For
the past 7 years I have run a guided trout fishing business
in Tasmania. At least once ever month or so I get a phone
call from people wanting to book a day or two of guided fishing
for Queenfish or Barramundi. 'Sorry you have the wrong number'
I say.
'Fish
lollies'
The
reply comes back 'you are Peter Haynes from Cairns aren't
you'. No, 'this is Peter Hayes - Tasmanian trout guide'.
I
had not met Peter Haynes before but they tell me he is a little
guy with a big reputation for being a good fisherman, a great
guide and a bloody nice bloke. I decided to phone him for
a chat one night and sure enough he had the same experience
with wrong numbers. We had a great laugh about it and decided
that we should one day catch up for a fish together.
This
winter we extended our Australia wide fly casting classes
to Cairns and Townsville. This gave me the opportunity to
meet Peter and spend a day fishing with him.
We
arrived into Cairns a few days before I started the casting
schools. The weather was sensational, particularly when compared
to the Tasmanian winter we had left behind. We had about five
days of R&R between the casting schools in Cairns and
Townsville. This wasn't much time given the places I wanted
to go and the fishing I wanted to fit in.
Rather
than stay in a unit and be tied to the one location I booked
a Britz Campervan from the depot just outside the Cairns airport.
This would give us the wheels, the bed and the dining room
all in the one package. We could go wherever the best fishing
was and not worry about leaving it. As it turns out it's also
more economical to do it this way.
"Great
boats make a big difference"
The
Explorer van had plenty of room. Stove, microwave, fridge,
shower and toilet ensured we were comfortable wherever we
were. Most of the time we lived and ate outside in the magnificent
balmy nights on the outdoor setting provided.
I
contacted ' Haysie with an n' a couple of days after arriving
and met him for dinner. He was everything a good guide should
be and just the way many clients who had fished with him had
said he was. Peter certainly knew about fish - he thought
like one. I could tell that - because I think like one too!
Peter was kind and generous in nature and a witty guy. I can
imagine a stressed out executive from Melbourne or Sydney
having a terrific day with him. Catching fish would only be
secondary.
Pete
was pretty well booked out but had only one day available
for us to catch up and have a fish. I wasn't actually that
keen on the fishing - I go out about 200 days a year and that
is enough for me. I was more interested in seeing how Pete
operated, learning a little about different species of fish
and experiencing a new environment.
I
was offered a choice of two different fishing styles for different
species. We could take his modified canoe and fish the headwaters
of the rivers for Sooty Grunters and Perch. Most of this is
visual fishing with surface poppers in a rainforest type environment.
Alternatively we could put the boat on the Russell River and
target a dozen or so different saltwater species. This is
what I chose. The river headwater stuff, although different
fish to back home, sounded a little similar in some ways.
We
arranged to meet at the Russell River early in the morning.
No getting up early to leave the motel, I would park the motel
on the side of the river.
Pete arrived with a small purpose built fly fishing boat in
tow. Complete with electric motor and poling platform it certainly
looked the part.
'A little guy with a big reputation'-
Peter Haynes and small Trevally.
It
was funny, I wanted Pete to fish as I know he, like me, never
gets to fish when he guides clients. He wanted me to fish.
The stale mate lasted 15 minutes and finally I gave in. Quite
different in many ways toi the trout fishing where my job
is to read the wind direction, light conditions and water
depth Peters job was to know the underwater environment and
tidal effects. As I said, he thinks like a fish and he read
the tide like a familiar book. We moved around a lot during
the day and I was impressed how we were always in the right
spot at the right time. He was doing his job.
Using
an 8 weight rod and intermediate line the casting of a medium
weight deceiver was pleasant. About 8 different species of
fish ate the flies without too much coercing.
At
a particular point of the tide Pete suggested we sit on a
drop off and chase a big Queenie or maybe a Trevally. Who
was I to argue. There were no dun feeders, no windlanes and
no caddis hatch.
With
a spinning rod we each reamed the water with a 'Haynes special
popper'. Pete said to wind flat out which I did - 'Not fast
enough' he shouted half a dozen times. "Twice as fast
you wacko trout fisherman".I finally got the picture
when for the first time in 10 minutes I beat his retrieve
back to the boat.
I
found it hard to believe that a fish could smack a lure that
was pulled faster than a speeding bullet. Just as I was losing
interest, and the sweat was pouring off me (mind you Pete
had a woolen jumper on and continually moaned about the cold
weather) a fish grabbed the lure as I was lifting it out of
the water, not three feet from the boat.
It
happened so fast that when Pete asked whether a Trevally of
a Queenie grabbed it, although I had seen the whole fish,
I could not answer him. I said it was all a blur. I waited
for the comment about two heads and 4 eyes should be able
to tell the difference, but surprisingly, it did not come.
Pete was pre occupied with pulling in the anchor. He said
that if he didn't get the anchor in and start chasing the
fish down with the motor I would be spooled. He was right.
I had only meters left as the boat finally powered toward
the fish.
'Queenfish
that pull like trains'
The
fight lasted 15 minutes and the fish pulled harder than a
train. I won because I pulled harder still. It was a Queenie
that I thought large. 'Average', Pete said in his dry way.
This topped off a terrific day with a terrific guy. He re
taught this fishing guide a lesson that he had forgotten.
'Never take the clients to the big fish at the start of the
day or it is all down hill from there'. Leave the biggest
to just before you go home. People will remember it more.
I guess you could call it all 'foreplay'.
The
fishing was certainly secondary to the experience. I cannot
recommend a day or so of fishing with Peter Hayes with an
N more highly. The concept of the motel room on wheels was
a terrific one that I will certainly be doing again.
You
can contact Peter in Cairns on M 0417 636 249 or 07 4056 5923.
Please don't ring me in Tasmania if you want to fish for Queenies!
By
Peter Hayes
