during this whole build for me was I ended up moving interstate for a job opportunity right in the middle of the build. The boat wasn’t yet ready to travel, so I was having to commute in my time off to go work on it to get it done. It was costly, a massive pain in the ass, and took a lot longer than anticipated.
A word of advice: if you ever drank too much and decided you wanted to take on this devil of building a boat, make sure you have a shed, the time and the money to get it complete! A lot of money can be thrown into a build and if something happens along the way and you have to forfeit it, then it’s going to be a very expensive mistake!!! The resale will not be worth a tenth on the dollar that you put in and that doesn’t account for the good times you sacrificed having beers with the boys or family outings.
Do your research before you start, get quotes on everything you want to do, add 15% and put it all on paper before you start. I went through 6 x 20L drums of epoxy resin at $600 a pop. Things add up really quick. I think I was fairly close on expectation vs reality having some experience doing this before, but COVID, tax and travel got the better of me by a small margin.
If I did it differently, I may have used thermolite for the transom, deck and stringers, but am I upset I used timber? No, do I think it will ever be a problem? No… it’s built solid with care
taken and attention to detail and the added waterproof properties of epoxy, and the knowledge to not stupidly unnecessarily drill into timber, and I have no doubt this rig will outlast me.
I would like to say thanks to all who helped out in this great project, especially Paul from Black Marlin Towers Fabrications, who custom built the bimini.”
We at Deadrise have to say that it’s a pleasure dealing with professionals like Glanville who share their experience, wisdom, and knowledge freely. What a great project and terrific result ending with a boat that will most certainly see out our lifetimes with exceptional seafaring qualities.
We also had an interesting discussion re the 225HP Merc as selected. It’s providing this rather weighty package with 45 knot Wide Open Throttle performance, which in our opinion is well and truly enough for any offshore fishing boat. It gets up and boogies from a standing start, has tonnes of torque for riding the backs of the swell on a river mouth entry, has terrific mid-range performance and has an efficient power/weight relationship providing terrific economy.
The family that goes boating together, stays together. What a great result –congratulations Glanville, terrific work!
In fact, we have both experienced difficulties in big bumpy seas with the critical action provided by our modern short binnacle controls and the immediacy of fly by wire on over horse powered hulls. It’s so easy to get unexpectedly jolted in the rough where a simple touch of the throttles results in a punch of power at exactly the wrong moment from many of the boats currently being fitted with huge horsepower. It might make you the glamour at the boat ramp, but trust me, others look back and shake their heads!
Wow how time flies! It’s now over 10 years since we commenced “Project N19R” for Trade A Boat Magazine and its years have told a story of good, bad and yes a little bit of ugly. John Wills takes a look back.
The purpose of such projects is to showcase ideas, methods, skills, materials, components and performance and while I am exceptionally proud of the project, time has revealed many things we did both right and wrong.
The project took an old and battered V19R and restored it. We changed the layout to retain the terrific deck space but reworked the transom to a more acceptable sportsfishing workspace, plus reworked the dash to include a wave breaker.
You have no idea how many arguments we all had over the height of the wavebreaker. You certainly can’t please everyone!
While not new the wave breaker idea was only just growing in popularity at the time. We did all the right things at the time including remodelling the dashboard to raise the steering height appropriately, at the same time providing space for the myriad of electronics, accessories, switches and controls. I can’t believe how many wavebreaker I see who’s owners didn’t raise the dash accordingly – how the funk do they steer and see?
Whilst it seems that everyone loved the finished project including me, it eventually showed its flaws. Whilst the wavebreaker provided solid raised protection to the helm I always felt we were the “first on the scene of every cresting wave” with the weight of the crew and most of the storage including the large seat boxes being forward of the shoulders of the hull.
The V19 hull is quite exceptional, and quite possibly the imitated hull in the country however in my opinion almost all of its various offspring still present the same flat riding attitude and hence too much weight forward can be detrimental.
But what I grew to hate was the fact that you always had to be standing to drive it. That may be fine when you are young but let me tell you that long continual days on the water demand a level of comfortable seating especially when you are trolling for anything up to eight hours per day. Hence if I were to do it again I would build a raised windscreen or have substantial windows in the construction.
Also I would certainly build the live bait tank into the centre of the transom complex however the tank we built in the rear port side worked exceptionally well and could be used to further balance the boat if operating solo.
The shipwright made the fatal mistake of not raising the engine-well to meet the increased height of the transom taking it from the original 20” long shaft to a more appropriate 25” extra long. It resulted in all of the engine mounting bolts being above the floor of the engine well which I believe added to the stresses on the transom. This wasn’t helped when a dickhead editor ran it onto some rocks at high speed, but that’s another story!
That said I am glad we chose to re-purpose the engine-well transom and not extend the boat with a pod. Pods to me are a good way to replace a stern drive with an outboard but if you don’t get it right can create more nightmares than you could possible dream up.
The Project N19R all rigged for battle with the original Yamaha 200HP in-line 4 cylinder which we just loved. WOT was a speedy 52mph/45 knots with a light load.
The stripped out fuel tank cavity. We later wished we had cut out the underfloor support to make the fuel tank deeper.
Extending the keel line all the way to the back of the pod is the preferred method and gives the deep-V hulls the added buoyancy required, however you are changing the entire balance of the original hull. If incorrectly designed and fitted the result can be virtual drowning of an engine that sits too deep at rest and low speeds. This is commonly called hydraulicing and there’s not a manufacturers warranty that I know of that will cover it. It can also cause drag, porpoising, excessive cavitation and often creates the need for a larger trailer for strength and legality. There’s plenty of deck room in a V19 hull so why bother? Only this week I was watching a V19 with a pod porpoising abruptly on the Bermagui bar – not my idea of fun and certainly not good at sea!
The brand new layout with plenty of protection for the dashboard worked really well, as did the flooring and seat boxes.
I personally don’t trust the moisture meter that was used on the transom. Whilst the transom did need a rebuild particularly to facilitate the extra-long engines it originally looked like Swiss cheese with the amount of unplugged or poorly sealed holes from years of multi transducers, berley buckets and other fittings. Yet when completely stripped it was surprisingly dry inside with the tiniest bit of rot down around the poorly sealed bungs.
We used the method of rebuilding the transom from the outside and that’s not my preferred method. Whilst it works OK I still prefer the method of removing the rear sections of the top deck and rebuilding from within. Firstly, it retains the original laminate integrity and secondly allows the new timber or synthetic reinforcement to be added in single sections without joins, edge cavities and added fill.
The integrity of the underfloor stringers and structure was still very good and hence only slightly modified to accommodate a new alloy fuel tank. We even retained and reinforced the flat underfloor structure that the fuel tank sits on, however it only allowed approximately 120mm height for the new tank and gave problems with filling. In reflection I would remove the underfloor structure around the tank and strengthen the laminates to enlarge the cavity all the way down into the V section.
During its promotional lifespan plus the added years when I personally took over ownership we never looked like running out of the 120 litres of fuel with both the 200hp 4 cylinder Yamaha and the 200hp V6 Evinrude ETEC even with some large days fishing the Continental Shelf out from Portland, Bermagui and Port Stephens. However, I did run out one day when I filled with a questionable on-water fuel pump and as the boat had a bow up attitude at rest it created a fuel lock that we were unaware of. (Quite embarrassing really!!)
In my opinion we had far too many electrical components on board. Firstly, I hate the micro switch technology currently being used in hard wearing offshore trailer boats. Not only did we have corrosion problems but even the basic navigation, lighting and bilge
pumping essentials often failed, or their switches were impossible to see and identify due to the limited size. I’m sure this caused constant burnouts of the underwater lighting when accidentally switched on whilst on land.
There has been some terrific progression in EVA and synthetic decking in recent years but I must say that I loved the “Flexiteak” flooring material. I found it provided excellent grip both wet or dry, it was cool in summer and warm in winter and it washed down quite easily with soap and water. It was quite heavy but the weight was down low in the hull where it should be.
With all of these additions and reconstructions the boat package ended up weighing close to 2500kg on-road. I’m guessing we added at least 400kg to the original gross hull weight, but WOW couldn’t you feel it with the exceptional ride it produced. Everyone who drove or rode in the boat expressed their pleasure of the soft, predictable, and seaworthy characteristics.
Whilst it was the original intention from the magazine to run a giveaway competition at the end of the project life it ended up being quite impossible as the trailer was only rated to 2000kg and the ETEC engine was a pre-release model never to be sold or given away on the open market. Note that I eventually brought the package from the publishers myself and purchased an entirely new production model power head.
I eventually sold the package to a Melbourne based fisho who sent the boat to Hary at RazorCraft for yet another complete rebuild, replaced the trailer with a braked option for legality, and eventually repowered as well.
All I can say is that the boat was, and still is a much loved seafaring weapon and certainly a project worth doing!
We replaced the original Yamaha 200HP with a pre-production model Evinrude ETEC 200. Performance figures were very similar, except we didn’t like the Yammy 4 blade prop due to almost zero reverse thrust.
It only takes a little common sense for most of us to be mindful of the impact we can have on our environment. Unfortunately, that sense is becoming less common as individual entitlement grows. As John Willis found out.
It seems a great place to play - or is it?
Pic credit JOHN WILLIS & ALISON KUITER
I was recently having a lovely little time by myself, casting a lure from one of the beautiful little sand banks in my local south coast NSW estuary. It was a bit breezy, but I seem to have a better success rate on the local flathead, bream and whiting when there’s some surface ripple disguising their movements in the shallows and stirring up much of their benthic food source. I was in search of a feed, perhaps just one or two delicious mid-sized dusky’s for the table, leaving minimal environmental impact from my sedate meanderings.
There were graceful swans feeding on the abundance of seagrass, enchanting sea eagles soaring the thermals while swallows wind-surfed the dunes. Noisy gulls, black cockatoos and plovers filled the air with their shrill cries. Oyster catchers searched the stones plus kingfishers, ospreys, curlew and terns. Parrots, honeyeaters, and wattlebirds foraged the lakeside banksias and a magnificent pure white goshawk swooped the local homing pigeon population.
Red necked stints are the smallest of the migrating birds.
Sea eagles are magnificent predators on the intertidal zone.
My birdy nut partner Ali often identifies some of the world travellers that fly immense distances to visit our beaches, particularly around the river and lake entrances. These sensitive areas also attract plenty of seasonal human interaction with all sorts of water sports. Jet skis, wind and kite surfers–some with hydrofoils, SUP’s, kayaks, boats and all manner of beachgoers all share this sensitive intertidal zone.
Many holiday makers travel long distances for their own experience in paradise, and the same is true for many of the migrating birds. Red-necked stints are the smallest of the migrating birds. They often described these tiny little cuties as small enough to fit into a wineglass and yet many will fly a distance equivalent between the earth and the moon in their limited lifetimes. Eastern curlew, bar-tailed godwits, sanderlings and red knots all travel from their breeding grounds in the Arctic Circle and Siberia to roost on our popular shoreline.
Pelicans are an intricate part of our intertidal community.
Bar-tailed godwits are one of many species that travel from their breeding grounds in the Arctic Circle and Siberia to roost on our popular shoreline.
Australian Pied Oystercatchers often feed on bivalve molluscs, worms, crustaceans and insects. Food is found either by probing the mud with their long bill, or by foraging by sight.
A recently hatched sooty tern makes a terrific meal for predators such as feral cats, foxes, seagulls and birds of prey.
The endangered hooded plovers’ nest in simple scratching’s above the high tide mark on our sandy beaches mostly preferring to keep clear of the added predators that lurk in coastal vegetation such as snakes, lizards and feral foxes and cats.
Hooded plovers are highly selective of their nesting habits, with each pair claiming a distinct territory amongst small groups of birds. The eggs are mostly laid 2-3 at a time and are covered by a thin layer of sand for protection. The proud would-be parents stand by in feeble efforts to protect their eggs for a 28 day incubation period and then have all manner of strife to contend with, especially for the 35 days until the hatchlings can fly from terrestrial dangers.
As if life wasn’t difficult enough for these intrepid feathered friends, it’s made worse by the fact they often share ocean beaches with people with no idea of their environment and some who simply don’t care!
So imagine my frustration when a noisy jet ski arrived on the scene carrying dad, three kids and a German shepherd (illegally) and after doing the prescribed amount of speedy do-nuts in the 5 knot zone where I was fishing, they beached the craft on the sand flat and proceeded over the well-known rookery en route to the beach. Their initial trek across the dune was quite direct with minimal impact skirting the nesting zone. However, on return, the kids all followed the dog throughout the rookery as it actively chased every nesting bird in the zone. The disturbance not only destroyed many nests but laid bare many others, leaving them open and unattended for a free feed for all other predators. So much for the majority of that year’s endangered reproduction.
It’s a tough life for the endangered hooded plover.
The “hoodies” forage the intertidal zone for a feed, but it’s a tough place to raise your young.
I tried to approach the situation delicately, although I needed to shout in the breeze. I guess when I shout it may seem aggressive? (to give the non-required benefit of the doubt) The smallminded buffoon went into an absolute tirade of abuse, throwing insults, “F’s and C’s” at me in a disgusting display in front of his poor kids. “I’ve been here for 40 fu@#ing years and I’ll do what I fu#$ing want ya fat c#$t!” Ahh well, I thought, you can waste your whole life arguing with a sick mind. But in the end you won’t cure it!
They nest in simple scratching’s above the high tide mark on our sandy beaches mostly preferring to keep clear of the added predators that lurk in coastal vegetation.
Looks like great fun, but the nesting birds on the shoreline don’t think so.
It looks like a deserted sandbar to most, but it’s home to some endangered species.
Crested terns offering a freshy caught meal to a youngster.
It would absolutely infuriate us anglers should someone cast a net across a spawning fish migration and yet many simply turn a blind eye or are ignorant of the harm we can unwittingly inflict to other fauna.
The local Landcare group, amongst many others, including the local council, are doing a mighty job in attempts to protect and re-instate our shoreline environment, which in turn adds to the health of the entire marine ecosystem. They plant indigenous trees and shrubs, maintain access tracks to minimise human impact, encourage habitats and eradicate invasive species, to name a few.
We anglers would be absolutely infuriated should someone cast a net across a spawning fish migration
Foreshore and environmental management is a difficult task with encroaching populations in sensitive areas. Many simply aren’t aware of changing regulations and recommendations. We had some local conflict recently when our neighbours who have holidayed here for some 60 years saw no harm in sourcing fallen timber from the lakeside reserve to fuel a friendly family bonfire, just as they had always done. They simply had no idea that such practice was no longer acceptable, and the Landcare group deliberately maintained that fallen timber to encourage natural habitat and in turn attempt to help balance human impact that runs at a peak during holiday times.
We really miss not being able to exercise our own dogs in these sensitive coastal areas just as we always did, but there are plenty of unleashed zones close at hand that require only a little more thought and dedication.
To the contrary, I have another neighbour who wants to cut down every tree in the vicinity because the leaves mess up his immaculate lawn, and others that lived through the fear of the recent bushfires that believe that the fuel load on the foreshore reserve should be reduced for public safety.
One thing is for sure, opinions are like arseholes — everyone’s got one! However, no matter where you travel for your aquatic pleasure in the intertidal zone, it is certainly worth respecting the local environment, its regulations, and all that live or visit there, including our precious flora and fauna. It doesn’t take much to do the right thing!
As if life wasn’t difficult enough for these intrepid feathered friends, it’s made worse by the fact that they often share ocean beaches with people who have no idea of their environment, and some who simply don’t care!
Marine biologist Sheree Marris solves the mystery of the jelly croissants that turn up on our beaches.
Did you know that these crescent-shaped clumps of gloop that you often find washed up on the beach aren’t jellyfish?
Ok smarty pants, what are they then? So glad you asked…
They’re babies, thousands of them and they belong to Moon Snails, predatory sea snails that slime around on the sandy plains on a big sticky foot.
The predatory moon snail preparing to lay its eggs.
Moon snails lay the eggs in a jelly-like matrix, which absorbs seawater and swells. Usually the egg mass breaks up in the water after a few days, releasing planktonic larvae.
More often than not, when washed up, these masses will be washed back out again at the next tide and the babies can go and live their best life.
Thousands of moon snail eggs encased in a jelly-like matrix.
Next time you see one, hold it up to the light and you’ll see all the tiny dots (eggs).
So during your next visit to the beach, if you feel like throwing them in the face of your friends, think… do you want to have to face a moon snail mum and tell her what you did to her babies punk?
(We at Deadrise are so glad that they weren’t Invisible Man poo—we stepped in a few!)
Bisho reports on the Melton Gold cup that was run on the weekend of the 4th and 5th of February 2023. As always, it was full of action, drama and plenty of close hard racing.
Traditionally run on the first weekend in February each year, the meeting usually falls on the weekend prior to the famous Southern 80 water ski race held in Echuca/Moama. For this reason, the Melton gold cup attracts a huge crowd made up of boat and speed loving devotees from all sectors of the sport, including plenty of water ski racers.
With Australia’s fastest boats and drivers in attendance, coupled with the natural Amphitheatre that is the Melbourne Run About & Speed Boat Clubs Exford weir site in Melton, (about 30 minutes East of Melbourne), the scene was set for a fantastic weekend of powerboat racing.
With four major trophies on offer over the two days of racing, it attracted the cream of the crop to Melton. The six litre boats competed for the Jack Kavanagh trophy. The six litre category in Australia is hotly contested with some incredibly fast boats and drivers with a level of professionalism that is world class. After five heats and an amazing final, it was Chris Pugsley in the unbelievably fast “Shananigans” taking the win over Troy Marland in the “Sick Puppy” (Love the name! ED) and third was Ryan McIntosh in the “Lock & Load” It should also be noted that any of these three are also very at home and more than competitive in the unlimited classes and have may wins and places to prove it.
Another major trophy race, “The Keith Harrison Cup” also ran over five heats on Saturday with Chris Pugsley in “Shananigans” again prevailing over Greg Banks in his Mercury outboard powered F1 tunnel boat “Final Feature” and filling third place was a local Melton hero Brett Niddrie in his 6 litre displacement “BNR Engines”.
The “Clyde Lewis” trophy is one of Australia’s most prestigious six litre trophies and was hotly contested over the weekend. All the six litre boys were very serious about this one! Craig Lewis (Son of Clyde) was obviously extremely focused on trying to win this one and drove an amazing race which on any other day would have seen the trophy in his hands,
but Pugsley had other ideas and continued the “Shananigans” whitewash of the field to take the win whilst putting Lewis into a close second place. The hard charging (and newly graduated chemist) Connor Patterson in “Turn it up” took third.
Pretty soon, the drama started to unfold. During one of his heats, Andrew Warmsley in his twin turbo displacement “Jo Jnr” (whilst leading comfortably) caught some air under the hull whilst traveling in excess of 225kph (140mph) mark took off and flew sideways through the air before landing completely sideways and barrel rolling too many times to count! Bits of boat were flying into the air and the spray was like a bomb had gone off!
Fortunately, safety improvements in power boat racing have increased significantly over the last decade, meaning all boats capable of speeds over 168kph (105mph) are required to have a reinforced safety cockpit with a harness and air supply for the driver.
This almost certainly saved Andrew’s life as he swam out of the cockpit as the boat was sinking. Unfortunately, Andrew sustained a broken shoulder, however it could have been so much worse without the safety cockpit fitted. We send our best wished to Andrew and his family & friends for a speedy recovery.
There were also some hotly contested races in the junior & 25hp & 550cc ranks, along with a little bit of drama as well, when two boats collided at the first corner, causing Riley Bride to go for a refreshing swim. Fortunately, both Riley and Tyler Scott were both fine and were super keen to get back in the driver’s seat as soon as possible.
The future of the sport looks bright with plenty of competitors in the junior classes
Only four unlimited outboards ventured to the Gold Cup to try their luck. Unfortunately for Craig Bailey, arguably Australia’s greatest outboard tunnel driver, his methanol fueled 2.5 litre Mercury S3000 race engine blew a gearbox during Friday’s practice, leaving him as a spectator and crew for the other outboard teams for the rest of the weekend. This left Greg Banks in “Final Feature” (named by his partner Brianna as it will allegedly be his last race boat!), Jarrad Smith in “Too Impulsive” (a hard charging south Australian) and Steve Gilligan in “Epic R Marine” a new boat to the R Marine Jacksons team and Steve’s first drive in anger. Greg Banks was too good and won unlimited outboard comfortably in the end after some fantastic racing.
Of course, the major race of the weekend is the Melton Gold Cup. With five heats run over Sunday and a final late Sunday afternoon. Action in the heats saw Tate Ramsey in “Reckless” have an unfortunate coming together with Jeff Stunell “In Excess” and damaged both boats enough to not see them continue. There was plenty of hard racing throughout the heats which culminated in an amazing down to the wire final which was taken out by Darryl Quinn in “Bad influence” closely followed by one of the true gentlemen of blown boat racing Blake Ramsey in “Destiny” and getting on the podium in third place was Ryan McIntosh in the “Lock & Load” doing it for the six liter fans.
The Melton Gold Cup has been run & won for 2023 and what an event. Racing was also supported by many other classes, such as the 105mph 1.6L Aus boat hydroplanes and the 95mph categories. Results will be posted to the MRSBC website and the face book pages by the time you read this. If you have never been, I highly recommend you get there in 2024.
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In another Worlds First, Lone Star Marine have developed an anchoring system specifically for pontoon and deck boats, the GX1-P & REC anchor! The GX1-P is the First & Only High Quality drum style anchor winch & integrated bow sprit designed to mount in as little as 8 inches of deck space. Australian Made from 316 stainless steel and 6061 machined and anodized aluminium (like the entire GX Series), the GX1-P is made for the elements & is at home in both fresh and saltwater environments. The pivoting bow sprit design of the GX1-P lifts the anchor upon full retrieval allowing the operator to clear the boat slip or trailer with ease.
The GX1-P is a compact unit but it can be mounted on just about anything! Thanks to the ultra-powerful 600W motor (some competitors would call this a 1500w motor) and oversized Italian Made gearsets the GX1-P can be used on pontoon, tritoon, and deck boats over 30ft and pull a 40lb REC Anchor & chain with ease. These tough features in the small GX1-P make it virtually bulletproof.
The all new REC (river, estuary, combination) anchors by Lone Star Marine are specifically made for inshore use and pair perfectly with our GX1-P pontoon and deck boat anchor winch. The REC anchors hold unique advantages over other similar styles on the market. REC anchors cannot sit flat, as soon as they hit bottom they are on their side an ready to dig in! The cupped design gathers more substrate & balances the weight along the leading edge for maximum penetration. REC anchors feature 3 holes in the base, allowing sediment to pass through as the anchor is being retrieved.
REC anchors are available in 15, 25, and 40lb in both hot dipped galvanized or stainless steel finish.
GX1-P are available in many combo kit options including rope, chain, and anchor.
GX1-P & REC Anchors patent pending #2022901235.
www.lonestarmarine.com.au for your nearest stocklist
Hints, tips and info from the guru
Each issue Bear will lay down some knowledge related to everything in, on and under the water.
