THE Tuross Head Fishing Club’s goblet weekend is always a fun event but throw Santa and a couple of elves into the mix and you’re bound to get a few surprises.
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Santa shows up each year when it is the garfish goblet, but his magical influence was a little biased this year, sprinkling his luck on one angler only.
The past few weeks leading up to the competition have been a tad on the moist side.
In fact, reflecting on the colour of the still-muddy estuary inspired Tuross Head Fishing Club’s publicity officer Jo Starling to paraphrase Forrest Gump: “The river is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get.”
Despite the conditions, the club’s anglers hit the chocolate flow in the quest to catch the humble garfish, however, the river had ideas of its own.
The river was turning out quality dusky flathead, despite the opaque conditions.
“It seems to have brought the big girls out to play,” Starling said.
Scott Paul and Mark Brown both reeled in flathead in the 4kg bracket and Regina Byron released a 2.45kg model.
Sadly for Byron, her boat did not have a brag mat on board, so she wasn’t able to officially record the catch length, making it ineligible.
“We have it on good authority that this situation was rectified very quickly,” Starling said.
At the club’s competition the ladies’ lake and estuary was won by Pam Alexander, with the first flathead she’s ever caught on a soft plastic, weighing in at .305kg.
The junior division was taken out by Blake Paul, with his flathead of 0.575kg.
Further flathead were released with fish measured at 85cm, 84cm and 72cm.
Imagine, then, being the only angler to return to the weigh-master with a garfish on goblet day.
Imagine further, the feelings Paul Brown experienced when he learned that his .45kg garfish swept aside those duskies to take home the major prize for the weekend.
Starling said the club extended Christmas wishes to all members and visitors and it was looking forward to “shenanigans and catches” in the New Year.
“In the meantime, stay safe, be happy and enjoy the time with your family and friends and make sure you wet a line,” she said.
“This is when the fish are really on.”
To connect with other keen anglers in the region, join the Tuross Head Fishing Club’s page on Facebook or visit www.turossheadfishingclub.org.
