adkel53 Posted December 4, 2013 Share Posted December 4, 2013 (edited) 2013 has been a shocker for a long standing friend and his family. When I moved here in the mid 1980s I joined the local cricket club and quickly became friends with two of the players. We had children of similar ages and more followed. Our families became very close, spending much time together. One of my two mates is a fisho and still a regular fishing companion. The other is not and moved to Newcastle to work some 10 years ago. In April this year, just after he retired from work, his wife and our friend died tragically in a cycling accident. It rocked us all to the core and the memories of our dear friend Julie, who grew up in a fishing family, are constantly with us. Over the past 5 weeks our mate has come down to stay so that we could take him fishing on three occasions. Our first attempt saw us blown off Botany Bay by 50 km winds and on the second occasion we didn't even leave home because of the wind and rain. On Monday this week the planets aligned and we were out on the bay bright and early fishing the run-up tide for lizards in some shallow water. After about two and a half hours we only had a good sized bream (my friend's first plastic caught fish) to show for our efforts. A new tactic was called for so we headed out towards the mouth of the bay to fish some deeper water. The move paid off and we each landed three nice duskies in the 44-50 cm range before the nor-easterly got the better of us and we headed back in. A quick stop off at a favourite drop off resulted in me hooking and landing this old girl. (Please excuse the finger blocking out my face - not deliberate!) She was quickly measured (74 cm) before being returned to help re-populate the bay. We had a terrific morning out - three long term mates together doing something we had never done as a group. It won't be our last trip together as two of us do what we can to ease the pain of a mate who has lost his partner of over 40 years. A shared interest in golf and vegetable growing will also play their parts in helping him through this difficult time. Tight lines all. Kel Edited December 4, 2013 by kel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jewhunter Posted December 4, 2013 Share Posted December 4, 2013 Great story Kel & great results for all of you. It's awesome to have such good mates. Even though life has dealt him a rough hand of late, he's lucky to have such good friends. Keep it up! Cheers, Grant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Witha Posted December 4, 2013 Share Posted December 4, 2013 Mate that's just terrific. Well done to all. Cheers Witha Sent from my GT-I9100T using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yowie Posted December 4, 2013 Share Posted December 4, 2013 Not good to hear Kel, at least your mate managed a few fish, that's better news. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scratchie Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 Thanks for sharing kel. That's what fishings about sometimes, the journey! Well done on the fish too mate! Cheers scratchie!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
svsolaris Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 You might just have saved his life mate, well done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul fishfeeder Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 Mate great catch and even better story.close friends are hard to come by so its great to have them,lost most of mine due to stupidity on all behalfs.anyway keep up the good work or should I say play...catch many and let just as many gooooooo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fly45830 Posted December 5, 2013 Share Posted December 5, 2013 Thanks for sharing Kel, They say time heals. Time spent fishing would have even more magical healing powers! I'm sorry to sound trivial if I do. Your story really struck a chord. Congrats on the fish too! Frank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meg126 Posted December 6, 2013 Share Posted December 6, 2013 Thanks for sharing Kel, They say time heals. Time spent fishing would have even more magical healing powers! I'm sorry to sound trivial if I do. Your story really struck a chord. Congrats on the fish too! Frank. Doesn't sound trivial - my Dad taught me to fish, he was tragically taken by the sea nearly 20 years ago - when I fish I feel closer to him. Fishing does have amazing healing powers for sure! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flickn Mad Posted December 7, 2013 Share Posted December 7, 2013 Best way forward is too live life, be it cricket, growing vegies or fishing. I think there are few greater things you can do in life than support a friend through a tough time. A quality fish for a quality guy Kel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pharris Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 I have never made a post on this website but read it regularly because I love fishing and love reading everyones experiences. I dont get out enough to post anything worthwhile! Kel this is without question the most poignant post if have read and you have really struck a chord. As Yowie posted you may well have saved a life. Keep up the fishing Kel you are a very good man. I was on Sydney harbour with my very old man and his a my close family friend on Sunday arvo who hadn't been on the harbour for 50 years when he used to run out to Browns in an old leaking tinnie with his old man catching Kingies on 'Leadlines'. He was in heaven just to be out there even though the Nor' easter blew us all around. It is so special to spend quality time on the water with friends and family. Tight lines and a great lesson from Kel...thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adkel53 Posted December 9, 2013 Author Share Posted December 9, 2013 Some lovely sentiments in the replies to my post. I know that my mate would do the same for me if our circumstances were reversed. I'm off to help him with his vegie garden on Wednesday. Thank you all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linc Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 A very lovely story Mate and a very lovely flatty, plus sounds like you had a feed of the table sized specimens too! Is that a quintrex escape? Looks exactly like my boat from the pic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinsoi Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 That is a very touching story Kel. The love and compassion you have showed for a true friend is admirable. Thanks for sharing, we can all learn from this. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swamper95 Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Thanks for shareing your story kel thats what its all about. Sometimes its not really the fish we're after. Peace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arpie Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Nice one, Kel! Your buddy will have a new lease on life & look forward to his next 'fishy' outing .... hope you can get him on to some more fish soon Cheers Roberta Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyNurse Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 Kel, Having lost my two best mates over the past 10 years, the last one as recently as last July, your story struck close to the mark. All I can say is your blood's worth bottling. If there was an award on this forum for Mate of the Year, you'd have my vote. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pogsy Posted December 13, 2013 Share Posted December 13, 2013 When you cut to the chase, its friends and family that matter. Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dakab444 Posted December 29, 2013 Share Posted December 29, 2013 Good on ya Kel. Great mates are hard to come by and they stick with through thick and thin. I had a couple of mates come round the other day and rebuild my garden after we lost it in the recent bushfires. I just needed something green and nice in the midst of black and brown and my mates understood and came round and helped out and mulched and planted and now we have something nice to look at. Great mates are worth having believe me and you sound like a great mate to have around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paikea Posted December 29, 2013 Share Posted December 29, 2013 Good friends are precious and you are obviously a very good friend. Thank you for sharing, it makes us all realise that we should never take things for granted and treasure every day. Cheers Paikea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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