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: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







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
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
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
happypools@bigpond.com
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: 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
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
trinitysportfishing@gmail.com
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
pfmaustralia@bigpond.com
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: nauticalmarine@rocketmail.com
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