Some more fishing Australiana.

Hi there,

Not long ago, I received some more fishing Australiana. In the form of a parcel sent to me by no one else than the great Australian lure designer Mr. Rob Gaden.
Thanks again Rob, this is a very kind gesture from your part.

And what was in this parcel?
Well a very cool framed photograph representing a guy holding a massive catch of two Barramundi over the magic meter marks, both of them...

Here is the photograph:

What a catch!

And as you can see the happy fisherman had written a personal note to Rob Gaden on the print.

It reads on the left of the photograph:

" Angler  Clint Jebbink

Location East Alligator Arnhemland N.T.

Date 28.5.98

Weight 14.5 Kgs 109cms

           13.9Kgs 107cms

Lure Classice Barra

by Rob Gaden

Colour Bleeding Mullet"

How good is that? 

Two metery on the same lure! I know a lot of anglers who as soon as they get a metery on one lure, would retire the lure to the trophy room and not risk it in the water anymore...

The top right corner of the photograph reads:

"Great lures Rob

Best Wishes from...

Peter & the boys 

at Guns 'n' Tackle

Darwin N.T. "

So when the people from a tackle shop are saying directly to the designer of a lure that his lures are great, you know that this is the real deal.

Yes, you may have noticed that the lure in question is not only visible on the photograph, it is also glued to the print. 

So, here is a close up of it:

A lure loved by the big Barramundi.

The lure is a Classic Barra without the rattle, one of my favourite to collect...

This present came to me with just one condition: That if ever Rob Gaden or a member of his family ask for it to be returned I would sent it back. I ardently agreed to this, and would sent it back at the first request.

But for now, it is on a wall in my office.

And every working day, I can look at it and admire the effort made by this happy chap, two very large Barramundi, that a lots of us are still just dreaming of.

Every time that I set my eyes upon this great piece of fishing Australiana, it is also a reminder that I am yet to catch a Barramundi over the mythical meter mark, yes...

But hey, it could be worse.

Have a good day,

Me.

No bait, no food...

Hi there,


Some time ago, I told Double Haul that I would try to get him some small Queenfish that he would be able to use as bait for his Billfishes addiction... 
And yes I own him a few bait for all the garfishes that I dutifully lost while he was trying to teach me how to catch a Sailfish...


Well guess what?
Since then I was totally unable to land a single Queenfish...
Not a small or big one, no, nada, zilch, zero, niete, just a big fat doughnut on the Queenfish front!
Shame job really...


So this morning I told myself, I will go on the rocks, and get him some bait, and a feed for me and my family too!
And I was on my way to the Cullen Bay rock walls.


Yeah right!
Lucky no one was holding his breath or he would be dead by now...


I tried all sort of metal slices, even some funky ones that I had never used before.
Some blade and soft plastic, but to no avail...


So I told myself, the last thing that you haven't tried today is a popper, so my boy it is time to take the popper out of the bag.
And as the target was queenfish, I took a big orange, yellowish one, a Storm Saltwaer Chug Bug, that I got in Singapor.


And...
Something just jumped on it very close to the rocks, made a big splash and pulled on the line.
It even started to jump around, like a queenfish!

Splashing around.

Yes, I got a bit excited.
But it was definitively not a queenfish...
Sad, because it would have been of the good size as a bait, I think.


No, it was just a small Barramundi, not even a legal one, but once again a small fish going for a big lure...
  

Baby Barramundi on popper.

So quick photo and released alive and kicking. 
Because I was told that we are not allowed to use these ones as bait...



So I decided to get back to the chrome slices and used a new one.
I was just reeling it as fast as I could, when I felt a bump on the line.
But no pull...


And when the lure came back to me, look at what was on one of the hooks:

Some fish scales on my hook.

I must have bumped into a fish and gave him a bit of a fright.
Oops, sorry...


And that was it for the morning, still a very good time on the water edge.

Lucky me my beloved ones at home had prepared something to eat.
Maybe they start to know that my talents as a fisherman are a bit unpredictable, and had decided not to rely on it.
To this, I would say, good on them!
And yes I came back home one more time with not bait or food.

But hey, it could be worse.
Have a good day,
Me.

Some fishing photographs

Hi there,

Just a few fishing photographs.
With the rain still sticking around, and my push bike yet to be fixed, I start to show some serious signs of cabin fever...
As I miss being on the water edge fishing under a big sky, I decided to have a look at some of the fishing photos that I have made over the years.
Here are just a few, which I still likes after all this time, as the newest one must be around 6 or 7 year old.
All these ones date from my time in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

The spectator.

Rods in the way.

He's on!

The catch.

So yes, looking at the photos is not exactly like actually doing it...

But hey, it could be worse.

Have a good day,

Me.

The X100 photographic competition

Hi there,

Since it has been announced I have been looking at all the specs of the new Fujifilm X100 camera with envy.
It is a very nice and light camera, rangefinder style.
And most of the reviews about it are saying some very good things about it.

So when a photographer in America started to run a worldwide contest that has this very camera as the first prize, I got really interested in it.
And being some kind of passionate about fishing I wanted to enter a fishing  photo...

Here is my entry:

Port Melbourne, Australia, 2002.

The rules to this contest are very simple and there is no entries fees.

The only thing that the organiser ask is that you link to his website from your own site.

So here is the link to his site:

http://www.ottoschulzephotographers.com/blog/?p=5442

You should check it out, and maybe enter...

So yes I know, with just one old image in black and white, in a world wide contest, my chances are pretty slimes.

But hey, it could be worse.

Have a good day,

Me.