Spring Time Sessions Beneath The Surface…

By Dan Trotter on November 25, 2013 in Other

Photo: Dan Trotter

November is well-and-truly spring off the coast of Sydney, and the start to this year’s prelude to summer has seen us all enjoying sunny days and fishy waters as we looked forward to the start of daylight saving and the inevitable after work dusk fishing sessions. How good is life!

On the fishing front, I am loving my new found obsession, one that I really should have fallen for long ago. That obsession is free diving. Sure, I’ve snorkeled since I could swim, but apart from hand-spearing the odd fan belly leather-jacket I’ve never really delved into the blue depths our amazing coastline has too offer. Now that I’ve found this pure escape from the world above the waves, I just can’t get enough, and I’ve found myself frequently skiving off work of an afternoon to don the wetsuit and slink into the other world that awaits below the surface.

While I’m not opposed to spear fishing, it really isn’t for me. What I do love though is collecting and gathering the tasty bounty that can be found in amongst the boulders, caves, kelp and seaweed. It just takes some research and persistence to find what one is seeking. What started with sea urchins and their roe quickly came to include military and turban snails. And after some experimentation with the meals could be made, the time came to graduate to the prime targets.

On the line-fishing front, the month we have just had off Sydney will go down in the record books as one of the most amazing tuna fishing months in living memory. Stories abound of jumbo tuna between fifty and ninety kilograms sipping frogmouth pilchard off the surface in every direction. Many a majestic fish was caught by local fishermen, and if you weren’t fortunate enough to get one on the hook, hopefully like me you were lucky enough to get some fresh yellowfin tuna on your diner plate courtesy of a close friend.

In the shallower aquatic environs the fishing has been pretty amazing too, with great catches of snapper in and around the spawning grounds, whilst the omnipresent yellowtail kingfish have begun moving into their summer haunts of shallow reefs and rocky hard headlands.

Just before I sign off and get into the first frosty travelling beer of my weekend away, I should mention that the harbour really has started to come to life. The bread and butter species are on the chew, and the kings and jewfish are about too. If you needed an excuse to put down the tools and pick up a rod or get your wetty on, this is it. Boom. Happy hooking this spring!