Fishing with Jeff

Yesterday a workmate of Blair's took us out fishing. Jeff has lived in Broome for the past 12 years and flies in and out of Sunrise Dam above Kalgoorlie (via Perth)week on, week off. He and his wife have two small children and she works two days a week. The youngest was in day care as normal and as he normally looks after the older one around kinda times on two of his days off, he had to get her looked after while we fished.

We'd never met so arranged to met at the port boat ramp-he'd be driving a green twin cab/blue boat, us in our dirty silver twin cab! What a nice guy he turned out to be and what a good day out we had. It was a bit rough on the way out (15 miles), but settled to a nice few hours on the water. We didn't catch too many fish (I caught two and Russ one) and we had a few hook-ups of mackerel trolling on the way home, but didn't manage to land any. Didn't loose any of Jeff's expensive lures though so it wasn't too bad.

It was very exciting for us to spot a whale just cruising along and to pass within about 30 metres of it. I saw lots of turtles, sea snakes and jelly fish too-more reasons never to swim in the ocean again I reckon.

I think Jeff would have liked to go fishing again today (Tuesday) but it would have meant finding more baby sitters. Maybe we can catch up again when we are up this way in a couple more years!

We had a nice suprise yesterday as we were getting ready to go out fishing-Mike Shaw (who we met in Port Smith) knocked on our door and suggested we catch up in the next few daays before we all move on. Mike and Mary are a couple my age. She's a nurse and he is a turner and fitter and now their two boys are grown, they are travelling. They left QLD 4 years ago and have been travelling and working when they need too. They are over in the Roebuck Bay CP, so we will probably pop over and see them today.