Port Julia, Yorke Peninsula, South Australia

A year has flashed by since our enjoyable fishing trip to Eyre Peninsula on South Australia’s far west coast last June and we decided to do it again this year.  As before we stayed a few days in a cottage on a sheep station near wild Locks Well and Sheringa beaches, before heading north to Venus Bay.  Additionally this year we ended the trip with several days at Port Julia on Yorke Peninsula, closer to Adelaide.

We fished mainly off the ocean surf beaches but also had access to a small dinghy for use in the more sheltered waters of Venus Bay and in St Vincent’s Gulf out from Port Julia.  Like last year, the fish didn’t disappoint and we caught plenty of Australian salmon, mullet, tommy ruffs, King George whiting, and a few squid that fell for our prawn-like lures.  Lee Tuan also hooked a metre-long shark that we got to the side of the boat and hauled partly out of the water before the line snapped.  Winter’s a good time to fish here – the fish are plump and plentiful, and there’s nothing like eating fish fresh from the ocean, on the plate within two or three hours of being caught.  But we didn’t have the appetite this year for 15 consecutive fish meals and so we used a fish smoker to preserve some of it for later.

We love fishing - the invigorating sights, sounds and salty smells of the ocean, the strenuous exercise, the fresh air, the excitement of the hunt, and of course the final catch to take back to the kitchen.  So much so that we’re now measuring up the garage to see how large a boat we could squeeze in behind the car.