by The Captain | Nov 9, 2016 | Adventures, Articles
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, Articles
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 | Articles, 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, Articles
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 | Articles
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 | Articles
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 | Articles
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, Articles
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 | Articles, 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 | Articles, 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 | Articles, 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 | Articles, 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 | Articles, Rations and rum
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, Articles
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, Articles
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 | Articles, 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 | Articles, 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, Articles
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 8, 2016 | Adventures, Articles, Secret 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 | Articles, 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 | Articles, 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, Articles
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...
by The Captain | Jul 7, 2016 | Articles, How to
LEE RAYNER, MELBOURNE, VIC STYLE : Any sort of fishing – bait, lure, fly, just so long as I’m catching fish. I do love chasing marlin and tuna, while at the other end of the scale there is something great about freezing your bum off chasing trout, especially big ones....
by The Captain | Jul 7, 2016 | Articles, The craftsman
Captain Blackbeard goes behind the lens with YouTube sensations Youngbloods Spearfishing The Youngbloods have brought a new kinda cool to freediving. Sharing their underwater exploits in seductive GoPro clips they call “liquid cinema”. Captain...
by The Captain | Jul 7, 2016 | Articles, Captain's ships
The Seafox left the other boats in its wake; on the water- and on the fishing scoreboard A snotty 25-knot wind blew straight into Urangan Harbour, on the eastern side of Hervey Bay. We stuck the nose of the Sea Fox Viper out into the bay, glanced at each...
by The Captain | Jul 7, 2016 | Articles, How to
Andrew Chorley from Hervey Bay Fly and Sportfishing knows a thing or two about Fraser Island – he’s been fishing it since he was five! Read his top tips for fishing Fraser Island before you launch your boat. 1. LOOK CLOSER TO HOME Newcomers always head straight...
by The Captain | Jul 7, 2016 | Adventures, Articles, Secret destinations
Fraser Island is full of salty drama. It was named after Eliza Fraser, who was shipwrecked off the coast in 1836. She took refuge on the island and, as the story goes, was captured by local Aborigines and made to work for scraps before eventually being rescued. The...
by The Captain | Jun 21, 2016 | Articles, How to
The Captain “lens” a few tips for taking the perfect pic on your next on-water adventure. You’ve just landed the fish of a lifetime. There’s only one thing left to do: take a photo that does the big girl justice. But it’s not as easy as it looks. You don’t...
by The Captain | Jun 21, 2016 | Articles, How to
You wont find a more genteel charter operator on the water than Justin Duggan, but break one of his unwritten rules and you’ll feel his wrath. For the uninitiated, here are some fishing moves to avoid when fishing around Justin’s local hole. THE GRASS CUTTER...
by The Captain | Jun 21, 2016 | Articles, How to
The Captain has always wondered: does size matter or is it all about the motion of the ocean? Peter Pakula has an opinion on this. The Captain: Does the size of your boat have any bearing on raising fish? Peter Pakula: More than likely. It’s pretty logical that...
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