[Quick Session At Narra Lake Again]

Went to Narra Lake for a quick LB session at 1pm today looking for more big flatties.

No flatties wanted to play, but the bream were certainly on the chew.

Managed 5 , all around the 30cm mark on fresh whitebait. All were released except one,

which the ever present pelican who seems to always show up when I'm there, chased one of the released bream like a jet fighter on afterburners and scooped it up, swallowing it in one big gulp.

At least I tried to give it it's freedom. Aint' nature wonderful!

Good to see the bream back though as they've been few & far between lately.

Pete.

[Hawkesbury,cowan]

Nice little session there Costa.

It sure beats working eh?

Well done on the big lizard too. I bet your heart was in your mouth when the headshakes started.

Great first report and I hope you have many more.

Cheers,

Pete

[Int'l Fish Conservation Bodies Ban Ocean Bottom Dragnet Fishing]

Int'l fish conservation bodies ban ocean bottom dragnet fishing

(Kyodo) _ Two international fisheries-resources conversation bodies have decided to provisionally ban dragnet fishing in deep ocean waters surrounding Antarctica and in the northwestern Atlantic, Japanese officials said.

The bans were imposed in light of scientists' warnings that bottom trawling has disrupted oceanic ecosystems, according to the officials who are familiar with recent discussions at the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources and the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization.

In 2004, over 1,100 scientists from 70 countries, including Japan, called for a provisional ban on bottom trawling.

Bottom trawling refers to a method of fishing involving boats pulling large nets at a depth of 500 meters to 2,000 meters. Most dragnet fishermen, including those from European nations, Russia, China, South Korea and Japan, have been using this method in recent years.

Members of both the CCAMLR and NAFO agreed unanimously to impose the bans, which come into force with immediate effect, the officials said. The CCAMLR comprises 24 countries and organizations, and NAFO 13 countries and regions.

The bans cover nearly the entire area of the Antarctic Sea as well as four areas in the northwestern Atlantic, including one surrounding an undersea mountain off Canada's Newfoundland, they said.

In addition, the two bodies decided to prohibit catches of sharks and some other fish to protect stocks from depletion, they said.

It is rare for an international body in charge of conserving maritime resources to produce an agreement of this sort concerning fishing activities in open seas.

The decisions indicate that the international community is putting greater emphasis on efforts to conserve maritime resources.

The member states of the United Nations, whose plenary session is currently under way, are also deliberating on proposals to regulate deep-sea trawling.

Encouraged by the two multilateral bodies' decisions, the U.N. session may come up with even more stringent regulatory steps, the officials said.

The CCAMLR, which wrapped up its latest session in Australia on Nov. 3, decided to impose the ban on bottom trawling around Antarctica for the period to 2009.

The body also decided to ask its Scientific Committee to conduct an investigation into the matter with an eye to having the panel deliberate in 2009 on whether to extend the ban, they said.

NAFO decided at its September meeting in Canada to provisionally ban commercial fishing in the areas surrounding four undersea mountains in the northwestern Atlantic, the officials said.

NAFO members will hold talks on whether to continue the ban at a meeting slated for 2010 after members conduct research on the effects of fishing on the state of living creatures in the areas surrounding the undersea mountains, they said. The effects of bottom trawling will also be examined.

An official at Japan's Fisheries Agency said the Japanese government has endorsed the recent decisions by the two international bodies as they called for only provisional bans.

But the official cautioned, "We are opposed to banning trawling without having scientific grounds."

[Australia, Indonesia Sign Fishing Deal]

Australia, Indonesia sign fishing deal

The Australian and Indonesian navies will conduct joint patrols to stop illegal fishers following a landmark meeting in Brisbane.

Australian Fisheries and Conservation Minister, Senator Eric Abetz, and Indonesian Fisheries Minister, Rear Admiral Freddy Numberi, agreed to cooperate in fighting illegal fishing in waters of shared interest such as the Arafura and Timor Seas.

Senator Abetz said the deal would see the Australian and Indonesian navies working in a coordinated manner against illegal fishers.

The agreement builds on the Australia-Indonesia security cooperation treaty, signed by the two countries this week.

The two countries will also work to encourage other countries in the region to take part in similar operations.

Fourteen Asian nations will be invited to a meeting in Jakarta to discuss the issue, with that meeting followed up with a regional ministers meeting in Australia.

"We will work together to broaden this cooperation to the South-East Asian region in early 2007," Senator Abetz said.

"Minister Numberi and I recognise that the consequences of not doing so would be grave for fish stocks in waters between Australia and Indonesia."

The fisheries minister also met with state ministers to discuss the illegal fishing problem.

One of he measures proposed was to use Top End Aborigines to catch foreign fishermen pillaging Australian waters.

The Brisbane meeting also saw the states agree to investigate tougher measures including a review by September, 2008, of sentences for illegal fishers.

Acting NT Fisheries Minister Kon Vatskalis welcomed the idea of involving Aboriginal communities in the illegal fishing fight.

"For more than two years the Territory has been raising concerns about the threats posed by illegal foreign fishers," he said.

"We would still like to see Indigenous Marine Ranger groups play a greater role in the apprehension of illegal fishers and hopefully we'll see this with the expansion of pilot programs to engage Indigenous communities."

The meeting also agreed the number of foreign boats found in Queensland, WA and Northern Territory waters will be monitored to determine how best to coordinate interception efforts.

[Big Fines For Patagonian Toothfish Pirates]

Big fines for Patagonian toothfish pirates

Heavy penalties handed out to illegal Patagonian toothfish operators in the United States have sent a strong message to poachers in the Southern Ocean, Australia says.

A Florida court yesterday found Antonio Vidal Pego, a Spanish national, and Fadilur SA, a Uruguayan company, guilty on charges of attempting to illegally import and sell Patagonian toothfish.

Both were fined hundreds of thousands of dollars and placed on probation.

The toothfish thrives in the deep waters of the Southern Ocean, with fish pirates regularly plundering Australia's territorial waters around Heard and McDonald islands.

Environment Minister Ian Campbell said the convictions followed an international hunt that involved law enforcement officers of several countries, including Australia, to bring to justice the main players involved in the illegal toothfish trade.

He welcomed the tough penalties.

Pego was fined $400,000, placed on probation for four years and required to cease all involvement in the toothfish industry, direct or indirect.

Fadilur SA was fined fined $100,000, placed on probation for a period of four years and ordered to cease all corporate activities and dissolve as a business entity within 45 days of the judgment being handed down.

"By handing down a guilty verdict a Florida court has sent the clear message that the international community will not tolerate the pillaging of our oceans and will take strong action to prevent illegal fishing," Senator Campbell said in a statement.

"Illegal fishing is a serious threat to the conservation of the Southern Ocean ecosystem. It degrades fish stocks and long lines take an enormous death toll on albatross and other endangered seabirds."

He said Pego and Fadilur, in May 2004, tried to import about 25 tonnes of toothfish from Singapore into Miami, for sale in the United States.

The fish were taken and transported in violation of the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources.

[Joke]

[What's This Fish?]

Lovely-looking fish, the blobfish. Was that caught on the NORFANZ expedition by any chance?

Flattieman.

It doesn't say Flattieman.

I notice on the Fishbase website, they appear off Broken Bay as well, so not entirely

a rare find.

http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/speciesSum...esname=marcidus

They certainly aren't the most photogenic of fish.

Pete.

[What's This Fish?]

It's a "Blob Fish" (Common Name).

Although, I can't imagine why it has that name...

Correct Mottyman!!

A fathead (genus /Psychrolutes)/ fish found on the Norfolk Ridge, New Zealand. The photo was taken by Kerryn Parkinson of the Australiam Museum Fish Dept, who affectionately called it "Mr. Blobby."

[What's This Fish?]

Ok, here's one for all of you to identify:

Not exactly one of the prettiest fish you ever saw.

Pete.

[Deep-sea Trawling Slammed]

Deep-sea trawling slammed

DEEP-sea trawling was destroying underwater mountains teeming with marine life and causing irreparable damage to ecosystems, scientists warned today.

Most of the underwater volcanic mountains, or seamounts, which contain deep-sea corals and are home to thousands of marine species, are in unregulated areas.

Over-exploitation of traditional fish such as cod and hake has prompted fleets to trawl the high seas for deep-dwelling species such as orange roughy, alfonsino and roundnose grenadier, but they are harming biodiversity in vulnerable regions of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans.

"There is an urgency, first of all, to deal with regulating those fisheries and secondly to get out there and look at those habitats before they are gone," said Dr Alex Rogers, of the Zoological Society of London and a co-author of the report.

"Fish hundreds of years old are being decimated as a result of this trawling," he told a news briefing.

The report will be presented at the United Nations, which is debating a plan to ban deep sea bottom-trawling in unregulated areas.

It reveals new findings about the underwater mountains, some of which rise 1000m from the sea floor, and the creatures that thrive on them.

The precise number of large seamounts worldwide is unknown. It is estimated to be around 100,000 but Dr Rogers said scientific information existed on only about 40.

The report used coral records on seamounts and global data sets on environmental factors and computer modelling to plot the potential global distribution of stony corals on seamounts and areas particularly vulnerable to deep sea trawling.

It says more commercial fishing for alfonsino and orange roughy in the central-eastern Southern Indian Ocean, in the South Atlantic and in some regions of the southern-central Pacific Ocean are likely to have a negative impact on seamount ecosystems.

Matthew Gianni, a fisheries expert and author of a report on the impact of trawl fisheries and their impact, told the briefing that 11 countries were responsible for 95 per cent of high seas bottom-trawling.

Spain, which has the largest fleet, had about 40 per cent of the bottom trawl catch in 2001, followed by Russia with 14 per cent, Portugal, Estonia and Norway with 7 per cent each.

[Barbequed Garfish With Sweet Cucumber And Peanut Sauce]

Three words...Dunny and reading material.

Pete

[Only The Big 'uns Get Away]

Only the big 'uns get away

By Larry Myhre

There's an old saying that goes something like this: “Nothing makes a fish bigger than almost being caught."

It's true.

Nothing adds pounds to a fish as quickly as losing one to a snag, a broken line or a thrown lure.

There's a feeling of raw power extending down the rod, arched to the limit, and the line almost hums in the water in a brief fight that ends with a slack line. From long experience on the water I can say with some conviction that if the lost object was a bass you can add two pounds, if a walleye three and if a catfish, northern pike or muskie, well, the sky may be the limit.

It's not so much that fishermen tend to exaggerate on purpose, although it's not a stretch to ponder if only liars fish or, on the other hand, whether or not all fishermen are liars? Having written that, I am about to tell you about some of the big fish that have gotten away from me.

I swear the following tales are true. And, in the eyes of the law I am what is called "a trained observer" so that should add even more credibility.

I'll call the first tale, "The Moby Dick of the Missouri."

This occurred many, many years ago near the beginning of my lifelong fishing odyssey. The place was the wild Missouri River somewhere near the town of Vermillion where I was pursuing, with varying degrees of seriousness, a degree in Journalism.

Somehow, I found the time to build a small wooden boat which I would take on short excursions onto the big river. I fished at night a lot for catfish and used a small kerosene lantern which provided almost enough light to tie a decent knot.

This night I had rowed downstream through a small chute and a short ways into the main river right where the current hit the bank and had created a deep hole. With the boat beached and the lantern glowing on the shoreline sand, I tied on the largest hook in my small tacklebox and crammed a whole lot of dead goldeye onto it before heaving it into the hole and beginning the wait.

An hour had probably passed when something picked up the bait and began moving off. The reel was in freespool and I watched yard after yard of line peel off while waiting for the fish to make its run and stop. Finally, I just shut down the reel and heaved back as hard as I could.

I've never hooked into a city bus, but I imagine it would feel a lot like that fish felt.

First the rod tip whipped down, then the whole rod and then both of my arms. All were on a level plane pointing at that fish.

Then it began to drag me. Then the line broke.

Even though the air was black with night, it turned blue with my shouted exhortations at that big fish. I was petty excitable in those days and have since learned to lose big fish with a lot more grace and decorum.

So that's my first big fish lost story. The second happened a few years later underneath the Highway 71 bridge between West Lake Okoboji and East Lake Okoboji.

It was late fall and I had spent the day fishing perch with some elderly friends who were well into their 50s. They tended to turn in about 10 o'clock which gave me the opportunity to do some night casting for walleyes under that bridge which most nights was pretty fruitful.

I had just refilled the spool of my Mitchell 308 spinning reel with brand new four-pound-test line imported from France. Say what you want about the French, but in the late 1960s they made the best spinning line.

I pitched a hand-tied 1/16-ounce jig into the darkness under the bridge and set the hook when I felt the line twitch.

It was a solid hook set to say the least and the five-foot fiberglass rod bent almost in two and then straightened out to point down the line as fish headed for East Lake. All I could do was hang on and watch the new line peel off the spool against the brake.

If the fish would turn, I felt I might have a chance. Earlier that fall I had landed a 20-pound carp in Lazy Lagoon on West Lake on the same outfit. But this fish didn't turn. He completely spooled me, finally breaking the line at the knot.

I don't know what kind of fish it was. Maybe a big buffalo snagged in the fin. Or maybe Okoboji's version of the Loch Ness monster?

I've often said I don't mind losing a fish if I can just see it first. Well, the next big lost fish story is one I did see. It was a northern pike and my guess is... Well, let's just say big, like Real BIG.

Here's what happened.

In the late 1970s I made a lot of my own fishing tackle. My winter project had been spinnerbaits and one I made was a monster. It was the King Kong of spinnerbaits, far bigger, much flashier and prettier than anything I had seen on the market. The arm of the bait extended back over the hook, fully eight inches above the point. Three spinners, bigger than a tablespoon rode on that wire festooned with big red and chartreuse beads. The head was dressed in white bucktail. It had two hooks in tandem, both dressed in bucktail making the bait about one foot long.

I took it with me on a family trip to northeastern Minnesota's big Lake Vermillion. The lake has 1,250 miles of shoreline, 365 islands and many shallow, weedy bays. It was on one of these weedy bays, Greenwood Bay, that I raised the big fish.

I would take the kids there evenings where they would cast Johnson Silver Minnows and catch hammer handle northerns. The action was usually so fast I didn't even bother to fish. I simply released northern after northern that the kids caught.

This night things were a little slower and I eyed the big spinnerbait and wondered what it would look like coming through the water.

I tied it directly to my line, not using a steel leader because I really didn't expect a big northern to be in this bay at this time.

Besides, I doubted there would be a fish in the lake big enough to engulf this entire lure.

Well, during the first cast, I was admiring the big flashy lure pulsing through the clear water just under the surface when I noticed two big eyeballs behind it. Yep, that was the first thing I saw, two eyeballs. Then, as I cranked it closer I saw a snout the size of a spade.

My mind now plays back the whole scene in slow motion, a scene I have recalled hundreds of time since.

The big snout opens, exposing a white maw with huge, sharp teeth and then it surges onto the bait. The mouth closes and the entire lure disappears.

The fish turns and the line relaxes, cut by those razor sharp teeth.

There was no huge pull on the line, no boil or splash. Nothing to indicate the monster had even hit. My big flashy lure had simply been there one moment and was gone the next.

That's how it is with big lost fish. They're there one moment, gone the next. But the story remains for telling and retelling. Sometimes the fish just keep getting bigger and bigger. It's kind of like the guy who caught a six pound walleye in Canada and by the time he got home the fish weighed nine pounds. Now how did that happen?

[Barbequed Garfish With Sweet Cucumber And Peanut Sauce]

Barbequed Garfish with Sweet Cucumber and Peanut Sauce

Serving size: Serves 6

Cooking time: Unspecified

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup (55g) caster sugar

1/2 cup (125ml) water

1/4 cup (60ml) lime juice

1 Tbs fish sauce

2 medium fresh red chillies, sliced

1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger

2 medium limes, sliced thickly

18 (1.5kg) whole garfish, cleaned

cooking oil spray

1 small (130g) Lebanese cucumber, peeled, seeded, chopped

1 green onion (green shallot), sliced thinly

1 Tbs coarsely chopped fresh coriander

1 Tbs finely chopped toasted peanuts

METHOD

To make the sauce, combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan, cook, stirring without boiling, until sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered, until liquid is reduced by half.

Remove the syrup from the heat, stir in the lime juice, fish sauce, chilli and ginger; allow mixture to cool.

Cook lime slices on a heated oiled barbecue (or grill or pan fry) until browned on both sides.

Spray the garfish on each side with cooking oil spray to prevent sticking. Cook the garfish, in batches, on a heated oiled barbecue (or griddle pan or pan-fry) for about 2 minutes on each side or until cooked through.

Meanwhile, stir the cucumber, onion, coriander and peanuts into the sauce.

Serve the garfish with the barbecued limes and sauce.

[40 Things That Only Happen]

And a few more for giggles:

1. "People speaking on the phone never introduce themselves, and never ever say 'good-bye' at the end of a conversation."

2. "Women always fight other movie women by pulling hair, falling to ground together, rolling over twice."

3. "There are always people carrying around large sheets of glass on the street during a car chase."

[Dora Creek Flathead]

Well done Diane.

Those big flatties are great fun to catch, especially on light gear eh?

I hope you managed a pic of the biggun and put it up for the Fish of the Month comp..it beats

mine by 2cm.

Well done.

Cheers,

Pete

[40 Things That Only Happen]

Here's a few more:

1, in horror movies when someone is taking a dump then they hear something outside they always get up to check without wiping or flushing.

2, If you need to disguise yourself as a security guard, knock out the first one you see- his clothes will fit perfectly.

3, If you are shot in the arm or leg, you need only to clean and wrap the wound.

4, Your table in a restaurant will always be by a window.

5, You'll only do laundry if you're in a romantic comedy.

6, If you're stinking drunk, a few cups of coffee will sober you right up.

7, No matter how quickly you type, you'll never make a mistake.

8, You will always have exact change for any shopping you do.

9, Your credit card can be used to unlock any door in the world.

10, If you wear a bullet proof vest you'll never get shot in the head.

11, If you walk into a bar and order a beer, the barman will know which kind of beer you want without having to ask.

12, The barman will then hover nearby in case you need to talk about your problems.

13, Characters who get drunk for the first time will always do something "crazy".

14, Barmen are always great sources of information - once you've given them $20.

15, In westerns, everyone drinks whiskey in the middle of the day.

16, The Hero can take a real beating without showing the slightest sense of pain. But will always wince when a woman tends to his wounds.

[Beachworm Baiting For Jew]

Speaking of worms....a mate of mine from Perth reckons he and his mate

over there used to bottom bash using..of all things...common garden vareity earth worms..!!!

Yeah, the ones you get in the back garden.

He reckons they are excellent bait and they used to catch plenty with them...I said Bull Sh*t..no sea fish would have anything to do with a bloody earth worm.

Has anyone else ever heard of this? Just so I can tell him he's full of it!

If it's true..I have a bait goldmine in my back yard.

Cheers,

Pete

[Concern Wwii Chemical Dump Off Nsw Coast Deteriorating]

Concern WWII chemical dump off NSW coast deteriorating

Two major fishing groups are calling for a clean-up of the remnants of dangerous wartime chemicals dumped off the New South Wales far south coast.

The Coastal Rights Association and the Narooma Ports Committee say hundreds of steel drums were dropped onto the continental shelf after World War II and the Korean and Vietnam conflicts.

The fishermen say steel drums containing arsenic, mustard gas, cyanide, and carcinogenic substances are sitting in stockpiles off Batemans Bay, Tuross, Narooma and Eden.

They say an increasing number of drums have been turning up in trawling nets.

The Narooma Ports Committee president, Phil Creagh, says he is worried the drums will soon start breaking up after years of corrosion.

"Apparently the 44 gallon drums have been sealed, put in the water and apparently some of them maybe are starting to leak after 20, 30, 40 years," he said.

"What will happen when they finally rupture? And that's just a matter of time, what is likely to happen [is] there will be a massive fish kill in the immediate vicinity and an obvious damage to the biodiversity on the sea floor."

[Fish Industry Casts Doubt Over Buy-back Plan]

Fish industry casts doubt over buy-back plan

A New South Wales far south coast fishing industry leader says the latest State Government move to rationalise the industry looks set to fail.

Fishermen are receiving letters from the Primary Industries Department giving notional licence values and inviting them to take part in an $8.5 million buy-back.

But Ulladulla spokesman Mario Puglisi says if all of the operators accept the offer, there will not be enough money to go around.

"I think they will have to find some more money somewhere. There is not just enough funds there and knowing the number of boats, prawn boats, other fishing methods and trawling, I don't think there is enough ... abalone and lobster fishermen," he said.

"I don't think there is enough funds there. Somehow they'll have to find some more otherwise it is not going to happen."

[Some People Really P*ss Me Off!]

Geez Zenman...my story pales in comparison to that.

You were lucky to survive something like that.

I hope the old geezer replaced your tinnie and contents.

Some people just shouldn't be allowed to skipper a boat.

I'm now sticking to mid week also. Just not worth the hassle.

Cheers,

Pete

[Port Hacking 12/11]

From what I hear..even a starvin, mangey cat would puke 'em up

[Port Hacking 12/11]

Went out just before dawn in the Hacking.

Spent the first couple of hours yo-yoing for flatties up and down in the channels.

Five flathead before 7.00am but all of them between 25cm and 30cm. Plenty of the little buggers out there obviously but none of their bigger mates.

As usual with one of my outings I did something stupid and this time I went out with the keys to car in my pocket. Quick trip home and back in the water by 7.30.

On my retrun I headed for Lilli Pilli Baths, thanks to a bit of a nudge from coollamon last night. Anchored burleyed etc etc. After an hour I had two gurnards (which coollamon told me where there) but little else that I could bag.

Fed up with an abundance of under size red bream I went on the drift through the sand and weed straight off Lilli Pilli. Two reasonable bream on nippers and then dropped an absolute pearler of a whiting right at the boat. This was followed by a great bream run taking me around a channel pile and busting me off.

I then landed a fish that I am unsure of. It was roughly the shape of a whiting with blue spots over it and its eyes pretty much on top, its head was a different shape to a whitting more like a monk fish (sort of). It had a mouth that opened wide and was full of small sharp teeth.

After that I went over to the bit where it drops away to the west of the mainbar flat for three flathead and a whiting, one flattie 50cm one 43cm the other smaller.

Unfortunately i didnt have the cannon and the phone camera shots were washed out for all except the early gurnard.

Anyone know what the mystery fish was?

Nice report Dave.

Pity those hefty models didn't stick.

That mystery fish wasn't another Grinner was it.

See PaulB's post earlier.

Cheers,

Pete

[Some People Really P*ss Me Off!]

Was down at my fav. spot at Narra lake today, land based as usual. Been there about half an hour

when 2 bokes in a small tinnie motor up and start fishing right where I am casting.

They could see me casting in a fan pattern as they motored up.

It didn't phase them one bit. They even cast their lines over mine on one occasion.

I continued to cast right next to their boat in the hope they'd take the hint that I was

still fishing there. They just looked at the splash right next to their boat and continued to fish

away, oblivious to me. This was just 15 metres from shore.

I eventually said something to them by asking them to move up a bit as I have been fishing here

for half an hour. They just looked at each other, shrugged and kept on fishing!! Arrrghhh

i had thoughts of tying on a star sinker and lobbing a few into their boat, but thought the better of that.

I asked them again..please move up a bit as you have the whole lake to choose from. They eventually

started up and motored 10 metres away and continued to cast where I was fishing.

Geez, some people piss me off at times.

I know I don't own the damn lake but this was just bloody ignorant.

They eventually left, then another turkey in a kayak with his kid on board paddles right over my line when

I had a fish on. The fish was obviously spooked enough to bust me off.

That was followed by another jerk in a tinnie speeding past 10 metres from shore, right past me..he even waved to me...what an idiot. The wake he left was something else.

I will never fish down there on a weekend again...too many bloody idiots.

In the end I managed one nice bream but nothing else.(returned)

A cranky Pete.

[Fifty Fabulous Places To Fish Before You Die]

Rob Sloane has published a new book that lists the 50 best places in New Zealand and Australia to fly fish

before you die.

In today's article, he lists his top 5.

__________________________________________

Cast of magnificent obsessions

By Rob Sloane

AT face value, defining the fifty best places to fly-fish in Australia and New Zealand might seem to be a straightforward task. Well, hardly a task: more of a pleasure. But fly-fishing is not a pastime that is defined by best places. The local stream, estuary or even a stocked farm dam can provide endless fascination.

I regularly fish a lake that for me is a stand-out favourite, and my local stream holds more good-sized trout than most other rivers I know, but neither appears in this selection. And before you say it, I am not simply protecting my territory, as anglers are inclined to do. Having discovered a special stretch of water, we learn from experience to be careful to tell only those we trust - others, with less care and skill, may have more time to fish and a mind set on killing all they catch. So, whereas some may be disappointed by the omission of a place they consider to be one of the best, others may be relieved that their favourite water has escaped attention. To my knowledge Fifty Places to Fish is the first attempt to identify the best fly-fishing waters right across Australia and New Zealand, to put fly-fishing in a regional context if you like, and to venture beyond trout to really define the unique nature of the fly-fishing on offer.

Some might say that when you leave the banks of a trout stream you are no longer fly-fishing, but how wrong they would be. Ten years ago I might have said the same, but I have since been taken on a wild ride around Australia, as far north as Cape York and right across the continent from Fraser Island in the east to Exmouth in the west. From coral reef to tropical billabong, the reality is that with a fly rod in your hand and a suitable fly at the ready, you can fish just about anywhere at anytime in Australia and New Zealand.

As well as offering sustainability and exceptional fishing, each destination also had to offer something 'special'. There had to be a compelling reason to visit, as sizes and numbers of fish alone are rarely primary motivators. This says a lot about fly-fishing compared to other more basic fishing methods. 'Didn't catch much but had a great time' is understandably a fly-fishing expression, and not one that is expected to be met with sympathy. It is no surprise that those attracted to the aesthetics and rhythm of fly-casting, and whose fishing experience is always attendant on insect hatches and water quality, greatly value their environmental surrounds. Scenic grandeur, wilderness and sense of adventure all came to the fore when evaluating destinations.

Tradition, culture, history and literature also stake a claim, especially when assessing trout fishing priorities. Great waters are often associated with specific hatches (of mayflies in particular) or events (such as spawning migrations). But there are practical considerations to be made as well. Destinations such as Ballarat and Oberon are valued for their convenience and proximity to home. Whilst such places might not provide much solitude, the capacity to maintain worthwhile fishing on the doorstep of a major town or city is certainly worth noting.

Other well-populated waters, such as New Zealand's Queenstown and Rotorua districts, are valued for the range of other tourism activities on offer. We can all appreciate that the exposed terrain, extreme weather and biting insects of many fly-fishing environments can leave the non-fishing partner totally bemused. Sometimes a successful fishing holiday is more about compromise.

The best destinations are invariably environments where fish can be seen, stalked, and cast to, in true hunting style. This adds immeasurably to fly-fishing skill and enjoyment, and it rates so many Australian and New Zealand destinations among the very best in the world.

Finally, whilst remoteness is undoubtedly a key attraction, there was little point in listing endless destinations with little or no prospect of the average reader ever getting there. Where such places have been included – the Pine Valley lakes and the Wessel Islands for example – they should be viewed not as do-or-die destinations, but examples of what adventures await off the beaten track.

So there you have it - from the very tip of New Zealand's North Island to the damp depths of Fiordland in the South Island; from the arid beaches of Cape York to Tasmania's highland lakes – the fifty places you must fly-fish before you die.

ROB SLOANE'S TOP FIVE

IT'S hard to pick 5 favourites: it was hard enough to pick just 50 from around Australia and New Zealand!

Of all the entries in the book I would nominate the following as personal favourites.

1. Pine Valley Lakes

The Pine Valley is just one of hundreds of natural lake systems scattered across Tasmania's remote Western Lakes region. You need to be a fit and experienced bushwalker to tackle this country, but it is well worth making the effort. It is a unique and truly wild fly-fishing environment where trout can be stalked in shallow water.

2. Murchison

This region in the north of the South Island boasts several fabulous fishing lodges and many of the best fly-fishing rivers in New Zealand. Sight fishing to large brown trout in crystal clear water is the big attraction, and there are dozens of world-class rivers within a short drive.

3. Lake Taupo & the Tongariro River

Not exactly a wilderness destination but for year-round trout fishing, Lake Taupo and its tributaries in the central north of New Zealand's North Island would be hard to beat.

The winter fishery based on the rainbow trout spawning run attracts many Australians and visitors from around the world. The Tongariro River is a world-class destination.

4. Weipa & Cape York

My introduction to the diverse world of saltwater fly-fishing was on a mothership trip to the remote western coast of Cape York, north of Weipa. These live-aboard trips provide a unique wilderness experience, and there are dozens of species, from barramundi to tuna, that can be caught on a fly rod. This is a 'must visit' area for anyone interested in saltwater fly-fishing.

5. North West Cape

Midway between Perth and Broome, this extreme tip of Western Australia is a new frontier for fly-fishing. It's a great place to target a wide range of saltwater species including trevally, giant herring, emperor and bonefish. Ningaloo Reef and its associated marine reserves and beaches provide a wonderful diversion from fly-fishing too.

This is an edited extract from Fifty Places to Fish Before You Die, edited by Rob Sloane and published by Penguin Viking (rrp $49.95)

['we Heard Tapping From Inside The Hull']

'We heard tapping from inside the hull'

A man rescued from his capsized fishing boat on Port Phillip Bay after spending more than 40 minutes trapped in the hull is "extremely lucky" to be alive, according to a rescue diver.

Victoria Police said the boat with two men onboard capsized about 6pm yesterday about two nautical miles off Frankston pier.

One of the men was rescued by people on board another recreational vessel, but the other man was trapped in the hull of the overturned boat for at least 40 minutes.

Volunteer Mornington Rescue diver Bob Chase said rescuers were on the scene within 15 to 20 minutes.

"Obviously it was an urgent situation and when we arrived we could hear tapping from inside the hull, so we knew the gentlemen was still alive but trapped inside,'' Mr Chase said.

"This guy was extremely lucky to get out in the end and it was one of those things that you hope you don't attend too often - it's quite rare and very, very scary to be there.

"I was in the water for about 25 minutes and it was getting pretty cold and as the guy tapped on the hull all I could really do was tap back and keep shouting, letting him know that ... we'd get him out."

Mr Chase said the rescue was particularly difficult due to the cold water and the amount of equipment in the upturned boat.

"We put our first swimmer in the water and the water was pretty cold and he cramped up so then I went in and it was just too difficult," he said.

"With all the gear that was floating around and all the gear in the boat, the angle of the vessel was at least 45 degrees, with just the nose pointing up in the water, there was just a small portion of the nose pointing out so it made it quite difficult to get down and get up to him and to get out was another story because he was obviously very distressed at this stage.

"There was so much hanging off, the boat was covered in ropes, there was cushions and Eskies and fishing gear and he'd crawled right up in the very nose of the half cab and the poor gentleman was very, very distressed and he wasn't going to come out and it was very, very hard to get in there.''

Both men were treated in the emergency department of the Frankston Hospital, suffering mild hypothermia and a hospital spokeswoman said both men had been discharged about midnight.