Favourite fishing spot?
That’s a hard one. I have some wonderful memories of fishing around Rottnest Island – particularly fishing for squid, going cast for cast with my 98-year-old granddad Deryck.
James Graham enjoys fishing for squid, going cast for cast with his 98-year-old grandfather Deryck Graham.
Do you go on fishing trips and, if so, who with and where?
If I’m feeling like a little adventure, I’ll hook the boat up and go for a big drive into the countryside to a fishing oasis near a remote airport where I can leave the car and boat when I fly back and forth to Sydney with my girlfriend and ultimate deckhand, Katrina.
Favourite fishing gear?
Daiwa’s mid-range spinning gear has served me well, running three Daiwa Freams 2000S with Samaki Zing II (601S) rods.
Has the fishing got better or worse over the years?
Better – or I’ve finally got the knack for catching them.
Why do you think that is?
Increased uptake in catch-and-release sports fishing.
Release it or eat it?
Release, though I’m not impartial to taking a flathead or two for dinner.
James Graham at Recce Pharmaceuticals: “Celebrate the successes when you have them; positivity goes a long way.”
What type of fish do you most like catching?
A 28-centimetre bream is around nine years old; a 40-centimetre bream is closer to 30. At such a slow growth rate, they survive by being really, really smart. I find they’re about the hardest and most rewarding to target – testing at the best of times.
Favourite eating fish?
My dad had a barramundi farm (Australis Aquaculture) and a yellowtail kingfish farm (Western Kingfish), and I got to experience some of the best-eating fish out there, beyond anything I could catch. I think the yellowtail kingfish would still have to be my favourite.
What do you think about when you are fishing?
What the fish are feeding on, where they’re hiding, what I could be doing better to increase my chances of getting that big one.
Most memorable fishing story
My mate Dave Press and I entered an elite bream-fishing tournament in a folding boat my uncle and I bought some years ago. There was a field of 50 teams, all pimped out in the best bass boats you can imagine, but it was Dave and I who came out on top, taking home first place and a bag of cash.
What advice would you give other anglers?
Fish light. It’s better to risk losing a bite on a light line than never to get a bite at all.
Any secrets to fishing success?
Try, and keep on trying. The fish will be there somewhere. And celebrate the successes when you have them; positivity goes a long way.
lifeandleisure@afr.com
