To blog or not to blog?

To blog or not to blog?

Well it seems I have finally succumbed to a blog. I have to admit I have watched them since their birth with some sort of scepticism, I’m not sure what this was based on but I suspect it is a similar feeling to the one you get the first few times you give your credit card number to someone halfway around the world. Besides the writer in me is too intrigued and curiosity has won me over. I have also had a few requests to do one and Chris (media production business partner) has pretty much told me it’s a must do as this year will be pretty big for us with some projects finally coming to fruition. More info on that stuff later but I have some good trips coming up this year and I will be fishing from one end of the country to the other over the next few months.

Some quick background info…

Most of you will know me but for those that don’t here is some quick background info on me. I live in one of the best cities in the world, Perth and am married ten years this year to the most amazing wife, Raeanne, my best friend and mother of our so far only child and boy, Kai who is three and a half. Being a dad is amazing and I have loved every life changing minute of it so far. Rae is well, if you know her then you will know she is one of a kind and the best thing that has ever happened to me, period. I love living in Perth, it’s a big city but more laid back than the east coast, the fishing here is amazing and these days the east coast is only a few hunge and four hours away anyway.

Kai & Rae at the show last year...

Kai & mum cooking...

The Fishing...

While I fish all over Australia most of my fishing takes place on the west coast from about Exmouth down to Esperance. Catch and release, light line, lure only, river and estuary-bay, boat based, sport fishing best describes the style of fishing I mainly do. I keep fish for a feed sometimes but most of what we catch goes back, it’s all about the experience and chasing that fish of a lifetime to get killer photos, I’ll do something on this in more detail later.

Writing wise I started out in the magazines about ten years ago which turned into a job as a magazine editor being the founding editor of Fishing Western Australia which I did for about three years followed shortly by another fishing publication which I was also the founding editor of for three issues before I gave it away. I also worked on the FWA TV show for three years as a guest presenter on and off but these are long stories I’ll get to another time perhaps. Suffice to say, glad I did it, but glad I got out of it as well.

These days I currently write fulltime for National Australian Fishing Annual or NAFA for short, which is now published twice a year and also for Barra Bass & Bream or BBB which is published quarterly. I also do some work on and off for Modern Fishing and a few other various fishing publications.

NAFA and BBB are two of the best mags in the country and if you’ve been bitten by the bream on lures bug like many anglers have been then you will know that BBB is the number one sports fishing publication in Australia. These two publications are run by Alex Julias who is a privilege to work for as he lets me write about what I want and that is hard to find.

It is hard to put into words how much I enjoy the whole process, the travel, the fishing of course, the photography and of course the writing. I’ve been going at it for ten or more years to get to this point and yet feel like I’m just starting to get okay. If you ask Alex he will say my work is great but it can be hard to be subjective about your own work. I think my work is good most of the time and pretty good sometimes but could always be better so I’m always looking to improve and when I look back at my old stuff I can see my work really has come along way.

Any how I hope you enjoy my blog, I won’t be posting everyday or anything but weekly stuff should be regular and my posts will be a mix of reports from trips past, current trips and a few odds and sods thrown in. I’m keen for feedback and comments and or requests or any questions, it is all welcome so don’t be shy!

BBB Issue #24 and my first national cover...