The Fishing Group - Mick Gannaway's thoughts
I was sitting at home pondering the skill sets needed for different sports when I came to fishing.
Now this is something I have considered before and judging by results did not find the answer.
The Bloke’s Lounge fishing club should give a clue purely because of the numbers involved. Also we all have different gear, different set ups, different baits and different ideas as to where the best spot is on any given beach or river bank.
Steven bought his rods from China and obviously the fish in China are different so his lack of success could be the difference in continents.
Tony uses his dad’s fishing box and a rod of undefined origin, he is a bit unlucky as he seems to spend most of his time re-tying new hooks and sinkers because the biggest fish of the day took the other lot away (he says).
Roger gets himself settled in a comfy chair next to his top of the range rod holder, bait to his left and refreshments to his right. Roger has the belief that you have to concentrate on the rod waiting for a sign and then strike with precision. Wandering around having a chat is not his method, and it has to be said that he has caught a very good snapper of some 2kg which, much to the annoyance of his wife, he gave to me. Sadly his wife gave him a bit of a hard time so I think I may have to catch or buy my own in future. But we could be on to something with this method.
Now this is something I have considered before and judging by results did not find the answer.
The Bloke’s Lounge fishing club should give a clue purely because of the numbers involved. Also we all have different gear, different set ups, different baits and different ideas as to where the best spot is on any given beach or river bank.
Steven bought his rods from China and obviously the fish in China are different so his lack of success could be the difference in continents.
Tony uses his dad’s fishing box and a rod of undefined origin, he is a bit unlucky as he seems to spend most of his time re-tying new hooks and sinkers because the biggest fish of the day took the other lot away (he says).
Roger gets himself settled in a comfy chair next to his top of the range rod holder, bait to his left and refreshments to his right. Roger has the belief that you have to concentrate on the rod waiting for a sign and then strike with precision. Wandering around having a chat is not his method, and it has to be said that he has caught a very good snapper of some 2kg which, much to the annoyance of his wife, he gave to me. Sadly his wife gave him a bit of a hard time so I think I may have to catch or buy my own in future. But we could be on to something with this method.
ABOVE: Mick Gannaway, The 'The Guard' Flew, Steven 'Shady' Lane
Ian Mc is another matter. In between cleaning the beach of rubbish, taking pictures for the web site and having a chat to all present he can catch fish. But then the trouble starts. He may well have caught the biggest bream of the group but we will never know. This brute of a fish fought like the devil, it snapped the rod like a dry stick and had it not been for Ian's tenacity it would have escaped. With blooded hands from pulling on the fishing line he got the monster on to the sand and into a large bucket.
It was suggested that a little water in the bucket would keep the fish alive until time to go home, it could then be dispatched and introduced to the fry pan. I can only assume that what happened next was due to stress and fatigue from the long and arduous fight. Ian took the bucket with the fish in it to the water’s edge, at which point he proceeded to fall over, the fish shot out of the bucket to freedom, Ian was laying in the water fully clothed and his mobile phone laying in the water next to him. Bugger.
Garry wanders around having a natter to us all and has even been known to put his line in the water although not always with bait on the hook.
Paul takes things more serious and it must be said probably catches more fish but sadly most are undersized and returned from whence they came.
It was suggested that a little water in the bucket would keep the fish alive until time to go home, it could then be dispatched and introduced to the fry pan. I can only assume that what happened next was due to stress and fatigue from the long and arduous fight. Ian took the bucket with the fish in it to the water’s edge, at which point he proceeded to fall over, the fish shot out of the bucket to freedom, Ian was laying in the water fully clothed and his mobile phone laying in the water next to him. Bugger.
Garry wanders around having a natter to us all and has even been known to put his line in the water although not always with bait on the hook.
Paul takes things more serious and it must be said probably catches more fish but sadly most are undersized and returned from whence they came.
ABOVE: Roger 'Wombat' Crook, Ian 'Doogs' McDougall, Garry 'Slippers' Brown
Barry tries all things, different bait and plastic lures. He will wander up and down the fishing area trying different methods. Sometimes he is standing in the water and sometimes he is not. Barry is the thinking fisherman of the group.
We now come to Rubin and despite all that has been said it is possible we have here the root of all our woes. Rubin thinks singing to the fish will encourage them to come to us and get caught. Plus the fact that between singing he is talking and has been known to take at least 20 minutes just to get a line in the water and then find he has gone across somebody else and both lines have to be reeled in. The fish must be looking and laughing."
Here we have a wide range of people, methods, rods and bait and skill sets - so why don't we catch much.
The answer has to be there aren't any bloody fish in the sea. They are all in Charis, Coles or Woolworths.
Gentlemen of the fishing group, please don't change. You all give me so much pleasure being who you are and the fun times on the beach. I would hate us all to take things to serious and, for goodness sake, don't start catching fish!
Thank you all for your friendship.
- Mick
We now come to Rubin and despite all that has been said it is possible we have here the root of all our woes. Rubin thinks singing to the fish will encourage them to come to us and get caught. Plus the fact that between singing he is talking and has been known to take at least 20 minutes just to get a line in the water and then find he has gone across somebody else and both lines have to be reeled in. The fish must be looking and laughing."
Here we have a wide range of people, methods, rods and bait and skill sets - so why don't we catch much.
The answer has to be there aren't any bloody fish in the sea. They are all in Charis, Coles or Woolworths.
Gentlemen of the fishing group, please don't change. You all give me so much pleasure being who you are and the fun times on the beach. I would hate us all to take things to serious and, for goodness sake, don't start catching fish!
Thank you all for your friendship.
- Mick
,ABOVE: Barry 'Bazza' Woodberry, Paul 'Papa Bear' Santon, Rubin 'Duracell' Scicluna
Angler's Esplanade, Runaway Bay, one of the many picturesque settings we enjoy while trying to land a feed
