KIDS HOLIDAY FISHING CLINIC – April 17th 2019

 KIDS HOLIDAY FISHING CLINIC – 17th April 2019 – by Ray Wilson

With Mother Nature providing a window of opportunity out on the high seas, the angling section held a successful Holiday Kids Clinic on April 17.

The conditions in the lead-up were atrocious with Tuesday providing rain and strong winds, before another big front threatening to make Friday anything but good.

Thankfully, the Clinic enjoyed a day when the swell was still up and the water was dirty but the winds were favourable.

The day started on the Sunset Deck at 8.30am for the 14 kids on the Clinic, with ages ranging from 7 to 14, with two girls and 12 boys.

Kate Sewell from recfishwest, a sponsor of the Angling Section this year, got the children’s attention as she explained the role of her organisation, explaining the sustainability of the recreation, and many other matters from Slip Slot Slap to bag limits to FADs.

Kids were then provided a hands-on demonstration on knot-tying, with some in attendance showing some skill in the art. That was followed by a casting lesson from the lawn in front of the club.

Soon after 10am with all the kids wearing their life jackets, skipper Martin Smith manoeuvred Success from the Marina, headlining out towards Mewstone in search of sand whiting.

It soon became apparent that the swell would make it too unpleasant, so Martin steered across to the east of Carnac Island. The water was so cloudy it was almost impossible to determine the sand patches, but the kids had a lot of fun anyway, catching trumps and butterfish.

Another stop at Hasting Reef off Garden Island wasn’t much better, with butterfish by the plenty coming over the side.

Remarkably the kids never lost their enthusiasm, and then after a feed of water melon, Martin headed back to shallow water out from Carnac Island. Bingo.

Midway through a lovely feed of sandwiches from the Galley, Burt’s berley bag started to weave its magic and the herring started to play ball.

Over they came, herring after herring, with some in the bull herring category. Two king george whiting were also welcomed aboard.

Around 2.20pm, it was time to head back to base, with plenty of herring in the esky and plenty of smiles of the kids face to match the stories about the ones that did and didn’t get away.

Great day had by all, and special thanks to Martin Smith, Burt Zuideval, Tania Coppola, Goran Sucur, Bob Litster and Ray Wilson for making it such a special Clinic.