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Published: September 19th 2013
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I caught a fish and not just any old fishAfter the CREB we made our way back to Brian and Vicks. It was lovely to see them again. Sarah and Paddy came to dinner again and Vick put on some fabulous Italian cooking. Brian suggested that the next day we go fishing out at the islands in his boat because it was going to be a nice flat day out there on the water. This was a totally unexpected and exciting adventure because we were going out to Fitzroy Island and I was determined to catch my very first fish including touching smelly bait and hooking it on and casting it. Albeit I had a hand reel which didn't require any special knowledge of spools, reels, lines or rods. Just chuck it in the water and hope for the best.
Brian drove the boat
down to a ramp near Cairns City and launched it from there. We had a great view of Cairns from the water, which among everything else, included the naval base where the Sea Patrol series was filmed. We passed by the mother of all yachts moored at the dock. It had another boat inside it like it was the mummy boat and had a baby boat in the pouch. It also had a helicopter. It was a seriously luxurious yacht.
Steering out towards False Cape and Cape Grafton you look back and begin to appreciate the beauty of Cairns sitting like a little jewel with the backdrop of that massive range behind it. Bellenden ker and Bartle Frere to the south, Walsh's Pyramid there in front of them (sort of), the hills behind Yarrabah, the Kuranda Range and the ranges to the north. Cairns is locked by mountains to the west and ocean to the east. It's so hard to ignore the view. Lucky Cairns people.
We made great time over to Fitzroy, the ride was comfortable and easy. I think it's about 25 kilometers from Cairns We did a bit of a putt putt around the wharf
and the beaches Brian let me and Wayne off and we went into the new resort for a look. The beach is how I remember it 32 years ago when I went camping there with my friend Trisha. It's a pretty place. There are coral reefs very close into the shore and people were snorkeling around them.
Brian patiently waited for our return, came in to collect us and then we took off for more protected waters, as the wind had picked up. So we chose a sheltered cove to have a fish in.
Brian baited up a hand reel for me and showed me how to lower it down and instructed me about a fish jagging the line and the bait getting caught on the bottom. To be honest I couldn't tell the difference. At one stage I could feel the line catching. Brian launched across the boat and pulled on the line and told me to start pulling it in. I had something on the line. It was a really pretty fish with turquoise spots on it about 40 or so centimeters long "you've got a coral trout". It's the best eating fish on the reef.
I was pretty chuffed my first fish catch ever. It was a legal size as well.
We all tried to catch more dinner and i was managing to bait my own hooks but it wasn't happening for us the fish were elusive today.
With the wind picking up Brian decided that we had better head back. He turned the key on the boat, nothing, I loved the look on his face it was puzzlement. Tried it again...nothing. Got up and pushed the primer a couple of times ... It sputtered and then finally started, to his relief.
I loved the journey back it was like a carnival ride for me. I was laughing all the way back. Brian was trying to negotiate the choppy waters with a serious look on his face and there were many times when the boat landed hard after going over many crests. Poor Wayne was sitting on a pillow all the way it must have been very uncomfortable. It was a lot rougher than the outbound journey and at times Brian reckoned he was surfing the boat.
We made it back ok into the safe harbour and headed in towards the
mangroves where there was a good chance of catching barra or a mangrove jack and the added bonus of seeing a croc. Nope ... There be none of that. So after that we headed home. It was a fantastic day because we did not expect to be going out to the reef islands and also I caught a fish and not just any fish.
Vicki made an amazing dinner out of my catch and other catches they had at home. Wayne told Vick that it was restaurant quality meal. And it was, the fish was sooo fresh.
Later we sat around listening to music and we got on to the topic of their kids and how great they are and their son Mikey and his music career with Emma Louise as her guitarist. Vicki was telling me about the night they were watching Offspring on Tv and Mikey unexpectedly heard himself playing guitar on one of the soundtracks for the episode. He didn't know it was going to happen and was really rapt.
Bums a bit sore from all those bumpy waves but it was brilliant, a really really brilliant day. Thanks big brother it was great
fun.
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