EVERYONE can remember the first fish they caught, whether it be was cracker bream or monster mulloway. The excitement, in many cases, leads to a lifetime of recreational fishing. To my way of thinking, going fishing and camping with friends and family has many positives, even if you do not catch a fish. Young four-year-old […]
There were very few visitors after the spit washed away. Photo: Supplied by John Clarke.
The Hickey kids loved Fingal Island. Photo: Supplied by John Clarke. There were very few visitors after the spit washed away. Photo: Supplied by John Clarke. THE 1950s was a time of great excitement for Patricia Hickey. Along with her brother Robert, sisters Barbara and three-year-old Susan, she had moved into the lighthouse keeper’s residence […]
There is a healthy population of local snapper. Photo: Supplied by John Clarke.
IT is interesting to learn that NSW Fisheries have asked members of the public to respond to a proposed bag limit of three snapper, down from five, and a reduction in kingfish from five to one. This proposed change will certainly impact recreational fishers around the state in different ways. My opinion is that I […]
RECENT conditions have dictated that we stay well away from rock fishing. It is simply too dangerous even for those who wear life jackets.The real decision when considering a fishing trip is safety. Remember: the fish will still be there tomorrow. When conditions settle, give a thought for a couple of rock-fishing scrappers.The rocky coastline […]
Don’t try to eat bream without dry bread at hand. Photo: Supplied by John Clarke.
RECREATIONAL fishing is a funny game. It has evolved since my early days on the Tweed River into a monster industry that caters for all expectations. Fishing for me was such a simple thing. Time to go was when it was time for a feed. The extended family all lived under the one roof and […]
IT has been an interesting couple of weeks for me holidaying in the old family home on the Terranora Lakes, just west of Tweed Heads. Coming from a fishing family, most of my early days were spent on the beaches or in a boat floating up and down the Tweed River. To say “things have […]
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 […]
