Humidity is in the air and to me at least the world smells like in-shore Kingfish! This time of year there can be great big top water Kingfish opportunities on the inshore reefs early morning and late afternoon amongst the spawning bait. The long awaited SGFC Kingfish Tagging Competition in partnership with Sydney Institute of Marine Science and Fishing Station is poised to open for registrations with generous prizes offered for longest overall and cumulative length tagged Yellowtail Kingfish. We all know these fish fight hard and have an excellent survival rate after release but mystery still surrounds their spawning and migration patterns. Do your part for fisheries research by participating in this multi-month tournament which will run from December to the end of January with registrations being taken at SGFC and Fishing Station and tag some kings to be in the running for some excellent prizes. SGFC will be hosting the 60th anniversary Australian International Billfish Tournament starting on the 28th of January 2023. The prestigious and historic tag-only billfish tournament encapsulates the dedication that we game fishers have for the sea. This extra-tournament on the calendar will give us the opportunity to build ties with other clubs and continue the legacy of those that have gone before us to demonstrate the unique resources we enjoy fishing off Sydney. Tight Lines Ed Aspden
FROM THE PRESIDENT
Due to inclement weather, Gone Fishing day was moved back 1 week which turned out to be a great decision as the kids were treated to some of the nicest weather we have had in months. Every year, SGFC participates in this event and through a lot of hard work and planning 45 kids and their parents were split between 6 boats for a friendly competition with lots of laughs. Plenty of fish were caught and many released the kids in a demonstration of responsible fishing practice using circle hooks and most importantly the kids had lots of fun and made some new friends. Next we look forward to the kids Christmas Party on 10th of December. We will need some bigger boats and strong and capable crew to ensure this special event is a roaring success. Argh me hearties!
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Calendar of Events SGFC November 2022 5th - 6th Summer Pointscore 15th - Club Meeting 19th - 20th Summer Pointscore 25th Dinosaurs Function at SGFC Club house 12.30 (Lunch) onwards 29th Committee Meeting December 2022 3rd - 5th Summer Pointscore 6st - Club Meeting 10th - SGFC Children's Hospital Christmas Party 17th - 18th Summer Pointscore 27th Committee Meeting January 2023 3rd - Club Meeting 7th - 8th Summer Pointscore 21st - 22nd Summer Pointscore 21st - 22nd Botany Bay Bill Heyward Tournament + Central Zone Weekend 28th - 29th AIBT Host Club - Sydney GFC 31st Committee Meeting
Tight Lines is a members based magazine. We welcome and ask for any articles, stories, photos and information on what is going on out there from our members. No matter how big or small "remember it's your club too". Send all info to Email: stephen@pitchforkprinting.com.au all Call Stephen Pitchfork on 0404019683
The incoming President of GFAA for 1962 - 63, Ernest W Palmer (known to all as Ern) was an Adelaide lawyer and company director who was particularly keen to promote the Australian sport of game fishing. Following a visit to Sydney in late 1961 and after a guided tour of the recently opened Sydney Game Fishing Club (SGFC) premises on the wharf at Watsons Bay, Ern suggested to the SGFC President, Richard (Dick) Rowe DFC, and to his Secretary John R. Thorburn, that the club house would bean ideal base for a possible national game fishing contest. The All-Australia is born. The year 1963 was the 175th anniversary of the founding of the first colony in Australia by Captain Arthur Phillip at Sydney Cove. The time and location seemed to be right for such an event, so plans were made for the first All-Australian Game Fishing Contest. Sydney members were very supportive of the proposed tournament, which was to run from January 26 to January 30,1963, with GFAA and SGFC as joint hosts. Following negotiations, the NSW State Government agreed to donate trophies, with a total value of three hundred pounds, for the heaviest in various species. Ern Palmer, the then GFAA President also donated the EW Palmer Perpetual Trophy to be awarded to the team scoring the most points for captured fish. In this era, tag and release was an unknown concept but even so, minimum weights for captures were enforced. Following the success of the first All Australia Contest, GFAA announced that the contest would be held every two years from a selected port and that the 1965 contest would again be hosted by Sydney GFC. The All Australia Contest was subsequently held until 1975. Due to the lack of participation at that time GFAA decided to suspend the All Australian Contest. In early 1981 GFAA President John C Johnson requested the Executive to approve a new GFAA Tournament and requested State Associations via their club network to host an annual event and also invite overseas teams to participate. It was agreed QGFA via Morton Bay GFC would host the first new tournament which was to be held at Tangalooma which is a resort area on the west side of Moreton Island. The new tournament was to be called the Australian International Billfish Tournament (AIBT) due to the fact that overseas teams were to be invited and only Billfish to be caught. As the All Australian Contest now ceased the GFAA Executive determined the major trophy for the new AIBT would be TheEW PalmerTrophy whichwasallocatedtotheChampionTeaminthisevent.
Short History on All Australian Contest which became the AIBT and the AIBT TROPHIES.
Champion International Angler
The E W Palmer Trophy
Mal Ramsay Trophy
As the All Australian Contest now ceased the GFAA Executive determined the major trophy for the new AIBT would be The EW Palmer Trophy which was allocated to the Champion Team in this event. The Morton Bay GFC being the first club to host the AIBT decided to donate a Perpetual Trophy for the Runner–up Team and Mal Ramsay (Committee member MBGFC & Executive Vice President GFAA) who was the instigator of the new GFAA Tournament with President Johnson also decided to donate a Perpetual Trophy which was to be awarded to the Champion Angler of the AIBT. The All Australian was mostly a capture tournament of all species as was the practice during that time however in 1981 the new format was for the Tournament to be exclusively Billfish only, hence the tournament name. From 1981 through to 1997 the tournament was run in both Capture and T&R categories. In 1998 GFAA President Grahame A Williams and the Executive of GFAA decided that from that time onwards the AIBT would be exclusively T & R only, however it was also allowed to run in conjunction with the host club’s normal tournament if that suited the host club. In 2017 GFAA decided to donate another trophy to the event to encourage overseas anglers to participate. The new trophy was named Champion Overseas Angler. The AIBT can and has also been run as a stand-alone tournament within the Sanctioning of Tournament Rules in each State Association. Since 1983 the AIBT has been held annually ever since from a variety of ports in 3 different States. Of note is the AIBT is the only Tournament run in Australia that is endorsed by GFAA. All other tournaments are controlled and sanctioned by the State Associations.
Morton Bay Trophy
For the fisherperson or many, in the family, the Grady White Express 330 truly excels. With a 3.5 metre beam and the exceptional SeaV2 hull, the boat offers a broad stable platform for all fishing conditions, and all fishing types and activities. As an express-style boat, the skipper is within striking distance of the cockpit and part of the action all day. The fishing cockpit size is class-leading and offers an expansive platform for the crew to work a fish.
Since the launch of the Grady White Express 330, the Express 330 has won constant industry accolades, all the way from Boating magazine’s Boat of the Year at launch to inclusion in Sport Fishing magazine’s 25 Best Sportfishing Boats of the Last Decade. With Grady White’s world-class manufacturing quality, renowned customer service and exceptional attention to detail, the Express 330 sits at the pinnacle of its class and Short Marine has one available for immediate delivery. The Grady White Express 330 is perfect for use in Australia’s beautiful waterways. Family and cruising time is a breeze. With class-leading sized interior accommodations, plentiful sleeping arrangements, a fully enclosed head and shower, modern audio-visual equipment and a suitably equipped galley, a day or two on the water is no effort and exploring and good times becomes the adventure.
The Grady-White 330 Express
Over the past 20 years, Viking has launched 12 models in the 48 to 62 feet range and Short Marine have a beautifully presented, turn key ready and Captain maintained Viking 56 in stock and ready for her next phase of adventuring with her new owner. Off the east coast of Australia, Cookie is renowned for her abundantly capable sea handling, and stunning classic looks. Cookie represents a once-in-a-decade opportunity to secure a pedigreed and truly turn key vessel purpose specific for sports fishing and entirely capable as a high-end luxury family cruiser. For more information contact Ryan Short on 0432 123 101 or Ryan@shortmarine.com.au.
Grady White’s integrated bait systems,tackle storage and fully equipped preparation areas are industry best. With the oversized transom fish box (optionally refrigerated as a freezer unit), the day’s fish will make it to the dock in premium condition. The Grady White Express 330 is one of Short Marine’s most popular models. The reasons are simple and not surprising. Exceptionally safe sea handling and capability. Stunning aesthetics and world-class production quality. Paired with twin Yamaha XTO 425s, the performance is blistering, with incredible hull shot and exceptional ride and speed, all with sensible fuel burn. Around the dock manoeuvrability is easy and comfortable with Yamaha Helm Master joystick operation and a bow thruster, providing confidence and competence for any level of boat user. The boat was designed to fish (as is Grady White’s way), but the interior accommodations offer a very high level of family and cruising activity.
Time Of Year For Sydney Marlin Fishing December to April are the prime fishing months for Sydney marlin. Sea temperatures of 24.5 to 27 C are the most productive for in-shore Black Marlin and in good years these fish are accessible in water as shallow as 30m on the inshore reefs.
16-10-22 After 2 years of not holding the Gone Fishing Day due to Covid the kids were super excited on Sunday just gone after having to cancel the week before due to weather as the knew they would get the opportunity to go on a boat and get a rod. The kids managed to get Snapper, Trevally, Yellow tail, Bream, Flat head, Squid, Red rock cod, Salmon, Benito i lost count of how many of each were t&r as there was too many to keep counting However these days are not possible without the support of the club members so on behalf of the club thank you to all skippers and crews from Tantrum, Happy Hour, USA 13, On Call, Black Jack, Lucky Strike, Gobbledy Hook and Pegasus. Also thank you to Ottos Tackle World, Recreational Fishing Grants, Shimano, Fishing Station, GFAA Junior Development Program Check out the smiles on those kids faces below PRICELESS!
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www.kingfisher-wines.myshopify.com/
Conventional wisdom is a great thing and is usually based on tried and true methods or practice; hence the generally accepted view in the 1960’s that the marlin season off Sydney started from around Christmas, through to the end of April. However the old master, SGFC founding President Maxwell J (Max) Lawson always used to hold that marlin can be caught off the Sydney coastline in any month of the year. His statement was based on his experiences from fishing in the region since the mid- 1930’s, as a member of the New South Wales Rod Fishers Society, the ancestor of Sydney GFC. The keen group that fished out of the Watsons Bay based club in the busy 1960’s were very content with the burgeoning yellowfin tuna and busy shark fishing available. Places such as The Peak, off Maroubra, Long Reef , The Whale off North Head and various inshore reefs along the region’s near coast were well patronised. Much of this was, of course due to the comparatively slow boats then available. The then “larger” vessels probably averaged 35 feet in length, with cruising speeds of 10-12 knots, generally limiting reasonable movement to about 12 to 20 nautical miles offshore. By far the most popular tactics employed by the rival SGFC crews was to troll to say, The Peak, and anchor up as close to the 35 fathom reef top as possible. Sounds easy, but in fact it was somewhat difficult as everyone else, and his brother, had the same idea!Anchoring close to another vessel was verboten…. Well, most of the time. Arguments were frequent and some of the radio calls would have had an old time wharfie blushing, had he been able to listen in! On the appointed date, October 20, 1968, the weather was fine and sunny with a 10 knot south-east breeze and almost no sea, or so my old records tell me. Aboard our vessel “JAC 111” was John Kellion, the owner and skipper, Kevin Brennan, John Begg and I. Other regular crew members Peter Goadby and John Davidson had family matters to attend to. We set sail around 0700 hours from Double Bay Marina, course set for The Peak, via Rosa Gully near The Gap, for a bait tank of yellowtail (Trachurus mcculloci) as live baits.
THE UNSEASONABLE STRIPED MARLIN By John McIntyre.
Several light tackle rods- 12 lb (6kg) and 20lb (10kg) were rigged with lures for schooling striped tuna (now called skipjack), that at this time were running at 4-8 lb. We did however have a “favourite” lure, a bright green soft plastic squid rigged on 275 lb stranded cable with a rather large hook,that had been kind to us at the previous Interclub Tournament at Port Stephens. We had captured several weighable small black marlin and we had great faith in its fish raising ability if trolled reasonably close in to the prop wash. Following our course to Maroubra we ran nearly parallel, 3 to 4 miles offthe coastline until we were roughly abeam of Coogee, thence south east to Maroubra. At a distance of probably three miles to The Peak mark, the 20 lb outfit trolling the green squid gave a dip of its tipas the 4/0 Fin Nor reel sounded its distinctive loud, tinny ratchet noise- a strike ! At the outset we could not see the fish which was guessed at as a small yellowfin or striped tuna. As the elected next strike person I took the light fibre glass custom rod and adjusted the drag lever to strike- heck!.... no need to set the hook as the stripey suddenly burst out of the water, obviously unhappy with the result of his “easy meal”. Away he went, doing that special stripey greyhound run on the surface. On with the rod bucket and light shoulder harness, panic stations now over. The skipper John Kellion swung the boat this way and that, in an endeavour to head the fish off. The Perkins diesels were certainly earning their keep today. At this time we were not able to gauge its size and in any event, we were far too busy with getting things ship-shape and ready for anything. The fish ran away to the north into the current, just showing under the surface with no inclination to sound or to change direction. John ran the boat beautifully, just sitting behind the fish that was probably making 6 or 8 knots with occasional irregular spurts of speed. As the sea conditions were smooth, I moved to the bow sitting on the trunk cabin overhang directly above the small bow rail. Kevin Brennan and John Begg also moved forward with tail ropes and a fixed head gaff.. Despite the good natured usual coaching from that pair and the concern that they had that
My thanks to Immediate Past President Karen Wright for persuading me to put the foregoing details together after all the years- been meaning to do it for some time! Karen hopes that this article might convince other anglers to set down their experiences for later generations. If I may say so, she should do her 143.7 kg IGFA and Australian record southern Bluefin tuna story immediately to keep the ball rolling. John McIntyre November 2022
an unbelievable record of fish landings. Later in the year, following the usual paper war of forms, affidavits, scale certificates, photos etc. the IGFA advised that the marlin was indeed a new record for the tackle. It also set the same Australian record. The IGFA record stood for 26 years until beaten by Mr Kirk Stoneman of Auckland New Zealand, fishing at The Bay of Islands with a 360.8 lb (164.2kg) fish. Snooks was delighted that the record had returned to BOI after so long. We note a report of a recent claim for a 401 lb (181kg) fish also in New Zealand, so we wait with interest to see confirmation. The Sydney GFC fish taken from “JAC 111” remains the Australian 10 kg record at the time of writing. We arranged for the well- known pioneer angler and fishing authority Athel DÓmbrain of Maitland NSW to provide a fibreglass replica of the fish for display at Watsons Bay in the Sydney GFC clubhouse. This has been its home since, over fifty four years. The replica underwent a full make-over from David Goodger of Wollongong in 2016. So, the Old Master Max Lawson was proven to be right, again, and he quite enjoyed the telling of the story shortly after the event, as related above.
I might fall asleep with nothing to do whilst the marlin went on her merry way…..wind…. drop the rod tip….lift… lineout…. line in! So it went for a long time, a time when it was possible to lose concentration or fiddle with the drag setting or undertake some other, often fatal, distraction. Gradually the fish showed on top of the water, now obviously tiring badly. John moved the boat closer until we were almost stationary in the gentle swell. Kevin took the cable trace carefully as John B deftly gaffed the marlin in the body. There was no reaction; it seems that the marlin was completely done. Time to capture 3 hours, twenty minutes- where did that time go ? Quick turn of the tail rope and down to the cockpit. As JAC 111 pre-dated such things as transom doors by thirty years it was all hands to lift the marlin over the gunwale- not as easy as we first thought- the fish was heavier than we guessed. “Wow” said John Kellion, “we might keep this one “. Only joking, of course, as this era pre-dated the tag and release concept by some years. Kevin Brennan, who had a mischievous sense of humour, decided to do the next radio sched. On his report he laconically announced the capture of a “stripey” on light tackle. Brief theatrical pause then “stripey marlin of course”! Kevin then put the microphone down with some satisfaction as the radio literally lit up. No further comment needed. Back to Watsons Bay. At the behest of weighmaster Ken Hanley several other Sydney GFC boats pulled out of our way to the scales platform. To our amazement, we had gathered a sizeable crowd- word certainly gets around! Jack and Signa Paton in their “Signa” pulled alongside shortly after, providing much loud comedy to Ken’s deliberations up the ladder. Dr Frank Ritchie with his “Overdraft” crew added to the confusion and as usual Frank was clicking away with his cameras, photos for memories as he explained. As has transpired, these photo negatives became family treasures. The marlin weighed 338 lbs, or 153.31 kg in the “new money “, that is, the then recently introduced metric weights and measures. Length 10ft 5 inches, girth 3ft 11 1 /2 inches. A quick check of the record books showed that this weight exceeded the long standing World 20 lb tackle record of 331 lb (150.10 kg) set by Mr C.H. Hopkins of Balboa, California at The Bay of Islands, New Zealand on March 16, 1954 aboard the world famous charter boat “Lady Doreen” skippered by Snooks Fuller. Snooks is a legendary figure in international game fishing circles, and a skipper with an unbelievable record of fish landings.
John McIntyre has had a long involvement with Sydney Game Fishing Club, joining as a young man in July 1957, and from that time fishing with such eminent members as Max Lawson, Bill Southam, Claude and John Kellion, Bob and Dolly Dyer, Richard Rowe, Tom Waddell, Roy Allen, David Yiend, Peter Goadby, John O’Brien, Dr Jack Quill, Rowan Waddy, Basil Davidson and so many others. He has been an occasional contributor to “Tight Lines” and to previous SGFC newsletters since the 1960’s. John and his long- time friend David Yiend have organised the annual SGFC Dinosaurs function for over 25 years, a gathering of anglers and friends with an interest in ensuring that the traditions and legends of the sport out of Sydney Club are not lost to later generations. He is an Honorary Life Member of The Game Fishing Association of Australia (GFAA), the New South Wales Game Fishing Association (NSWGFA) and Port Hacking Game Fishing Club (PHGFC), and honorary historian at each of these organisations. …………………………………………….
Sydney Black Marlin Fishing
Top Tips For Sydney Black Marlin The techniques used to catch black marlin around Sydney also apply to striped and blue marlin. The main difference between marlin fishing in Sydney compared with further north is the size of the fish. Smaller fish (50-100kg) are common around Sydney, much larger fish are available the further north you travel. Catching marlin no longer requires large, expensive gamefishing boats. In the Sydney area, marlin are accessible to small trailer boat fishermen and have even been caught from kayaks, jetskis and from the shore. The size of lure you choose affects the manner in which marlin will take the lure. Best success around Sydney comes from using smaller lures that the fish tend to inhale, rather than larger lures that they try to crush first. Matching the size and style of your hook to the line class you’re fishing and the size of lure is critical. The type of hook you choose and the way in which you sharpen it can seriously influence your success. All of Tim’s recommended marlin lures are skirted trolling lures. Marlin are masters at throwing hooks, but a lure that is free to slide along the line is much harder for fish to shake. Long and short head cup-faced trolling lures are great for creating commotion and a smoke trail. Which one you choose depends on conditions and how far behind the boat you’ll be trolling it. Bullet head trolling lures are good if fish are a little shy and you need a more subtle option. Slow trolling live Slimy Mackerel, Bonnito or Yellowtail Scad on 9/0 circle hooks and trace of 130lb-150lb are an excellent way to fish reef structure or wherever marlin are concentrated.
SAINTLY WHISPERS
Suggested Tackle For Sydney Black Marlin Tackle must be light and comfortable for a long fight, with a stiff , powerful butt and a little flexibility in the tip. A short rod of around 1.5m takes a lot of pressure off the anglers back. Rods should be fitted with roller guides, or at least high quality ceramic guides where braid backing is used. The speed of marlin can melt and weaken lines if poor quality guides are used. High quality reels are required to prevent heat from expanding metal parts and costing fish. Lever drag game fishing reels are best as they allow a visual check of drag settings as well as allowing for easy adjustment during the fight. Skilled anglers with quality gear can catch Sydney Black marlin on 10kg. For those less experience, a 15kg or 24kg outfit is a better choice. Top Lures For Sydney black marlin A short-head cup faced “chugger” style skirted trolling lure of 150-200mm length work very effectively in both rough and calm water. The head section is approximately 50mm long, giving the lure more action. These work best fished closer to the boat. Red/black for skirts. A long-headed cup faced chugger style skirted trolling lure of 150-200mm total is best fished further behind the boat. The extra length of the head creates more planing surface and keeps the lure on the surface and working properly with the extra length of line out. Green/Lumo is a reliable colour. A bullet head skirted trolling lure doesn’t create as much commotion or a “smoke trail” but is a good choice if fish are shy and you need a more subtle presentation. This is especially effective if a marlin attacks a few lures closer to the boat but does not hookup as the shotgun gives them an easy target to fall back on. Pink or orange are a good colours for this position.
www.tantrumlures.com
ADVERTISE WITH US Tight Lines ads are a great way to get your message out to your fellow members For more information please Email our club secretary Annita Flannery on secretary@sgfc.com.au
Reel-y Funny Fishing Jokes Where do fish keep their money? In a riverbank. Three priests were fishing on a boat when they ran out of bait. The first priest got up and walked across the water to get some more bait. After two hours they ran out of bait again and the second priest said he would go get more bait, so he got up and walked across the water. After three hours of fishing, they ran out of bait again and the third priest said he would get more bait. So, he stepped out of the boat and went straight to the bottom. The first priest turned to the second priest and asked, “Should we have told him where the rocks were?” How do you communicate with a fish? Drop it a line! A monastery is in financial trouble, so it goes into the fish-and-chips business to raise money. One night a customer knocks on its door. A monk answers. The customer asks, “Are you the fish friar?” “No,” he replies. “I’m the chip monk.” What’s a fish’s favorite musical instrument? A bass drum. What is a fish’s favorite show? Name That Tuna. Did you hear about the fight at the seafood restaurant? Two fish got battered! Mother to daughter advice: Cook a man a fish and you feed him for a day. But teach a man to fish and you get rid of him for the whole weekend. What did the fish say when it hit a concrete wall “Dam!” Why did the fish cross the road? Cause it was hooked! What did the fisherman say to the card magician? Take a cod, any cod.
A priest was walking along the cliffs at Dover when he came upon two locals pulling another man ashore on the end of a rope. “That’s what I like to see,” said the priest. “A man helping his fellow man.” As he was walking away, one local remarked to the other, “Well, he sure doesn’t know the first thing about shark fishing.” What does the pope eat during lent? Holy mackerel! How do fish go into business? The start on a small scale! What is the richest fish in the world? A goldfish. How much fishing tackle can a man accumulate before his wife throws him out? I don’t know the answer but I think I’m nearly there. What do you call a small fish magician? A magic carpet. While sports fishing off the Florida coast, a tourist capsized his boat. He could swim, but his fear of alligators kept him clinging to the overturned craft. Spotting an old beachcomber standing on the shore, the tourist shouted, “Are there any gators around here?!” “Naw,” the man hollered back, “they ain’t been around for years!” Feeling safe, the tourist started swimming leisurely toward the shore. About halfway there he asked the guy, “How’d you get rid of the gators?” “We didn’t do nothin’,” the beachcomber said. “The sharks got ’em.” Why can’t you tell a joke while ice fishing? Because it’ll crack you up. What do fish use for money? Sand dollars! Where do fish sleep? In a river bed. What is the difference between a fish and a piano? You can’t tuna fish.
Love the SAINT