I remember a fishing trip when I was 19 with 3 other mates and my tinny and one of my mates tinny to Port Welshpool. When stayed at his mates farm that had leased it to a oil company back in the day. Three or 4 little shacks and a big shed. We decided to set up base in the shed. The first day out we got sweet bugger all till about 3 In the arvo when the tide changed. We were out past the Singapore deep in at Chinaman's bays about 300m offshore. Some of the best fishing in my life. Literally all 4 of us hooking up as soon as it hit the bottom. Left at around 4 ish as it gets dark in late autumn early there and the Singapore deep isn't a friend to a 12ft6 tinny with 10hp Honda 4stroke and two 100kg blokes. Old mate had a 20hp Suzuki 2 stroke. She got up and boogies that boat. Mine went through about 10lt of fuel in weekend. Cheap weekend. Anyhow Singapore deep is about 160ft deep and exposed to 5 ways channel. You're a professional fisherman, 5 channels meet exposed to base Strait. Reasonably flat on a flat day. Bit dicey after that to outright I'm camping at Chinaman's. Well it was relatively calm with some rolling swell. Enough to get the heart pumping and the proper valve puckering up tight. We made it in, spent an hour filleted our catches of Whiting trevally thumoing flattya Australian salmon etc. Drove around Bend to old mates, parked the boats and proceeded to drink. Ended up at the jetty pub for beers a feed some pool and that's when the boys decide now is a great time to go floundering. About 10pm I'm riding shotgun with the slab, the boys have poured out of the car and.into their waders spears and lights and tow behind tube.
The son of the fella we are staying at is a one of the boys good mates since they were knee high to a grass hopper so he's on board and says he will show them the good spots along the flats between the long jetty and professional jetty.few hundred metres put the channel runs parallel.
Why didn't I get out and join the boys? Two reasons.
1. I like beer and don't like doing much except drinking beer while I'm drinking beer.
2. Old mate has worded me up at the bar prior when he told the boys about the great floundering to be had at the start of the days fishing that there is a resident juvenile Noah's ark gw that hangs around the jettys there.
I've passed out drunk an hour or so later they come back white and like they done coke speed crack and meth all at once. What's going on boys how'd you go. Got a good flounder and a huge yellow eye mullet and then we heard a big splash not too far away. Sam told us that's probably that juvenile gw that patrols here heard the splash. Better get put the water boys.
I don't think the boys slept much that night and the alcohol certainly didn't affect them afterwards. Poor boys probably needed a good shower and clean pair of jocks hahaha.
Great whites can get fucked. People don't realise they come in close to give birth and juveniles stay in close till they are big enough to look after themselves from bigger sharks
I remember vividly the poor bastard swimming at Cottesloe Beach , Western Australia . The shark came right in close . It would have sensed his electrical field from well outside the old fellas awareness range .
Before he knew it the Shark estimated to be 14 ft plus had locked onto him and removed his leg in chest deep water .
His mates got him to shore but the blood loss was against him and he passed on the beach .
You know our South coast Frosty , so you know what I’m talking about but I live in a place where I’d challenge anyone to show me a town that’s parallel in impact on the community over the last 4 decades .
My daughter is best mates with a young professional fisherman who’s older brother was ripped off his surfboard at Elliston . His co surfers just saw a massive fin arc over the top of him and he simply disappeared in one go . They never sighted him again . No blood in the water …….nothing !
My wife who’s a hairdresser has a long term customer who’s also an Abalone diver . We always thought one day his time will come but then his younger brother Scallop diving off Venus Bay has his leg right up to the hip torn off and he also bleeds out in the boat returning to shore .
Another Abalone diver who was also a customer of my wife for many years was a few years back attacked and torn apart by 2 Whites off Golden Island , Coffin Bay
The worst in terms of horror attack was poor Shirley Durdin at Moonlight bay who while scallop diving in again chest deep water was returning to shore with her husband and kids watching from the beach when what was described as a massive White around 18 ft breached down on top of her decapitating her and taking half the upper torso with it in one go .
Doesn’t get any worse for that poor family watching things unfold in absolute shock . The husband was trying to charge out to get her but his mate held him back telling him she’s gone …….she’s gone . My brother was best mates with her brother . Poor bugger was never the same after that .
I could go on with a few others I knew but it gets a bit depressing
When I walk through our cemetery visiting my parents I take time to visit the unlucky ones who left way too soon . All of them be it Shark , Car accident , Suicide etc .
It’s sad but you forget people as time goes on . I like to pause and appreciate how lucky I’ve been in life .
For all the loss we understand the risks and like them or not they are amazing creatures to watch . I’m in awe of them as an Apex predator . Ive watched them turn in their own body length and to catch a seal in full flight is not to be underestimated for sheer hunting ability .
Them and Polar bears would be the two I’d least like to meet up close and personal .
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