Surf Casting and Angling Club of W.A. (Inc.) April 2001 Fishing Field Day Cape Naturaliste to Cape Leeuwin.

Ten members of the Surfcasters ventured down to the area between Cape Naturaliste - Dunsborough to Cape Leeuwin - Augusta for the Surfcasters April Field Day. Like most, I traveled down on the Friday night after work. Stopping only to pick up new member Frank Shim, I managed to beat the bulk of the rush hour traffic and headed off to our secret campsite, just south of Margaret River. There I had arranged to meet with John Jardine, Damien d'Mello and Andy Griffith in the hopes of catching a samsonfish from the rocks. We arrived at the campsite at about half past nine and set up camp. I put up my trusty trailer tent whilst Frank set about knocking up some food. Now Frank making dinner for five hungry blokes is a wonder to behold. Frank spent his formative years as the chef in his family's Chinese restaurant in Perth, and boy can he cook. Out came a pressurised kerosene container connected via a length of copper tube to what can only be described as an old tin bucket with a burner fixed inside. On top of this sat the wok. In a flurry of flame and smoke Frank took about five minutes flat to knock up one of the best Chinese meals that I've ever eaten.

The Club owns an air conditioned holiday house at Kalbarri which is available for rent to the public and club members at competitive rates

With a good meal and a night cap or two inside us we opted for an early night as we wanted to have an early fish in the morning before heading off to the sign on.

We were up at 05:30, before daybreak and without even stopping for a cuppa, headed off to the rocks. We hung an onion bag full of fish frames over the side of the rocks as burley and started about catching a few herring for live bait.

As soon as the bait was gathered the balloons or slide bait rigs were out and we waited patiently for the big run from a sambo. The morning session was a bit flat and yielded very little. Things improved slightly after the start of the competition but unfortunately the samsonfish decided not to show up this trip. We did spin while we were waiting for the big runs and managed to pick up a few respectable salmon and some very nice bonito of around the three kilo mark. The herring were plentiful and we also managed to collect a few skippy and one or two black fish whilst fishing for live bait.

Terry Fuller fished Smiths beach, where he had seen a school of salmon, but managed to catch just the one, whilst Pete Stoeckel and his two boys fished at Yalingup where they hooked and lost a couple of Salmon. The boys each caught some herring though.

Don and Darren Bachelor chased the skippy without too much success, catching plenty of herring instead. Darren did however weigh in two nice salmon.

The big success of the field day was, as usual, Tony D'Alonzo who weighed in a great bag of fish topped off with a couple of nice sharks. The largest of which tipped the scales at fourteen and a half kilos.

George Holman and Ken Black both fished locally in Perth and both caught herring.

All in all, an average field day catch wise, but a great trip as far as the socialising, scenery and weather were concerned.

Andy Woodford, Field Day Officer.

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Attendance: Seniors - 9, Juniors - 0, Mini Juniors - 2, Visitors - 0.

Total fish weight:- 92.7 kg - weighed in gilled and gutted.

It should be noted that many members are now choosing to fish for the sport and not the competition. These members are following the catch and release ethic, and although they choose not to weigh in, it doesn't mean they are not catching plenty of fish. Competition rules in 2001/2002 allow them to catch and release and still get field day points.

Section Winners.

Copyright © 2001 Surf Casting and Angling Club of W.A. (Inc.)

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This page last updated 4 August 2001.

Display of this page was updated on 21 January 2013. Contents updated as above.

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