Duffy Reels Them In With Outstanding Performance
Newcastle Herald
Friday April 13, 2001
SALAMANDER Bay's Graham Duffy put in a `reel' fine effort to take out the champion angler award at the prestigious Shoal Bay Fishing Club Trailerboat tournament last weekend.
The proprietor of Salamander Bait and Tackle fished 17 hours straight to earn his gong and was, in the words of tournament organiser Tony Poole, `totally dominant'.
But that's not to say he was without competition.
This year's tournament attracted upwards of 960 anglers and approximately 360 boats, Poole said.
Duffy had to beat out over 900 senior fishos, many of whom are more than handy at the caper and just as competitive.
Points were awarded in species categories on a five-three-one basis.
That meant, for example, if you caught the biggest bream over the three days of fishing you got five points, the second biggest would earn you three and the third, one.
`Graham scored 16 points,' Poole said. `No-one in the eight-year history of the event has ever scored that many points.
`The next closest score was a three-way tie for second, and they could only manage six points.
`To amass those kind of numbers you have to be firing in more than one species, and the better fishos always do.
`Graham finished second in the bream category (three points), he took out the trifecta in the drummer (nine) and finished second and third in the snapper.
`I tell you what, at the end of it he was stuffed.'
Not surprisingly, Duffy's boat Uptha won champion boat.
Conditions last week were absolutely perfect for fishing.
There was a new moon and high tides at sunrise and sunset, and the fish were on, according to Poole, with perhaps the only disappointment being in the mulloway category.
In a bit of an upset, this year's most meritorious catch award went to Daddy Cool himself, Mr Ross Wilson, from Hinton, who nailed a monster flounder which weighed in at 0.954kg.
`When you think the average size for a flounder is between 450g and 550g, you just couldn't deny this catch's claims for recognition,' Tony said.
`I mean, it's nearly twice the normal size and was the standout catch of the weekend.'
Over $40,000 worth of prizes were given away over the three days.
And not just for fishing.
`Most of the prizes are lucky door prizes,' Poole said. `We try to encourage everyone to hang around.'
And why wouldn't you when some of the prizes include a $3000 echo system or total marine insurance? Serious stuff.
Champion junior angler was Brandon Lebr (12 points), from Cooks Hill, who edged rivals Tristan Goninan and Luke Walmsley by a point.
To give you an idea of how hectic things got down on d'Albora Marina on the Sunday: the guy who won the snapper category (Grant Duncan, from Wickham) weighed his fish in with seven seconds to the deadline.
`Mate, he was surfing over the crowd trying to get to the gates, which we shut at 12 o'clock,' Poole said.
In the funny fishing story category, Poole reckons the bloke who tried to fill his boat up with petrol through his rod-holder went very close to champion status.
`A total brain fade,' Tony concluded with a laugh. Most unpopular act went without dispute to the group who left their truck and trailer parked on the ramp and forgot to move it for a whole day.
For details of who won what at the tournament, see our details section under `Fishing'.
© 2001 Newcastle Herald