Sputnik

Mate, not a word of a lie - there's 7’ 6†of lovingly-crafted Ian Miller technology sitting in my garage with the words “Ultra Finesse†proudly displayed on the butt - and there's only one tackle shop in the Drummoyne area that my missus could ever have found her way to. Check with Ted one weekend - ’er indoors became a bit of a legend when she marched in and pulled it out of the rack (she’d had some pretty good guidance from me in advance, mind you!). Apparently, she had several other offers of marriage on the way out of the store!

I've got two Miller’s - a Bream Buster Classic and Ultra Finesse. I'm also lucky enough to have a Saegake. They're all great rods. Although they couldn't be more different to look at - the Miller’s are a no-nonsense fish-catching Aussie with cork grips, while the Saegake is a bit flashier - black handle, gleaming silver guides. However, they both do a superb job. I feel very confident pulling any of them out of the rack - I know they’re going to help me handle just about anything I get connected to. On a purely personal level, I do like the shortness of the Bream Buster grip. It might not be to everyone's taste, but it suits me just fine, and allows for great manoeuvrability. Strangely enough, I’ve probably caught more of my really big Bream on my Ultra Finesse while wading the flats. (Incidentally, my wife bought me the Ultra Finesse, which made her very popular both in Otto’s and at home!) But trust me, if you’re lucky enough to own either of these makes, you’re not going to be disappointed!

And, just by way of variety, if you want a ride in a Stessl Edgetracker, let me know - you're more than welcome.

Great report, Joe - many congrats on breaking the duck in a very BIG way! I've eaten Jewfish before, and it's bloody sensational IMO, so you and the family should be in for a real treat over, oh, the next month or so, I reckon! Well done, mate.

Well done Don and Snag. A great way to break in the new boat. I guess we know who will be the guys to beat in the Aus Open, then!

Well done, Brent - that first Bass is a snorker! I spent some time at Port Stephens in winter 2004, but never managed anything quite like that. Well done, mate!

Here’s mine. A 4.75 Stessl Edgetracker Pro Tournament with a 60HP 4-stroke Yamaha on the back.

Welcome to the new boat owners club, mate! She looks great - can't wait to see her “in the flesh†at the next social. Merry Christmas!

They are suppose to be next to the number plate and this has been law for a few years but it is not very well known or policed. I can remember this topic on SF and the general consensus was that a rego sticker wouldn't last very long if it was being dunked continually, that's why people/dealers put them on the winch post. I was pulled over just after I bought my last boat around 3 years ago and only had an interim label and the policeman commented on the fact it must've been a new boat because of the label but didn't say it shouldn't be on the winch post. BTW nice looking rig Sputnick . 21492[/snapback] Thanks for that Ozy - I guess I’ll just leave it where it is and see what happens!

Sharp eyes, Bullfrog. The trailer Rego is mounted just below the winch (it’s where the guys at Belmont Boats stuck it). No idea if it’s illegal - can anyone clarify?

Well, the boat I ordered in August finally arrived last weekend. A Stessl Edgetracker Pro Tournament. 4.75 metres. So far, I really couldn’t be happier. The boat handles really well, gets along nicely (60hp Yamaha 4 stroke on the back), and is incredibly stable to fish from. Now all I need to do is teach it how to find bigger Bream for me! Anyway, here's a couple of snaps of my (other) new baby.

Does that mean you’ve got your boat already, Jorg? Where’s Warrick farm, anyway?

Fantastic stuff. Thanks so much to everyone for all their help - I'm printing all this off, don’t worry! And the industrial estate is a brilliant idea. That’s where I’ll head to practice...

Reading through the pages on the site, it looks as thought here are going to be a bunch of new boaters on the water soon, so I wondered whether any of the “veterans†could offer some advice. Specifically: Where’s a good place to go and practice reversing your trailer? (Given that a boat ramp on a Saturday morning isn’t the best place to discover that it isn’t as easy as it looks!) Are there any decent open spaces in the Sydney area that give a novice boater the chance to experiment? I’m sure all of you regular boaters now have a routine that comes as second nature to you when you’re heading out for a day on the water - but have you ever thought what that routine is? And, more to the point, could you share it, perhaps by writing down some kind of “checklistâ€, for the newbies? Lastly, given the old adage of “if it can go wrong, it will go wrongâ€, what are the most common occurences that can freak out a novice boater, and what can be done to make sure they don’t happen? Thanks in advance for any advice that you guys can give. I’ve seen a number of people be very generous with their time in the past, offering advice on all sorts of boat-related stuff. It’s just one of the things that make this site worth visiting on a regular basis... Cheers!

Sorry, don't mean to bore everyone to tears, but I’m clearing out my iPhoto library, and this was my other contender for the online comp - a lovely little Blurter which went really hard. Caught from Putney Park, of all places!

And this one from a memorable session with Moose and JD (there's obviously something lucky about me and JD fishing together!)

Well, now we’re heading into Summer, thought it was a good time to show what winter produced from my favourite wading spot. Can’t wait to get back there again, eh, JD?

I’m with Adam. Don’t ask me why, but although the Stren Magnathin has a (nominally) smaller diameter than Siglon or Nitlon, I always seem to catch more fish on the Nitlon. I went down to 3lb for the softplastic social on Sunday, and it held up really well, too. Not cheap, but hey - if it catches fish...