One of fishings finer moments, Rays meter plus cod caught on a Bassman spinnerbait

The joys of angling are as varied as the sport itself. The thrills derived from watching other anglers achieve their goals are no lesser moments than achieving such goals ourselves. So it was recently whilst fishing on the Murray River with Ray Clifford. The cast was to the point, landing in a gap at the buttress of a large submerged gum many years in the river. It screamed of big fish, but so did several dozen others we had probed our spinnerbaits around that arvo. It seemed their giant residents were stricken with lock jaw, intent to remain tight lipped in the face of the flashing blades. Nearing the boat, the motley green shoulders and white belly of a sizable cod powered through Ray’s spinnerbait rolling just below the surface. The words “you’re about to get your first meter cod on a spinnerbait,” were cut short as the rod loaded under the weight of the fish. It was a great fight made more so by the close proximity of the snags. Several times a well weighted thumb was used to persuade the cod to alter course and soon the fish of a few thousand casts lay beaten beside the boat. The grin in the photo says it all and was no less than that behind the lens. Such moments are only equalled in the reliving around the campfire whist sharing an ale or two. To be a part of fishing’s finer moments is to carry the true joy of angling and the memories that will last an angling lifetime.