FISHING trips do not always turn out as
expected. I was trolling in the Boyne River
estuary for yellow-tailed pike and was reeling
one in when there was a great explosion as
both the pike and lure were engulfed by an
XOS barra. It scorched off and had almost
spooled my Okuma Trio (a great bonus from
Fisho) when there was an even greater
explosion as the barra was in turn smashed by
an XOS bull shark. Amazingly, the 2X VMC
trebles held firmly so I motored back to the
scene of the carnage to find the barra f loating
belly-up in a pool of blood and minus its tail
section. I retrieved the barra and, using
proportions, calculated its original length as
1.12m. It was potentially the biggest of the
100 plus barra I have landed on the Trio andwell above the size I always release.
Unfortunately, not this time. I have been
“sharked” many times while reef fishing but
never in a river. Fishing can be very
unpredictable. That’s one of the many reasons
why I love fishing!
The above was a description of what for me
was a “first time” event ... I have caught
thousands of barra, mostly in saltwater, and
from my own observations, very often in the
presence of various species of predatory
sharks, yet had never previously been
“sharked”. However, what happened fits
with my experience that every fishing trip is
an adventure.
Thanks also for the great Fisho
subscription renewal bonus. The Rapala
tackle bag and lure boxes sure beat the old
bucket with lures either festooned round the
rim or tangled with one another in the
bottom! My original subscription was given
to me as a Christmas present from the
grandkids who love reading the magazine
and are always very eager to going fishing
with me. In all truth, that subscription has
proved to be one of the most valued and
most appreciated Christmas presents I have
ever received.
John Frisch
Rockhampton, QLD.MY son Nikolas is 7-years-old and is mad
about fishing. The problem is, as his mum,
not having been exposed to fishing at all,
I don’t have a clue. This does not deter my
son. With the assistance of endless
YouTube videos and the advice of some
family members, he figures out what bait
to buy for what fish, what knots to tie and
how to cast. So af ter a quick trip to BCF,
a reluctant and uncertain mum heads off
with her 7-year-old boy to the local lake.
Can you imagine my sheer disbelief when
he single handedly caught three bream in
one af ternoon! Proud as punch he was
and rightly so as he certainly taught his
mum a thing or two that arvo. It’s a great
feeling when your 7-year-old has the
confidence to teach his parent a lesson.
I guess I bet ter start watching some
fishing videos! Please let me know if this
is published as my son would be on top of
the world if his fishing story made it into
the magazine he loves so much!
Joelene – Gold Coast, QLD.Bite-Size Barra
LESSONS FROM A
SEVEN-YEAR-OLD
E VERY STAR LE T TER WRITER RECEIVES
A COOL BIG FISH GR APHIC SHIRTStar
Letter
OF THE MONTH
90 | fishingworld.com.au | March 2015LETTERS
John with his “sharked” barra.