How things have changed on the fishing scene over the years
Posted: Sun Dec 06, 2009 7:19 pm
Hi fellas, I have followed my young mates lead and have decided to make my maiden speech on this site( or any site for that matter) given I have been having a bit of a sniff around for some time and enjoying some frank and seemingly honest stories and advice.
I caught my first Barra in 1976 at the Nourlangie Water Holes. For us older blokes who have been around a bit , that was back before Kakadu came into being.In those days a 12' car-topper was considered a big rig. Most, if not all of us, including myself, had a 11' tinnie and a 15 HP 2 stroke.
There was no boat ramp at the South Alligator so, upon your return, your fishing mate had to scramble up the bank if it was low tide with a rope to tie to the back of your ute to pull you onto dry land. You could fish all Saturday on the top of the South and be lucky to see another boat.If another boat turned up they would exercise the ethical decorum of the era and fish well away from you.Usually you would fish one fork and they would fish the other. Those 2 forks up the top of the river are now 'out of bounds'. On the dropping tide the fish would go ballistic.
One day I was up on the right hand fork and the Fisheries Police turned up to check out my safety equipment.I couldn't believe a police boat was on the water let alone checking for something called safety equipment. Besides I was onto about my 9th White Can for the morning so was a little on the cheeky side.The copper brought to my attention there were only 2 cars back at the bridge ( may have been a boat ramp by then ) so it was unwise to play silly buggers, give my correct name and address and to cop my $200 fine on the chin. Obviously I was being made an example of.
Fortunately a rugby mate of mine, who played for the same club, was in the police at the time. He came to me at training and suggested that I owe him a carton of Green Cans as he spotted my name on the fines list on his work computer and hit the delete button........anyway that was mateship for you back in those days.
I shudder now to think that what was considered responsible drink/driving back then was that you didn't crack your first can when going fishing until you drove through Humpty Doo. It was nothing to drink a carton of heavy cans for the day and drive back to Darwin. I am not proud of that aspect of fishing but unfortunetly that was very common.........somehow we survived.
When Stage 2 of Kakadu was legislated horrid little signs started to appear on the tracks to Red Lilly and 2 and 4 Mile Hole etc saying the roads were closed for the wet season. Upon complaing about this to the head bloke(who will remain nameless) of Kakadu we were told that those signs were only to protect tourists and that we could drive around them......but that wasn't to mentioned if an irrate ranger turned up. There were no problems for some years until locked gates started to appear. These to were ignored and the full letterof the law was applied. That is , if you are not caught opening the gate and taking the signs down then you can't be charged for being in a closed area. But things tightened up, deals were done and finally the gates now remain locked until officially opened.
Also back in the late '70's and early 80's you had to get permission from Point Stuart station to fish Shady Camp. Now that was hot fishing.There used to be a big floodplain a couple of kilometres up the creek that ran off to the right a few kilometres below the S -Bends.On the dropping tide those channels would produce catches of up to 70 Barra ( between 2 fisherman) up to about 90 cms. But unfortunately by the late 90's the channels had been overgrown with trees and bush.
Back in the early to mid 80's I had a choice of 33 spots to go Barra fishing and camping for the weekend where you wouldn't see another sole. Now I have one.
Then 'big rigs' on trailers started to appear, some were 14' !!!
I still used my car -topper for the Kakadu billabongs ( mostly I would take my 3.9 Stacer ) until my 11 year old daughter was nearly taken by a croc last year.
Over the years all my ol fishing partners, mates left Darwin,disappeared or gave up fishing.
Fortunately a group of young fellas have allowed me into their fishing circle, mainly for the expert advice and fatherly direction......well you older blokes know what I mean.
They opened up a whole new scene and adventures by introducing me to Chambers and Finke Bay etc as well as genuine blue water fishing.
The only real Blue water stuff I did was out of my 11 footer around the Peron Islands in the 80's,using a handline and a lump of lead on some rope to detrmine if there was any reef below the boat.
So this year I purchased a 4.85 Sea Jay, some braid, a sonar and a Chart Plotter, got my young mates to show me how to use it all and .....Kakadu billabong fishing/camping is now,almost, a thing of the past .
I can't believe that for 17 years I have lived only a 5 minute drive from Buffalo Creek boat ramp and only used it for the first time this year !!
I have seen a lot of changes in the recreational fishing industry since 1976 but I think there are more drastic changes to come ?? Eh fellas ??
Cheers
Olfella
I caught my first Barra in 1976 at the Nourlangie Water Holes. For us older blokes who have been around a bit , that was back before Kakadu came into being.In those days a 12' car-topper was considered a big rig. Most, if not all of us, including myself, had a 11' tinnie and a 15 HP 2 stroke.
There was no boat ramp at the South Alligator so, upon your return, your fishing mate had to scramble up the bank if it was low tide with a rope to tie to the back of your ute to pull you onto dry land. You could fish all Saturday on the top of the South and be lucky to see another boat.If another boat turned up they would exercise the ethical decorum of the era and fish well away from you.Usually you would fish one fork and they would fish the other. Those 2 forks up the top of the river are now 'out of bounds'. On the dropping tide the fish would go ballistic.
One day I was up on the right hand fork and the Fisheries Police turned up to check out my safety equipment.I couldn't believe a police boat was on the water let alone checking for something called safety equipment. Besides I was onto about my 9th White Can for the morning so was a little on the cheeky side.The copper brought to my attention there were only 2 cars back at the bridge ( may have been a boat ramp by then ) so it was unwise to play silly buggers, give my correct name and address and to cop my $200 fine on the chin. Obviously I was being made an example of.
Fortunately a rugby mate of mine, who played for the same club, was in the police at the time. He came to me at training and suggested that I owe him a carton of Green Cans as he spotted my name on the fines list on his work computer and hit the delete button........anyway that was mateship for you back in those days.
I shudder now to think that what was considered responsible drink/driving back then was that you didn't crack your first can when going fishing until you drove through Humpty Doo. It was nothing to drink a carton of heavy cans for the day and drive back to Darwin. I am not proud of that aspect of fishing but unfortunetly that was very common.........somehow we survived.
When Stage 2 of Kakadu was legislated horrid little signs started to appear on the tracks to Red Lilly and 2 and 4 Mile Hole etc saying the roads were closed for the wet season. Upon complaing about this to the head bloke(who will remain nameless) of Kakadu we were told that those signs were only to protect tourists and that we could drive around them......but that wasn't to mentioned if an irrate ranger turned up. There were no problems for some years until locked gates started to appear. These to were ignored and the full letterof the law was applied. That is , if you are not caught opening the gate and taking the signs down then you can't be charged for being in a closed area. But things tightened up, deals were done and finally the gates now remain locked until officially opened.
Also back in the late '70's and early 80's you had to get permission from Point Stuart station to fish Shady Camp. Now that was hot fishing.There used to be a big floodplain a couple of kilometres up the creek that ran off to the right a few kilometres below the S -Bends.On the dropping tide those channels would produce catches of up to 70 Barra ( between 2 fisherman) up to about 90 cms. But unfortunately by the late 90's the channels had been overgrown with trees and bush.
Back in the early to mid 80's I had a choice of 33 spots to go Barra fishing and camping for the weekend where you wouldn't see another sole. Now I have one.
Then 'big rigs' on trailers started to appear, some were 14' !!!
I still used my car -topper for the Kakadu billabongs ( mostly I would take my 3.9 Stacer ) until my 11 year old daughter was nearly taken by a croc last year.
Over the years all my ol fishing partners, mates left Darwin,disappeared or gave up fishing.
Fortunately a group of young fellas have allowed me into their fishing circle, mainly for the expert advice and fatherly direction......well you older blokes know what I mean.
They opened up a whole new scene and adventures by introducing me to Chambers and Finke Bay etc as well as genuine blue water fishing.
The only real Blue water stuff I did was out of my 11 footer around the Peron Islands in the 80's,using a handline and a lump of lead on some rope to detrmine if there was any reef below the boat.
So this year I purchased a 4.85 Sea Jay, some braid, a sonar and a Chart Plotter, got my young mates to show me how to use it all and .....Kakadu billabong fishing/camping is now,almost, a thing of the past .
I can't believe that for 17 years I have lived only a 5 minute drive from Buffalo Creek boat ramp and only used it for the first time this year !!
I have seen a lot of changes in the recreational fishing industry since 1976 but I think there are more drastic changes to come ?? Eh fellas ??
Cheers
Olfella
Would love to here more stories about the 'good ol' days'
