Australia: Along the Fatal Shores with Peter Morse
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Morsie & Zach, that was an awesome chat, well done for going a full hour and keeping it so interesting !
Spotted Mackerel – smaller than Spanish, but they come in schools the size of a football field at times.
Hervey bay sand flat.
Guide Mark Barginquast with my first Longtail.
Guides Steve Jeston & Dave Bradley fishing a beach in Aruakun – south of Weipa
Guide Steve Jeston with a smaller Barra off the beach at a river mouth in Aurakun.
www.dsaphoto.com
A picture is thousand words that takes less than a second while a thousand words is a picture that takes a month.
This is the freshwater “cod” caught in a small headwater stream by Dave. The really bigs ones are a great challenge on fly. This a small one although slightly larger than the average fish we caught on this trip.
Mate Geoff Volter lifts a small cod. Because the flies we use are bulky 9 weights are pretty standard for this fishing. They’re very powerful fish in short bursts.
The “big rig” Gordon Low wades deep in a leech infested cod stream.
Dave with a floatboat caught cod – great way of fishing for them.
This is an eastern cod from the coastal Clarence system, about 22lbs. When it ate the Dahlberg I just about had a heart attack. A surface strike from one of these things is impossible to forget.
Not at all related to the saltwater cod Zach. These grow to 200lbs and live in our inland rivers but there are two east coast sub species. Very handsome fish, fairly temperamental and like most of our freshwater fish bite best on a rising barometer. There’s a closed season on them right now. The adults guard the “nest” and are very vulnerable in spring – season opens on the 1st of December.
Close encounters with crocodiles can mean some sleepless nights Rusty. There’s a new movie out – its a “jaws” type thing but with a big saltwater croc as the central “character”. They are all too real I’m afreaid, there’s talk about allowing some sort of cull on them, their numbers in those northern waterways are frightening. Fortunately (to my knowledge) no one in a boat’s been a attacked.
Morsie
You don’t have to worry about crocs in Weipa, the sharks ate them all… 😉 ;D
Last time I was there we worked out that everyone on the boat should have a badassafied handgun so if one fell in the others could take them out before the sharks got busy..
You would need some fast shooters..
www.dsaphoto.com
A picture is thousand words that takes less than a second while a thousand words is a picture that takes a month.
www.dsaphoto.com
A picture is thousand words that takes less than a second while a thousand words is a picture that takes a month.
If that’s the Murray Cod, I’ve read a large writeup on them in National Geographic magazine a while back, or perhaps on its website.
I found the bottom image through Google and thought these two species share some traits.
You guys “down under” give a new meaning to top water action.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8404622/
I always thought Sturgeon is the largest one (reach 1000lb??), maybe I am wrong, I just found this article.
Pretty interestingTell them the story about having to outsprint that croc with the Barra up the top end Morsie… I remeber the pics from the first time we met in Melbourne.
You can judge a man by the size of things which annoy him.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8404622/
I always thought Sturgeon is the largest one (reach 1000lb??), maybe I am wrong, I just found this article.
Pretty interestingI think they aren’t counting adromous sturgeon…
I havent been able to listen to this podcast yet but the pump has been primed with this post.
While I have been known to do a few crazy and occassionally stupid things, whoever the guy is that is fishing in croc infested waters in that inflateable kayak, well….you have much bigger stones that I do.
Very careful about where we use the floatboats – no crocs in that water.
Zach what about some of those Amazon fish? some of those are pretty large.
Morsie
Some other follow up news in NGM. …Conservation of Mekong Catfish and other giant.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/06/0629_050629_giantcatfish.html
“We believe this catfish is the current record-holder—an astonishing find,” Hogan added. “I have heard of three-meter-plus [ten-foot] catfish in Bulgaria, 500-kilogram [1,100-kilogram] stingrays in Southeast Asia, and five-meter [16-foot] arapaima in the Amazon, but up until now we have not been able to confirm these reports.”
Other contenders for the title of world’s largest freshwater fish include the Chinese paddlefish and dog-eating catfish—another Mekong giant…
Bloody North Islanders, what about Tassie trout!!!
Hehehehe.
Great shots Morsie and DA, nice to see some solid coverage of the Oz saltwater scene over here. Ill try and strap up the Podcast Sunday, when I finally get a break and give it a listen.A Top End trip has got to be done one of these days. Ive got a 3-4 buddies who want a group trip so we might try and put something together _ give me a cheap way of getting home anyway_
Weipa or Carpentaria??And just so he doesn’t get off scott free from all this praise, I remember watching his superb Wildfish tv program back when I DIDNT have gray hair
Great pod cast Zach and Morsie! It is the first one I have listened to in awhile and I loved it!
Morsie your photos are outstanding! That bait ball picture is so damn cool and the one with the Croc gave me shivers! Great stuff!!!
Morsie I would love to pick your brain about good Australian wine some time. Always looking for that good bottle of juice that doesn’t break the bank! 😉
Joel
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