December 2022 Edition

Reflecting on 2022, I have two memorable fishing trips.

The first was being the all-important ‘net lady’ (a crucial job of course) and helping hubby land his first ‘metery’ Murray Cod! A lifelong dream for many freshwater anglers and a fish we have been chasing for many years now. Our (well hubby’s) time came, just as we were ready to give up. We had spent two days on the water, early starts and late evenings, and didn’t even manage a touch, nor inquiry. The fish were not interested whatsoever. It didn’t matter what we threw at them.

‍

Meanwhile, my brother was bait fishing with the kids, catching carp after carp. We were determined to catch a worthy fish. On the final day of our trip, we headed off to give it one last crack. As the sun began to rise, something about the water felt different. There seemed to be more life, more birds, and more sounds. It wasn’t long before we got a couple of hits, and we knew we had a much better chance.

‍

We boated to a cracking looking semi submerged log and both agreed it looked like a lovely place to call home (if you were a Murray cod that is). Within minutes, Dean felt the crunch on his lure and instantly knew he was on to a big fish.

The excitement was palpable. The pressure of not dropping this fish, being the one to net it, and not letting it flip was all done whilst holding my breath! Once on the boat, we could admire this gorgeous beast, grab a few happy snaps and safely release him back to his home. Dean’s cod measured 106cm and was caught using Black Magic 30lb Hyperglide® 13x braid and 20lb Tough Trace.

The second highlight of 2022 was heading over to Tasmania with my hubby and fishing with fellow Black Magic Pro Team member, Jonah Yick. Jonah is an outstanding fisho and quite literally an expert when it comes to offshore fishing. He took us to one of our bucket list destinations, Eaglehawk Neck, which is 1.5hrs from Hobart. Once we launched the boat, it was a 20min journey to reach our destination and it was a little rough getting out (well for me anyway – Jonah is a pro). Having never been offshore before, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but as soon as the rod went off and Jonah’s eyes lit up (indicating ‘gooood fish’ – no poker face for this bloke!), the rush was exhilarating! I took the rod and the weight alone, not including the fish that was hooked, took more strength than I knew I had. When I saw the fish nearing the surface and got a glimpse of its size and I was absolutely thrilled! Never had I imagined being able to reel in a fish like that! It’s safe to say a little happy dance took place.

‍

I had just successfully landed my very first 15kg Albacore (chicken of the sea – one of the top eating fish and amazing sashimi*. We are all still drooling).

‍

A species that’s generally too far offshore from the mainland in Victoria to be targeted by rec anglers. Adrenaline was still running high for me and if that was the only fish for the trip then I would have been stoked! As freshwater anglers, this was next level, but Jonah was determined to find more and that he did! We went on to catch a further 6 smaller albacore (affectionately known as jellybeans) and then we had a go at some deep dropping, where we fished waters a little over 500m deep. An incredible experience in which saw us catch a lovely blue grenadier and some other species.

Lures – my 15kg Albi was caught on the ‘Flaming Squid’ Flea XT lure and the ‘jellybean’ Albi’s were caught using the ‘Lumo’ and ‘Pilchard’ Jetsetter lures.

*SASHIMI TUNA

If you’ve caught your own fish, then you know it is super fresh. If you are buying your fish, please make sure it’s sashimi grade. Not all fishmongers will offer this, so make sure you do your homework as no one enjoys food poisoning.

To prepare your sashimi, pat the tuna fillet dry with a paper towel and cut it into a rectangle that is roughly 5cm wide and 2-3 cm thick. Ensure you have a very sharp knife, my go to is the 20cm Wasabi kitchen knife. The technique is to hold the fish firmly with one hand and position the knife beside your fingers to make an against-the-grain (to avoid stringy sashimi) slice super thin by pulling the knife through from base to tip in a single smooth stroke.

Serve your sashimi with soy sauce, ginger, wasabi along with any other of your favourite condiments.

‍

How to best store your fish

It’s so important that we only ever keep what we will eat and to be mindful of not being wasteful. We must respect the waterways that we fish and be responsible in how we treat our catch. The more care we take, the better the fish will taste!

‍

Given we’ve been chatting tuna, head over to Tuna Champions for the optimal way of dispatching and tuna butchery.

A cryovac machine is one of the best investments you can make. This little baby will keep your fish fresher for longer. Freezing cryovaced (vacuum sealed) fish is brilliant, it avoids any tainted flavours and freezer burn. Once defrosted, your fish will taste just as fresh as the day you caught it. Ideally, I recommend only freezing fish for a maximum of three months. Not only does it give you a great excuse to go fishing again, but it will keep your fish turnover consistent and provides optimal freshness all year round.

‍

Well, that wraps up this month’s blog and the recipe I part with is one that you can whip up over the holidays. This dish is truly festive and fun! I love how this plates up, the colours, vibrancy and freshness of this salad truly pops and cuts through the gentle spice in the tuna.

‍

From river to plate or sea to fork,

Merry Fishmas and a very happy and safe New Year,

Cara