THERE are some very good recreational fishers in Port Stephens. Lemon Tree champ Wayne Coles is one of them. I have been asked: “What makes a champion recreational fisher?” To me it is all about the ability to find fish yourself and not rely on others to pass on information. Catching fish is simple. Finding […]
IT was back in 1974 when I arrived in Port Stephens to take up an appointment as PE Teacher at Nelson Bay High School the following year. Having no knowledge of the area I was fortunate in that I knew Ken McCray, a teacher at Anna Bay Public School. My wife Ella and I were […]
WHAT is it about snapper that makes catching the fish a high priority on our angling bucket-list? Could it be the magnificent fighting qualities of snapper, together with the quality of the fillets in the kitchen? Maybe the attractiveness of the fish itself, with the reds, crimsons and brilliant opal fleck that shines brightest as […]
What once was a typical catch of squid that could be caught in all the quiet bays from Broughton Island to Boat Harbour. Photo: Supplied by ‘Stinker’.
I WAS reading through some old articles I wrote years ago when I came across this story of squid. I can clearly recall when catching squid did not offer a challenge. Anywhere from Kiddies Corner in Fingal, south to Big Rocky, squid could be found in every protected bay. Simply by tossing out a squid […]
ALL the local fishing gossip is about the monster tailor swimming in big schools along Stockton Beach and around Fingal. Thumping great fish averaging over 3.5 kg. In all the years I have been reporting fishing in and around Port Stephens I have rarely mentioned tailor over 2kg. I do wonder how these fish managed […]
The mighty little craft, ‘Stinkpot’, after being swamped and battered on rocks.
BELOVED News Of The Area fishing writer John ‘Stinker’ Clarke faced every boatie’s worst nightmare and lived to tell the tale. How it began: “Dropping anchor around 2.30pm, I was excited at the prospect of great fishing. “The whales were jumping everywhere, breaching within 20 metres of my tinny, and a huge school of salmon […]
If you’re fishing off the rocks, wear a lifejacket and try to fish with a mate.
FROM recent reports black drummer, also known as rock blackfish, are keen to rumble off the rocks anywhere between Fingal and Rocky Point. Best baits include fresh or salted cunjevoi, or bread and prawns tossed into a bread berley trail. A 2/0 hook and just enough lead to get you into the strike zone, which […]
The northern face of Broughton Island looking toward Seal Rocks. Photo: Supplied.
RECREATIONAL fishers are forever seeking the ultimate fishing experience. Fishing Utopia, the jewel in the crown. Well, I have found it! Two kilometres off the coast between Port Stephens and Forster sits an island wonderland where the fishing opportunities are endless. Three kilometres long and two kilometres wide, Broughton Island is the only island off […]
ROCKY Point is one of the best kept fishing secrets in Port Stephens. Accessible by both 4×4 and boat, this rocky outcrop and the surrounding beaches and bays have a fascinating history of fishing, lobstering and the mining of shell grit. Big Rocky, as the name suggests, is a big rocky outcrop just far enough […]
Up until the mid-1980s oysters were grown right throughout the Port.
CONTINUED expansion of the Australian colonies placed increased pressure on the building industry, which relied heavily on lime for mortar for stone buildings. It was well known that oyster shells could be burned to produce the lime – cheap and in ample supply. At first only the empty shells of eaten oysters were used but […]
