Endangered Species

[humesy]

Howdy,

Firstly, all you animal liberationists (and I know this site is just crawling with them), read this report with a grain of salt. I am using writers liberty here folks and no eels were deliberately harmed in the making of this story.

Byron and I have talked up a hefty phone bill over the last week or so (the man can talk) and it was time we fished. Now that my holidays are over and I am bound by the limits of the "fish when you can" principle and not guided by the "fish when the elements are right" principle. I phoned the Jewgaffer to seek his opinion on the elements and we found ourselves agreeing to go for a fish.

I gained an introduction to the murky world of the Hawkesbury squid trade centred in Brooklyn and loaded up with a couple of kilos of the stuff. The boat was loaded with odds and sods and we ventured out to settle across from the ramp. Mighty pleasant afternoon but Byron was keen not to overhype the fishing potential of the day. Wisely so as it turned out. It was a top afternoon for the so called freeks. Eel after eel, descending in waves, gorging themselves on our primo squid. Some were lucky and were released to go back for more. Others weren't. A couple managed to send the hooks up through the top of their heads in a self inflicted version of that Japanese fish killing technique (which I don't know the name of). Others swallowed hooks and fared very poorly indeed as hooks were regained using surgical techniques.

Anyway, long story short. Top night no fish. Good company and plenty learned. Would love to join you later this week Byron and if it wasn't for my lousy protestant work ethic, I'd be chucking sickies and hitting the river now that the southerly has moved on. Fish on brothers, safe in the knowledge that those damn eels are either stuffed full of top quality squid or have gone to a better place.

Cheers.

PS Forgot to add another big thanks to Fishyfingers for his tips on the jumper pack. I went to start her up at home time only to get the dreaded WUB.. WUUUB... WW..... Out comes the new pack for its first use and the motors jumps to life in a flash. Saved a long night, stuck up sh*t creek, with a t*rd for a paddle. Brilliant.

Time for a new battery though.

Edited July 23, 2007 by humesy

[jewgaffer]

Howdy,

Firstly, all you animal liberationists (and I know this site is just crawling with them), read this report with a grain of salt. I am using writers liberty here folks.

Byron and I have talked up a hefty phone bill over the last week or so (the man can talk) and it was time we fished. Now that my holidays are over and I am bound by the limits of the "fish when you can" principle and not guided by the "fish when the elements are right" principle. I phoned the Jewgaffer to seek his opinion on the elements and we found ourselves agreeing to go for a fish.

I gained an introduction to the murky world of the Hawkesbury squid trade centred in Brooklyn and loaded up with a couple of kilos of the stuff. The boat was loaded with odds and sods and we ventured out to settle across from the ramp. Mighty pleasant afternoon but Byron was keen not to overhype the fishing potential of the day. Wisely so as it turned out. It was a top afternoon for the so called freeks. Eel after eel, descending in waves, gorging themselves on our primo squid. Some were lucky and were released to go back for more. Others weren't. A couple managed to send the hooks up through the top of their heads in a self inflicted version of that Japanese fish killing technique (which I don't know the name of). Others swallowed hooks and fared very poorly indeed as hooks were regained using surgical techniques.

Anyway, long story short. Top night no fish. Good company and plenty learned. Would love to join you later this week Byron and if it wasn't for my lousy protestant work ethic, I'd be chucking sickies and hitting the river now that the southerly has moved on. Fish on brothers, safe in the knowledge that those damn eels are either stuffed full of top quality squid or have gone to a better place.

Cheers.

very well reported andrew.

i couldn't have made it so readable and enjoyable.

andrew thanks for your great company on sunday.

i found your quintrex simply outstanding to fish in and i would like to say you are a top boatie and you know all the ropes mate .

i couldn't say that during the session coz we were laughing so much about the effect of barometric pressure on eel spincters and shirl said to thank you for getting me back in two pieces .

shirl said the other half of me was an eels head she found trebble hooked to my brain in its pocket revolving around in the washing machine

i told you andrew the most humane way to release an eel is to cut the leader off and gently connect the eel and andrew i mean gently, to a two litre milk bottle which allows the eel to simply float backwards and forwards with the tides until the hooks either gently dissolve in their tummies or simply pass out thru their system.

we sure had a lot to talk about especially having attended the same school, sydney grammar school.

they taught you be a good teacher of kids and i won the farrar english prize and the citizens french prize in 1954 which i guess must have qualified me for spending most of my time driving and owing taxis playing snooker and fishing for jewfish. you simply have to speak both languages plus a litlle mandarin and you have learn all of the poetry by lord byron to catch them.

very well reported andrew.

i couldn't have said it more acturately

yep as i said we'd only be targetting eels because of the continuing southerly front.

i'd like to let everyone know that although andrew humesy said it was a perfect night for boating and we were indeed in my prime spot for a bi-catch of good bream in my best emergency jewie spot, it did finished up a freeky eel paradise as the jewies had shut down as well.

she's looking good for everyone on wednesday, thursday, friday. - only during the night at taren pt and during the day would be best in the hawkesbury.

cheers everyone and i welcome pm's on the barometric pressure subject or more about estuary fish shutting down during continuing periods of southerly winds as i have the time and i am going to wait at least another 24 hours for the change to have time to settle in properly before i go out fishing.

a big thank you again andrew and i will gladly fish anytime with you, thereddraggon what a nice bloke, the knowledgable bobfish and i'll see you soon my loyal mate jakjayno1 in kingscliff and of course jimmy bowers, my ex employee, my snooker coach and the real father to all the kids in ballina good on ya jimmy .

eelgaffer

andrew i have included a photo of my long time boating mate italian sam taken when sam and i last fished at the exact secret spot you and i fished on sunday. but on that day the southerly had just commenced in the rain too but i repeat only at the start of a southerly influence .

italian sam and his trophy size bream and a jewie

cheers jewgaffer

and yep andrew we'll go back to el primo again or it's my shout of the mandarin and we'll go in the mustang it's my turn to shout the boat and besides i have two batteries

but to tell you the truth i needed just a little more flat battery time in your boat right where the tide started to run up slower around that other eddy.

Edited July 23, 2007 by jewgaffer

[zen801]

Andrew,

Are u still at it in this bloody cold!

I went into my yearly winter fishing hibernation a couple of weeks ago and promptly came down with the flu.

Mate the squid sounds good at least. Should go for that big jew in the surf. My last venture out was our usual spots on Northern beaches and it sucked. Crap everywhere in the water including bloody trees. Found the best gutter of the year but it was full of weed and other debris.

It might of settled down by now.

Cheers. PS Mate eels really freak me out.

[abiasin]

unlucky on the eels there mate, they can be a huge pest when they are on the chew like that.

[bolan]

You write a funny report Humesy!

I wish I was on the boat as I am sure the conversation would have been a hoot !

Cheers,

Stumpy

Edited July 24, 2007 by stumpy