The magnificent view from Tomaree Headland. Photo: Supplied by John Clarke.
THE following questions are designed to discover how much a part of the local area you are. Your score (which will remain personal) will indicate your involvement in this beautiful place. For every ‘Yes’ answer, give yourself the allotted points. Add them up at the end and see where you’ve landed. Good luck! John ‘Stinker’ […]
EVERYONE can remember the first fish they caught, whether it be was cracker bream or monster mulloway. The excitement, in many cases, leads to a lifetime of recreational fishing. To my way of thinking, going fishing and camping with friends and family has many positives, even if you do not catch a fish. Young four-year-old […]
There were very few visitors after the spit washed away. Photo: Supplied by John Clarke.
The Hickey kids loved Fingal Island. Photo: Supplied by John Clarke. There were very few visitors after the spit washed away. Photo: Supplied by John Clarke. THE 1950s was a time of great excitement for Patricia Hickey. Along with her brother Robert, sisters Barbara and three-year-old Susan, she had moved into the lighthouse keeper’s residence […]
Jack Jensen, left, spent many hours with the Greek community on Broughton Island. Photo: Supplied by John Clarke.
A young Max Catsicas on North Beach. Note the roofs of the shacks in the background. Photo: Supplied by John Clarke. Jack Jensen, left, spent many hours with the Greek community on Broughton Island. Photo: Supplied by John Clarke. OF all the history books I have written, the first ‘Broughton Islanders’, written in 2009, holds […]
There is a healthy population of local snapper. Photo: Supplied by John Clarke.
IT is interesting to learn that NSW Fisheries have asked members of the public to respond to a proposed bag limit of three snapper, down from five, and a reduction in kingfish from five to one. This proposed change will certainly impact recreational fishers around the state in different ways. My opinion is that I […]
Don’t try to eat bream without dry bread at hand. Photo: Supplied by John Clarke.
RECREATIONAL fishing is a funny game. It has evolved since my early days on the Tweed River into a monster industry that caters for all expectations. Fishing for me was such a simple thing. Time to go was when it was time for a feed. The extended family all lived under the one roof and […]
IT has been an interesting couple of weeks for me holidaying in the old family home on the Terranora Lakes, just west of Tweed Heads. Coming from a fishing family, most of my early days were spent on the beaches or in a boat floating up and down the Tweed River. To say “things have […]
The crab kings. Photo: Supplied by John Clarke.
Old Westy mending nets. Photo: Supplied by John Clarke. The crab kings. Photo: Supplied by John Clarke. Part 2 – The crab kings IT’S hard to believe, considering today’s value, that crabs were once a big problem. There were heaps of crabs but no known market, and they really were a pest. They would tangle […]
Young Westy at work. Photo: Supplied by John Clarke.
Young Westy at work. Photo: Supplied by John Clarke. Young Westy at work. Photo: Supplied by John Clarke. THERE were two fishermen by the name of “Westy Davis”. “Old Westy”, Alfred George, was born in Nelson Bay in 1890, enlisted in the First A.I.F in 1915 and was a member of the first group to […]
THERE are some very good recreational fishers in Port Stephens. Lemon Tree champ Wayne Coles is one of them. I have been asked: “What makes a champion recreational fisher?” To me it is all about the ability to find fish yourself and not rely on others to pass on information. Catching fish is simple. Finding […]
