Kids Fishing Clinic January 2021

The Angling Section held another successful Kids Fishing Clinic on January 13 – albeit with some challenges.

With a sou-easter forecast from the get-go, before an anticipated stronger sou-wester around noon, the organisers decided to cut short the briefing – knot tying, casting session – and get on board Success by 9.30am and hug the coast around Coogee for a spot of herring fishing.

The hitch came when Success wouldn’t start, with flat batteries the culprit. After 90 minutes of Tania Coppola-inspired games onboard – name a fish starting with A and some fish jokes etc– we finally left the marina around 10.45am with 15 kids on board.

With a mountain of berley over the side at our first anchorage off Coogee, the herring soon came around but weren’t hungry. Several were caught but a lot more were seen!

As the winds were better than anticipated, skipper Martin Smith steamed over to Carnac for some lunch and more action, with the berley cages discarded for sand whiting rigs.

Alas, while the kids had a ball, only a few more fish were taken, but Harper Bensen could boast the only sized king george on the trip.

Countless butteries and trumpeters were taken, with trumps out-numbering the herring in any attack on the baits.

Still, with ages ranging from six (Aria) to Lachlan (14), the kids had a ball and were full of beans munching on ice creams and describing the day when parents or friends came to collect them at 2.30pm.

A big thanks to the volunteers – Martin and Tania, along with Joe Venter, Iain Grassick, Greg Hancock and Ray Wilson – for their efforts in looking after the kids so well, and cleaning up afterwards.

Thank you very much for the fishing clinic you ran today. Our kids had the most wonderful, fun day. We really appreciate the time & effort you give to our children to teach them a lifelong skill.

Many thanks, Stewart & Carolyn Tobin