There has been a post on Lightning.....which spurred my memory

I left Darwin in 89 and lost contact with many old friends (I Moved to Katherine?)
One guy who took me fishing a few times was Alf (1986-87 he must of been desperate) . Could never spell his last name. (Miko..Like.. check) with a J in there somewhere.
He was struck by a bolt of lightening while in a boat on the Adelaide River about 15 years ago (my memory fades)
He was one of those noce guys that nothing seems to faze. Like a few beers and other grassy stuff.
I remember going against the roaring tide at the Power Station bridge (and getting nowhere but backwards) so we had to feed a piece of fishing line through the water outlet to help clear the blockage, all the while a storm was raging around us.

He took me to the Mandorah wreck on my first boating adventure up here. WTF we were there first!! without a GPS and 7 boats pulled up within spitting distance. (It wasnt done this way in Coffin Bay)
We went out in the harbour one day with a full esky & .., fell asleep , sunburt & sun had set. He still found our way home (no lights) to his rightly so scolding wife who arrived at boat ramp to look for us.
He took me to the Mouth of the Adelaide River for an overnighter in the boat. I only wore a singlet (skin cancers have since been cut out 20 years on) and I froze all night under my mozzie net. Had eaten garlic cabana as we caught no fish for tea (that was the plan) and burped garlic all night long. What a miserable trip.... but memorable.
In all my trips with him, borrowing all his gear, I never caught a fish.

Surely someone out there knows Alf and his glasses and has a story (Meat inspector that did time at Point Stuart etc)

Anyways , I now do not drink while in the boat, I carry a torch & spare food. I have learnt.

Yep I knew Alf but not that long ago.. His partner and my wife grew up together.. A Swiss connection.

A nicer guy you would not find. I was asked but never went out blue water fishing with him in "mega bite" i have regretted not going ever since...

I brought my first "big" boat off Jackie ... Alf's old 4mtr quinine with a 25 yamaha on it...

A year or so after he was killed Jackie gave me his home made witch doctor.. I love using it and every time I throw it out the back of a boat I think of alf.. I am sure he would be happy to see it still getting used of Darwin.

There are a few of his old mates still at the Darwin game fishing club.. Bigfoot, Peter danos (sp), just to name 2 of the many.... Pop down to a meeting at the ski club and you'll find some old faces for sure.. First Tuesday of each month I think.

I met Alf at the billfish shootout in 99...........he and Pete Deinof were great mates.......he was hit in Petes boat from memory near Scotts.

Rocked Pete a fair bit as it would.........not long after the tackle shop was sold and he got out of fishing for a while.....

Yes i knew Alf back in the day and his wife Jackie,had plenty of laughs at bbq's with Peter diehnoff ,Gary walsh and Phil hall. Even at Barra classic he was never too far and always helping someone...
Was a Great man ,sadly missed as alot of others that i used to fish with back then in the barra classic days...


Tight lines...
Scott Sparnon.

Alf was a top friendly bloke and Jackie a lovely person.
A fair few, big ft aj dienoff etc get together evey now and again in rememberence
was a terrible incident

Never met him but heard the story.

Dunno exactly where it happened but the stretch of the Adelaide from the Arnhem Hwy ramp down to Black Jungle Creek is a shocker for lightning storms, and they form up right over you so you don't get much warning.

_________________