There are many reasons why fishing in our country is a special thing to do. The above picture shows the head of a pool on the Burra Creek in the mid north pastoral region of South Australia. The surrounding countryside varies from grazing land to eucalypt clad hill faces to rocky outcrops to lush green vegetation native to the region. All of this is set in a valley surrounded by towering hills. Angling in an area like this is great because you can relax in some of Australia's best looking countryside and not be interrupted by other people because it is rare to see anyone in a days fishing that may cover 10kms of the river and include several nice Brown and Rainbow Trout. In Burra Creek there are not many fish but they reach a lovely size. 8-10 pounders are to be found.
David Dryden who runs the Fishinternet Australia website is one fisherman who would agree that certain fish stick in the mind as special moments. This Brown Trout was his first from Tasmania, a great fish on a great trip. It is the prospect of catching nice fish in beautiful surroundings that keeps many of us going back for more. I know some of my memorable Trout include my first one, a small Rainbow, and my best one, only 1 3/4lb but the biggest fish I have heard of being caught from this particular creek that runs crystal clear and is only 1 metre wide and 2 inches deep in many areas.
Depending on where you are from there are certain fish that would be special to catch. For many Aussie freshwater anglers this fish is none other than the magnificent Murray Cod. 
David Magner is the editor of Freshwater Fish 'n' Tackle magazine, seen here with a small Murray Cod. Most anglers, Dave included, choose to release the majority of Cod captures. For me, one of my most special fish was my first and only Murray Cod. The image can be seen here. Many people would be able to relate to special freshwater fish that they catch be it Trout, Cod, Bass, Pike or Carp. Then there are those fish that we chase in the salt that add to what makes angling special. Here the main fish that have that special feel are Snapper, Mulloway, Kingfish and big Whiting. It is not until you have caught one that you realise that not everyone gets to do that in their fishing life. Many people will put classes as to what counts as a 'big' fish for a particular species. In S.A a Snapper is not classed as 'big' until it weighs 25lb, Mulloway are 50lb, Whiting are 1kg and kings are 40lb. I believe that in the minds of most anglers, a fish that you desperately want to catch, and do, rates more highly than one that doesn't reach the goals of others.
Snapper are the fish that I like to target. I think this is because they fight very hard, look fantastic, and taste magnificent. This Snapper is not my biggest but it is my most satisfying one so far. This fish was the first of the morning and came on my first trip seriously targetting Snapper in the area. Fish like this are ones you remember, they are the fish that you can remember the scream of the drag or the bucking rod or that first glimpse when you suddenly realise that you've done it. This is what we fish for. If there was nothing to fishing except the eating at the end then I feel there would not be as many keen anglers as we have now.
Victorian angler Steele Whyte is a freelance fishing journalist, who gets to see some beautiful parts of the country in his travels. Steele is a very good photographer and his high quality pictures show this.
Here we see a short section of the Campaspe river located in the Kyneton/Bendigo/Echuca region of Victoria. The Campaspe provides some good Trout fishing and regularly produces some quality Brown's in the upper reaches towards Lake Eppalock. Steele's photography skills can be seen here. As well as good photography he is a gun angler, especially on the Big River and upper Yarra River regions of Victoria.
The image that can be seen on the right here is one of Steele's Howqua River shots. The Howqua is also a Victorian Trout stream which runs into lake Eildon near the town of Howqua on the eastern arm. The Howqua contains a large number of both Brown and Rainbow Trout and even though they are not generally large fish, they are superbly coloured and conditioned. As with most areas it lends itself to a number of techniques and as such attracts fishermen of all disciplines. Areas like this all around the country attract many people, it is a shame that a few of these will be bad eggs, hell bent on destroying the surrounding country. Please, if you go to use our magnificent natural resource, leave it how you find it.
For all fishers there is a special feeling in doing the type of fishing you most enjoy. For flyfishers there may be no better feeling for them than to stalk a Trout, present a fly to it and have the fish accept the presentation. The fight and then usually the release of the fish back into it's wet environment. This is what I guess many of you ardent flyfishermen out there reading this page would be able to relate to.
For most bait fishermen the thrill is not so much in the stalking of one fish, although it can be sometimes. Usually the keen bait fisherman will have a species in mind, a location and a plan of attack to fish that location. The fish is sought and then the reel screams, he sets the hook and after an exciting fight, he catches the fish and feels a great sense of achievement.
For the lure fishermen it may be the act of siding up to a nice area. Picking a likely looking lure and drifting into his own thoughts whilst casting and retrieving. Suddenly the rod is bending and with a quick flick of the wrist he is snapped into fishing mode as a fish takes to the air, or belts for the nearest snag. This may be repeated time and time again and on a nice day, it can make for a very memorable fishing session.
There is no one reason why angling is special. To many it is simply the ability to get away from it all and relax for a few hours with the off chance that your relaxation will be rudely interrupted by a fish or two. For many others it is the mateship with friends and family that seems heightened on a special fishing trip. For many others it is the hunt of a special fish. The formulation and consequent execution of a successful plan. And for people like myself it is the sport as well as all the above reasons that make angling so very special an activity to do.
Links to other sites on the Web
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Steele Whytes Australian Fishing Resource
Fishnet Australia
Freshwater Fish 'n' Tackle magazine
Hooked On Fish
© 1997 bradheath@hotmail.com
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