by The Captain | Nov 9, 2016 | All Stories, Rum and rations
Aaargh, rum. It’s been turning noble sailors into depraved pirates for centuries. The Captain dives behind the bar to uncover the secrets of this sweet seafaring spirit. Rum lore has it that the first distillation of rum began by accident on Caribbean sugar...
by The Captain | Nov 9, 2016 | All Stories, Tried and tested
Outboards. Some like them big and fast, others like ’em compact, efficient and quiet. The Captain spends more time driving them than he does his LandRover. So here are some of The Captain’s favourite outboard engines – all recently tested on tour. ENGINE: Yamaha...
by The Captain | Nov 9, 2016 | Adventures, Captain's ships
The Whittley SL22 isn’t usually considered an offshore weapon, but if it dumped the rear-facing seats and glassed a wave-breaker on, it damn well would be. Alan Whittley, heir to the Whittley throne, rang and told us he had a Whittley ready for a fishing...
by The Captain | Nov 9, 2016 | All Stories, Captain's ships
With barrels storming the west coast of Victoria, The Captain grabbed a Stabicraft 2050, a tub of soy sauce and hit the high seas. If you’re looking for a story about ‘the fish of a lifetime’, then look away now. This is not one of those stories. This is a tale...
by The Captain | Nov 9, 2016 | All Stories, Captain's ships
Erick Hyland, mussel farmer and builder of muscle boats, is one of the fathers of Edencraft. The brood of boats he produced in the 1980s and ’90s is impressive, but his latest offspring, the Whitepointer 263, is next-level. In the late 1980s, Erick Hyland owned...
by The Captain | Nov 9, 2016 | All Stories, How to
The Captain’s 10 Golden Rules for hooking more marlin. Jeez, I wish someone told us a bit earlier – like 10,000 litres of fuel earlier! The Captain knows a fisherman who hooked (and lost) nine marlin before finally landing one. Such is the fighting prowess of...
by The Captain | Nov 9, 2016 | Adventures, All Stories
The Captain flexes the fibers of a family fisher, taking an Arvor 675 Sportsfish to the end of the earth in search of game-fishing gold. With nothing but the dull glow of the anchor light to guide us, we pushed on into the black nothingness. Our...
by The Captain | Nov 9, 2016 | Adventures, All Stories
Words and images by Joshua Hutchins JOSHUA HUTCHINS packs his lucky board shorts, his favourite fly rod and and jumps onto a tiny plane. He’s headed for a little dot in the South Pacific, where giant GTs elbow eager bonefish aside in their rush to engulf...
by The Captain | Nov 9, 2016 | All Stories, The craftsman
Images: Andrew Mckinstray The Captain jumps behind the sewing machine with Nick Richardson, owner of fishing threads brand, Tide Apparel. Fishing fashion has come a long way. Gone are the days of heading to sea in a double-breasted navy peacoat with more...
by The Captain | Nov 9, 2016 | Adventures, All Stories
Word and images Luke Ryan Two mates, 12 days and some of WA’s most remote islands and reefs. But would there be any fish? The West Australian coastline offers not only some of the most spectacular scenery in the world, but also the best sport fishing;...
by The Captain | Nov 8, 2016 | All Stories
ROD FINDLAY, SUTHERLAND SHIRE, NSW STYLE: Definitely bluewater – from kings to tuna and switch-baiting marlin – I’ve been a member of Broken Bay gamefishing club since I was seven! BOAT: We run two. The first is Murrifin, a custom 39ft...
by The Captain | Nov 8, 2016 | All Stories
LUKE RYAN, PERTH, WA STYLE: I do a variety of fishing, from offshore jigging and heavy tackle to light breamin’. BOAT: I have a Haines Hunter Patriot 680 with a Yamaha 225HP. ELECTRONICS: Currently I have two Simrad NSS12 Evo2s. I run an...
by The Captain | Nov 8, 2016 | All Stories
ANDREA TRAVERSO, PORT HAVANNAH, VANUATU STYLE: We do all kinds of fishing in Vanuatu– heavy tackle, saltwater fly, light tackle and live baiting. My personal favourite, though, has got to be popping and jigging for GTs and dogtooth tuna. BOAT: We run...
by The Captain | Nov 4, 2016 | Adventures, All Stories
Richard Abela heads to Victoria’s north-east in search of a life-long sportfishing pursuit- daytime swordfish. Thinking back to my grass roots as a blue-water sports fisherman, it’s not hard to recall where my obsession with the broadbill swordfish began....
by The Captain | Nov 4, 2016 | All Stories, Captain's ships
The Captain discovers a cult classic that might just be the best-kept secret on the New South Wales coast – the Sea Devil. Cult- A religious or social group with socially deviant beliefs and practices, known for small but dedicated fan base. Cults often acquire...
by The Captain | Nov 4, 2016 | All Stories, How to
The Captain’s 10 Commandments (break them at your peril). Wave-breaker arguments light up Facebook forums, typically started by pansies behind perspex. For those who have seen the light – and want to join the dark side by fitting a wave-breaker, be sure to...
by The Captain | Nov 4, 2016 | All Stories, How to
Did you think your car was the only thing that needs oil? Are your skirted trolling lures sticky, stiff or brittle? Then Peter Pakula reckons they probably need an oil change… Trolling skirts are made from various types of plastics, mainly PVC, which by nature,...
by The Captain | Nov 4, 2016 | All Stories, How to
Hunters versus hopers with . Which one are you? Justin Duggan considers some scenarios… Scenario 1: The hunter arrives at the honey hole, right on the tide change. He casts to the sweet spot, landing a perfectly-presented soft plastic 5cm from the main...
by The Captain | Nov 4, 2016 | All Stories, Tried and tested
The Captain’s spearo, Paul Miller, takes the new Lowrance Elite-7 Ti for a test drive. I might spend more time underwater than actually in my boat, but having a good sounder and GPS is vital for spearing success. I’d been dying to drop a new Lowrance onto the dash of...
by The Captain | Aug 4, 2016 | All Stories, Rum and rations
The Captain dials up the glamour for international chefs Miguel and Silvia aboard the Arvor Sportsfish 675 You might think The Captain only rolls in deep-vees, Carolina flares and fly-bridge cruisers. Not true. The Captain recently took a call from a good...
by The Captain | Aug 4, 2016 | Adventures, All Stories
In Dave Dawson’s book Salt of the Sea – Tales from Commercial Fishermen, Vicki remembers good times and bad chasing tuna off the Australian coast Vicki Burnett recalls “The Barcoola was built at Caloundra in 1978. She had rolled over for one of the previous owners...
by The Captain | Aug 2, 2016 | Adventures, All Stories
Andrew Westlake caught a barrel on his first mission, using military-like planning and skill – not to mention endurance – in his seven-hour fight. His talents are matched by his great attitude and generous nature. Andrew Westlake is a thinking man’s fisherman....
by The Captain | Jul 28, 2016 | All Stories, The craftsman
In a quaint little woodworking shop in the back streets of Wollongong, NSW, you’ll find Elise Cameron-Smith crafting handmade treasures. Not your typical woodworker, Elise is a chirpy young surfie chick. The Captain dropped anchor to check out her fleet of exquisite...
by The Captain | Jul 28, 2016 | All Stories, How to
THE BIRO Place your tuna on its nib, as if you’re signing your John Hancock on the deck of the boat. A popular – if a little overused – composition for big barrels. Also related to: Hang time GET A HOTEL ROOM Your wife or girlfriend will...
by The Captain | Jul 28, 2016 | Adventures, All Stories
Cape York by trailer boat is a must-do for any boat owner. Catching trophy fish is the easy part, but as The Captain knows, getting there, picking a crew, keeping the gear dry, feeding yourself and getting a good night’s sleep can be a challenge. In this special...
by The Captain | Jul 19, 2016 | All Stories, How to
Paul Miller is a natural in the water, but it wasn’t always that way. It took years to build up the confidence to jump in, then hours and hours to hone his craft. Paul shares the knowledge he wished he had when he started. 1) Learn from local fishermen I...
by The Captain | Jul 8, 2016 | Adventures, All Stories, Destinations
The English conceived fly-fishing as a gentlemanly pursuit to be undertaken dressed in a tweed jacket while possibly smoking a pipe, a sophisticated sport, with delicate flies finessed to rising trout. However, as Joshua Hutchins discovers flying into the wilds of...
by The Captain | Jul 8, 2016 | All Stories, How to
NATHAN BAJADA, CENTRAL COAST, NSW STYLE: I’m mad-keen on game-fishing with my wife, Amanda, and daughter, Chloe. Don’t be fooled, they’re a formidable crew! We also dabble on the snapper and kingfish grounds, and don’t mind a deep drop from time to time. The wife...
by The Captain | Jul 8, 2016 | All Stories, How to
DEAN SILVESTER, BRISBANE, QLD STYLE: I love all sorts of fishing. Over the years I’ve entered in bass, bream and barramundi tournaments. My main focus of late has been Australian bass – I’d probably say I’m a good bass-buster. BOAT My boat is an SX 180 Skeeter, an...
by The Captain | Jul 7, 2016 | Adventures, All Stories
Justin Duggan goes undercover to investigate the weed epidemic that is rocking the fishing world I usually meet The Captain at a local bar to collect my editorial assignment. But this time was different. We met in a dark alley and he was wearing a fake beard...
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