MBGFC Magazine 2013 02 - Moreton Bay Game Fish Club

Harking BackThe following article was written by past President Jim Kemp and published in the December1965 edition of the then Club magazine, “Fighting Fish”.The main point on the Brisbane scene since the last bulletinwas the club rally held on June 12/13/14. The weather wasshocking to say the least and in spite of this fact the roll upwas splendid.On 'Wyoornba' was Bill Fulham, Tom Fanning and Peter Weaver.Our Junior Vice Tuck Fanning was bogged down with hisaccountancy business and did not join Wyoomba's crew on thistrip. The sum total of Wyoomba's effort was one shark run onSaturday night 12th and a dropped bait, at Combuyoro.The crew of 'Four Winds', Norm Nixon, Gunther Gertenbach, JohnAdams and Ced Wilson found a few game fish in the form ofmackerel and mackerel tuna. Gunther, the club's cheroot smokingshark fisherman took a 14lb mackerel and several mackerel tunaon the homeward jaunt across the bay in very choppy conditions.Ced Wilson landed a 14lb tuna on 9 and John Adams twomackerel, 21 and 15 on 6 in addition to a 15lb northern bluefin tunaand a 14lb mackerel tuna on 6.Norm Nixon was evidently employing cagey tactics for he came upwith a snapper of 10lb while trolling deep for mackerel at WesternRocks. Just to prove it wasn't a fluke he did it again on the Sundaymorning, only this time with a 18lb fish. I believe that the air wasblue when John Adams tied into a good yellowtail which promptlywhipped him around his 39 thread set at the stern. As usual the fishcame out the victor.Aboard 'Kythe' were Geoff and Ken Mackenzie with Clem Mastersand Dave Lanchester. They covered a lot of territory looking for fishbut landed only one 18lb mackerel on 15, caught by Ken.Our Senior Vice John Robinson and Club President Col Hopgoodand crew aboard "Flood Tide" looked hard for fish but alas reporteda nil score.Berry Kerr's 'Sea Waif' had Frank Burnett and Geoff Vann aboardand Geoff landed two small mackerel and a 14lb mackerel tuna on15. Thanks Berry for being radio mother ship for the rally.'Marty K' also reported a bad score from Peter White, BillMcGovern, Arthur Hely and Noel Bender. Bill scored the only fish a30lb black king on 15 at Yellow Patch, which just goes to show thatfish are where you find them.Bill has already taken delivery of his new 35 foot game boat fromNorman Wright and has been making dire threats to fish the pantsoff all and sundry, so hang on to your tweeds chaps.At the south end John Dunn and Ron Harbison shot out through thebar, and I'm not sure whether it was over, under or through as therewas so much white water. John took a 19lb mackerel on 9 and saysthat he tied into a good shark near the group but lost him.The Point Lookout boys Les Nash, Bill Lawler, Dave Shepherdsonand John Bristow were unable to get off Cylinder Beach for the bigboomers and I believe that a friend of John Reid's whoendeavoured to break out, found things more than a littleunpleasant and ended with an upturned boat and a hole in the hull.From what my spies have been able to gather, the "meeting" heldon the Friday night at the Point Lookout Hotel was to say the least,most enjoyable.Ron Jenyns and Ian Gall weren't able to participate in 'SouthPacific.No doubt most members are aware that ABQ Channel 2 hadintended to film the rally for possible nationwide coverage, but inthe light of events very little film was shot. The club's thanks go toPeter White, club member and ABQ cameraman and his partner incrime, Les Hendy, another ABQ Channel 2 cameraman, for theirsterling efforts under most adverse conditions. Thanks againchaps.I have it on good authority that there were not many boats flyingclub pennants during the rally. It's only a little thing and I'm sure inmost cases it was possibly forgetfulness, but let's all put ourshoulders to the wheel and makes it a one hundred per cent effortnext time.Peter White and Bill McGovern got 9 mackerel at Flinders on theweekend 31st July. The fish were taken during a very heavydownpour and Peter and Bill are convinced that the fish struck onlywhen this down-pour was at its heaviest. Not exactly pleasantfishing conditions, but nevertheless rewarding.Norm Nixon, Ian Jensen, and mvself fished the South end on 14/15August and just over the South Passage Bar we were confrontedwith acres and acres of mackerel tuna very much of a size. We tookseveral on threads from 15 to 3 and then 'thumped!' several on'wacke' lines for berley.We kellicked on the little halfway near Flat Rock and spent severalfruitless hours berleying in a fast current. This area rises from 100feet to between 20 and 30 in a matter of a few yards, and wouldbe good trolling in the early months of 1966. That evening in theRous Channel Norm had a hit on his 15 thread shark line but ourvisitor was evidently fussy, for he didn't make a return visit.16