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[Lightweight]

Hi All,

Back after a week relaxing in the Whitsundays. I thought i would give a recall of my limited fishing adventures and other fish related stories.

Lisa and I went to the Whitsundays to try and catch a last little bit of the summer and that fresh warm air before the next three months of cold and winter. I was pretty keen to hit the ocean, Peter Faust Dam, or any fishing in an around the reef that was on offer. The only problem was i was stupid enough to bust my arm before i went so that alone almost entirely ruled out fishing from my trip (it just meant more time to sit by a pool and drink beer ). I stayed on Daydream Is for a few days, and boy have they got a GOOD aquarium there, i think it is the biggest outdoor one in the southern hemisphere or something like that, there are sharks, rays, barramundi and HEAPS of tropical fish, i think i must have spent an hour a day at least just watching the fish. I hired a tinny and some fishing gear and hit the water not having a clue really what i was doing... It is strange when you are well out of your comfort zone chasing fish that you have no idea about, i am much more at home looking for some good bream, a big lizard or a Bass or two. I anchored in some 15-20m water off one of the islands and was onto some tropical fish almost immediately... a parrot fish here, a spotted cod there, outside of that i caught a few WTF species, and was always curious about the colours and different shapes and sizes of the fish in the tropics. It was interesting but not really great as the boat came with what i call Broomsticks and Whipper-Snipper cord... not really ideal for a bit of sport fishing, yes it is easy to get the fish aboard, but no real challenge, i could have hauled a whale in with the rig i had!

The day after that i did plenty of snorkelling and saw some massive Hump Headed Wrasse (must have been in excess of 30kg) and a plethora of fish in all shapes and sizes. Best snorkelling session i have ever had.

The rest of the time was spent out on the reef, and in and around the islands doing much the same as described above. With a bit of the amber liquid consumed in between activities.

If and when i get back to that lovely part of the world i will surely delve deeper into the local knowledge, especially in the fishing area, it is amazing how vast and varied each and every part of Australia is and how lucky we are to have so many fish species and remarkable fishing opportunities at our doorstep.

Although i didn't get to do the more serious type of fishing it was still an experience and i can't wait to get out in my local waters to catch some "familiar" fish again.

LW

[Guest bluecod]

Lightweight,

Its a great place for a holiday, I took the family up there for a couple of weeks a few years ago, one week of bareboating charter and I know exactly what you mean about being out of familiar fishing territory.

We copped strong winds which meant that we generally stayed inside the island chain which limited fishing a fair bit, but still had fun on the various species on offer but no spectacular or meritorious captures. If you go back for some serious fishing get a copy of "100 Magical Miles of the Great Barrier Reef" by David Colfelt which provides a wealth of information on the region.

[Lightweight]

Thanks Bluecod, i will check the book out.

Everyone speeks of the strong winds of the region. I think i must have been very lucky as we had winds no stronger than about 10kts in a week!