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By Tristram Eley
In an age when society seems to be focused on greed and money, it’s a real change to see people give time and support
to something without expecting to make a profit out of it. When that event involves the sport we all love and over
140 children, then it has to be something particularly special. This month saw the eleventh annual Bransford’s Tackle
Shop Kids’ Fishing Clinic at Palm Cove Jetty, just north of Cairns.
As a former “jetty rat” myself I have a particularly soft spot for fishing from man-made structures, so I was happy
to volunteer my services as a helper. And I wasn’t alone. Over 20 well known local fishing guides and personalities
gave their time, along with several local, national and international businesses who sponsored the day.
It all kicked off at 8am with registration and a briefing, although when I got there at just after 7am there were
quite a few keen youngsters who had already staked their claim to a section of railing. In total, 142 kids from as
young as 3 to as old as 15 took part, fishing from 8am to midday. Channel Seven were there to record the event for
posterity
The purpose of the day was to educate a little and provide a lot of family entertainment. Parents and kids alike had
a great time and there were smiles all round. As Kevin Byrne, the Mayor of Cairns who presented prizes at the end said:
“Fishing’s a sport that the whole family can enjoy together” and you couldn’t help but agree.
The event was a catch and release affair with all fish being weighed, recorded and put back alive to fight again
another day. Some of them even got kissed! Several youngsters caught their first ever fish and many more caught new
and different species. The statistics for the morning showed 287 fish weighed in and released. Over 20 different
species graced the scales from the ever-obliging stripeys to flounder, cods, swallow tailed dart, a flathead, catfish,
batfish, doggy mackerel and tarpon. There were also whiting, goatfish, grinner and trevally amongst others, although
the blue swimmer crab wasn’t included in the species total. Nor was the hat which a quick thinking Bruno cast to and
successfully recaptured after it had blown in.
As always, slip-slop-slap was the order of the day. All the participants were given a hat when they registered and
sunblock was available at the weighing scales for anyone who had forgotten to bring theirs. There were huge bins of
icy-cold slushies to keep thirst at bay and helpers made sure that nobody went short of tackle or bait either. They
also made sure that a steady stream of berley pellets went over the side to keep fish feeding, tied knots, untangled
birds’ nests of line, showed how to bait a hook correctly and even taught keen youngsters how to throw a cast net.
The morning was finished off with a sausage sizzle (Where else would you get the Mayor of the city serving sausages
to kids and squirting tomato and bbq sauce? – ‘Onya Kevin!), a prize-giving including tackle vouchers, rods and reels
for the children who caught the biggest or most meritorious fish, a few words from the Mayor and the handing out of
some outstanding goodie bags, full of sponsors’ generously donated products. Quite a few adults were eyeing them rather
enviously as the group gathered for one last photograph.
The overall feeling after it was finished and everything was packed away was one of happy satisfaction at a job well
done. Thanks must go to everyone who helped to plan and run the day, as well as the very generous sponsors who made
it all possible. As Keith Graham, owner of Bransfords and chief organiser of the clinic said: “Children are the future
of our sport – we’ve got to do everything we can to encourage them. They are the anglers of tomorrow.”
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Thanks to these generous sponsors who made the whole thing possible: Bransfords Tackle Shop, Joe Vella Insurance
Brokers Pty Ltd, Tropic City T-Shirts & Caps, Coates, Channel 7, Godwin Witten, Cairns City Council, Shakespeare,
Jarvis Walker, Daiwa, Brumby’s, RMG Lures, Far North Wholesalers, McDonalds, Rob Gaden’s Classic Lures, Halco,
Platypus Fishing Lines, Top End Imports, Trinity Pools and Shimano
A big thankyou to the people who gave their time and expertise to ensure that all the children had a good time:
Keith Graham, Ron Gallo, Les Marsh, Matthew Graham, Bruno V, Duane Bates, Sonya Karakyriacos, Barry and Doug, Vicky Graham
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