SEP 15 - Fishing Port Douglas

VOLUME 177 PRICELESS
SEP 15
2
FRONT COVER: Close up of a Saratoga taken by Shane Down up on Cape York
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:info@fishingportdouglas.com.au
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







Friends Return to Daintree
Moreton Telegraph Station
Dragon Lady Diary
Mossman High School Comp
Micks Cooking
Rigging Mackerel Wogheads
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
Winter Barra with Les the Kiwi
By Keith Graham
It was 7 months ago that Les Marsh packed
up his tinnie and headed over the ditch to the
North island of NZ. I have missed my fishing
mate of more than 20 years but he often
sends me pics of snappers and kahwai and
even a few kingies so I'm kept in the loop re
his recent fishing adventures over there. I can
read between the lines though and knowing
the lad quite well I had an inkling he was really
missing his barra fishing…. especially from
our favourite river…. the mighty Daintree.
Les visited early August to attend his
daughters wedding at Mission Beach and no
sooner had the wedding cake been cut he
made a dash for Cairns so we could have our
day lure casting, and what a day we had!
The weather was the very best that winter
offers here in the tropics as we took in the
sunrise driving along the coast road towards
Port. It was flat calm and out to sea there was
an eerie mist clinging to the water as the sun
began to beat down and warm things up
after some chilly nights the week before. An
upward change in temperature often brings
on the barra. The scene was set!
Hard to believe on such a day there were only
a couple of trailers at the ramp. In addition to
the favourable weather change the tides
were tops…. a steady run in with a 1.2 metre
change. We launched and almost raced to
attach our lures. We were trying out some
new colours in the Flatjack and Super Shad
series which vary in depth from 1-3.5m.
Opting for the shallower versions we began
our upstream drift aided by a newly fitted
Minn Kota Riptide electric outboard with a
remote control….. what a great toy this
turned out to be!
The timber was stacked near the bank on the
low tide with just a trickle of inwards run. Les
was finding his casting length again as lures
were dropped within a few millimetres of the
target. Twitch… Twitch… Pause…. Twitch,
how tempting they looked as every nook and
cranny of the snags were explored………..
surely it had to happen soon. Les saw a 'flash'
as a barra showed interest…… he cast back
to the same area with no follow up . The next
cast was to a log jamb and on the first 'pause'
his lure was engulfed by quite a good sized
barra that put up a good show. Les was to say
the least 'ecstatic' as he fought his first barra
in ages and gave a 'Yahoo' as it slid in the net.
Well over 60 cms for his first fish of the day….
not bad for a Kiwi!!!
As we drifted in with the tide Les hooked into
another 2 barra, it seemed that I couldn't win
a trick. After raising my first fish, that took the
lure as it hit the water, I went to put pressure
on by lifting my rod tip…. nothing? I began
to wind…. still nothing??? I'd knocked the
drag tension knob and there wasn't hardly
any drag. My first barra lost to a silly mistake.
Les had a good laugh as I told him that I may
have had a slow start but sometimes was a
strong finisher.
From the salt to the brackish up into the fresh
we raised and caught a few more in the
River - Reef - Game
Ph: 0409 610 869
www.fishingportdouglas.com.au
MARINE ELECTRONICS
ABN 34 342 029 951
Open 6 days a week
4
Kiwi Les cont ...
55 to 60cm size range, then we found one of
those golden snags sitting in less than 2
metres of water. My first cast along the
length was met with a big swirl and solid hit
from a bigger fish! He was up and out of the
water jumping and carrying on. It was every
www.fishingportdouglas.com.au bit of four kilos maybe more and just as he
came alongside took one last jump….. and
the hooks pulled! Would you believe I made
another cast into the same spot and hooked
a feisty 62cm fish straight after! Then a
55cm fish, then Les had his turn at a similar
fish…… it was on!!!
For almost an hour we target fished that one
snag and if we didn't raise a fish we seemed
to hook one. The tally stood at 11 as the run
and bite ended. I reckon we raised another
10 and I know we hooked and lost about 5
more. What a day on the mighty Daintree
and more importantly a really good welcome
back for my old mate Les.
He was over the moon and as we had a beer
that evening said he was definitely planning
another trip in the not too distant future…..
it is true, you can take the man out of the Far
North….. But you cant take the Far North
out of the man!
Download your
Line Burner
now online
River
Reef
Game
Fish with the Best
in the Business
Ph: 0409 610 869
Wild Daintree Fishing Charters
By Jason ‘Saucey’ Worcester
GROUP
CHARTERING
Fuel - Oil - Bait
Ice - Tackle - ATM
Boating Accessories
Fast Food & Groceries
Ph:
4098
0409
6107616
869
Well this last month made us feel truly alive
with plenty of early morning trips leaving the
Daintree Village jetty at 8am before the fog
lifted. It just makes fishing on the river more
enjoyable and the sites on the river where the
fog lifts shows just how beautiful the area
really is. Birds in flight, crocodiles sun baking
and fish jumping around make for the
perfect setting.
Barramundi are still here and there amongst
the cooler atmosphere with the odd one or
two per trip. There’s been some really nice
mangrove jacks amongst the snags and
there’s quite a few good fighting tarpon on
the deeper bends tailing on the surface. As
always your not fishing if you don't lose to a
couple of good runs by bigger fish as well.
The facial expressions when I say, ‘now if you
cast over there in that snag hang on’.... you
can almost hear them ticking over yeah’
Above Grade
yeah'.
Next thing you know ‘Whack’, their reaction
is too slow and the fish is lost. Me, I have a
wry chuckle and say told you to be ready. It's
this sort of excitement love sharing with
others.
I’ve been mainly catering for tourists
camping at the Daintree Village River View
Caravan Park with the local jetty below which
is great for enjoying watching the
spectacular sunsets. The smell of the camp
fire and magnificent vista makes for a great
relaxing stay in the Daintree Village.
I recently received a call by Keith Graham at
Bransfords and he’s a great advocate for
fishing on the Daintree. Looks like we’ll catch
up at some point and have a fish together
which I’m really looking forward to.
Tight lines and look forward to sharing more
stories about fishing upper Daintree.
5
Dragon Lady Diary
trip. A couple of Port Douglas boats faired much
better with Amokura and Saltaire taking out 1st
& 2nd place respectively with 8 & 7 billfish
By Steve Adamson
apiece. Well done boys against 49 other
competitors !
Except for the very start of August the weather was good
As the month came to a close the weather was
to just manageable for the entire month and tourist
absolutely spectacular and the fishing was
numbers remained relatively steady.
relatively easy leading into the full moon period.
The fishing overall was quite encouraging with solid
Numbers of fish were on the upside and it was
numbers of fish returning to the docks barring the odd
day when the weather was a bit challenging. The coral & bar Happy Days. Looking ahead school holidays are soon to be upon
cheek trout species were definitely up and about for most of the us. I can’t stress more than enough to book ahead if you want
month and their average size was impressive. The large mouth join us. We are already heavily booked with limited spots left.
nannygai were sourced of all sizes from big to just legal with no
particular size dominating any day’s catch. They were a mixed
bag of fish which were caught consistently throughout the
month particularly during the calmer spells when we could fish
deep. On a couple days the small mouth nannygai burst onto the
scene like we haven’t seen before for a couple of years. At
around 3-5kg they were of good calibre and a very welcomed
return. We caught copious numbers of spanish mackerel on the
float during the month with an average of 3-4 quality fish
amongst the catch each day. They were solid fish too, thick in
stature with plenty of fillet and on average were around the 1012kg mark. This ensured that everybody went home a with a
decent feed of fish even if they didn’t catch much individually.
We saw a variety of other species show up at various times
including a few reef mangrove jack, gold spot trevally, cobia,
spangled emperor, sweetlip, stripies and the odd really nice red
emperor. Looking back through the log book I’d say on average
about 25-30 fish was the par mark for the month.
Around mid month we had to do a Nomad Fishing transfer from
St. Crispin’s Reef but only had to bring clients back from their
mothership. So on the way out Lui, Heff and myself thought
we’d have a quick fish on some ground which I hadn’t fished in
years, mainly because it too far to travel on a single day trip. We
dropped the pick in 44m of water and I was really hoping for a
batch of nannygai to jump onboard. However it was not to be
but the fishing was pretty good for the short half hour we spent
there. 8 coral trout to 4kg, a super sized long nose emperor and a
7kg spanish mackerel off the bottom is what we could muster. I
got busted off 3 times by a couple of stonker fish and Lui
encountered a similar fate a couple of times as well. At one point
he fought what we believed to be a monster cod for 15 minutes
before the line succumbed to the pressure. It was a short but
sweet fish by ourselves which we rarely get the chance to do.
Keeping in the theme of things Lui & myself then fished the
Cairns Bluewater Billfish Tournament ran out of Fitzroy Island
over 3 days aboard the new luxury Zulu vessel which is a 54ft
Assegai vessel. To stay on such a comfortable and luxurious boat
was a fresh of breath air. With all the modern comforts available
it certainly was a welcomed break from the rigours of standard
reef fishing trips. Despite having the latest technology behind us,
unfortunately it didn’t help us in the fishing stakes and we only
caught one small black marlin for the tournament. It didn’t
matter to me as it was more like a holiday rather than a fishing
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
Seafood Restaurant
Trip to ‘Toga’ Country
By ‘Sharky’ Shane Down
There was no second thought given when a
good friend and work colleague, Rick and
Alex his missus asked me if I was interested in
visiting the Moreton Telegraph Station up on
Cape York. The thought that the property
waterways held the famous Saratoga fish had
me salivating at the mouth. With a week and
half off at my disposal I stocked up with as
many types of lures which might entice a
‘Toga’ including small Halco lures and
imitation soft plastic frogs with weedless
hooks. I was informed there were plenty of
barra on the station but my heart was dead
set bent on catching the elusive Saratoga.
On the day of departure we were on the road
at 5.30am itching to get going with a plan to
reach the station the following day. Once
passing the township of Laura the roads
turned to gravel with plenty of corrugations
and bull dust pot holes to contend with but
overall it was a relatively smooth trip. At
12.30pm we arrived at the Archer River and
decided to spend the night here at Foxes
Water Hole. With camp set up it was time to
find some camp firewood and with my trusty
chainsaw this was accomplished in short time.
Our attention turned to a spot of fishing and
with rods rigged up we set about flicking
some lures around. As it eventuated we
caught and released 4 sooty grunter in about
an hour so it was time to change plans. We
prepared dinner on the camp fire and whilst
that was doing its magic we set out some red
claw pots at about 5pm. We checked the pots
a couple of times just after dark and secured a
dozen medium sized cherabin which
complimented our foil cooked sausages,
pumpkin and potato. It was time to hit the
fart sack.
I was up at 6am and first job is always to boil
the billy for a fresh coffee. I then retrieved the
pots from the night before and claimed
another 10 cherabin and a few smaller ones
which would be great live bait for later on.
With a hearty brekky in our bellies we hit the
dirt at around 10am.
We arrived at Moreton Station just after
midday and was greeted by Rick’s daughter,
Bec who is managing the station. I picked a
nice cosy spot on the property to set up my
camper trailer whilst Rick and Alex settled
into a bungalow.
Moreton Telegraph Station is located on the
Wenlock River in the centre of Cape York
Peninsula just 293 kilometres from Cape York
('The Tip'), the Australian mainland's most
northerly point. The Wenlock River flows all
year, although the levels can vary dramatically
between the 'wet' season and the 'dry'
season.
Mid afternoon Rick and I walked to a spot
called the ‘Barra Hole’ which was 750m walk
from the camp. We tossed a variety of lures
for a while without luck so I reverted to using
those small cherabin as bait suspending them
underneath a float.
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
info@finzportdouglas.com
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
This resulted in a tiny 35cm barra but I did
score my biggest sooty grunter to date
stretching 44cm in length. In finishing at the
hole I set a couple of red claw pots to leave
overnight in suspicion that some big
crustaceans would inhabit this stretch of
water. This first day at the property was more
about getting our bearings and getting
familiar with the new surrounds. We’d get
more serious about our fishing tomorrow.
At first light I trundled down to the ‘barra
hole’ and firstly checked the pots.
Disappointingly there were only two which I
immediately converted to live bait. Using the
float method I drifted the line around for
about 20 minutes without luck. I trudged
about a further 100m upstream and tried
again. This time I was able to land my float in
a likeable strike zone. Sure enough the float
bobbed under the water and resulted in a rat
sized barra which was released. With my last
cherabin I tossed it back to the same location.
Within 10 minutes the float took a quick dive
and upon striking this fish seemed to have a
bit more weight. Careful persuasion was
required amongst the snaggy country and
soon enough I landed a 55cm barra. A better
result but not good enough. With no more
bait I headed back to camp for some brekky
and the idea to hatch a plan for the day.
At 10.30am Rick, Alex and I jumped in the
Cruiser and headed to another section of the
beautiful Wentlock about half an hour away
to a place called the ‘Sandpan’. Upon arrival I
set up a pot with some sausage to try and
catch some live bait. In the meantime we
tossed lures around for about an hour
without a hint of a strike. I then checked the
pot and found 6 small banded grunter had
made their way in so I put them straight into
the live bait bucket. We all reverted back to
the float and I soon registered 2 small barra
and Alex a good sized sooty grunter. Still
persisting with the live bait my luck was
about to change. My next strike saw the float
disappear in the blink of an eye. Once I
engaged the fish it was quickly realised it was
a decent fish. It made tough pulling and at
one point I got a look at a Saratoga. This got
the heart racing and I was determined to land
this fish. With some astute angling I was able
to eventually beach this fish up onto the
sandy bank and I was completely stoked. This
amazing fish went 60cm on the tape and
after a few pics I was glad to release such a
beautiful creature back into its natural
habitat. This is what I had come here for !!
Following this brilliant moment nothing
much else happened so we headed back to
camp for lunch, me with a big smile on my
dial.
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
happypools@bigpond.com
Skincare Products
Candles
8
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
The remainder of the day was left to chill out,
read a book and take in the stunning
surrounds. Later in the day we set up several
pots at various locations which would keep
the live bait supply stocked up and we had a
fish back at the barra hole.
I registered 3 more barra using live bait, the
biggest at 50cm. Our pots on dark registered
12 more perfect sized live bait cherabin which
went into the keeper overnight.
The following morning at ‘sparrows’ I
checked the overnight pots to collect a
further 6 small cherabin - our live bait supply
was now looking quite healthy. I then headed
back to camp and got Rick into motion. At
6.30am we were back at the ‘barra hole’.
Using sausage in the pot I sourced some more
live banded grunter for bait.
Settling in we didn’t see any noise until
7.30am and then it happened one after the
other. Using a combination of livies between
us, Rick caught 4 small barra, the biggest
being 45cm and got busted off twice by
bigger fish. In the same token I caught 3 small
barra and got busted off by a barra which
looked in excess of 60cm.
Then Alex visited the hole and said the
Cuscus had been spotted back at camp. This
is a not so common marsupial that is found on
The Cape and an extended member of the
possum family. We quickly made it back to
where it was sighted but it had made itself
scarce. Trying to locate it for an hour we
eventually gave up - bugger ! With time still
left hopefully I would get the chance to see
one in the wild before I left.
At 11am we ventured to another run off creek
called Jacob’s Hole but it was lacking in water.
We doubled back and found ourselves
heading down an old beaten track which had
received little traffic for sometime. Along the
way I spotted a Frill Necked Dragon sunning
itself on a small tree. I couldn’t not help myself
but stop and take some pictures.
We eventually hit some water with a hole that
looked deep enough to fish. I set myself up on
a log and flicked my live cherabin out to a
sunken tree. The first fish was a small catfish
but my second attempt was much more
productive. This time without the float I let the
bait sink to the base of the tree. After a couple
of minutes my line started to slowly move and
once it gathered momentum I struck the
hook. Bingo ! Soon enough I released I had
hooked into another Saratoga and your
senses suddenly change to high alert. Being
wary of their small stocky teeth which could
wear through the line I carefully played this
fish to the bank. I was able to take some close
up photos in the shallows before releasing
this beauty. This was all that was caught in this
small pool but it was more than enough in my
books.
Mid afternoon we did the same program back
at the resident ‘barra hole’ using live baits we
sourced from the traps. I managed a further 4
barra, the biggest at 45cm and Rick only
caught a small one. At one point we had a
visitor drive by and he asked Rick if he could
cast a lure or two so he could just say he wet a
line in the Wentlock River. Bugger me dead he
nailed a 35cm barra on his second cast then
jumped back in the car and took off as proud
as punch. As the day unfolded to a close the
‘Toga’ catch etched in my brain as I retired
early for the night.
The following morning I had a bit of a scout
around to see if I could spot the Cuscus. I
spent about an hour carefully scouring the
trees but to no avail.
Reef St
Four Mile
Port Douglas
Ph: 4099 3655
TRINITY
SPORTFISHING
Port Douglas
to book call
0411 774 804
www.trinitysportfishing.com.au
trinitysportfishing@gmail.com
Catch the
excitement
of calmwater
fishing
Blue Ribbon Event
Heavy Tackle Tournament
Nov 4th - 8th 2015
FormulaOneFishing
Details: portdouglasmarlinchallenge.com
9
At 10am we drove to another section of the
Wentlock . Once again the pots were laid to
gather some baits whilst we tossed lures for a
bit. For me the lure fishing wasn’t going to
plan so I reverted back to live bait under the
float. Soon I saw a flash of silver underneath
the float but it failed to connect. Rick still had
a soft plastic on so I suggested he cast it near
my bait. Sure enough a feisty little 40cm barra
made connection and that made a nice
accomplishment. I went on to catch 3
medium sized catfish whilst Rick meandered
up the river casting his lure. At some point I
heard an almighty yell as Rick screamed out
‘Saratoga’. I quickly dropped my rod, grabbed
the camera and bolted to his vicinity. By the
time I arrived 100m upstream Rick already
had the ‘Toga’ in the shallows. At around
50cm it was a great fish to be caught on a soft
plastic. That was about the extent of the
excitement for this morning session.
At 3.30pm I packed up the kit and wandered
down to the ‘barra hole’. Within 10 minutes
of setting the pots with sausage I had plenty
of little grunter for bait. Within half an hour
we had tallied 7 barra between us ranging
from 45-53cm in length. I had to top up the
bait supply and once in action the fish kept
coming. By the time we called it quits Rick had
caught 4 barra, myself 8 barra plus there was
a big catfish and a 35cm sooty grunter. It was
another great day enjoyed on The Cape.
The following morning I had a quick look for
that elusive Cuscus before we jumped in the
cruiser and headed for an isolated billabong
on the property. Upon arrival it was a cracking
stretch of water about 100m x 300m in size
and was draped in water lilies - looked like
‘Toga’ country to me. This was the perfect
time to try those plastic frog lures. It took a
few attempts to get the right action but it
finally worked as a kookaburra swooped in
trying to claim it as food but veered away at
the last second. Casting away the frog
received a lot of hits without a hook up. It’s
exciting watching your frog jump from lily
pad to lily pad with a little swim in between
platforms. When the frog is idle on the lily pad
you don’t expect anything to happen but out
of nowhere a Saratoga would appear and
take a shot at the frog on top of the pad with
an almighty boof in the process. Bloody
exciting stuff !! During this session we would
have experienced 50 strikes between us with
most of them very visual with the ‘Toga’
actually leaving the water to attack the plastic
frog. As it eventuated Rick landed 2 nice fish
between 45-50cm and dropped a horse as
well. I managed 4 Saratoga with the best
going 60cm in length. This was definitely the
highlight of the trip thus far.
In the afternoon it was back at the ‘barra
hole’ to nail a heap of small barra but as the
day closed in I was still buzzing from the
morning session at the billabong.
Without a second thought the following
morning it was straight back to the billabong
for hopefully a repeat hot performance. As it
turned out it was a lukewarm session with
about 20 strikes and I only landed 1 Saratoga.
It at least was a good fish measuring 60cm. By
late morning we headed back to camp for a
coffee.
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
Around midday whilst the sun was high I was
keen to have a snorkel at the ‘barra hole’ to
have a closer look at the snags and potential
fish life. Whilst swimming around I spotted 6
barra, quite a few sooty grunter, 8 salmon
tailed catfish and surprisingly dozens of eel
tailed catfish which we hadn’t caught on the
line. I also found quite a few soft plastic lures
hooked up in amongst the snags which I
salvaged in the process and passed onto a
bike rider back packer making his way north.
But the highlight of the snorkel had to be
spotting a 1.4m file snake up against a rock. I
spent a good 10 minutes with this beautiful
creature and got some nice close up photos.
I’d only ever come across a couple of file
snakes before so this to me was a special
moment. The last afternoon at the station
was spent just relaxing and soaking in the
grand atmosphere of the Australian bush.
In the morning we packed up camp, said our
grateful goodbyes to the station crew and
travelled back to Foxes Hole on the Archer
River a couple of hours away to spend the
night.
We set the pots and rallied up about a dozen
cherabin during our stay. But what got me
really excited was spotting a small Maclay’s
Water Snake hunting in the shallows of the
river. At a another part of the hole I made
acquaintance with a big Rocket Frog. I
managed to acquire some great pics of both
creatures and was a fitting end to a
wonderful trip.
We made pretty good time the last day
getting back to Port Douglas in just over 8hrs.
There were lots of great moments but none
better than those tangles with the great
’Toga’. What a truly hypnotic and
magnificent fish. I can’t wait for my next
camping adventure.
The Port Douglas Florist
Fresh & Friendly
Floral Design
Delivering to
Port Douglas
Mossman
& Cairns
Ph: 07 4099 5503
James Beitzel’s
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: portdouglasiga@cornetts.com.au
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: cooktowniga@cornetts.com.au
OPENING HOURS:
MON–FRI: 8AM - 7PM
SAT: 8AM - 6PM
SUN: 8AM - 5PM
11
Reel Cooking
with Mojo’s
Mick Hart
Mud Crab Spaghett - Aglio e Olio
Ingredients
1 Mud Crab
200g Spaghetti
4 cloves of garlic crushed
1 long red chilli de-seeded and sliced
Olive oil
1 anchovies
Sea salt
1 handful of picked flat leaf parsley
Method
Bring a large pot of water to the boil with a handful of salt
and cook the crab for 10min. Chill in ice water and
refrigerate for at least an hour. Clean crab and pick the
meat and reserve with any liquid.
Boil more water with a tbsp of salt to cook spaghetti.
Meanwhile gently heat 5tbsp of oil in a large pan, add
garlic, chilli, anchovies and soften without colour.
Add cooked pasta, crab meat, parsley and toss to
combine, season with sea salt.
Serve with lemon wedges.
0419 015 262
12
MSHS Wear a Hat Comp
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.
The Mossman State High School has been continuing its next instalment of the
’Wear a Hat whilst Fishing Competition’. They have expanded the competition to
include not only the students but also the many enthusiastic parent and teacher
anglers. According to Wendy the School Nurse the comp has been an absolute hit
and pictured below are just a small sample of entries they received.
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
Keith Lawrence
FUEL • OIL • SEAFOOD • BAIT • ICE
Dickson Inlet, Port St, Port Douglas
Phone 4099 6792
Fishing MV Norseman
By Charlotte Turvey
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
When the seas are 5 knots, a sheet of glass, who
wouldn't want to be out enjoying it? Then a sudden
change to 25, the wind howling, you think a little
different? These changes are all part of the Far North
Queensland winter. Luckily it doesn't stop the punters
from coming out on the Norseman and catching great
fish.
August has brought us awesome fishing all month,
however two days days in particular stood out from the
rest. On these days we got the usual catch of trout,
striped perch and spangled but most outstanding
being nannygai. These stunning yet delicious red fish
were getting hooked and pulled in one after another.
Averaging around 50-70cm - these smaller nannygai
were still putting up a fight, challenging our anglers,
making the catch result in success. Our
fishermen/ladies couldn't believe their eyes, it seemed
wherever you looked there were fish coming over the
side, it was mayhem. Days like these are a blessing to
any fishing boat, and we were especially stoked with
all the fish.
Norseman has also had a handful of private charters
this month, including family tours, bucks says and
beginner groups. In amongst these days there sure
have been a couple of ripper stories made that will get
you laughing. Many snagged lines, dropped fish and
passenger burley. Some charters with winds blowing
25-30knots, a little harder to hold anchor making the
day somewhat difficult. Apart from that, the fish on
these charter have been unreal, ranging with our usual
reef fish with the addition of mackerel and even
landing an 8 kilo cobia.
Yet again it's been another top month for all our
punters on Norseman. Let's hope we keep getting
great passengers, nice weather and the fish keep
biting. Big cheers to August, and thanks from our
crew.
PORT DOUGLAS TIDE TABLE SEPTEMBER 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
Exciting New Products Due to Hit the Shelves
By Lachie O’Hanlon
August was another extremely busy month for the team at
Nautical Marine Sales. In late July I attended the annual
Australian Fishing Trade Association (AFTA) fishing tackle show
which is held at Broadbeach on the Gold Coast. It was a very full
on 3 days with lots of new and exciting fishing tackle on display.
A good deal of the gear being released in Australia was in fact so
new that it had only just landed fresh from the massive
American Trade Show iCast which is held earlier in July. It was
great meeting some of the manufacturers and learning exactly
what goes into making a certain product. We have also teamed
up with several new suppliers at this year's AFTA Show with
more big name brands going to be available at Nautical Marine
Sales soon! Over the next couple of months I will be reviewing
some of the new tackle as it comes into the country and our
shop. Just about everything imaginable to do with fishing is on
display at AFTA including sunglasses, rods, reels, line, apparel
and a huge range of both soft and hard body lures, it is a
fisherman's paradise! There are some awesome new soft
plastics on the way from the likes of Samaki, Zman, Fish Candy,
Shimano and Zerek to name a few and some great new hard
body lures also. Plenty of high quality rods and reels were on
show also which set the bar at another level again. There is
simply too much to write about in this edition!!
Amongst the new things in store at Nautical Marine is the
addition of a brand spanking new Line Winding Machine. This
now enables us to fill almost any spin, baitcast and overhead
reels quickly and with the precise amount of line tension and
capacity every time. Not only does it fill the reels in record time
but it also has the ability to un-spool them. Now there is no
excuse for not having a full reel of freshly spooled braid or
mono. We are now stocking and spooling quality bulk braid and
mono in all the popular sizes and from reputable brands. So
don't be shy, bring your reels in and we will happily spool them
up ready for your next fishing expedition! We just recently filled
a few reels for local game boat Amokura who on the following
weekend took out the Fitzroy Island Light Tackle Marlin
Challenge, it just goes to show that preparation and looking
after your gear can make all the difference some days!
Speaking of Marlin, it's now the time to start collecting baits and
getting geared up for the 2015 Heavy Tackle season which will
kick off any day now. We have a full range of rigging equipment,
leader, hooks, lures, tools and just about everything else needed
to catch a Grander size Black Marlin.
There will be plenty of new and innovative products hitting the
shelves very shortly with some stock already arriving by the truck
load. Make sure you drop in soon for a look and don't forget to
pick up a bargain for Dad this Fathers Day!!
Chandlery & Electronics - Fishing Tackle & Rod Hire - Charts & Books - Tour Bookings - Marine Insurance - Yacht Brokering
Mono Cast Nets from $44.95
River2Sea Wideglide
200 Stickbaits
5 for $50
NAUTICAL
MARINE SALES
Ecooda Synch Spin Reel $89.95
Save $50
ABN: 19 741 153 755
P O RT D O U G L A S
N
E
Zman Soft Plastics
3 for $25 (zip locks)
Monthly Specials
W
S
Nilsmaster
Timber Lures
All Models $13.95
Andrew & Jane McNeil - Shop 2, 30 Wharf Street - PO Box 727, Port Douglas
Ph: (07) 4099 6508 Mob: 0400 721 110 E: nauticalmarine@rocketmail.com
Monthly Specials
15
Life Line for Coastal Communities
In the last 2 issues I've deviated from my revision of mangroves and associated subjects due to the
surprising events relating to a friendly fugitive named Lee Lafferty. However, things have settled down
and I can continue with my story.
The 2 settlements of Cairns and Port Douglas were established smack bang in the middle of crocodile
habitats in an estuarine environment. That is, at the entrance of tidal rivers and creeks that are not
necessarily fed by fresh water from the mountains, as is the case with the Barron and Daintree rivers.
Smith's Creek, upon which Cairns sits is actually a conduit for the incoming tides which fills the many
little estuaries branching out from it. The tidal area is then inundated with salt water, providing the
necessary characteristics of a mangrove forest. As the tide recedes, the surrounding land is exposed.
The same applies to Dickson's Inlet at Port Douglas.
I once read a book about mangroves in which the author likened the tidal areas of river mouths to the movement of air, in
and out of the lungs of animals. We know that by breathing, air is taken into the lungs and oxygen is taken away by blood
passing by to feed body tissue, along with other nutrients. So it is with tidal movements whereby the incoming sea water
brings with it detritus and other ingredients to provide food for the many living organisms, animals and vegetation. A
typical example of this is to observe the variety of little crabs that feed on the exposed ground, eating the detritus. Prawns
in the water are doing the same thing. As the tide covers the ground, then fish can feed on these crustaceans and so the
cycle goes on.
We know that mangroves are vital fish breeding habitats and we respect that the forests are protected primarily for that
reason. However, in the past and in poorer countries, firewood was scarce and mangroves were important as fuel timber.
Regrettably, the result has affected fish life. It occurred in Australia, more obviously around southern coastal Queensland.
Canal estates were developed at the expense of mangroves purely out of greed and the huge demand by vanity seekers to
have a paleaceous homes with personal jetties for the luxury boat. I wonder if the boats, when going out fishing, actually
caught anything. I doubt it! I don't want to sound too cynical but that's the way it was done then. See you next month.
Cairns Inlet
Dickson Inlet
Gold Coast Canals
Ph: 0412 329 568
rs
Cove
Line Burner
PORTCUSTOMMARINECOVERS
Private & Commercial Vessels
KATEENASKOUMBOURDIS
Marine Trimmer
Mobile: 0410 533 141
Workshop Nth West Cnr of Reef Marina Carpark Complex
www.imagebankaustralia.com.au
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
Turvey
r Steve hing
e
p
ip
k
S
good fis t
seman
MV Nor ample of the
Augus
with a s xperienced in
they e
Sailaway Crew Member Alec joined the
MV Norseman for a days fishing &
caught this 8kg Cobia
ck Marlin
small Bla rnament.
a
h
it
w
rs
h Tou
harte
Saltaire C g the Cairns Billfis
earn them
urin
caught d ged marlin would ll
7 tag
overa
2nd Place
Amokura Charte
rs won the
Cairns Billfish To
urnam
with 8 tagged mar ent
lin
Dragon L
ad
with a siz y Skipper Steve
A
eable Lo
ng Nosed damson
Emperor
Good sized Sm
all Mouth Nanny
gai made
a welcomed re
turn in August
ab
oard
Dragon Lady C
harters