NOV 15 - Fishing Port Douglas
Transcription
NOV 15 - Fishing Port Douglas
VOLUME 179 PRICELESS NOV 15 2015 Port Douglas Marlin Challenge 5th - 8th Nov 2 FRONT COVER: Bransfords & Penn - sponsors at the Port Douglas Marlin Challenge This magazine is published by The Line Burner business of Port Douglas & welcomes any Far Nth Qld contributions including editorials & photographs. PO Box 108, Port Douglas 4877 Queensland, Australia Email:[email protected] Website: www.fishingportdouglas.com.au Phone: 0409 610 869 The views expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the views of the magazine, the editors, or the authors themselves. The magazine does not guarantee accuracy, validity, honesty or politeness of content, and we shall not be held responsible for the content of mentioned websites. The content (photos, art, articles etc...) found within are the property of the submitter and not our magazine. VALUED CONTRIBUTORS Michael Hart Keith Graham Jamie Beitzel Damian Collete Nautical Marine team Jason Teelow Steve Adamson Bruce Belcher Jake Wyatt ‘Sharky’ Shane Down Lynton Heffer (Editor) Features Leon Thomas Trophy Black Marlin Reports Dragon Lady Diary Daintree Report Micks Cooking PFM Blue on the Move Nautical Marine Product Review Javelin Boats - Locally Made Absolute Quality Craftmanship Shed 11A, Johnston St, Stratford, Cairns 4870 Ph: 0417 766 094 javelinboats.com.au 3 The Perpetual Leon Thomas Trophy By Heff River - Reef - Game Ph: 0409 610 869 www.fishingportdouglas.com.au MARINE ELECTRONICS ABN 34 342 029 951 Open 6 days a week 4 Leon Thomas Trophy cont ... also a half reasonable game-fishing boat. Leon was doing bottom-fishing charters, commercial fishing which included tuna longlining, trap fishing for crays and reef fish and bottom set long-lining. At this stage he also was doing the occasional charter chasing www.fishingportdouglas.com.au Marlin, Tuna and sharks on the continental shelf off Sydney. In around 1981 Leon moved the family from Cabarita on Sydney Harbour to Newport on the northern beaches and based Hapuku out of Pittwater, basically doing the same sort of fishing trips when weather permitted. While operating out of Newport Leon became friendly with other local commercial fishermen and found himself working as crew on several of the local deep sea trawlers. One of these trips ended in near disaster when the trawler 'Pequod' sank in 110 fathoms off Terrigal at 11 o'clock at night in July. Leon and the skipper ended up in a 12 foot tinnie for 36 hours, constantly being blown further out to sea by the westerly winds. Leon spent all the time suffering from a dislocated shoulder he received when getting out of the wheelhouse of the trawler as it rolled over on its side. They were eventually spotted and picked up 50 nautical miles to sea by a NZ navy frigate that was doing exercises with an RAN submarine. After the ordeal Leon kept fishing the Hapuku slowly but surely getting more involved in the local gamefishing scene, becoming a member of Broken Bay Game Fishing Club in 1984. Brett started as a junior angler with the club at the same time and Gamefishing became more and more the focus of their charter efforts. Some of the better captures in those Hapuku days were a 176kg Blue Marlin, (caught in 1986 when the actual practice of Blue Marlin fishing was in its infancy) Yellowfin Tuna of 188 pounds cleaned, Y/fin Tuna 88kg, Mako sharks up to 240kg and Tiger sharks up to 410kg. In 1987 Leon and Brett could envisage an opening for a dedicated game boat out of Sydney and Hapuku was sold, Leon and Brett went in search of a second hand gameboat in Cairns, evetually finding an old 40 foot Woodnutt in pour condition for sale in Townsville. The boat was bought and Leon and son spent 6 weeks fixing and performing a minor refit on the old girl, in their favor was the fact the motors were almost new. Steve Georgouras, then president of the Broken Bay Download your Line Burner now online River Reef Game Fish with the Best in the Business Ph: 0409 610 869 GROUP CHARTERING Fuel - Oil - Bait Ice - Tackle - ATM Boating Accessories Fast Food & Groceries Ph: 4098 0409 6107616 869 Above Grade PORTCUSTOMMARINECOVERS Private & Commercial Vessels KATEENASKOUMBOURDIS Marine Trimmer Mobile: 0410 533 141 Workshop Nth West Cnr of Reef Marina Carpark Complex club was the third partner in the venture. The boat was renamed 'The Sheriff' and arrived in Sydney in mid 1988, in the middle of the Tuna season. This rig fished successfully out of Newport and paid the bills and wages until sold in 2002. Some of the more memorable fishing achievemnts was the capture of the first grand slam out of Sydney, 5 Blue marlin relased in one day, the first marlin over 600lb weighed out of a Sydney port, 11 Striped marlin released in one day, champion boat at Broken Bay Invitational tournament in 1994, Heaviest marlin at Sydney International tournament in 1997 and 8 Yellowfin Tuna between 55 and 70kg on lures in one day, January 1989. Around 1996 Leon and Brett both had to search for alternative work during the Sydney winter season as fishing had become tough for tuna by then. Leon brought a private 43 Riviera up from Sydney for the marlin season and based it at Port Douglas most of the time. Before The Sheriff was sold Leon had been hired to be project manager and skipper of a new vessel built at Newport, this was to be named Joe Joe and Leon spent 3 years operating successfully out of Port Douglas, returning to Sydney each year in December. After moving on from Joe Joe Leon became skipper of the private game boat 'Myuna' and because of his love of Port and the reef brought Myuna up for the owners use each year from 2004 to 2006, based in Port Douglas. After Myuna Leon was hired to skipper another private Riviera based in Sydney, but always brought it up to North Qld at some stage of the year. Leon was still looking after this vessel, BHag until his illness forced him to retire from boat work. He passed away on 18th April 2011 of cancer related complications, he will be greatly missed by the East coast fishing fraternity. This unique trophy was supplied by Bodo Muche Studio and utilises a keen eye and immense skill in producing it. Every one is unique. 5 Dragon Lady Diary By Steve Adamson The start of October would have been one of the worst I’ve seen in quite some time. Described as one of the better weather months of the year in the tropics, one could have been easily mistaken they were in another part of the country for the first week or so. Battering winds pounded the coastline putting pay to most of our trips, and the few we did conduct were done under duress. The fishing consequently proved to be a challenge as we were forced to fish in the shelter of the reef and trying to hold anchor was difficult. Having basically written off the first part of the month we then entered 5 days of reef fishing closures where we remained in the docks. We did however have the 34ft vessel chartered for a bit of film work by the Goodoil film company who are producing the next advertisement for the Great Northern Beer product. This day was a bit of a reconnaissance exercise exploring the mouth and coastline of the Daintree River with the use of a drone helicopter camera operated from the back deck. From what I can gather they will be filming a floating beer crate with Great Northern product in it, which eventually makes its way down the river and floats past Dragon Lady with some mates fishing and they claim the beer and all are happy or something along those lines! They are coming back late October to complete the film shoot. Back into regular charter work and the very first day following the closures we had the two vessels operating and we hit pay dirt on both. As suspected the fish were in a very hungry mood and the coral trout in particular went ballistic. Each vessel secured 25 coral trout each plus a host of other fish including some large mouth nannygai, moses perch and stripeys. It was relatively easy pickings and everyone claimed a good feed to take home. I wish every day was as easy as this one and the weather was delightful as well. Then just when we thought we had the weather on our side it immediately blew up for a couple of days further. It wasn’t forecast to be so ugly and we did operate under very difficult circumstances on the first of these days. As our results were below par we decided to cancel our next trip until the weather settled back down. By this stage it had proved to be a frustrating month. Soon enough the weather dropped out nicely and our next trip running both vessels proved to be a ripper. The shared reef trip on the 48ft vessel went into overdrive producing close to 50 fish for the day ranging from coral trout, moses perch, stripies, spangled emperor, red emperor and a few spanish mackerel. Punters left the vessel like Santa Claus this day with a big sack of fish slung across their shoulders. On the smaller vessel we had a private charter with an English chap who opted for a bit of reef fishing and the chance to tangle with a big shark. Well the reef fishing was a breeze as he snared a dozen or so fish with a couple of monster red emperor included and also a couple of rather hefty coral trout. The shark fishing went to plan as well as he first battled with a whaler for 40 minutes which would have been a good 80kg or so. The second shark was a beauty and at around 180kg it had us on our toes for close to an hour and a half before we were able to get it close enough to the boat to set it free. It was a brute of a fish which left the client physically shattered afterwards. At one point I thought we’d never get it to the boat but some gentle persuasion and patience eventually paid off. The last week of October proved to be sensational on the water. The fish kept rolling in at a rate of knots including a bit of a revival of some huge large mouth nannygai and thumping red emperor. We seemed to make up a lot of ground in the back end of the month and hopefully that spate of nasty weather is a thing of the past as we move forward. Looking ahead our next assignment will be competing in the Port Douglas Marlin Challenge where hopefully we’ll raise a few billfish. Cleaning Services 6 Zammataro Plumbing *Plumbing *Drainage *Roofing *Gas fitting *Marine *Bobcat *4 in 1 Bucket *Excavator *Tip Truck Ph: 4098 2774 sandwich and salad bar real food, real fresh! OPEN FROM 8AM SUPPLEMENT JUICES & SMOOTHIES wraps - sandwiches -salads juice bar - curries - coffee gluten free products low fat dishes - platters catering available quick, healthy, tasty and great value available eat in or takeaway 22 Macrossan Street Port Douglas On the Daintree By Jamie Beitzel October proved to be a very positive month for me with lots of returned clients on the cards and the fishing was quite handy for the most. We did see a bit of rain around in the first half of the month which keeps this beautiful place alive but it wasn’t enough to effect the salinity levels which was a good thing. With salt water pushing right upstream the fishing above the ferry remained quite exciting and the fact that I landed a couple of those big 1m queenfish further up was an indication of how these waters were fishing. The tarpon were still there in big numbers on the deeper bends although I found them mainly mid water rather than on the surface. In the same places the Gt river trevally were also thick and quite dark in colour and they were around the 1-2kg range which is a lot of fun caught on light gear. Interestingly with the salt water miles up the river the bull shark population was right up there as well. I came across these super aggressive predators on a regular basis when I was tapping into the tarpon supply. They would not hesitate to chase down a hooked fish and make life very interesting. It was very visual and an eye opener as to what a ‘dog eat dog’ river system this can be at times. Downstream in the estuary section the golden trevally were up and about and they were partial to a bit of squid/ prawn combination particularly when the water was a bit discoloured. There is still an abundance of small fry bait around and with it a lot of small to mid sized queenfish are chasing them down. These fish are great fun for the micro angler who is prepared to flick around flies and very small plastics/ vibes with a rigorous action to them. The barra were still around and for those intent on targeting them on their trip, and I was able to snare 2-3 per session. The fingermark remained my staple catch in the lower sections and we are so lucky to have such a healthy population of these fish in our river. I don’t know of any river system in the area that comes close to producing these fish in such good numbers. Considering they are an extremely slow growing fish it is good to see they are always around year after year. Which brings me to a moment that happened just the other day. The client had on a beauty of a fingermark, probably around 60cm and it was going to be the catch of the day. As we had the fish beside the boat and I was just about to slide it into the net a big dark shadow appeared out of Seafood Restaurant Offering the freshest of seafood from local fishermen Non-seafood menu items also available Dine in and take away Fully Licensed Cnr Macrossan & Owen St (diagonally opposite Post Office) Open 7 days Lunch & Dinner Phone 4099 5433 [email protected] www.finzportdouglas.com SALTAIRE Charters Phone 0459 323 888 6AM - 8PM 7 DAYS Fishing Gear Bait and Ice Auto Care Hot Food Sandwiches Cold Drinks 129 Alchera Drive Mossman QLD 4873 Ph: 07 4098 1656 ABN: 34 069 005 438 003 7 nowhere and engulfed the fish. It was a massive QLD groper the size of a 44 gallon drum and that was the last we saw of the this nice fingermark. This was all within arms reach and the client I think almost crapped himself in the process. In the back half of the month when the weather finally came good I managed to get in quite a few coastal trips where something was always happening. The isolated patches produced plenty of good large mouth nannygai and interestingly we caught several spangled emperor as well. These fish are generally found on the outer reefs so to find them on the inshore stuff was exciting. Obviously they’ve been following a trail of some sort which has lead them closer to the coast. We also caught and released some nice cobia this month and we found them cruising around in numbers of 2-3. This is one fish I never bring onboard because they just cause chaos but I’m also remindful that I like to see them swim free so they go off and hopefully produce more numbers of the species for the area. The sharks at times remained a nuisance but for some clients they enjoyed the experience of tangling with something that really busted their boiler. On the surface you could see lots of small pelagic activity and there were some school mackerel amongst them. However when you went to investigate what we found was a horde of brassy, gold spot and bludger trevally in amongst it as well. When these fish were on the chew we spent more time catching than fishing for them. Fish after fish was the motto and the clients lucky enough to be onboard have never experienced anything like it. Days like these are purely gold from a charter point of view. I’ll see you on the Daintree or nearby soon... River - Reef - Game Ph: 0409 610 869 www.fishingportdouglas.com.au Pool and spa service Repairs and sales of all equipment Chemical sales and delivery 8 Star Energy Saving Pumps 1 Free service/ water test for new customers Daryl Taylor 0404 286 187 Ph/Fax 4098 5780 [email protected] Skincare Products Candles 9 Another excavator operator noticed the same result with trailer full of gear going up the range from Townsville. Adam on the FaFun fishing charters has one fitted and swears by it. Big Cat fleet in Cairns has utilised the technology and has contained the problem and BTS buses you will notice blow little if no smoke from their Coasters unlike some other local operators. Another example is Danny making his own Bio Fuel in Jullaten and now people can't tell whether he got his fuel oil from the Thai restaurant or the Fish'n'Chip shop ! No exhaust odor…. F.V. Island Salina, for Dragon Lady Charters has a unit fitted in line and there's NO smoke and you can not smell the exhaust even when idling in the marina. The Operations Manager of a major fuel supplier in Cairns the other day stated the fact that in his estimate, “there is not one boat in Cairns harbour that doesn't suffer from 'Fuel Bug' infestation to some degree.” The list goes on. The title of this article may seem a little irrelevant BUT if, like me, you have worked on the back deck of the most beautiful clean sparkling Game Fishing Boats along this coast the last job after a days fishing is to clean the transom, yes ? Gotta keep up the image….. well the good news is these devices don't STOP you cleaning the transom but owing to the lack of particulate matter in the exhaust the transom remains clean and just needs a swipe not heaps of Jiff poured annually into the ocean as well, thus less chemical pollution in the drink. But on the bigger picture we are in contact with a number of importers and manufacturers of cars and machinery into Australia starting to embrace the concept, R.R. are testing them at Goodwood in England this month and we are also working in conjunction with Aluminium Boat Builders Australia, who's new owners say they will not launch another boat without the units being fitted as part of the construction process. We are only a relatively small company but dedicated and enthusiastic Distributors have nothing but positive reactions from people across the country who are using the device. No service is needed on these units and if needed can be put on the new car/vessel and taken off the old one. I had one fitted on my 1984 300zx Nissan and realised significant savings and now have installed that same unit on my 2002, 5 litre Falcon 'Marlin' ute and am realising 8.4 litres to 100klm from here to Mission Beach and back on ¾ tank…… So please go and enjoy the Reef and the Rainforest and look after it to the best of your ability. We do. And we've just had a serious enquiry from the Mossman Gorge Interpretative Centre. so it's onwards and upwards from here. The Council is aware, but being a Kiwi I don't vote so maybe I don't count. ? 1, 2, 3 …… Tight lines and clear skies. Cheers Ian Creevey Local Retailers of these fishing and camping products: Reels Rods Lures Line Lures Outdoor Gear Coolers & Eskies Receive 30% Off RRP by mentioning this ad! Captain Cook Hwy Craiglie River - Reef - Game Ph: 0409 610 869 www.fishingportdouglas.com.au ACRYLIC LETTERS ENGRAVED SAFETY SIGNS VINYL LICENCE DECALS 25 WARNER ST 0419 757 864 The Place to Relax on the Port Douglas Marina 10 Making that Photo Count By Keith Graham The Port Douglas Florist Fresh & Friendly Floral Design Delivering to Port Douglas Mossman & Cairns Ph: 07 4099 5503 James Beitzel’s Taking Memorable Fishing Pictures. It’s a subject that has been the attention of many articles, but with the advent of digital cameras and now even the inclusion of I- Pads and IPhones, the rules have changed in relation to taking that memorable fish pic. Some basics will never change especially in relation to obtaining the correct balance, ensuring that the subject(s) are generally front and central, or when at sea making sure the horizon is level - even the timing of the shot and as we all know early morning/mid to late afternoon light will usually give the best result. But as we all look to convenience in our compact digital cameras it doesn’t matter a jot whether it has 3 mega pixels or 8, the fill in flash is the key to taking that perfectly lit photo and I for one am still struggling to compose shots at the optimal distance with these new fangled cameras! In addition to the flash it is important to buy a camera with the correct lens! When searching out my 5mp Ricoh I literally looked at dozens of similar cameras, however this was the only one at the time I could fine that had a 28mm. lens with 5 X zoom. Most of the others had 38 or 50 mm lenses which just don’t cut the gravy for close quarters fishing pics, even if you do use the zoom you will always loose some clarity unless of course you opt to buy a two to five thousand dollar camera, which for me tend to be too bulky and too prone to damage, and too expensive. The toughest assignment I find when taking pics out on the water is finding willing captors! Fellow journos and guides are the easiest as they know that it takes a while to set up the right pic. Firstly find the right background, ensure that the sun is at your back, keep the camera on its widest lens setting and move backwards and forwards until you have that perfect angle then ask the angler to smile and look happy. If the sun is as its highest point you have to move to an area that has some cover so that the fill in flash will do the job of making sure there isn’t a shadow under the peak of the hat. If you’re at sea then ask the angler to sit on the transom of the boat and take the pic from under the canopy. These tips will make sure you minimise flare from the excessive light which will often white out your pic. You may ask how the fish is feeling after all this time out of the water! To prevent harming the fish put it in the water every couple of minutes and swim him backwards and forwards. This will keep him happy and healthy. The same applies when you come to the point of releasing the fish and when you feel him kick he’ll swim off and survive. Before buying your camera ensure you try out the fill in flash before you make the purchase. Take a few pics in the shop and if there are still any shadows at two to three metres give it a miss. Last point is in relation to what anglers wear. It is best to wear dark or multi-coloured shirts and shorts. This ensures that the usually bright coloured fish stands out rather than blending in with the background of light coloured clothing. RIVER, COAST and REEF Call 4090 7638 Cooktown Port Douglas Phone: (07) 4098 5761 Cnr Captain Cook Highway & Port Douglas Rd, Pt Douglas QLD 4877 Email: [email protected] OPENING HOURS: DAILY MON–SUN: 7AM - 8PM FULL RANGE OF GROCERIES • LOCAL BREAD • DELICATESSEN • FRESH FRUIT & VEGIES • FREEZER • DAIRY • FRESH MEAT • BAIT & ICE Phone: (07) 4069 5633 29 Helen St, Cooktown, QLD 4895 Email: [email protected] OPENING HOURS: MON–FRI: 8AM - 7PM SAT: 8AM - 6PM SUN: 8AM - 5PM 11 Reel Cooking with Mojo’s Mick Hart Harissa Fish Wings Ingredients 12 fish wings (trout, reds, nanny, Barra, most reef fish) HARISSA 15 long red chilli, deseeded 1 lemon juiced 4 cloves of garlic 1tsp cumin 1tsp coriander 1 tsp of salt 1 handful of fresh mint 5 tbsp of olive oil Method Roast chilli in the oven until coloured, remove and blend with all ingredients. Clean wings of scales and rub on the paste, let marinate for an hour. Heat BBQ and cook, turning regularly, or fill a pot with oil, dust wings in flour and fry for a crispy finish. Serve with lemon wedges and aioli. 0419 015 262 12 Black Marlin Form Guide By Heff A wholly owned and operated local company, distributing wholesale dry, chilled and frozen grocery items direct to the kitchens of leading restaurants, cafes, hotels and sports & entertainment venues. Proudly Servicing Port Douglas, Mossman, Cairns and District Phone 4035 3911 River - Reef - Game Ph: 0409 610 869 www.fishingportdouglas.com.au Mens Style Cuts from $20 With the Port Douglas Marlin Challenge due to be run from the 4th-8th November this week, we’ll take a look at the form guide of the mighty Black Marlin so far this season. The obvious starting point is to have a look at the Lizard Island tournament which was conducted over 7 days recently from the 18th-24th October. It generally paints a good picture as to how the season is travelling and what may pan out in the near future. One must remember that the bite is generally hottest up along the Ribbon Reefs during October and then generally the fishing really fires up closer to home from say St.Crispins Reef, Opal Ridge, Linden Bank down to the Jenny Louise Shoals off Cairns. With some red hot tides this year during the tournament dates, one is anticipating a fair bit of action to take place. All fishing days see an idyllic incoming tide in the afternoons. The fresh cobalt currents from the Coral Sea bring with it bait and superb water clarity which are top notch ingredients for encouraging a marlin bite. At Lizard Island this year the fishing was unfortunately below par but many believe that it may be a late bite up there and this could very well be the case. A lot of boats are still stationing themselves up there hoping this is what will transpire. This year’s tournament produced solid numbers of smaller marlin with only a handful of really big models tagged and released. When you compare the amount of tags produced this year it was half of what was registered last year with 126. Of the 31 boats that were registered 9 vessels didn’t register a fish over 7 days which is very tough going. Detailed below are some Lizard Island tournament results: Keith Lawrence TOP 5 Placings 1. Zulu 8 tags 2. Askari 8 tags 3. Iona II 5 tags 4. Adrenaline 5 tags 5. Onsite 4 tags FUEL • OIL • SEAFOOD • BAIT • ICE Dickson Inlet, Port St, Port Douglas Phone 4099 6792 Distribution of tags Number Tagged & Weight lb 1 950 4 3 900 4 2 800 10 1 750 1 1 700 7 1 600 1 1 560 1 1 500 7 1 450 6 5 400 1 2 350 2 TOTAL: 63 tags 300 250 200 160 150 120 110 100 80 70 60 Distribution of locations Number of & Location 33 Ribbion Number 10 Reef 2 Linden Bank 7 Hicks Reef 2 Ribbon Number 3 Reef 4 Day Reef 1 Ribbon Number 6 Reef 3 Jewel Reef 1 Ribbon Number 5 Reef 3 Ribbon Number 8 Reef 1 No Name Reef 3 Ribbon Number 7 Reef 1 Ribbon Reef Number 10 (North) 2 Ribbon Number 4 Reef Local Skipper Damian Collete of Saltaire Charters said it has been an unusual start to the marlin season but says that this can change overnight. Already we are starting to see more and more fish being caught further south which is hopefully a positive sign for the tournament ahead. He said every year the bite is different so we shouldn’t read too much into the October action. Who knows the November bite might just become one of the best on record - after all this is marlin fishing. 8 How Clean is my Transom By Ian Creevey of PFM Blue PORT DOUGLAS •PRAWNS•OYSTERS •MUD CRABS•BUGS •CALAMARI •SMOKED & MARINATED PRODUCE •CONDIMENTS •FRESH SALAD•PLATTERS •LUNCH PACKS •PRAWNS COOKED DAILY OPEN 10am - 5.30pm TUESDAY – SUNDAY (Closed Mondays) 11 Grant Street, Port Douglas Phone: 4099 4960 River - Reef - Game Ph: 0409 610 869 www.fishingportdouglas.com.au Bistro TAB - Pokies Drive Thru Bottleshop Sky Channel Pool Table Full AirCon Fishing (fishsh'ing), 1. Noun. The art of casting, trolling, jigging or spinning whilst freezing, sweating, swatting or swearing. 2. Adverb. Seeking to elicit a response. Now that I have your attention. There are many ways of approaching fish as mentioned above, there are also those who enjoy cuddling them and those that study them and count them but we ALL want to protect them and the environment in which they exist, eh ? Locally this encompasses the whole biomass of the Great Barrier Reef and beyond. From micro- organisms, nudibranchs, sponges, crabs, corals, dugong, seagrass beds and bird life and so on. To say nothing of the lifestyle and livelihood of those that live and work there. In order to access this huge beautiful natural wonder in our 'back-yard/front-yard' (depending on your view) we need to limit the number of detrimental effects and practices that we expose the reef to daily. And still enjoy it in it's entirety. Utilising internal combustion engines, be they petrol, diesel or other, to access this area is what contributes to the ease of access to the reef on a daily basis for 100s of 1,000s of visitors to this wonderland. Unfortunately this technology has downsides as far as the health of the reef is concerned and those who are exposed to the expulsion of particulate matter and toxic carcinogenic chemicals in the Diesel exhaust emissions, esp. those A number of Operators in the local area, that have so far taken advantage of this technology, have noticed considerable changes in emissions, motor noise, performance and fuel burn and the results are immediate. One local builder Andrew had a unit fitted to his 3 yr old ute and after driving it home rang to ask Ingmar, “Did you put a new chip in it ?” Reef St Four Mile Port Douglas Ph: 4099 3655 TRINITY SPORTFISHING Port Douglas to book call 0411 774 804 www.trinitysportfishing.com.au [email protected] toxins from the wide variety of biocides and fuel conditioners/additives utilised to attempt to suppress the 'Fuel Bug' & 'Suspended Water' problems suffered so widely in the tropical realm. (See IARC Report on 'Diesel Exhaust Declared Carcinogenic') The toxic chemical exhaust emissions damage done to the environment over the years probably accounts for at least part of the problem with the decline in quality of water and it's impact on the whole reef system and it's inhabitants. Legislation is being drawn up here as it is overseas to control these emissions in the future and police their toxic volume. We can see by the example of VW, Audi, Skoda etc recently the lengths some people will go to in order to suppress these proven facts. But help is at hand for both VW etc and local operators, both at sea and on land, to help relieve the pressure on the environment and operator's pockets, to say nothing of the health benefits to the whole population. There is available now in Australia and New Zealand (and spreading World wide) a new technology that remedies most if not all of these short comings of fossil fuel usage. This technology is being embraced by increasing numbers of users locally and country-wide. The device fits inline, in standard application, of the fuel system for any liquid fuel going in to any internal combustion engine. It is not a filter but a device that runs on Magnets and the use of tuned UV lights to 'dry' the fuel and 'nuke' the microbial mass that is the 'Fuel Bug' and it's detritus. Lab test results are available upon enquiry or on w w w . p f m b l u e . c o m o r [email protected] Catch the excitement of calmwater fishing Blue Ribbon Event Heavy Tackle Tournament Nov 4th - 8th 2015 FormulaOneFishing Details: portdouglasmarlinchallenge.com Holiday to Remember By Jai Miller Authentic Aussie Cuisine Best Live Gigs in Town Karaoke Nights Big Screen Sports Pool Tables Cane Toad Racing 5 Macrossan St Ph: 4099 4776 River - Reef - Game Ph: 0409 610 869 www.fishingportdouglas.com.au It was the September school holidays and my mates, James Tomas and Jared Tesch and I embarked on an amazing trip up north following the incredibly beautiful coastline. We were aboard the MV Inako, a well known and trusty vessel from Port Douglas, ideally suited for these extended trips along the reef. Our trip would see us travel on the western side of the reef travelling north utilising safe anchorages at Hope Island, Three Isles, Howick Islands and ending as far north as the Flinders Island group. Turning around we made our way back home following the incredible ten Ribbon Reefs on the outer edge of the Great Barrier Reef. Overall the weather during the trip wasn’t great hovering between 15-30 knots on different days. Despite this we were entertained to many a stunning sunset and sunrise during our time. As anyone who has travelled this stretch of water would know, the scenery is breathtaking. Of course we did our fair share of fishing along the way with some really nice catches. Looking back the highlights which stood out included Jared catching a 14kg Spanish mackerel between Howick Islands and Pipon Island. It was certainly a cracking fish which provided quite a bit of excitement. Whilst travelling between anchorages we caught three really nice Northern Bluefin Tuna between 811.5kg and these fish pull extremely hard. Whilst at anchor we did a spot of spear fishing at a couple of locations and snared a couple of plump trout and 3 painted crayfish at Two Isles which is up near Lizard Island. We also speared a few nice trout at the Howick Islands and another couple of crayfish. Fishing on the way home along the Ribbons we caught an array of fish but probably for me a 6kg Cattle Dog Cod was the pick and was a striking fish in many facets. It was a trip to remember with some great mates and a tremendous way to spend the holidays. Photos: Below James Tomas with a Bluefin Tuna. Back page Jared Tesch with a Spanish Mackerel. PORT DOUGLAS TIDE TABLE NOVEMBER 2015 13 Tide times provided by courtesy of Maritime Safety Queensland. For more information, see the Official Tide Tables and Boating Safety Guide published by Maritime Queensland and the World Wide Web at http://www.msq.qld.gov.au/qldtides. The tidal predictions for Port Douglas are supplied by the National Tidal Centre, Bureau of Meteorology, copyright reserved. 14 TUESDAYS $20 ‘All You Can Eat’ Buffet WEDNESDAYS $300 Pool Comp THURSDAYS Tradies Afternoon FRIDAYS Live Music EXCHANGE HOTEL - MOSSMAN Enjoy Our Restaurant, Beer Garden & Swimming Pool Quality Japanese Lures By Lachie O’Hanlon Nautical Marine has a couple of new additions to our ever changing hard body lure collection. We are now stocking a range of Yo-Zuri Lures. A long known and trusted brand, Yo-Zuri has stood the test of time on the world market with over 50 years of Japanese lure making expertise. They are still a favourite of many Barra and Game fishermen across the top end of Australia in particular the Crystal Minnow and Hydro-Magnum models. They swim perfectly straight from the packet and come rigged with top quality spit rings and trebles. The attention to detail in the finish in almost unrivalled. Yo-Zuri was one of the f i r s t t o u s e t h e re a l i s t i c holographic 3-D type finishes on their lures. Lots of inferior cheap copies and imitations have tried to replicate them but nothing beats the genuine thing! We have picked out a good selection of the most popular and effective colours to suit the local area. One of the latest additions in soft plastics is the Keitech Noisy flapper frog and it is just in time for the looming wet season. This buzzing frog pattern is the newest addition from the popular Japanese soft plastic manufacturers Keitech. I'm tipping these are going to be very popular in the coming months as our local lakes and dams get a flush of fresh water and come alive again. Keitech lures are fast growing a reputation as some of the best designed plastics around, you only have to see the success of their last release the Crazy Flapper to see why. The swimming pattern of the Noisy flapper Frog is really something else, you can see it in action for yourself on YouTube, and you will be impressed! The secret to its success lies in the sharp ribbed water catching edges on the legs. These really make them kick and churn up the water making them irresistible to fish. They are ideally suited to a moderate steady retrieve which keeps them paddling along the surface but can be fished ultra-slow or at higher speeds also. I'm yet to try it out but in one video clip they actually have them rigged on a heavily weighted hook and are fishing them sub surface and they sure look the goods. At 3.5” long it is perfect for the smaller lagoon Barra as well as Tarpon, Jacks, Saratoga and Big Sooty Grunter. They are made from a quite tough plastic with the top half using a highly buoyant soft plastic. The bottom half is salt impregnated to give the lure a “weighted keel” of sorts. This mixture and combination of plastics makes them ride the right way up every time. The Noisy Flapper weighs in at a hefty 5/8oz giving it plenty of weight to be able to be cast like a bullet on heavy Barra Tackle! There is also a hook slot on top which is perfect for rigging weedless jig heads when fishing in tight cover or lily pads. I tend to prefer the screw type weedless hooks like the Atomic Seeker EWG hooks in a 5/0 for a dense plastic such as these. The Keitech Noisy Flapper Frogs come in a wide range of colours, including a few different shades of green. There are 5 to a packet with a rigid plastic blister insert to keep the legs straight and the plastics in tip top condition. All to do now is wait for the rain! Chandlery & Electronics - Fishing Tackle & Rod Hire - Charts & Books - Tour Bookings - Marine Insurance - Yacht Brokering NAUTICAL MARINE SALES Ultra Comfort Non Slip Shimano Evair Fishing Shoes $49.95 Ocean Hunter Cray Guns $99 ABN: 19 741 153 755 P O RT D O U G L A S N NEW Keitech Noisy Flapper Frog Lures - introductory special of $12.95 Monthly Specials E W Lycra 50+SPF Stinger Suits $65 S Andrew & Jane McNeil - Shop 2, 30 Wharf Street - PO Box 727, Port Douglas Ph: (07) 4099 6508 Mob: 0400 721 110 E: [email protected] New Shimano Backpack with Tackle Boxes Only $99.95 Save $20 Monthly Specials 15 Macro Activity in the Mangroves The magical Daintree can be called the mangrove capital of Australia, if not the World. Of the earth's 70 species, there are about 30 found here. We often think, when it comes to mangroves, crocodiles, mud crabs and barramundi, that the Northern Territory is the “Mecca” for all of these things. However, because mangroves are related to the wet tropical forests, then we have the most here, whereas in the N.T. they lack these forests which are replaced by Savannah species. A mangrove environment is a fascinating one. As we cruise the mangrove lined estuaries of the Daintree River we often stop and look closer into the macro activity. Various aspects of fish and crustaceans intermingle and are best viewed at low tide. I'm told that there are about 65 different crab species, many of them are land based and have no connection with water or even mangroves. Of those in mangroves, most are herbivorous while there are several species that are carnivorous scavengers, like the blue swimmers and the mangrove crabs (muddies). The most interesting ones are the Fiddler Crabs. They are so obvious with their one excessively large orange claw. This crab is about the size of a grape. I'm told that those with large claws are males and they seem to signal their territorial intentions by a slight waving motion (playing the fiddle ). I notice the others are smaller with conventional sized claws and have blue legs; obviously females. The mud skipper is an amphibious fish that has adaptations to allow it to spend time both in and out of water. There are 3 species of this fish in the tidal areas. One, down near the river mouth, is the largest, growing to about 150 millimetres. The second is up river a little and smaller. The common one, 8 kms upstream is about 40 millimetres and dark skinned. These strange fish live on the tidal edge and spend an equal time in and out of water. For security, it digs a hole in the mud, filling it's mouth, coming to the surface and spitting out the contents. I assume that this hole is it's home. While on land and interacting they need air and I believe that water is gulped into the neck cavity where they use internal gills to extract oxygen. While being territorial, they need to be agile to fight, so they discharge the water and go about their fighting. I don't know how long this goes on for before more water needs to be ingested. See you next month. Any Type of printing – Little to HUMONGOU S Lotsa can display some of your fabulous fishing photos as a collage and create a full colour gloss vinyl banner (600 x 840mm) with aluminium snap-in hangers to make a unique Wall Hanging. Priced from $60, it is perfect as a gift or a special memento of your fishing trip. Local Bragging Board ler visit loe Fow Daintree h C & Adam zel’s On the love ar and Beit e s y e y r m e a J ev h him charter ing wit fishing perience fish their ex Jared Tesch with a 14kg Spanish Mackerel caught between the Howick Islands and Pipon Island on recent trip with mates (details page 13) Joel Bow en cau Mangrov ght this cracking eJ on the M ack fishing owbray R iver reports Dragon Lady C rtfishing o p S s la on g harters still re Port Dou rove jack populati ing gistered quite a few Spanish Mackerel durin the mang n Inlet is in full sw g October kso Paul Petousis caught this great in the Dic Golden Trevally with On the Daintree Charters
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