The End Of The World As We Know It

By Dan Trotter on November 20, 2012 in Sport

It’s less than sixty days until the prophesised end of the world, so what you are you going to do? Are you going to spend it with your loved ones? Are you going to party, run wild, live fast and accept that your time has come? Are you going to rob a bank, unleash anarchy and live larger than life itself? How about not turning up to work until December 21 comes knocking? Maybe you could go bush, head for the Cape with you camping gear, fishing tackle, a few of your closest and dearest and prepare to take on the odds of survival with in a knife in one hand and a rod and reel in the other?

It’s an interesting problem we humans face; there seems to be something in our psyche that just has to propel the idea that as a race our days are numbered. Talking to my dear old man, he chuckled at the idea.

“Do you know how many times the end of the world has been prophesised in my life time?” he asked rhetorically. “You really should be living every day as if it is your last. Love and cherish those who you care about, enjoy every sunset and every sunrise, follow your dreams with a hunger uncommon to most of the world and care for the Earth and its plants and animals.”

Wise words in an uncertain world you might say; sound advice that is, in practice, hard to achieve, but a worthy set of goals for every day living!

Life – in all its complexities, challenges, failures and triumphs – is a lot like fishing. You have to live in hope and carry optimism in your heart and mind, otherwise some days just simply wear you down and you wonder where you can find the strength to carry on. Okay, life’s a touch more serious than fishing, but for many angling addicts, fishing is there life.

November is month of fun and surprises if you’re fishing around Sydney. Offshore, game fishermen are watching the daily eddies and swirls of the EAC for signs of where the billfish, early mahi mahi and late tuna might be found. Inshore, anglers will be keeping a tab on the current strength, direction and water temp, judging each outing on its merits and trying to decipher which species to target for best success. Kingfish, snapper, jewfish or a simple bottom donk for a few tasty flathead are all worthy options for sun-loving anglers.

Our beloved and bejeweled coastal waterways will also be springing to life this month, with all the bread and butter species coming on the chew, plus the summer run of kingfish, jewfish and pocket rockets all starting to fire up.

How fortunate we are that our fish stocks are well managed for the most part, and that with some forethought and planning, and the right tackle, tactics and fresh bait, we can catch a feed for the table, share it with our loved ones and contemplate life and whether the world’s going to end on December 21.