canned tuna recipes: February 2008

Carp fishing videos

There has been lots of interest in the few carp stories I have posted on this site so far and this post is another for all you carp lovers out there. I have tried to find the best 3 carp fishing videos I could find that are not only great to watch, but might help new anglers learn a little something too.

Video 1
The first video is more instructional in nature, but also shows some great close quarters carp fishing action. It is presented by semi famous fisherman Matt Hayes who I have always enjoyed watching. In this video he is fishing less than 3 yards from his rod tip and looks to be an exhilarating form of fishing.

Video 2
The second video is fly fishing for carp and has been very well done for an armature video.

Video 3
This video shows the most popular technique for carping by placing your rod in a holder and using a bite alarm.

I hope you enjoyed this post.

Fishing Knots: Albright Knot

When I was writing my fly fishing knot tying post the other day it dawned on me that I have never posted the famous albright knot on this blog in 123 posts, which is a pretty big oversight really.

The albright knot
This knot is used to attach two lines of different diameters together. Often used in fly fishing for attaching the thin backing line to thicker fly line. In recent times it is being used successfully to attach modern braided lines to monofilament or fluorocarbon. It provides a very strong connection and is relatively easy to tie with practice.

Instructions

1. Loop the heavier line. Pass the lighter line around the formed loop.

2. Make approximately 10 wraps with the lighter line wrapping from left to right. Hold these wraps in place. On the 10th wrap, come around and then through the remaining loop. Taking the standing line in your right hand pull gently as you push the wraps with your left hand towards the closed loop, keeping the wraps together. Pull the tag tight then pull on the standing part of both lines until the knot is secure.

3. Trim the tag ends of the knot.

Instructional Video
Like I always try to do I have found a video that also shows the process very clearly.

Fly fishing England

There is no doubt that England has some great fly fishing opportunities. The lakes and rivers are some of the most pristine environments you can imagine and are often specially manicured for fishing access.

Target species
There are two main fly fishing targets in England, trout and grayling, but there are many other available fly fishing targets that are less popular. There are some traditional non fly targets too that are waiting for someone to catch on a fly.

Fishing techniques
Many fishing locations in England consist of small streams and lakes and while these are idyllic locations they can be a little bit tricky to fish. Remember that on small streams you wont need to make very long casts and you may need to use a shorter back cast on very narrow rivers. Another important factor to consider is that the water is very clear, which will require a stealth approach of quiet observation and stalking the fish. Fly fishing techniques like upstream dry fly and upstream nymph are the most popular and "matching the hatch" is an essential skill.

Things to consider
Remember that in England most fishing locations require a permit or a landowners permission. There are actually many complex rules for fishing in the UK, which you should research first. You will be surprised by the lack of free fishing areas, but you will still be able to find these areas with a bit of research. Like in any new locations hiring a quality guide can make all the difference to your fishing success. A fishing guide will also be able to advise you of required permits or may even include the permits in their fee.

Fly fishing knot tying

Knots for fly fishing
When tying knots for fly fishing you will find that it requires approximately 5 knots. First you need to attach the backing line to the reel, then the backing line to the fly line, the fly line to the leader and the leader to the tippet. The final knot is used to attach the fly to the tippet.

Backing line to reel - Arbor knot
Most fly anglers use the arbor knot for this application as it is easy to tie and strong enough for this application.

An instructional video of this knot can be found at my earlier post how to tie an arbor knot.

Backing line to fly line - Albright Knot
This knot is often used to attach two lines of different diameters and is perfect for attaching fly line to the backing material.

1. Loop the heavier line. Pass the lighter line around the formed loop.

2. Make approximately 10 wraps with the lighter line wrapping from left to right. Hold these wraps in place. On the 10th wrap, come around and then through the remaining loop. Taking the standing line in your right hand pull gently as you push the wraps with your left hand towards the closed loop, keeping the wraps together. Pull the tag tight then pull on the standing part of both lines until the knot is secure.

3. Trim the tag ends of the knot.

Fly Line to leader - Nail Knot
Some fly anglers continue to use the albright knot for this situation, but I find the nail knot to have a smoother finish - try both and see what works best for you.

An instructional video of this knot can be found at my earlier post how to tie a nail knot.

Leader to tippet - Surgeons Knot
This knot is very easy and quick to tie, but is also sufficiently strong in this situation.

Instructions (with diagrams) for the surgeons knot can be found at my earlier post how to tie a surgeons knot.

Tippet to fly - Improved clinch knot (locked blood knot)
The last knot you will tie and arguably the most important. Most anglers use an improved clinch knot in this situation and it is a great knot for this situation. Remember that you will be using this knot the most and it is the most important to learn properly.

You will find instructions for the improved clinch knot at my earlier post how to tie an improved clinch knot.

I hope this little post helps you with your fly fishing knot tying and your fly fishing in general! Good luck!

Canned tuna recipes

After my post yesterday I thought I would add some tuna recipes to my blog and if you use the light canned tuna like the post suggests you will most likely not have any problems. Remember that fish is still part of a balanced diet.

I have tried to gather some of the easier recipes. These recipes are great for unexpected guests or a quick meal. I am no chef, but even I can make these!

Tuna Balls

INGREDIENTS

1 (6 ounce) can tuna, drained and flaked
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup chopped onion

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl, blend tuna, cream cheese, 1/2 the pecans and onion. Shape into a ball or loaf. coat with remaining pecans. Refrigerate until serving.

Quick tuna salad

INGREDIENTS

1 (7 ounce) can solid white tuna packed in water, drained
1/4 cup creamy salad dressing (such as Miracle Whip™)
1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish, or to taste

DIRECTIONS

Mash tuna together with salad dressing and relish in a small bowl with a fork. Serve.

Finally I found this video of an old favorite Tuna Noodle Casserole - enjoy.

Thanks to allrecipes.com for the yummy tuna dishes.

Tuna fish and mercury

In recent times there has been some controversy about fish and mercury and the often confusing news reports do not help to clear up matters. Currently there are warnings that have been released for the bigger predatory pelagic fish that seem to have a mercury accumulation problem. This happens because these bigger fish eat many smaller fish with trace amounts of mercury and the mercury level accumulates in the bigger fish. The fish that carry some level of risk include (but are not limited to):

Shark
Swordfish
King Mackerel
Tilefish
Some tunas (bigeye, ahi, yellowfin and canned albacore) other tunas are safe in moderate amounts.
Marlin
Orange Roughy

It is important to remember that all fish contains levels of mercury and fish consumption (particularly when pregnant should be monitored). Low levels of fish consumption should not be a problem.

What about tuna?
Tuna can be classified as a medium to high risk fish and consumption should be monitored. Eating light canned tuna seems to be the lowest risk option at the moment and is listed under the "eat moderately" banner of the FDA.

Why is mercury bad
Mercury is a natural substance, but high levels can have adverse side effects. It is a poison for the nervous system. Exposure during pregnancy is of most concern, because it may harm the development of the unborn baby’s brain. Some studies suggest that small increases in exposure may affect the heart and circulatory system.

What to do?
Remember that eating fish is part of a healthy diet. If you are pregnant eat fish from the low risk category and monitor your intake.

Low risk fish (FDA list)
Enjoy these fish:
Anchovies
Butterfish
Catfish
Clam
Crab (Domestic)
Crawfish/Crayfish
Croaker (Atlantic)
Flounder
Haddock (Atlantic)
Hake
Herring
Mackerel (N. Atlantic, Chub)
Mullet
Oyster
Perch (Ocean)
Plaice
Pollock
Salmon (Canned)
Salmon (Fresh)
Sardine
Scallop
Shad (American)
Shrimp
Sole (Pacific)
Squid (Calamari)
Tilapia
Trout (Freshwater)
Whitefish
Whiting

If you have any further questions feel free to leave a comment

Fishing tips - Fishing with floats

Fishing with floats is a great form of visual fishing and is a very popular method for teaching children to fish. It is as simple as telling them to keep their eye on the float. However, float fishing is not only for beginning fisher people, it remains a very effective way of fishing for certain species. Many species are actually much easier to target with a float and it is important to consider this when targeting surface feeding fish.

I have found a really great article about float fishing that is worth reading if you want some float fishing tips and instead of reinventing the wheel I thought I would post the link. It explains the types of floats, how they work, how to set up your float and a few other useful float fishing tips. You can Read the article here.

Alternatively you can always watch this little video which demonstrates the effectiveness of floats perfectly.

Kayak and great white shark

If you are a regular reader of my blog you will probably remember the sharks love post, which even though is a hoax is still an impressive story! In that powerpoint/video there is one of the most famous pictures running around the Internet - The man in his kayak and the great white shark behind him. If you haven't seen it here is the picture I am talking about:

Is the great white and kayak picture a photoshop fake?
This is the proper definition photo (not the compressed image going around via email which looks fake) and it looks genuine enough so lets look at the facts.

This photo is indeed genuine and was taken from the magazine National Geographic. It was part of an article by Michael C. Scholl and Thomas P. Peschak who were studying sharks without the use of engine noise. This is what the authors had to say about the incident:

Although we had extensively tested the sharks' reactions to an empty kayak and had observed no signs of aggression, this gave us little comfort as we eyed a great white heading straight for us, albeit slowly. Just a metre or so from the craft it veered off, circled and slowly approached from behind. It did this several times, occasionally lifting its head out of the water to get a better look. Then it lost interest, and as it continued on its way we were able to follow a short distance behind. Once we'd come to terms with having nothing between ourselves and a four-metre shark except a thin layer of plastic, our kayak made an ideal research platform for observing great white behaviour in shallow water.
If you are still a little skeptical then I have another great picture that will hopefully dispel all doubts.

Amazing as it is even as a fisherman you would not catch me dead in that kayak no matter what the researchers say! Great whites are scary enough in a full sized boat and a plastic kayak just wouldn't cut it!

Want to tell me what you think - Please leave a comment.

Fly fishing rod weights

Fly fishing rod weights - General guide

1 - 3 weight

small flies
short casts

4 weight

small to medium trout
small to medium flies
short to medium casts

5 - 6 weight

excellent all around trout rod.
Handles small to larger flies
short to longer casts

7 - 8 weight

long casts and windy conditions.
7 weight is a great compromise sized rod for trout and light saltwater

9 - 14 weight

large freshwater fish
salt water fishing
large flies
long casts in open areas.

Choosing a fly fishing rod

Choosing a fly rod to match your required fishing situation/s can be difficult at times, but there are some questions you can answer to make the decision easier.

What type of fly fishing will you be doing?
No one is going to argue with me when I tell them that a trout doesn't quite match the fight of a marlin or even a tuna. Before purchasing a fly rod think about what kind of fishing you will be doing with it the majority of the time. Whether it is saltwater, freshwater, maybe even a bit of both you will be able to find the rod that suits you for most situations. If you want to catch trout, but would also like to do some light saltwater sports fishing you can make a compromise by choosing an all-rounder rod instead of a specialist rod. If you plan on doing some very different fishing (eg. trout then marlin) you will need two different fly fishing rods.

What type of action do I need?
I will try to keep this simple

Slow action fly rod (full flex)

Great for smaller fish and smaller rivers
Enhances the fight of even the smallest trout
Designed for short casts

Medium/Moderate action fly rods

Good all round rod type for many different situations
Make longer casts
Additional strength in the rod for fighting the fish

Fast action fly rods

Stiff - lots of fighting power
Allows really long casts in any conditions
Easier to cast (due to the stiffness)
Generally not used for trout, but for saltwater fly fishing

Which material do I want?

Fiberglass - has some fans

cheap
heavier
strong

Graphite - most popular

light
strong
easy to cast
more expensive

Bamboo - the original

heaviest
expensive
handling and feeling is amazing

I hope this little article has helped you in some way. Remember that you will most likely be able to get away with one all round rob, but if the fly fishing bug bites you will eventually upgrade to 3 or 4 specific models for more specific situations.

Carp night fishing

Carp fishing at night can be a cold and miserable time if you don't make the necessary precautions, but night carp fishing can also be a rewarding time with some thumping fish available for the dedicated angler.

There are two ways to fish at night for carp:

1. Stay awake and use audible and visual bite indication.

Visual bite indication can be as simple as a glow stick attached to the tip of your rod or you can purchase specially made illuminated floats.

2. Sleep and rely on audible bite detection to wake you up.

For this method you need bite alarms. These come in a variety of form with increasing prices, but they all do a similar job - alerting you to a hookup!

Staying warm
This is the biggest problem with night fishing anywhere (I was cold when I went night fishing the first time and that was in the tropics!). You need a good shelter (read tent), and something to sleep in like a heavy duty sleeping bag. It is probably also a good idea to use a camping bed (stretcher bed) to raise yourself off the ground to be a little more comfortable and warm.

Tackle for night carp fishing
This remains basically the same as day time fishing with the addition of light in the form of glow sticks, and illuminated floats. Attach a glow stick to the tip of your rod and you have a cheap bit detection system - you can even buy specially made ones for this job. Always take a torch and lantern to see what you are doing!

Methods for fishing at night
You know I could tell you some fancy secret, but it would be a lie. Catching carp at night is really not that much different from catching carp in the day time. However, they feel safer at night and will come much closer to the margins to feed. Some experts recommend throwing a bait in only 3 feet from the bank!

Bait for night carp fishing
There is one rule here - make it as smelly as possible so the carp can find it. Oily fish is great for this!

One last night carp fishing tip
Like the scouts motto always be prepared. Rig your lines up before it gets dark and always have a spare rod or two rigged and ready to go just in case something goes wrong.

I hope this little post will help you with your night carp fishing - Good luck

Lures for Walleye

Also known as walleyed pike, yellow pike or pickerel, the Walleye is a popular freshwater fish that is a native of Canada and the northern US states. The Walleye has been a popular target for artificial breeding and stocking into waters where they are not naturally found.

Walleye feed extensively at dawn and dusk and on cloudy and overcast days. In silty or muddy water the Walleye will happily feed all throughout the day.

The peak fishing seasons for Walleye are in spring and fall, but they are also caught through the ice in winter on spoons and jigs.

Choosing lures for Walleye
Spinners - cast or trolled
Minnow imitating plugs - cast or trolled
Jigs, bucktails or plastics, are walleye angling favorites.

Also consider these:

Maribou Jigs
Mister Twisters
Crawler Harnesses
Lindy Rigs
Small Rapalas
Hot'n Tot

Color
Gold, silver, green, orange, yellow
Walleyes have a general preference for yellow or chartreuse lures

Catfish Noodling Video

I first saw catfish noodling on the television show Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe. Of course I have heard of it before, but I thought it was some kind of myth or legend. I had that idea because in Australia our catfish have poisonous barbs and can even kill you so I was a little skeptical at first. However, after seeing catfish noodling first hand it certainly looks interesting. So I just had to find a catfish noodling video or two to show my readers!

You start out by finding a catfish hole and then you place your hand in the catfish hole and wait for the catfish to latch onto your hand. Then you must get a really good grip and pull it out of the hole sometimes with the help of a "spotter." Big catfish can weight in at 50-60 pounds and apparently it is common for the noodler to receive cuts if they do not use a protective glove! I have heard that some noodlers put some kind of smelly bait mix on their hands, but I have been unable to find out if this is very common.

Enough of me talking about catfish noodling though here are the noodling videos.

If you know anything about this sport feel free to enlighten me with a comment.

How to tie a spinnerbait - Fishing tips

I thought I would tackle (pardon the pun) this topic as there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of information about which knots to use when rigging a spinnerbait. I personally prefer using a palomar kno t, which I posted recently. I always recommend that you use a leader when rigging a spinnerbait and either monofilament or fluorocarbon will be adequate for the task.

1. Double about 10 cm of line, and pass it through the eye of the spinnerbait.

2. Tie a simple Overhand Knot in the doubled line letting the spinnerbait hang loose.

3. Pull the end of loop down, passing it over the entire spinnerbait.

4. Lubricate and pull both ends of the line to tighten the knot.

Photos from www.secretweaponlures.com

Cold Water Bass Fishing Guide

I was going to try my hand at writing a cold water bass fishing article, but I had three real problems:

I have never caught (or fished for) an American bass.
I don't like the cold.
There are hundreds of available cold water bass fishing articles around!

So instead of reinventing the wheel I thought I would present a couple of links to the best cold water bass fishing article I could find to help any bass fishermen out.

Article 1 - Cold water bass lures
If you've had trouble scoring strikes when the water temp drops below 50 degrees, study these tips from fishing's top pros and guides to heat up your next bass outing...
Read this fishing article here

Article 2 - Cold water bass fishing
Is cabin fever getting the best of you? If so, why not go bass fishing this winter? Let’s see what top competitors have to say about where and how to catch a few.
Read this fishing article here

I hope these articles help you with your cold water bass fishing - good luck!

Massive Goliath Grouper Video

The Goliath grouper, formerly Jewfish until an official name change in 2001, is a large growing reef dwelling species and as you will see is one of the hardest pulling fish you can hook into! Although they are reputedly very good eating the Goliath grouper is totally protected from harvest and is recognized as a critically endangered species by the World Conservation Union1. Like most grouper's the Goliath grouper is slow growing and is essential to the health of the underwater reef systems so protection is necessary.

This is one amazing video of one of the biggest groupers I have ever seen. It was estimated at 500 pounds! This is a great video that is a must watch (it does contain some self promotion, but nothing over the top.)

1. Wikipedia

Fishing Etiquette

I had a really great question from one of my readers recently about cast netting etiquette that got me thinking (again) about fishing etiquette. Where I come from it is very impolite to fish within 50 meters or so (without asking) of another boat. Last trip the old man and I were fishing a small (read very small) wreck with our anchor over one side we were sitting just off the middle. Another boat came along and was sounding around trying to work out what we were on - they got so close that they almost ran over our anchor line. However, this was not the worst, when they realised we were on a wreck (and they wanted to be there too) they anchored over our anchor line and finished up within spitting distance of our boat - rude! Lucky I am a calm person - lets face it most people go fishing to get away from it all not to join a crowd.

Here are some really good fishing etiquette tips to follow I have collected from all over the Internet:

Treat other anglers, boaters and other people we might meet in the field with courtesy and respect.
Obtain permission from landowners and never trespass on private lands or waters.
Respect the space of other anglers when fishing from the shore or in a boat and give room to all anglers playing a fish.
Keep no more fish than needed for consumption and legally allowed and never waste or discard fish that are retained.
Practice conservation and use proper release methods for fish not retained.
When fishing never leave trash behind, including worn or discarded line, old hooks and bait.
Never use as live bait fish that do not normally reside in the waters we are fishing, and never introduce exotic species that may survive and reproduce into fishing waters.
Do not spill gasoline, oil or other pollutants on land or into the water.
Observe your speed, wake and wash, while keeping a safe distance from jetties, water/shore-based anglers and other watercrafts.
Take the time to educate fellow anglers, especially new participants about fishing ethics and be patient with beginners.

Of course there are many more and I welcome any suggestions via the comment form below.

I would also like to hear any fishing etiquette horror stories!

Tackle Test: Fins Braid Review (Product Review)

If you are a regular reader to my blog you will remember that I had my fishing rods stolen recently and this also meant that I had to replace all my fishing line. I must admit to being a braid addict - I love the stuff - but I have only ever used Berkley Fireline. Being a bit of a creature of habit isn't always a good thing so I decided to try a new braid this time around.

Fins Braid Review

Knots and line strength
My initial impressions of this line were that it was much more limp and smooth than fireline. This makes Fins braid is easy to tie and it knots very easily and smoothly. Like most braids the actual breaking strain is much higher than the manufacturers breaking strain, but even when this is taken into consideration the knot strength is very impressive. Knots are generally the weakest part of the braid, but because of the smoothness of Fins I didn't have any problems in this area.

On the water
The high vis yellow is very easy to see even on the brightest of days. In my initial tests the limpness of the line seems to reduce air knots slightly although it is still not recommended to use this line if others on the boat are using monofilament. The abrasion resistance was fairly low, but this seems to be a problem with every braid, my suggestion to overcome this problem is to use a slightly longer leader than usual. I was fishing over a rusty, coral infested wreck and only had one major snag and resulting bust off the entire day.

Fighting a fish
This is where this braid comes into its own. It is very smooth through the rod guides when a fish is taking line and even with the drag on tight it doesn't seem to cut into itself on the reel like many other braids.

Overall
This is one great braid, but for the price I expected it to be. The line smoothness makes knot tying a pleasure and the knot strength is probably the strongest of any braid you will try. On the water it is great to use and I look forward to using it in the future.

If you have used Fins braid or have a different opinion to mine feel free to leave a comment

*This product was paid for by myself and I received no money for this post.*

Fishing Knots: Palomar Knot (video)

When I was trying to tie this knot the first time I was so confused as it can be called two different things, but the knots are exactly the same.

The palomar knot is a high strength fishing knot that is suggested for use with braided fishing line. However in a recent fishing magazine tests this knot proved far from adequate when tied with braid failing at anywhere between 40-70% if the stated breaking strain. However this knot is still very effective when tied with monofilament and is quick and easy to tie. This knot is also useful when tying a drop shot rig with soft plastics.

Ways to throw a cast net (with videos)

In part one of how to throw a cast net I posted 2 videos of the best methods I have found, but during my daily youtube wanderings I actually found some other methods that you might like to give a go. They are all worth trying out and if you want to practice I would recommend doing the following:

1. Make sure you are feeling really calm
2. Watch one video noting the key points of the instruction and write them down!
3. Find a grassy space with plenty of room for swinging and throwing
4. Practice following the technique you have chosen remembering all the key points.
5. Don't give up on one technique too quickly - it takes some time. If you really cant get it try another technique
6. Write down every revelation you have when your casts are getting better so you don't forget what you did differently.
7. When you get it right make sure you can replicate the results over and over.

Good luck with your cast net throwing and I hope you have an easier experience learning than I did!

How to reverse a trailer - launching a boat.

Firstly position your vehicle and trailer as straight as you can and roughly a trailer's length from the place you want to reverse. Keep your eyes on the trailer out of the driver's window while slowly reversing, and start turning the steering wheel towards the right. Grasp the wheel at the bottom and steer gently and progressively - it is fat easier to add more steering than to correct it after turning too much. Grasping the wheel at the bottom should prevent you from over-turning the wheel and if your steering wheel starts straight, you will know throughout the turn, without looking, that at the lowest point your wheels are straight again.

When the trailer starts to turn, start straightening up while still reversing. Leave straightening up too late and moving the wheel to quickly will cause the trailer to jack-knife.

Eventually you will be steering in the opposite direction whilst still reversing. Bring the vehicle's front around to follow the trailer and watch where the trailer is in case it needs to be corrected.

Continue reversing in a straight line looking in both mirrors. Reverse carefully and slowly. When you can see more of the trailer in one mirror, steer towards that side to start moving the trailer the other way. Corrections only require a small steering movement.

Moving forward to straighten the trailer is a simple option before continuing to reverse.

With practice you will be confident in your ability to back up several hundred feet without jack-knifing your trailer or rear-ending anything you are ready to launch your boat at a boat ramp. Try and select a quiet weekday morning for your first launch and have experienced help at hand...

This information is from the American boating association and I would recommend reading their complete article on boating

Fish Recipe: Brown Stew Fish (video)

Traditional Jamaican Brown Fish Stew
Difficulty: Easy - Medium
Preparation Time: 1 Hour (Marination time)
Cooking Time: 10 Minutes

This fish recipe is a traditional Jamaican recipe called brown stew fish. The ingredients should be available to most people around the world and if you can't find a certain ingredient then I am sure it can be substituted. This recipe could be used with any fish, but I would certainly recommend using something that stays together when fried. It is certainly not the hardest dish I have ever made and the results were very delicious.

Jack Crevalle fishing video (Giant Trevally)

In Australia we call them Trevally and in Fiji they just call them big, but no matter what they are called these fish fight like a freight train and never give up. In the tropical parts of Australia where I live they are often a fishing guides backup option when more desirable species aren't biting. Even local rec fishermen will move spots because all they are catching are big Trevally. However, I really rate them as a great sportfish and I will never turn one down.

They are generally caught on lures around structure and they just adore big surface lures (poppers). They can grow up to the size of a small car and the ones from Fiji and Midway Island are some of the biggest I have ever seen. Enjoy the video.

Fishing Knots: Joe Miller Knot (video)

This knot is basically an improvement on the clinch knot. It is really easy and quick to tie and is reputedly a fantastically strong knot. It retains a high level of the original lines breaking strain. You can tie this knot in many different line strengths and the only change you will need to make is the number of wraps.

The catfish that swallowed a basketball - Crazy fishing story #2

First I must say sorry for the lack of post yesterday - it was my birthday!

It must be the week for crazy fishing stories. After being sent the sharks love story my Dad sent me the story of a catfish out of Lake Macquarie (in NSW Australia) that ate a basketball. Once again I am pretty sure that the photos are real, but I am sure that the southern Australian catfish doesn't grow very big or look like the one in the photos. So I think the story I received with the pictures is fabricated. If you know about the true story behind the pictures I would love to hear it (please leave a comment). Here is the story I received:

True Fish Story

A guy who lives at Lake Macquarie (50 miles north of Gosford near Newcastle) saw a ball bouncing around kind of strange in the lake and went to investigate. It turned out to be a flathead catfish who had obviously tried to swallow a basketball which became stuck in its mouth!!

The fish was totally exhausted from trying to dive, but unable to because the ball would always bring him back up to the surface.

The bloke tried numerous times to get the ball out, but was unsuccessful. He finally had his wife cut the ball in order to deflate it and release the hungry catfish. You probably wouldn't have believed this, if you hadn't seen the following pictures...

A Sharks Love (100th post)

I really can't believe it - 100 posts already and my interest hasn't wained! I am actually enjoying it more now than when I first started. One of the best things about blogging is the contacts you make and the info for todays post was sent to me by one of these contacts (thanks jon)

Sharks Love

The French Magazine "Le magazine des voyages de pêche" in its 56th edition, brought up an amazing news: An astonishing love story.

"Arnold Pointer a professional fisherman from south of Australia set free from a certain death a big female White Shark that was caught in his fishing nets. Now the fisherman has a problem: He says: "It's been 2 years and she doesn't leave me alone. She follows me everywhere I go and her presence scares all the fishes. I don't know what to do anymore."
It is hard to get rid of an almost 17 feet long shark since the White Sharks are protected by the wildlife conservation, but a mutual affection established between Arnold and "Cindy".

Arnold Says: "Once I stop the boat she comes to me, she turns on her back and let me pet her belly and neck, she grunts, turn her eyes, and move her fins up and down hitting the water happilly..."

However, even more interesting than the story is the powerpoint presentation to go with it (you can also find the video on youtube.

If you want to have a look the powerpoint can be found here (spyware and virus free):
Download sharks love powerpoint

Or you can watch the video of the same thing right here:

While this story has been proven as a hoax it still has some amazing pictures.

Fishing during the Superbowl

I understand that the Superbowl is a big event - even as an Aussie. I enjoyed the event and it was probably one of the best games I will ever see. Those last 2 minutes were simply amazing (I was supporting the Giants so it was even better!). It is the most watched event in the US and the whole day is basically one big party. What I want to know is whether you would consider fishing on the most hallowed day in US sport? Feel free to answer the poll!

Congratulations to the Giants (I promise I will get back to fishing tomorrow!)

Funny Fishing Advertisments

In the spirit of the super bowl (yes even an Aussie watches this massive event) I have decided to post the funniest fishing advertisements I could find. They are from John West and of course they feature some crazy antics that are worth watching. They only run for about 45 seconds each.

Please leave a comment and tell me which one you find the funniest

Oh and by the way - Go giants!

Fish Recipe - Fried trout with lobster and crawfish sauce (video)

This is a lovely recipe that anyone should be able to make and it looks so good. Like the chef says in the video you can buy pre-made lobster or shrimp stock and save yourself all the trouble. With pre made stock the recipe does not take very long to prepare and you will really impress your friends with the sophisticated taste. Enjoy!