Monday, January 31, 2011

Fishing Quote of the Week



"A fishing-rod is a stick with a hook
at one end and a fool at the other."
                                         Samuel Johnson


Thursday, January 27, 2011

Holy Sh*t or Bull Sh*t - How to Avoid Huge Ships

Last week we showed you a picture claiming to be of a real book called "How to Avoid Huge Ships" and asked "Bull Sh*t or Holy Sh*t?"

 A lot has been written both online and in mainstream newspapers and magazines about whether "How to Avoid Huge Ships" is indeed a real book! Most comentators take the view that it doesn't even exist, or at best its a joke title to a book that isn't really about how to avoid big ships.

While "How to Avoid Huge Ships" is listed on Amazon.com it says it's currently out of stock, and most of the 101 reviews treat it as a joke.

Well, we know it might be hard to believe, but, this is a real book!  Published in 1992 by Cornwell Maritime Press and written by Capt. John W. Trimmer (ISBN: 9780870334337)  "How to Avoid Huge Ships" contains 112 useful pages [Ed: surely "Keep a Watch Out" is all that is needed?], it's a  serious piece of work written for the small boat skipper, especially those taking their boats into areas where large ships pass through regularly.

If you thought "How to Avoid Huge Ships" was an improbable name, you're not alone. In fact it has won the The Bookseller/Diagram Prize for Oddest Title of the Year along with such other improbably named books as 2009-2014 World Outlook for 60-milligram Containers of Fromage Frais (winner in 2008) and Big Book of Lesbian Horse Stories (winner in 2003).

If you have a hard to believe fishing story, photo or video, send it in to holyorbull@fishmax.com.au and our journos will track down the true story!

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Photo Smart Tips - What to do about wet camera gear?

Image taken as camera enters the sea*
by Danielle Lancaster
Your camera does not like getting wet and neither the camera nor you will be a happy chap when they are wet unless of course they are underwater cameras. In this new series, FishMax contributor, Danielle Lancaster will share some of her photography skills so we too can be proud of our images.
Wetness can be caused from direct contact with water and vapour or contact through the atmosphere: as in humidity. Humidity is a silent killer. Direct contact with water is more often an instant killer.

If you are caught out in the rain, do anything to keep your camera dry. Even a plastic shopping bag and rubber band, which pack flat, are a good start to protect your camera and lens and a lens hood to keep droplets off your lens.
If your camera gets wet, do NOT turn it on; remove the batteries and memory card. Dry your camera and lenses as quickly as you can and when finished open all doors, extend all lenses and place all your gear in a well ventilated area. Some use a hair dryer on the lowest/coolest setting to gently blow air around their equipment. It is important the pressure is soft and drying as you want to dry the water, not push it around.

Unfortunately, if your digital camera is wet with salt water, chances of your camera being resurrected are slim. Salt is highly corrosive and the damages could be beyond repair. In this case, you really have nothing to lose by taking your camera apart, washing/wiping it down with fresh (or distilled) water and a cloth to attempt to remove any salt. It is however, time often wasted.

For those battling humidity, pack your camera bag with rice or silica gel crystal sachets. The sachets can be popped in the oven every six months for a quick revive.

If the worst appears to happen, get an expert to look at it. In reality, you may be better off buying a new one and hopefully your insurance will cover that.
Danielle Lancaster is a professional photographer who loves sharing her passion with others. Her company Bluedog Photography shoots a range of imagery for corporate and private clients and runs Bluedog Photography Courses, Retreats and Tours Contact: (07) 5545 4777 www.blue-dog.com.au

* This image was taken as the camera took a nose dive into the sea. Unfortunately it ended the cameras life. Thanks to Anna Billingham (C) for allowing us the use of this image

Monday, January 24, 2011

Don't Complain About Crowded Fishing Spots!

Ok, we've all had the situation of going to our favourite fishing spots and finding it crowded with anglers. Even worse if you get there first and others turn up and start to fish too close!

However, after seeing this video clip from the BBC about lake fishing in Mali, I don't think I am every going to complain again.



Before you get too indignant though about over fishing, please note that this is actually a kind of religous festival. The Dogon people of Mali fish in the sacred water of Lake Antogo and it only happens once per year.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

PNG Fishing Adventure

In a first for FishMax, early next month we're sending a team to the wilds of Papua New Guinea to seek out the famed New Guinea Black Bass. 

PNG fishing in general, and Black Bass fishing in Milne Bay in particular, can be legendary, but many also return with legendary stories of fishing disappointment.

Catching PNG Black Bass isn't easy. The New Guinea Black Bass is known as  heavyweight jungle fighter and is generally found  in snag filled estuaries so the boys are likely to have some great challenges to face.

We hear  that the key to catching and landing Black Bass from New Guinea is stopping their freight train like strike and burst for cover so all of us here are looking forward to hearing how Digger, Snap, Stevo and the rest of the guys get on.

As well as the Black Bass and famed New Guinea Barramundi  the boys are also going to get out on the blue water offshore, so we hope they return with great tales and even better photos.

 As well as lots of great stories our team are also going to use the trip to field test some of our sponsors' gear in some of the toughest fishing conditions you're ever likely to encounter. A special thank you to our  sponsors including Reidy's Lures ,  Top Gear Adventurewear Profishional Protection Gear  and Sunshades Eyewear.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Warrior Fishing Sandals - Fishing Gear Review

Made from top quality EVA rubber, these functional yet good looking sandals for men and women make good cheap fishing footwear for the recreational fisherman or fisherwoman.

Light weight and water resistant we found these Warrior fishing sandals comfortable to wear even for a long day fishing! There is plenty of ventilation to keep your feet cool or let them dry off if you wear in the rain or on the water's edge.

Wear them in the boat, on the beach, down by the river or in the canoe,  and even plenty of places away from the water as well. Remember, plastic sandals are generally not suitable for rock fishing and they simply don't provide enough grip.

At RRP 29.95 (or just $20 online), Warrior sandals are certainly a cheaper alternative to Shimano Evair Shoe, Crocs or other brand name plastic fishing sandals. Available in black and blue in mens and womens sizes.

Visit PlusOne.com.au to buy online or for stockists.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Holy Sh*t or Bull Sh*t?

In our Holy Sh*t or Bull Sh*t" series, we look at some of the wierd and wonderful fishing and boating stories that circulate the' net and dig deep behind the hype to find out the truth. Whether it's big fish photos, crazy fishing videos or tall fishing stories - our fearless reporters  investigate and answer the question  "Holy Sh*t" or just plain "Bull Sh*t"?

This week, we received a photo of  what claims to be a real book called "How to Avoid Huge Ships". Does the world really need a book to say what can be said in 6 short words -  "Keep Out of the Bloody Way!"
And can we really believe that such a book is in its Second Edition? There are also some other tell tail factors which make us suspicious - no publisher name or logo on the cover for a start. So is "How to Avoid Big Ships" a real book or not? We've set our investigators on the job so come back and find out next week!

If you've seen a big fish photo, crazy fishing video or tall fishing story that sounds too good to be true send 'em all in and our intrepid reporters will investigate and tell you whether they are truely "Holy Sh*t" or "Bull Sh*t"!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Fishing Quote of the Week



"Lo the angler. He riseth in the morning and upsetteth
the whole household. Mighty are his preparations.
He goeth forth with great hope in his heart and when the day
is far spent, he returneth, smelling of strong drink,
and the truth is not in him."
                                         Sum Won                                           


Sunday, January 16, 2011

Bream - Part 4 Cooking and Eating Australian Bream

This is our fourth and final instalment on our series on Bream Fishing In Australia. In Part 1 of our 4 Part Series on Bream, You read about The Best Places to Find Bream in Australia. In Part 2, You read about the Best Way to Catch Bream in Australian Estuaries, Bays and Harbours and in  Part 3, you read about the Best Bait and Rig for Surf and Rock Fishing For Australian Bream and About Fishing for Bream with Soft Plastics In Australia.

In this part, you read our favourite recipes for Australian Bream.

Australian Bream tastes great. Be aware that Bream from lower estuaries, harbours and the open ocean have moist, white flesh with a clean, sweet flavour while upper estuary or freshwater dwelling fish often exhibit slightly softer flesh, and can have a slightly weedy or muddy taint at times.

Here are two of our favourite whole Bream recipes.

Bonfire Bream with Asparagus

Ingredients
1 x 500g Silver Bream, scaled and gutted
½ bunch asparagus
1 lemon, sliced
1/4 bunch of thyme
¼ bunch of Rosemary
2 tablespoons of white wine
½ teaspoon ground pepper
½ teaspoon sea salt

Method
1. Mix lemon, thyme, rosemary and asparagus into a bowl.
2. Add sea salt and ground pepper, olive oil and white wine. Mix well.
3. Pour over fish and coat well.
4. Place half of the mixed ingredients on a large piece of foil and then put the fish on top.
5. Cover fish with remaining mixture and wrap fish well in foil.
6. Place the package in to the bonfire and leave to cook for 7 to 10 minutes.

Oven Baked Thai Style Whole Bream

Ingredients
1 x 600gm Whole Bream
1 Piece root Ginger (25grams Approx)
2 Whole Bullet Chillies
10gm Lemongrass
5 Kafir Lime leaves
2 Small Limes
50ml White wine (I used a Dry white)
50ml Light Soy sauce
Baby Spinach and broccolini
Sea Salt
Aluminium foil
Silicone paper (Glad Bake)

Method
1.Scale and gut the Bream removing gills and cut through buoyancy sack to remove blood around backbone if any.
2. Cut three to four marks through the flesh along the fish to help the flavour penetrate and to speed up the cooking process.
3. Wash and Slice kafir lime leaves, de-seed chillies and slice into small dice, then slice lemongrass into small rounds.
4. Slice ginger into matchstick style pieces and mix all together with Lemongrass, kafir lime leaves and chilli.
5.  Use half of the mix to stuff the bream and slice some
wedges of the lime to fill the cavity. Season with a little sea salt.
6. Place a sheet of foil on the bench then place a piece of silicone paper on top of the foil.(Glad Bake) Top the fish with the rest of the mix.
7. Top with half moon slices of lime and layer them over the top of the fish. Zest the other lime and sprinkle on top of the fish and add some sea salt.
8. Wrap the fish and leave one end open to add the white wine then pace in a baking dish.
9. Pre heat an oven to 220°C. Place baking dish with fish in oven for 25- 30 minutes. Open one end being careful about the steam. Check the fish and if cooked place it on a plate.
10. Drizzle the light soy sauce over the fish and garnish as required.
Got a favourite Bream Recipe? We'd love to hear about it.

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Thousands of Barra lost over Spillway!


After the torrential rain and flooding recently, Awonga Dam near Gladstone has lost thousands of Barra over it's Spillway. These recent pics, sent to me from a good fishing buddy in Gladstone, shows big impoundment barra congregating at the spillway. Though trying hard to swim against the current, when they get to close to the dam spillway, these magnificant fish get sucked over, falling into the Boyne river forty metres below. Now this might not be all bad if they survive but reports are that they haven’t, with thousands of these great sporting fish found dead along the river bank. These photos were taken when the water level was approximately 900mm over the spill way, a week later the water level over the spillway had reached 4 meters.


I’ve been one of the lucky fishos that have caught and released these magnificant Awonga barra. On many trips, I was surprised to see a lot of fishermen keeping the fish they had caught. Now there’s nothing wrong with taking a feed home but what many people don’t realize is that these fish are fresh water impoundment barra. They do not reproduce in the dam as they need saltwater for that. So every barra in that dam has been put there as a fingerling. They have lived all of their life in the fresh water and they are not considered a good table fish.

Mother Nature has done a fair bit of damage to the stocks this year, so let’s hope more folk in the future practice 'Catch and Release' so we all get a chance of getting that great photo of the metre plus barra!

Cam

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Amazing Waterproof Notebook Perfect for Fishermen

Most good anglers recommend keeping notes on your fishing trips - tide times, weather, gear used, bait and of course, the fish you catch - it helps you improve your fishing and keep track of what works and doesn't work.

For the last couple of months I have been trialling a great waterproof notebook to keep my fishing notes and its made things a lot easier. No more cursing when pens won't write on damp pages, or trying to keep pages dry.

This waterproof notebook from Luckies in the UK retails in Australia for around $15, and while a bit expensive for a notebook, it comes with a 100% graphite pencil so you can write on it in water, under water, near water, or just sitting by the pool without fear of the ink running or the paper being destroyed.

Hot Tip: Get get yourself the "Amazing Waterproof Notebook"

For further information on your nearest Australian stockist call1800 819 270 or go to http://www.isgift.com/.

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Michael Kasprowicz Talks Big Fish

Michael Kasprowicz with a PNG Black Bass
Exclusive FishMax Interview

Queensland cricketing identity, fast bowler Michael Kasprowicz is also a keen fisherman. Kasprowicz was known for his swing and relentless and hard-working approach on the field, and he takes a similar approach to fishing, however the man known as the the "Subcontinent Specialist", for his unique ability to generate pace and take wickets in India finds that, like many of us, success doesn’t always follow him fishing.

When we asked him about his earliest fishing memory, Kasprowicz said “I was 8 years old and was armed with a rod, tackle box, a bucket and a block of frozen mullet gut to ‘empty’ the mouth of the Brunswick river. The bucket returned empty that day and seems to have remained ever since.”

He clearly loves fishing though, telling us that his most memorable fishing trip was to Melville Island in Australia’s far North. “The Melville Island fishing lodge in the Tiwi Islands is the most exotic place I’ve fished. It was awesome!” Kasprowicz told us. “The trip to Melville Island helped raise two hundred thousand dollars for the community. It was the brainchild of Guy Reynolds of Macquarie Bank and my mate Matthew Hayden. While the season wasn’t ideal and the barra weren’t on the ‘chew’, I was one of 20 people that enjoyed an amazing and truly rewarding week.”

Kasprowicz certainly enjoys fishing with his cricketing mates.  In response to our question about his favourite fishing spot, he answers with a grin “On Andy Bichel’s boat as he gets to clean it later.” And he enjoys telling us that his most memorable trip is out fishing Andy and Andrew Symonds on a trip to PNG. “I caught a horse of a ‘black bass’ - the biggest fish I’ve ever caught" For more on fishing PNG, be sure to follow our special feature on New Guinea Black Bass coming soon.

Words: Stevo Perry Pics: Michael Kasprowicz Personal Album

Friday, January 7, 2011

Queensland Floods Impact Fishing

There is no doubt that the Queensland floods are going to impact recreational fishing, but at this stage no one knows by how much. The impact will be on multiple levels - run off will effect breeding areas, fish stocks may have been significantly relocated or disturbed,caravan parks and hotels popular with holidaying fishing families have been destroyed and there are dozens of other impacts. And of course  those directly effected who have lost homes and livelyhoods may not  be in a financial (and perhaps mental) position to go fishing for a very long time.

Residents of Theadore, Qld (photo: Gladsone Observer)
Even with such impacts, the great Aussie sense of humour still shines through. When I asked one flood victim what his thoughts were, his answer was to point at the tinnie still loaded with household items and say,  "at least the wife can't ever say "do you even really need a boat?" ever again!"

Our hearts go out to those effected (whether they own a tinnie or not) and the FishMax management team has arranged for a financial donation to be made on behalf of our staff and readers. If you'l like to make a donation yourself, please visit the Qld Premier's Flood Appeal.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Fishing Quote of the Week



"Angling may be said to be so like the mathematics
that it can never be fully learnt."
                                         Izaak Walton                                           


Monday, January 3, 2011

Funny Photo Caption Contest January 2011

We get some great fishing and boating photos here at FishMax. Sometimes, like this one below, we just can't find the right words to use as a caption, so we ask our readers what they thought, and to make it more interesting, we're offering a great prize!



Simply post your funny caption in the comments section of this article or on the FishMax facebook page, to go in the running to win a pair of Amberjack Polarised Sunglasses by Fish worth $79.95.

Terms and Conditions

  • Entries close on January 31, 2011. Winner will be contacted by us in February 2011 and will be announced here on FishMax.com.au.
  • You may enter as many times as you want.
  • The winner will receive a FishMax sun-safe pack comprising a pair of Amberjack Sunglasses by Fish with a RRP: $79.95.
  • Only entries posted in the comments section below or on the fishmax.com.au facebook page will be eligible.
  • Entries valid for Australian residents only.
  • The prize is not transferable and not redeemable for cash.
  • A valid email must be left in order for us to contact you if you win. If the winner cannot be contacted, we will award the prize to the runner-up.
  • The best entry will be selected by the FishMax.com.au staff. The judges decision is final and no correspondence will be entered in to. 
Make sure that when you leave your comment below, you use a google ID or other form of ID as shown in the dropdown box, or if you don't have one of those, choose "anonymous" and enter your name and email address in the comments section, so we can contact you if you win (don't worry,  we'll remove you're email address before the comment is published, so no-one else will be able to see it).

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Happy New Year - 2011!

Well its been the wettest Christmas we can remember and that has unfortunately meant very little time on the water - more importantly, for all those readers suffering with the floods, our thoughts are with you, and of course remember, no fishing or camping trip is worth your life, so please be very careful crossing swollen creeks and other water courses.

Here at FishMax we are looking forward to some great new features as well as more of the fishing tips, celeberity fishing stories, fishing humour and fishing giveaways that we know our readers love! We're sure that 2011 will be a bumper year.


We wish you all a safe and prosperous new year!