A Lifelong Passion

By Dan Trotter on April 22, 2014 in Other

I’ve just had the most fantastically fishy weekend! Tackle packing and daydreaming Friday night, a pre-dawn start to a successful shallow water snapper session for Saturday, and a very special Sunday afternoon spent with local fishing legend Neil ‘Jewfish’ Hill, and a delicious dinner of fresh yellowtail kingfish sashimi, pan-fried snapper and Asian baked red rock-cod, the spoils of a weekend’s dedication, to finish things off.

I’ve always wanted to travel back in time for one sole purpose: to experience life when there were a lot less people and a lot more fish on this planet. As fishermen we dream of fish rich waters. We travel far and wide in search of them, then we spend days and weeks attempting to reap their fruits, which accumulates over time into months and even years dedicated to the pursuit of these piscatorial wonders.

Whilst I’ve finally accepted that time travel won’t take me back to an era when the world was simpler and oceans were fishier, for a few hours on an idyllic Sunday afternoon I was transported there by tales of friends and of fish in the pages of handwritten ‘fishing diary’ entries made by local legend Neil Hill. In fact, I travelled back to 1956 and beyond, recounting the cherished moments of a life dedicated to the art of angling and a love of the ocean and the fish that call it home.

Weeks earlier I first met Neil, his trusty blackfish rod in one hand down on the rocks at his beloved North Bondi.

“Catchin’ any today?” I asked.

“Not today, but they have been around all week,” Neil responded as we stood side by side watching the handmade blackfish float calmly bobbing amongst the dancing reflections of light bouncing off the water.

Chatting away I soon realised that the gentleman I’d only just had the pleasure of meeting was indeed a treasure of east coast fishing folklore and a deep well of knowledge. For more than 70 years, Neil’s been fishing off the rocks at Bondi, from his trusty tinnie in Sydney Harbour, along the Macleay River at South West Rocks and almost everywhere in between.

Stepping into the garage at ‘Ebb Tide’ I could almost hear the old fiberglass blanks creaking under the weight of the fish they’d caught. The cork handles worn by the hands of fisherman friends, holding stories of mateship and unforgettable days under the hot Australian sun. Then there were tails, scales and jewels from many mighty mulloway, each of them carefully collected, preserved and recorded to keep the memories alive.

We spoke of theories and change, rigs, rods, reels, hooks, sinkers, lures and places, but mostly we just talked fishing, one story or idea drifting into the next, just the way it should be. Like long lost friends talking in a language only other like-minded people would understand, I ambled through an amazing mind full of knowledge and vivid recollections of hand-lining huge fish from the Secret River, and of the colourful characters up and down the coast who he’d stood shoulder to shoulder and shared history with.

Neil is a real east coast fishing guru and has shared his knowledge with hundreds of avid anglers. He’s taught fishing fanatics like Udo Edlinger how to fish, and fondly remembers hanging onto the scruff of his jacket as a youngster when a bigger than average wave washed across ‘flat rock’.

He’s shared ideas and fresh bait with other ocean legends like Ian ‘Pucko’ Puckeridge, Australia’s six-time open spearfishing champion. Many of Neil’s fishing mates have moved on from this life, and he recalls their names and the times they spent on the water’s edge together with fondness.

Neil’s passion for fishing and his dedication to keeping records and looking for patterns in the natural cycle of marine life have become legend. For me it was a true pleasure and privilege to get to spend a whole afternoon hearing his stories and learning from the old man all about his sea. I was given a few gems of information and a handful precious jewfish jewels, and I will cherish these gifts and look forward to more Sundays talking fish, fishermen and fishing. Thank you Neil.