Monday, April 30, 2007

2007 Kicks Off!!!

HI ALL, FIRSTLY, MY SINCEREST APOLOGIES TO THESE GUYS WHO FISHED WITH ME A FEW WEEKS AGO FOR TAKING SO LONG TO PUT THEIR PICTURES ON THE NET AND MAKE THEM FAMOUS - STEVE (BUCKO), FRANK, AUSSIE ANDY, AMERICAN ANDY, MARTY & THE OTHER STEVE.
FUN WAS HAD BY ALL WITH A VARIETY OF FISHING INCLUDING ESTUARY, BEACH AND OFFSHORE SPORT AND FLY FISHING. AMERICAN ANDY WAS IMPRESSED BY THE LUSHIOUS LIPS OF AN EXCITED GOLDEN TREVALLY AS OPPOSED TO THOSE OF THE SMALL SALTWATER CROCODILE WHICH TOOK A LIKING TO ONE OF HIS LURES UP A CREEK. ALSO PICTURED IS FRANK WITH A NICE QUEENFISH AND MARTY WITH A TASTY BARRA FROM A CREEK MOUTH AND A LARGE (BUT STILL ONLY JUVENILE) QUEENSLAND GROPER ON A BAIT MEANT FOR A BARRA. THESE MAGNIFICENT CREATURES ARE TOTALLY PROTECTED IN QUEENSLAND WATERS AND ALWAYS AN ACCIDENTAL CAPTURE. THEY INHABIT THE ESTUARIES UNTIL THEY MOVE TO OFFSHORE REEF AREAS WHERE THEY REACH SEVERAL HUNDRED POUNDS!! GREAT SKILL IS REQUIRED TO LAND A LARGE ONE IN THE RIVERS AS LIGHTER LINE IS GENERALLY USED AND COVER IS NEVER TOO FAR AWAY. THE LARGER ONES OFFSHORE CAN OFTEN BE OBSERVED HANGING AROUND THE BOAT WAITING FOR AN EASY FEED. THANKS GUYS FOR COMING UP AND SEEING WHAT WE HAVE TO OFFER FROM THIS GREAT PART OF AUSTRALIA.




Sunday, April 15, 2007

First weeks charter 2007

Just a few images from the first weeks fishing with Dave Donavan.
these were taken underwater in a bait ball.
I have some great underwater movie footage also but as yet I can't post on the blog.,but we are working on it






The life of a baitfish is a stressfull one!

Back on line!

Hi Guy's it's been a while!
With the wet break and we have been to Africa checking out all the animals and stuff.
Notso and Kristy, Sue and myself travelled first to Dubai where we spent 4 day's with the Jooste family looking around this unbeleivable city. The skyline is a forest of tower cranes, as the city grows at an incredibly rapid rate. High rise after high rise appear to grow almost daily as an unbroken line of trucks file into the city bumper to bumper 24/7.







Dubai Airport
The mind boggles with the vast amounts of money and technology being poured into this arab desert to produce this amazing place. Shit, you can even snow ski in the desert on real snow!










This is the Berg the only 7 star hotel in the world and costs AUS$15,000 a night for the best rooms, but you can get a budget room for around AUS$6,500 If you like.











Nothing like a cold beer in a hot arabian desert watching the sun set.







From Dubai we travelled on to Nairobi the capital of Kenya and then on to Malindi which brings us to the real reason for an african holiday"FISHING".

I wanted to catch a broadbill swordfish on fly and from all reports this was the place to do it.

However to cut a long story short I had one shot when we raised one on the teaser on the only night we fished for them, and didn't manage to tease it all the way back to the boat.

It was a long night!






(picture Angela Jooste with her first ever sail on fly)





We did however catch 9 sailfish on fly between us and the Jooste family that organised the whole trip to Kenya and who we stayed with in Dubai.

Kristy managed to get a striped marlin and a sail on conventional tackle and I also caught a 200lb black marlin on fly which was only the second ever caught on fly in Kenya and the biggest on fly.

The blue water fishing in Kenya was sensational, they have a great fishery, but the boats and equipment leave a little to be desired.






My black marlin, check out the weather, it was like this the whole 6 day's fishing












Lunch! This red snapper was caught on a jig from the bottom, which was deep while I was fighting my marlin.



After the fishing, we took a 3 day safari out to Tsavo national park to see some of Africa's wildlife.

We stayed in canvas tents on the bank of the Sabaki river and although were upmarket safari style tents theey didn't appear to give a lot of protection against the lions.

I think the mossie mesh on the sides should be made from Kevlar instead of nylon.

I know Kristy did when the first night a hippo came charging down the hill which sounded very close to her tent as it crashed into the water in the river.

Kristy didn't sleep at all that night!

It was exciting though and very well run. Our guide was "Gaetano" was a great guide and very knowledgable about the wildlife and all the amazing bird species.


I would certainly recommend the whole Kenya experience, although it is a long way from Oz it is worth it.