Sydney Harbour 4/9/09

[cameron@readprojects.com.au]

We planned after reading all the various reports on jew fishing that last night was the night. The tide, moon and everything were at the right time that we could sneak out for a couple hours after work and see what we could get and still be home by 12pm.

I managed to get under the Harbour bridge by 4.30pm and set myself up while my Dad and Brother-in-law had to stay at work unitl later.

Had the place to myself so I was not sure if it was the spot but thought what the, I'll keep going anyway.

Enjoyed the view of the city and seeing the tourists coming down to take photo's while I enjoyed the beautiful day and wettng a line plus a couple of beers.

Not much to report back on at this stage for all the burleying and effort other than a small LJ and cockney.

So i thought i would throw a suid jig and see what happend as I only had prawns for bait as my Dad was bringing the rest of the bait.

after about 10mins caught a perfect jew bait sized squid just as I was getting the big line ready anyway. So in it went.

The boys arrived and we sat and waited and waited and burleyed and waited. Drink more beer had a great pizza, watched the city change under darkness, still nothing.

Then other fishos arrived and started squiding with some mixed results for them but nothing for us.

Dad finaly had enough at 10pm and packed up and left. He jokingly said that we would catch something now that he was leaving. How right he was.

Litteraly 2 mins after he left my big line with the squid on it starts to walk line out slowly. I grab it just as it starts to drag the whole rod over the side and then the line starts really moving out.

This was a big fish and I could feel the thump of each tail stroke so I am thinking what I have a got myself into.

I start to gain line slowly and it wants to run under the wharf so I have to climb to the other end while holding my rod and keeping pressure o the line. So I get to the end of the wharf and gain more line and this shadow starts to come out of the dark water and I am hoping its a jew.

My BIL is climbing down to me with our small net just as i get to see the size of this thing and say to him that it wont fit in the net.

I manage to climb back to the other end of the wharf were the steps are with my BIL winding in his line and him saying that he has something big on as well. so I have to hold mine off so he can land his first.

At this stage we have a crowd of tourists watching as I finally get to see that I have caught a very large Port Jackson Shark I would guess 1.5m diffenetly over the 1.2m mark and my BIL has also caight a smaller PJ Shark. I woudl guessw the 1 - 1.2 meter mark.

We manage to get them onto the stairs but we were not quick enough to grab a camera but just as we got them onto the steps the leaders break as we were only using 40lb mono and they swam away happy.

We were so happy that this was a great way to end the night and after saying that we would not fish there again we will be back as it was our first time there.