Had to give half my trout to Skipper

[Mozza]

Got the call from AB Sat for some mack-chasing Salamander reef, Townsville. Got the go-ahead from the boss, finish replacing the toilet (you only ever want to do this once, what a cr@p job ha ha) and its off Sun 5:30 into a lovely cool flat sea, NOT!

Sh!tty winds so we decide to troll nearer the Cape (Cleveland), no luck, Decide to drift over a mark with metal slugs - now we get to the reason this is posted here rather than 'offshore'. First drop, feel it hit the bottom, start to reel - nuthin but solid resistance. Huh? Suddenly get a good tug - I'm on and man, this thing is not happy about being pulled off the bottom. Definitely not a macca-dacca. Finally get a beeeeaautiful ~70cm trout into the boat and AB is just about having a hernia, cr@pping on about "PURE ARSE" an' stuff like that. So this trout bin hanging around the outfield, its seen the lofted shot and caught it just inside the rope. Ha! Too easy!

Needless to say AB's pretty keen to come in for a bat so its over the mark again, nuthin' and again, AB's on! Its the biggest darn stone-fish I've ever seen and we don't take too long to try somewhere else since things were taking a surreal turn. We go in close to the Cape to get out of the 15kt SE'rs to a mark that's usually good for a few Nanny's. Anchors away and down goes my rig with a big ganged pillie. WHACK! Up comes my second-ever fingermark at about 55cm. As my ol' pal Alex Julius used to say: 'How can you buet this (anyone whose seen his NT TV shows will know what I mean)

And AB still not hooking anything and he's still complaing about the arse-i-ness of his deckie. After that the boat decided it was just not going to hold anchor so after many unsuccessful attempts to re-anchor we leave to get home by lunch.

Fate was not kind to AB so in a moment of weakness, I offered one of the trout steaks which he accepted with alacrity.

Got home, went to get the digital, only to find that it has been lent out so no piccies again guys but I promise next time.

Mozza

[fish2eat]

So are you complaining because YOU offered him or because he accepted????

Seems you are madder with yourself, letting go half a nice fish like that !!

[Mozza]

Was I complaining?

Great day's fishing from my perspective - but to get a stonefish after a trout - how ironic is that?

How could I begrudge AB the fillet of trout when he had given me so much cause for a laugh. I've had my share of biblical 'wrong side of the boat' days.

Mozza